Author: Richard Chonak

How not to promote reconciliation
The Diocese of Worcester is giving itself a hotfoot of bad publicity by demanding information from the files of an abuse-survivors group. Although it doesn’t seem to have any legal confidentiality privilege, SNAP says it’s going to fight..

A prayer for spouses to the Spirit of unity
A young lady in .fr saw the prayers on my web site by theologian Fr. Jean Galot, SJ and sent me one more to try translating. She plans to give it to English-speaking friends at her wedding. Here’s a first draft.

Holy Spirit, you who unite,
guard our unity by guiding our love,
by inspiring in us daily gestures
where it can express itself, and by prescribing rules to us
that we must keep in every circumstance:
That we not dramatize the clash of opinions,
the jostle of wills; but each make efforts
to be accommodating, according to the other
the best response to his aspirations;
Not to drag out, not to rehash
the conflicts of a moment, but quickly seek
whatever makes the wounds received be soon forgotten,
the silence or the words that bring back peace;
And never to break off, when everything explodes,
not make an absolute pronouncement,
nor carry out a gesture that cannot be withdrawn,
but keep an open heart and welcoming spirit;
To not accuse the other, indicting him for wrongs,
but take up with humility
the burden of dissensions, knowing how to recognize
mistakes and clumsinesses, errors or impatiences;
And not to give up hope at keeping union,
but calling on you, Spirit, that we take up courage
in our hardships, climbing on with hope,
ardor, stubbornness, up the road of love.
Jean Galot, SJ

For those who haven’t seen the other prayers, they’re on-line: Eucharistic Prayers and When You Visit Us.