Preaching for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sister Eileen Reilly, SSND offers a reflection on the gospel's call to "be perfect" through the lens of her ministry with people who have lost loved ones to violence and murder:
"As you can see, each of these folks has taught me something about this Gospel call to be perfect. So, my answer to the question, Does God really expect us to be perfect? is YES! YES, with the understanding that becoming perfect is a life-long process, that it happens in community with others, and that it often takes courage to challenge the prevailing wisdom. YES, you and I are called to be perfect. I invite each of us to trust that God’s grace is working in us and that today we can take at least one step in that lifelong process to be perfect."
Sister Eileen Reilly, a native of Boston, has been a School Sister of Notre Dame (SSND) for over 50 years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, an MA in Peace and Justice Studies, and an MDiv from Weston Jesuit School of Theology. While living in Connecticut, Eileen had the opportunity to accompany a man who was eventually executed by the state of Connecticut. This strengthened her passion for abolishing the death penalty and led her to her present ministry at Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), the national Catholic organization working to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice.
Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/02192023 to learn more about Sr. Eileen, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.
