Inbox Inspiration: September 17, 2025: Will It Ever End 1-3

 September 17, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 1

 

Dear Friends,

The name of this column is the title of a statement issued by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore on September 11. The violence in our country is serious. We must own up to it, talk about it, and do what we can to promote a respectful and peaceful way to deal with our disagreements and conflicts. Archbishop Lori gets us started with this and I am sharing here some of what he has said in his recent statement.  

 

The Archbishop begins:

“Recently, there has been a spate of political violence in our country. The slaying of two Minnesota legislators. Killing innocent children gathered for a school Mass in Minneapolis. The slaying of Charlie Kirk. The list goes on. It is endless and depressing. We ask: Will it ever end?”

The violence continues: 

“As these tragedies unfold, the responses are predictable. Calls for prayer are met with public ridicule. Politicians decry the extreme rhetoric for a few days but return to it as surely as night follows day. As calls for an end to violence multiply, in that same proportion it seems, do incidents of violence multiply. Will it ever end?”

 

We as Catholics can do something:

“What are we, as Catholics, to make of this? Do we have some magic formula, a wand to wave, that will calm the stormy waters of our culture, restore civility and minimize political violence to what are deemed ‘acceptable’ levels?

“…What if, as a community of faith, we united in making a difference?...Despite our political differences, there are things we can and should do together.    

 

First: Pray. Take this seriously and don’t just say that’s nice, but… 

“First is to pray for unity and peace, both foreign and domestic. Writing these words, I can almost hear the chant of the Greek chorus, ‘What good does that do?’ Prayer, after all, doesn’t usually result in God’s direct intervention in human affairs. Isn’t it ineffectual? No, it isn’t. We pray not to change God’s mind but to have God change ours. We pray so that God’s grace will enlarge our hearts in love, including love of enemies. The Lord could not have been more clear. If we want his forgiveness we need to forgive others. Prayer changes hearts and there are a lot of hearts that need to be changed, including mine.”

 

I will continue with the Archbishop’s statement and more on this topic next week.       

Fr. Michael Schleupner

September 24, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 2

 

Dear Friends,

Last week (the column of September 17) I began sharing some of the content of a recent statement by Archbishop Lori on the violence in our country. After some introductory observations, the Archbishop asks: “What are we, as Catholics, to make of this?...What if, as a community of faith, we united in making a difference?” The Archbishop has three recommendations. The first is prayer and I shared his comments on that last week. Here are his other recommendations. 

 

“Second, as a Church, we can demonstrate something fundamental to democracy: how to hash out disagreements without resorting to violence. How sad when we Catholics attack one another, aping the language of our ideologically divided culture. If the Church is itself the sacrament of unity and charity, then we need to curb our speech, and more. The ‘more’ is something called synodality – conversation in the Holy Spirit. Synodality is not about changing the Church’s teaching but about learning to listen to one another. It is not easy.”

That word synodality is rather new to most of us. In truth, it is an ancient word and the Church lived synodality especially in its earliest centuries. Pope Francis has re-introduced this. The idea is that we set our direction as a Church through communicating and listening to one another, through discussion and discernment rooted in prayer. Pope Francis placed the Church in this direction and Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed it. The Archbishop is calling us to embrace this and by doing that, we will also be modelling a good path for our country. 

 

The Archbishop’s third recommendation is:

“…constructive action. For all our problems, the Church everywhere remains an engine of charity and a champion of justice. Consider, for example, two initiatives. First, our local efforts to promote mental health, to recognize the signs of mental illness, and to help link those in need to resources. Second, consider our annual gun-buyback initiative. More than 1,000 guns have been removed from our streets. Much more is underway, but you get the idea. Prayer leads to action.” 

 

Archbishop Lori concludes his statement on a note of realism and hope.

“When will it end? The reign of sin will not be fully vanquished until the end of time. In the meantime, with God’s grace, we can make a critical difference.” 

   

I will continue with more on this topic next week.       

