Value of Leisure

I am spending a few days at our vacation house with friends (both old and new). There is not much on the agenda, just rest, relaxation,  and fun. This kind of time is sacred and oh so important, especially given everything we are always so busy doing.

In fact, our CSJP constitutions recognize this reality beautifully:

"In solidarity with our sisters and brothers
we engage in human labor
as a means of service and sustenance.
We recognize the value of leisure
as contributing to restoration and wholeness.
In these ways we come to share
in the creative power of God." (54)

View at North Lake house. 

Parables and Lamentations

I was invited to reflect on today's readings at a communion service with our retired Sisters today at groovy sister hq.  Always an honor to break open the word with these amazing women. Here's what I shared.

Today's Gospel comes towards the end of a lengthy discourse in Matthew Chapter 13. If you remember, it started with Jesus trying to find some quiet time by the sea.  Instead he was surrounded by huge crowds, and so he started to teach them in parables.  First the Parable of the Sower.  Then the Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat.  Then the Parable of the Mustard Seed.  And finally the Parable of the Yeast.

In today's reading, after he shared all of these and sent the crowds away, the disciples come up to Jesus. "Can you explain that one about the weeds ... again?"  I don't know about you, but I find great comfort in the realization that the disciples sometimes just didn't get it.

It can be hard to get it.  Especially in the midst of pain, suffering, war and destruction, like in the first reading from Jeremiah.  Almost 11 years ago, after the September 11th attacks, I heard this reading fairly often.  It was used in peace prayer services because it captured the spiritual outcry of that moment so well.

"We wait for peace, to no avail,
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead."

Come to think of it, this lament from Jeremiah fits the spiritual outcry of today as well.

"If I walk out into the field, look!
those slain by the sword."

Syria, Afghanistan, Aurora, Colorado.

"If I enter the city, look!
those consumed by hunger."

925 million people will go hungry today.  1.4 billion people will try to get by on less than $1.25 for all their essential needs.

What are we to do?  Cry out to God? By all means. As Jeremiah cried out, his eyes streaming with tears day and night ...

"Remember your covenant with us."

Margaret Anna Cusack, founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, was also deeply moved by the suffering of poor and oppressed people, deeply moved to action.

"... it did matter to me a great deal, in view of our common humanity, and in view of my love of the poor, that I should do all I could for those whom He had loved so well." (The Nun of Kenmare)

As Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace today, we too are moved to actions for peace through justice. As our Constitutions say:

"The weight of suffering and oppression borne by so many people today, especially those who are economically poor, cries out to us for action." (Constitution 21).

And so it does.  And so it should.

But lest we be overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of what this calls us to do, Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that in the end, this is God's work.  In the end, God will be God.

"Christ is our peace, the source of our power. United with him we engage in the struggle against the reality of evil and continue the work of establishing God's reign of justice and peace." (Constitution 2)

We do what we can, we give freely of who we are, deeply moved by the cries of our brothers and sisters, confident in God's faithful love to sort it all out in the end.

Today is the feast day of another founder, St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.  I'd like to end with his prayer from the end of the Spiritual Exercises.  He knew that it was up to God to be God, and us to give of ourselves to God's love and work.  No more.  No less.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
all that I have and call my own.
You have given all to me,
to you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.

Facing the Future

“Confident of God’s faithful love, and collaborating with others who work for justice and peace, we face the future with gratitude and hope.” 

This is one my favorite lines in the Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.  It expresses so much in so few words--hope for the future, gratitude for our loving God, and a commitment to join others in following Gospel values and making a difference in our world.

One of the things that I have really enjoyed about my ministry these past four years at the peace and justice center has been the opportunity to collaborate with a particular segment of the population who are also seeking to make a difference in our world ... youth and young adults.  Would I ever have woken up and said, "I want to work with young people!"  No.  In fact, other than being a youth or young adult myself, this was never something that inspired me.  Hence, I am not a teacher nor youth minister by trade.  There are others who are truly called to youth and young adult ministry.  I am in awe of them and grateful to have the opportunity to dabble in their world from time to time.

What I am inspired by is the opportunity to collaborate--directly and indirectly--with young people who work for justice and peace in a variety of ways.  Yes, you heard me, it's not that some day they will work for peace and justice, but that they are already doing this in their own spheres of influence.  In the past month in fact, I've had quite a few of these opportunities which fill me both with gratitude and hope for the future.

Today I met with a high school senior who is going to co-present at a youth forum with me this summer on the topic of human trafficking.  Last summer, she joined a group of other young adults to travel to Cambodia to play soccer.  They worked with a project that both provides after care to young women who have been victims of sex trafficking and a prevention program that offers employment training and empowerment to at risk communities.  Since she returned, she has been an ambassador of sorts for this program and sold some of the products made by the young women at fair trade sales.  She's headed to college in the Fall and I'm sure will do great things down the line.

A few weeks ago I met with a group of college students who wanted to start a human trafficking club on campus. They had such energy and were thinking long-term and strategically.  They didn't just want to start a club that would fade away, but were looking out for ways to not only make a difference but plant seeds so the club would continue after they graduate.

