Dear friends,

My Easter message this year lingers on the exquisite and detailed Gospel narrative that the Church has us reflect upon the Sunday before Holy Week. It is a story found in the Gospel of John, 11:1-41, the rising of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus. There is much to discover in the story as it unfolds with the words of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, the remarks by the crowd that gathers at the burial cave of Lazarus, and the words of Jesus.

I recently received two letters from my Dominican Brother Jaroslaw in Ukraine. As our national news continues to be dominated by a politics of revenge, there are the very moving human stories I receive from my Dominican religious family in Ukraine, the brothers, priests, sisters and laity who choose to remain in harm’s way to be with the people. We get glimpses of these people walking past bombed out buildings as images from Ukraine make their way onto our nightly TV news.

Dear friends,

All are welcomed into Shem Center’s Circle of Respect — people of all faith traditions, spiritual paths, those who claim none and those who may be searching for one.