Fr. Michael Schleupner

October 1, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 3

 

Dear Friends,

In the last two editions of Inbox Inspirations (September 17 and 24), I shared much of the content of a statement on violence that Archbishop Lori issued on September 12. Today I want to repeat the introductory part of that statement and then share the intercessory prayers that the Archdiocese recommended at that time. 

 

The statement, entitled Will It Ever End, begins:

“Recently, there has been a spate of political violence in our country. The slaying of two Minnesota legislators. Killing innocent children gathered for a school Mass in Minneapolis. The slaying of Charlie Kirk. The list goes on. It is endless and depressing. We ask: Will it ever end?”

   

The Archbishop’s statement was followed with some proposed intercessory prayers for the pastors to use at parish Masses. Of course, these can also be used in our personal, private prayer. 

 

v For an end to the violence perpetrated by harsh words, deadly weapons, or cold indifference. May our homes, our nation, and countries around the world become havens of peace, let us pray to the Lord.

v For those victims and those affected by gun violence in our communities, that they may find healing and support, let us pray to the Lord.

v For the wisdom to receive the stories and experiences of those different from us and to respond with respect, let us pray to the Lord.

v For the strength to teach our children how to resolve differences non-violently and respectfully, and the courage to model it in our own behavior, let us pray to the Lord.

v For our faith community, that we may respond boldly to the Holy Spirit's call to act together to end violence, let us pray to the Lord.

 

Next week I plan to continue this series Will It Ever End with some comments on vengeance or retaliation.       

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

 

Inbox Inspiration: August 27, 2025: Just War 1-3

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

August 27, 2025

 

Just War – 1

 

Dear Friends,

The continued wars between the Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza and between Russia and Ukraine have led me to reflect on the morality of war. Different sources give slightly different numbers, but the current conflicts have taken the lives of many and injured many others. 

For example, in the initial attack of October 7, 2023, 1,195 Israelis were killed, and of that number, 895 were civilians. In addition to those numbers, to date, 898 Israeli soldiers have been killed. On the other side, 61,000 Palestinians have been killed. Half of these were women and children and 8,900 of them were fighters.

The full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022. So far, 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another 390,000 have been injured. There have been 13,000 civilian deaths with another 35,000 civilians injured. For Russia, estimates range from 118,000 to 250,000 military personnel killed with another 800,000 wounded.

The continuation of these wars, coupled with the large loss of human life and high numbers of injuries have led me to think about warfare from a moral perspective. This is my focus here. 

 

The Church has recognized that sometimes, regrettably, engaging in warfare is necessary and moral. The Church has recognized the need for public authorities to provide for national defense and even require individuals to participate in this. It is important to note here that we have also taught respect for those who in conscience refuse to bear and use weapons. The Church calls for these persons to serve the human community in some other way. 

If engaging in warfare seems necessary, the Church has established certain principles that are to be followed in arriving at this decision and in conducting the warfare. These principles have been developed over centuries and find their roots in the theological reflections especially of Saint Augustine (354-430) and Saint Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274).  These moral principles are called the Just War Doctrine.     

It is important to emphasize that the Church sees evils and injustices inevitably arising from warfare. It teaches that all governments and citizens are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. Next week, in the Inbox Inspirations of September 3, I will look at the principles that constitute the Just War teaching.  

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

September 3, 2025

 

Just War – 2

 

Dear Friends,

Last week’s edition of Inbox Inspirations introduced the Catholic Church teaching about war. The Church acknowledges that sometimes war seems necessary. However, this is an extremely serious matter because evils and injustices will always arise from warfare. For this reason, over many centuries, the Church has developed what is called the Just War Doctrine. There are four essential conditions, all of which must be met, for warfare to be justified.

But first, we need to be clear that the Church is teaching about defensive wars – a country resorting to military action for its legitimate defense. The Church never calls an aggressive act of warfare morally justified. An aggressive act of warfare always seems to be immoral and not justified.  

Having said that, here are the principles for the moral justification of resorting to war. 

