Prison Ministry Cookies

As part of our Peace & Justice Ministry at my church, we participated in baking cookies for a 

Kairos Retreat to be held this week at a state prison.  

We were one of four churches who baked.  

We were given prison approved recipes that had to be precisely followed

and bagged in a certain way.  Or they wouldn't accept them.

We were given instructions to pray for the prisoners, guards and wardens 

while we prepped, baked and bagged the cookies.  

We prayed that the love of Jesus touch the hearts of the cookie recipients and may 

that love flow to the general population of prisoners.  

Our combined incredibly high goal was 36,000 cookies.

We new it was unattainable but we did our best!

My church baked 1,452 cookies!

The total combined number of baked cookies was approximately 4,800 cookies!

This was our first year joining this ministry so we were thrilled with this outcome!

It was a small dent into the high goal, but we were pleased.

I baked 9 dozen peanut butter cookies.

We've been asked to participate again for their next Kairos Retreat in the fall.

Perhaps we'll set a goal of 2,000 or more from our church this time.

Please remember to pray for the prisoners in your state correctional facilities!

Blessings,

Noreen

The Two Feet of Love in Action

My church  has asked those who are interested to come and listen to a talk on Peace and Justice.  

Our speaker is from the Office of Peace and Justice from our local archdiocese.  

I was encouraged to attend so I did and found myself challenged in a whole new way.  

Our speaker asked us to reflect on our parish as "to it's commitment to recognize and fulfill it's obligations of justice and charity in society."  

Didn't take long to discern that we do a great job in the area of charity but very little to anything in regards to justice.  

It was an unsettling thought for I didn't think that justice was a separate entity to charity.

"Social justice concerns the social, political, and economic aspects and, above all, the structural dimension of problems and their respective solutions."  

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Examples of Social Justice                                                   

Source

Remove Root Causes; Improve Structures:

*  Expand access to affordable housing

*  Work to improve the education system

*  Support environmental protection laws

*  Participate in a living wage campaign

*  Promote peace

*  Advocate for international assistance

Examples of Charitable Works

Meet Basic Needs; Aid Individuals

*  Volunteer at homeless shelters

*  Tutor children

*  Assist women who face a crisis pregnancy

*  Participate in a community beautification program

*  Donate to food pantries and clothing closets

*  Sponsor a refugee family

*  Raise money for an overseas development project

Source

"The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word.  Those who are able to make offerings in accordance with their means...to support orphans, widows, the sick, and those who for other reasons find themselves in need, such as prisoners and foreigners."
Pope Benedict XV!, Deus Caritas Est., no 22

What does your church do to fight for justice?

Blessings,

Noreen