This week we announced the winners of our high school JustVideo contest.  This was the third year of the contest, and we received such amazing entries on the themes of human rights, immigration and the environment.  Not only are the videos creative, they make such amazing connections between the call of our faith and the needs of our broken world.  

These are just a few of many stories of young people facing the future themselves with gratitude and hope, ready to collaborate for positive change.  It does a person good to have even a little hand in giving them some of the tools to help them be more effective.

So that's a glimpse into one of the cool things about being a Catholic Sister in the 21st Century--working with folks of all ages who also want to make the world a better place. 

Touchstones ... our beginning

Our CSJP Constitutions tell our founding story well. They also carry forward the heart of our charism and mission forward to today. As I said in an earlier post, we make our vows to God according to these Constitutions.

"This congregation had its origin
in the founder's response
to the social concerns and needs of the time.
Deeply moved by the sufferings of poor and oppressed people,
Margaret Anna Cusack sought ways to share her gifts with them:
'... it did matter to me a great deal in view of our common humanity, and in view of my love of the poor, that I should do all I could for those whom He had loved so well.' -The Nun of Kenmare, 1888

In accord with our tradition
we commit ourselves to promote peace
in family life,  in the church, and in society.
We strive to respect the dignity of all persons,
to value the gifts of creation,
and to confront oppressive situations.
We respond to God's people in need
and promote social justice
as a way to peace."

Such powerful words. Such an incredible and challenging legacy to be entrusted to help carry into the present day and the future.

Love. Respect. Common humanity. Dignity. Promoting peace. Confronting oppressive situations.
Margaret Anna heard that call, tried to live it, and attracted others who sought to do the same. She faced challenges, from within and without. And so do we. Yet we continue daily to respond to God who first loved us as we seek to act justly, to love tenderly,  and to walk in the way of peace.

Touchstones

Last Friday, my novitiate classmate professed perpetual vows, the same vows I professed last November. 

"In response to God's call to seek justice, to love tenderly,  and to walk in the way of peace, I ... vow to God, poverty, celibacy, and obedience for life according to the Constitutions of the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace."

Our Constitutions are our touchstones. They express the very best of who God calls us to be as followers of Jesus living vowed religious life. As a pontifical institute, our Constitutions were approved by Rome. Yet our vows are to God, according to these Constitutions.

Over the next few posts,  or as long as it feels like a good space to blog from, I am going to share some of these Constitutions and my reflections on them. And so I begin, at the very beginning.

"Peace is God's gift to us,
Given in Christ,
A gift we experience and enjoy now,
Though not in its completeness.
We believe that peace
points beyond itself in hope
To the fullness of time."

May we live peace, believe peace, and grow together in hope.

More Musings on Community

In the header of this little blog, it says that it contains the "occasional musings of a 30-something newly professed Sister of St. Joseph of Peace." My sporadic posts this month prove the "occasional" part! And my pending birthday still gives me two more years of being "30-something," increasing gray hairs notwithstanding.

As to the "newly professed Sister" part, I professed my first vows almost 2 years ago. In our community, we profess poverty, celibacy and obedience for 3 years of temporary profession. During this time temporary professed Sisters live in community, take part in active ministry, and continue to discern our calling to religious life and the CSJP Community.

Given the whole community element, it makes sense that I don't do this alone. I'm blessed to have a wonderful faith sharing group that I meet with every few months for prayer, conversation and celebration. Last night we met to discuss the topic of Sabbath Consciousness and Leisure, inspired in part by this passage from our Constitutions:

In solidarity with our sisters and brothers
we engage in human labor
as a means of service and sustenance.
We recognize the value of leisure
as contributing to restoration and wholeness.
In these ways we come to share
in the creative power of God. (Constitution 54)

We each shared how we balance (or "dance the rhythm") of life -- in community, ministry, prayer, family, and other life-giving ways that we participate in the creative power of God. It was wonderful to hear the shared experiences of each of the members of my faith sharing group, wisdom women, women of peace. No matter where we are in our stage of life or religious life, it seems, we are always seeking balance/dancing through life. I am reminded of another passage from our Constitutions:

Because we trust in God's faithful love
and rely on the support and example
of our sisters and all others who touch our lives,
we are able to commit ourselves by vow
to follow Jesus Christ. (Constitution 42)

With God (and in community) all things are possible.

Musings on Community

I haven't been writing regularly lately here on the blog. Things have been a little crazy in my life, trying to balance the regular mix of my life with some added worry and concern for my father who has been ill and lives 3,000 miles away. I'm happy to say that he is doing much better and that I will get to see him next week!

I've been through the long distance care giving thing before. My mom was very sick for about two years before she passed away six and a half years ago. My dad had a bigger health scare five years ago. In this post-modern world of ours, where family are scattered hither and yon, it makes the major life moments a bit tricker. On the more positive side, I've got a brand new baby nephew who I haven't met yet because he lives about 2,000 miles away (but I will get to see him in September!).