 

v The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or nations must be lasting, grave, and certain. So, the damage that would be or is being inflicted will have enduring negative consequences. These must be serious, like the subjugation or even extermination of people. And it must be clear that these consequences will result if the aggressor is allowed to go unchecked. 

v All other means to put an end to the aggression must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective. For example, diplomacy and negotiation must have been tried and failed.

v There must be serious prospects of success. In other words, engaging in war as a defense of one’s country must have a definite possibility of succeeding in deterring the aggressor and the evils that would be inflicted. This principle seems to flow from the reality that engaging in war, even if morally justified, will bring loss of life and human suffering. So, it is worth doing this only if there is a serious prospect of success in warding off a greater evil.

v The fourth principle follows from what precedes it. The use of arms must not produce evils that are graver than the evil to be avoided. The power of modern destructive weaponry enters into the evaluation of this condition for a just war.    

 

These reflections will be continued in nest week’s Inbox Inspirations, September 10.

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

September 10, 2025

 

Just War – 3

 

Dear Friends,

The last two issues of Inbox Inspirations (August 27 and September 3) have looked at the Catholic teaching on Just War. You can access these through the link below. Today’s column has some additional reflections on this topic.

 

In a just war, prisoners must be treated humanely, and care must be provided for the wounded. To the fullest extent possible, the loss of life must be limited. The protection of life must remain a guiding principle. 

Additionally, in a just war, non-combatants or civilians must not be targeted. There must be respect for the lives of private citizens. Any act of war that is directed at cities or other areas where many people live is immoral and merits condemnation. This must be especially emphasized today with the availability of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. 

So, even if engaging in war is justified, there are these additional limits and moral principles.    

 

Finally, Pope Saint John Paul II expressed deep concern about the Just War doctrine and the existence and possible use of nuclear weapons. While he never rejected the Just War doctrine, he expressed skepticism about its applicability in today’s world. He stated that the threat or use of nuclear weapons contradicts the moral principles of 1) proportionality (that there must be some proportion between the good to be achieved and the evils to be allowed in warfare) and 2) discrimination (that non-combatants or civilians must not be targeted). He saw the Church as needing to be a prophetic voice by insisting on non-violent conflict resolution, dialogue, and diplomacy.  

Pope Benedict XVI reiterated Pope Saint John Paul’s thoughts about the Just War doctrine and nuclear weapons. He added that the nature of modern warfare, especially with weapons of mass destruction, makes it nearly impossible to satisfy the traditional conditions for a just war. Furthermore, he questioned whether the strategy of nuclear deterrence can be morally justified any longer. 

Pope Francis embraced the teachings of his two predecessors and appears to have taken them a step farther. He called into question even the possession of nuclear weapons as part of a strategy of deterrence and called upon all world leaders to pursue disarmament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church raises the same concern about policies of deterrence and the accumulation of arms. 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

Also, various statements by the three Popes who are mentioned.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inbox Inspiration: August 20, 2025: Responding to Offenses

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

August 20, 2025

 

Responding to Offenses

 

Dear Friends,

Last Wednesday August 13, I gave a homily at the morning weekday Mass. Afterwards, several people asked if I would share the homily in one of my Inbox Inspirations. So, here it is today. The gospel for last Wednesday’s Mass was Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus teaching us what to do if someone sins against us. It might be good to review that passage from Matthew before reading this. What follows now is my homily.

 

“Today Jesus talks about what to do when, as he says, someone has sinned against us.

I think we can take Jesus’ guidance as applying to situations when someone has wronged us personally, or when someone is doing something that we believe is wrong or sinful even if it does not affect us directly.

I got thinking about this passage in the context of the entire life and teachings of Jesus. 

In that context, I am seeing five brief, quick rules from Jesus about what to do or how to respond in these situations.

 

1. Take the initiative. Try to bring about reconciliation between the other person and yourself, or between the other person and God.

