From the editor's desk - Editorial

As we rush to get out this edition it is Holy Thursday in the Mother all Lents. Spring has finally broken through and we look forward to the end of the SARS scare and the beginning of West Nile Virus season. The ugly "war" in Iraq has ended and people are still angry, hurt and confused. Is there any good news? And so it has always been for us humans, living between faith and despair.

Lent began with John Paul II inviting us to fast for peace. It was inspiring to me to see the aging pontiff raise high the ancient discipline as he personally invited all of us to the great adventure of peacemaking. Great? --yes. Necessary?--absolutely. Lonely?--always. Lent is a great 40-day gift to all of us struggling to be Christian. As many of the peace walks took place in the holy season, I often thought of my spiritual hero, Abraham Heschel's, words, "I felt like my legs were praying."

Mary Jo Leddy's gritty meditation on Jesus--"Could you not watch and pray one hour with me?"--gives new meaning to the Holy Thursday vigil. Page 4. Holy Thursday as well invites us to some new thoughts on Eucharist. They are provided by our Vatican watcher, Robert Blair Kaiser on page 12.

Our good friend Gerry McCarthy, the editor of Canada's finest online Christian social justice journal, Socialedge.com, brings us an important story of Jesuit Jim Profit's work in Guelph, Ont. See page 7.

Reader Joe Moher introduces us to an excellent book on the eight gifts of Catholicism. See page 14.

Once again our finance manager Miles Sosa is smiling as your donations and our lifeblood arrive at CNT. Please keep him smiling.

Please join us and bring your friends to our annual spring lecture. Mary Jo Leddy has some stimulating thoughts on our country. See page.8.

--Ted Schmidt, editor

editor@catholicnewtimes.org

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