September 15, 2018: On restoring what is lost and transforming damaged relationships

Preaching for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy offers a reflection on restorative justice: "The story of the Prodigal Son reminds us that we are all called, in whatever ways reconciliation may be necessary in our lives -- whether we resemble the father, the elder brother, or the prodigal son himself. We are called to take one step, then another, on our journeys to recover what is lost and transform damaged relationships. Reconciling isn’t about forgetting the hurt, it’s about us finding new ways to model God’s boundless mercy." Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy the Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, a national organization that mobilizes Catholics and all people of goodwill to value life over death, to end the use of the death penalty, to transform the U.S. criminal justice system from punitive to restorative, and to build capacity in U.S. society to engage in restorative practices. She has a Master in Theology degree from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/09152019 to learn more about Krisanne, to view her video or read text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.