 

2. Treat the other person with respect. Work at the issue in a private, personal, one-on-one way. Only if that fails, consult someone else who may be able to bring some additional wisdom to the situation – maybe a family member or friend or priest or counselor.

 

3. Don’t shame or embarrass the other person. That will do no good for anyone.

 

4. Don’t give up on the other person. Stick with what you believe is right and good, but don’t give up on another. That, I believe, is the correct interpretation of Jesus’ words about treating the other as you would a gentile or tax collector if they won’t listen to you or even to the Church.  

 

5. Do all of this prayerfully. Let it emerge from praying about it and from seeking God’s guidance. I have to imagine that this is why Jesus’ direction here is connected with some teaching about prayer. 

 

So, some brief, quick, practical, spiritual, gospel-based rules for doing what Jesus is teaching today.”

                

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inbox Inspiration: June 25, 2025: Hope

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

June 25, 2025

 

Hope        

 

Dear Friends,

Some recent data that I have read says that there are 61 armed conflicts in our world right now and that 11 of these are at such a level that they qualify as wars. We, in our country, are more aware of only three of these “war zones” – Iran, the Gaza Strip, and Ukraine. 

Besides armed conflict and war, we know that here in America there is a lot of violence. This was so very evident in the recent assassinations of a Minnesota State Representative and her husband and the attempted assassinations of a Minnesota State Senator and his wife. In addition to violence both physical and verbal, there is also a lot of financial uncertainty in our country. In my personal life and in my ministry, I often hear a lot of anxiety and anger. 

Given all of this, I turn to hope. We need to embrace a hope that is based on our faith and its vision of life. And that is central: our faith and its vision of life offers hope. I share with you below a reflection on hope from the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo. These Catholic Sisters serve in 25 countries over 5 continents, including here in the United Sates. Their charism is to serve refugees, migrants, and displaced peoples. This reflection on hope from these Sisters is both inspiring and challenging. 

 

“To have hope

Is to believe that history continues open

To the dream of God and to human creativity.

To have hope

Is to continue affirming 

That it is possible to dream a different world,

Without hunger, without injustice,

Without discrimination.

To have hope

Is to be a courier of God 

And courier of men and women of good will,

Tearing down walls, building bridges.

To have hope

Is to believe in the revolutionary potential of faith,

Is to leave the door open so that

The Spirit can enter and make all things anew.

To have hope

Is to believe that life wins over death.

To have hope

Is to begin again as many times as necessary.

To have hope

Is to believe that hope is not

The last thing that dies.

To have hope

Is to believe that hope cannot die,

That hope no longer dies.

To have hope

Is to live.”

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner 

Inbox Inspiration: May 14, 2025: Pope Leo XIV

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

May 14, 2025

 

Pope Leo XIV

 

Dear Friends,

This edition of Inbox Inspirations was to be the fourth and last of my reflections on Pope Francis. However, with the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope this past Thursday May 8, I want to turn my attention to him, the new chief shepherd of our Church. 

I was speechless when the announcement of the name of the new Pope was made. Maybe you were too. Then, quickly, as I listened and looked, I felt happy, enthused, and hopeful. And I also felt proud that the 267^th Pope, or 266^th successor of Saint Peter is an American, the first in our 2,000-year history. My reflections here will center largely on Pope Leo’s opening address from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Here are a few things that jumped out to me.

 

Pope Leo begins: “‘Peace be with you – dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the flock of God. I too wish that this greeting of peace may enter our hearts and reach your families, all people wherever they may be, every nation, the whole world: peace be with you. This is the peace of the risen Christ – a peace that is disarmed and disarming, humble and enduring. It comes from God, who loves us all unconditionally.” 

The Holy Father begins by praying that the entire world will experience the peace of Christ. He seems to have a wide, global vision. He describes the peace of the risen Christ as “disarmed and disarming.” It is without any weapon except the love of God. And it is “disarming” because it takes us by surprise, since it is based on God’s unconditional love for us.       

 

Pope Leo then goes on to talk about our need for Christ as our bridge. “We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge that leads us to God and His love.”

