1.24.2007

relationship

Howdy all. We're back from our 1st session of classes this semester at our intercommunity novitiate program. It was an EXCELLENT workshop on psycho-sexual development, especially as it applies to a life of consecrated celibacy. So much food for thought and prayer. And for the most part completely unbloggable. If I manage to get what my mind and soul are working on into a blog post consummable for public consumption some day, I'll have something to really be proud of! In the meantime, let's just say that it reinforced that we bring our stories as human beings into religious life with us and that there is much more involved with being a sexual being than just sex.

While I was gone, I received a comment from a late delurker that I'd like to share. I've been somewhat surprised at the demographic makeup of my delurked readers. You might think that a blog such as this would appeal mostly to men and women who are thinking maybe possibly they might have a religious vocation some day. I suspect that there are a few who fit that category who are not comfortable delurking, and I want to assure you that this is completely ok. But many of those who have delurked are married and/or not Catholic. Some are not even religious. Yet they are drawn to reading the rambling musings of a new Catholic Sister.

We shared a bit in our small groups during our workshop. One of my fellow novices wisely commented that our stories were all different and deeply personal, but that there is a universality to the particularity (I think he was actually paraphrasing Henri Nouwen). This I think is the explanation behind the appeal of personal story blogs.

Now on to the comment from my delurker I'd like to share. It's a quote from Catherine of Siena:
"… I in my providence did not give to any one person … the knowledge for doing everything necessary for human life. … Thus you see the artisan turn to the worker and the worker to the artisan: Each has need of the other because neither knows how to do what the other does. So also the cleric and religious have need of the layperson, and the layperson of the religious; neither can get along without the other."
Peace to you all and to all a good night.
Susan

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great quote from Catherine of Siena, who was also a favorite of Margaret Anna. Here's another quote of hers that I like very much:

"Human beings are like angels - but angels with only one wing. We only fly when we are joined to another."

Terry