Breath of the Spirit

Pastoral, Liturgical, Teaching, and Social Justice Moments brought to you by www.DignityUSA.org.

Breath of the Spirit is DignityUSA’s electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your chapter or other faith community, but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life.

We welcome relevant homilies, inspirational writings, social justice opportunities, or theological articles from other sources also — particularly from wise women and men who can help us grow as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) and allied Catholic/Christians. You may volunteer to help with this program or send your comments by e-mailing info@DignityUSA.org ATTN: Breath of the Spirit.

April 30, 2006: THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Readings:

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19

I John 2:1-5

Luke 24:35-48

One of the difficulties with which modern Scripture scholars deal is the way the authors of the Christian Scriptures interpret the Hebrew Scriptures. These writers usually employ a "prediction/fulfillment" technique, a methodology which, since Pope Pius XII's 1943 encyclical Divinu Afflante Spiritu, has been gradually relegated to the past history of biblical exegesis.

April 23, 2006: SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Readings:

Acts 4:32-35

I John 5:1-6

John 20:19-31

From its beginning Christianity had to deal with those in the community who zeroed in on the intellectual dimension of their faith and ignored the actions which Jesus expects his followers to perform. As long as they believed in the salvation which Jesus' death and resurrection offered, they thought they didn't have to imitate the concrete actions of the historical Jesus which actually brought about that salvation.

April 15, 2006: EASTER VIGIL

Readings:

Exodus 14:15-15:1

Isaiah 54:5-14; Romans 6:3-11

Mark 16:1-8

(Ideally all nine readings should be proclaimed tonight. But for reasons of space, I can only comment on four.)

April 9, 2006: SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

Readings:

Isaiah 50:4-7

Philippians 2:6-11

Mark 14:1-15:47

Today’s Deutero-Isaiah pericope not only sets the theme for our readings, it’s a guide for our entire celebration of Holy Week.

April 2, 2006: FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Readings:

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Hebrews 5:7-9

John 12:20-33

The historical Jesus would have been stupefied to discover that one day some of his followers would look at him as the founder of a new religion; a faith independent of the Judaism he professed and taught.

Vision Statement

DignityUSA envisions and works for a time when Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality, and as beloved persons of God participate fully in all aspects of life within the Church and Society.