And then, with Christ as our bridge, we need to build bridges. “Help us – and help one another – to build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, so that we may all be united as one people, always in peace.”    

The Holy Father seems focused on our need for these personal and spiritual bridges. We need these bridges – dare I say, both within our Church and throughout our world. 

 

I will conclude these reflections on Pope Leo XIV in next week’s Inbox Inspirations.

Fr. Michael Schleupner

May 21, 2025

 

Pope Leo XIV (continued)         

 

Dear Friends,

This edition of Inbox Inspirations continues the reflections on Pope Leo XIV begun last week. 

 

In his brief address from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica on the day of his election, Pope Leo said this: “To all of you – brothers and sisters from Rome, from Italy, from all over the world – we want to be a Synodal Church, a Church that walks, that always seeks peace, seeks charity, and remains close especially to those who suffer.” 

The word “Synodal” caught my attention. The English word synod comes directly from the Greek word which means an assembly or meeting. From the earliest centuries of the Church, there were local and regional synods. These were gatherings of bishops and other designated Church leaders to consider matters of doctrine and Church practice. There have been synods throughout our history. 

This word has become much more known in recent years because of Pope Francis’ convening a Synod on Synodality. There have been two major assemblies of this Synod, in 2023 and 2024. The work of this Synod is scheduled to continue through 2028. This Synod’s theme is Synodality which means a way of being Church that involves listening, dialogue, and participation by all members of the Church. Pope Leo seems committed to continuing this emphasis on synodality. 

 

Our new Pope is the fourteenth of our 267 Popes to be known as Leo. 

The first Pope with this name is known as Leo the Great (440-461) – Saint Leo I. He is known for clarifying our belief in Jesus as both human and divine and for being a peacemaker by negotiating with the barbarians from northern Europe and mitigating their attacks on Italy. 

The most recent Pope with this name was Leo XIII (1878-1903). He is best known for his encyclical Rerum Novarum. This papal letter was written as the industrial age in Europe and America was in full swing with its attendant challenges. Rerum Novarum lifted up the rights and dignity of workers and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching which every Pope since Leo XIII has applied and developed. 

Maybe the above two Popes known as Leo shed some light on the new Pope’s choice of his name. 

 

Let’s all pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for our new chief shepherd, Pope Leo XIV. 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

May 28, 2025

 

Pope Leo XIV (continued)         

 

Dear Friends,

This edition of Inbox Inspirations concludes my reflections for now on Pope Leo XIV. What follows are a few excerpts from the homily that the new Holy Father gave at his Inauguration Mass on May 18. 

 

“Love and unity: these are the two dimensions of the mission entrusted to Peter by Jesus. We see this in today's Gospel, which takes us to the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus began the mission he received from the Father: to be a ‘fisher’ of humanity in order to draw it up from the waters of evil and death. Walking along the shore, he had called Peter and the other first disciples to be, like him, ‘fishers of men.’ Now, after the resurrection, it is up to them to carry on this mission, to cast their nets again and again, to bring the hope of the Gospel into the ‘waters’ of the world, to sail the seas of life so that all may experience God's embrace.”

 

Pope Leo sees the love of God, flowing through us, reaching out to embrace and bring hope to all humanity. That is our mission as a Church. To do this effectively, we are “called through our baptism to build God's house in fraternal communion, in the harmony of the Spirit, in the coexistence of diversity. In the words of St. Augustine: ‘The Church consists of all those who are in harmony with their brothers and sisters and who love their neighbor’ (Serm. 359,9).”

 

Then, Pope Leo’s vision is for a united Church to be a source of reconciliation, unity, and peace for our world.   

“Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world. In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest. For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world. We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one. This is the path to follow together, among ourselves but also with our sister Christian churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who are searching for God, with all women and men of good will, in order to build a new world where peace reigns!”

We pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for our new chief shepherd, Pope Leo XIV. 

Fr. Michael Schleupner