Even though I've danced the long distance caring dance before, there is something different this time ... community. As our CSJP Constitution say:

Our call to peacemaking
permeates all aspects of our lives together.
It seeks expression in mutual love and concern. (Constitution 15)

In daily living
we create a community of warmth and trust
by listening and sharing,
by support, celebration and prayer. (Constitution 17)

As worried and anxious as I have been, I have also felt the amazing prayerful support and peaceful presence of my Sisters, those that I live with and those in the larger CSJP community. This in turn has helped me to be able to be a peaceful presence (at a distance) to my family. And for that, I am deeply grateful.

searching for peace

I'm using a book of daily meditations from Dorothy Day for my prayer and reflection these days. This was the reading for today:

We all have a desire for the True, the Good, and the Beautiful which is God. And we look around us today in a time of war and fear, of stockpiling for war, of great dishonesty, and ambition, and long for peace in our time, for that peace which passeth understanding, which we see only glimpses of, through a glass darkly.

I cannot write and express myself without using the words and phrases of St. Paul, of scripture. We are told to find comfort "search the scripture" to find comfort and guidance. St. Therese of Lisieux said once that she could read fifty chapter of Isaiah and get nothing out of them and then suddenly the fifty-first flooded her soul with light. Which makes me think of the subconscious mind working away, and leaping on what it needs for sustenance, comfort or understanding.

Tonight I gathered with some folks at the cathedral to hear Marie Dennis, director of the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns and President of Pax Christi International speak on peacemaking in the Catholic tradition. Each of us was there I think filled with a desire of peace, yet like Dorothy Day living in a time of war and fear, stockpiling for war, dishonesty and ambition. We desire peace in our time. We pray for peace. We work for peace.

When I first consciously became a peace activist on September 11, 2001 I suppose I was searching for peace in the build up to war. Peace not only in terms of the absence of war, but peace in the midst of chaos and vitriol. But I guess what I glean from people like Marie and Dorothy and the founder of my own religious community, Margaret Anna Cusack, is that even if we don't actually find that elusive peace, there is something wonderful and holy and life giving about the quest, grounded in the God quest ... the journey to peace. In my case, that journey is as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, as part of the Catholic faith community, as an American, and as member of the global human family.

I am reminded of the words Margaret Anna wrote in the original 1884 Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace:

The very name Sisters of Peace will, it is hoped, inspire the desire of peace and a love for it.

How do you search for peace?

Blessings on her way

After dinner this evening, we gathered for prayer here at Grace House as we always do. Tonight's prayer was a special one ... we had a special blessing for Andrea, one of the Sisters I live with who will be leaving in the morning to spend 3 weeks in Haiti to relieve one of the volunteer staff at Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot, in the north of Haiti.

We blessed Andrea, and send our prayers, hopes and wishes with her down to Haiti. To our 3 Sisters who have been living there since October, to the doctors and nurses who have been helping the victims of the earthquake, and to the people of Haiti. We know that she will be a special blessing ... her skills, her smile, her very presence. We'll miss her, but know that she will be a presence of peace to people greatly in need.

I'm reminded of these words from our Constitutions:

Our congregational commitment
to live and proclaim Christ's gospel of peace
directs our decisions regarding ministry.
In these choices we take into account
our talents, resources and limitations,
the needs of our times,
and the pastoral concerns of our church.

Our history calls us to a special love
for those who are poor.
The weight of suffering and oppression
borne by so many people today,
especially by those who are economically poor,
cries out to us for action.
Our response demands a firm commitment
to work for justice
in solidarity with our sisters and brothers.

Please keep our 3 Sisters (Ann, Maureen and Marilee) living and ministering in Haiti, and now Andrea, in your prayers.

Seeds of Peace - The Context

Since I’m here in New Jersey exploring our CSJP Chapter Act Seeds of Peace: Care of Creation & Climate Change, I thought I’d share the text of the act with my bloggy friends. Yesterday I shared the opening quotes from Mother Clare … today I’ll share the Context:

Earth is a revelation of God and the sustainer of all life. We recognize that the exploitation and destruction of Earth’s air, water, soil and species is a sacrilege. We are committed to a spirituality of peacemaking which compels us to live in right relationship with the entire community of life. In this way, “we engage in the struggle against the reality of evil and continue the work of establishing God’s reign of justice and peace.” (Constitutions 2)

“Our history calls us to a special love of those who are poor.” (Constitutions 21)

In her own time, Margaret Anna Cusack (Mother Clare) made the connection between the devastation of earth and the victims of famine. Failure to care for creation also threatened family life, the wellbeing of women and children and was a cause of emigration. Recognizing the interdependence of all life, we count among those who are poor all Earth’s creatures whose lives are threatened or diminished. We experience a call to live our stance of contemplative, nonviolent peacemaking in regard to creation. It is faithfulness to this charism in our own time that compels us to respond to the crisis of climate change/global warming.

We believe in a sustainable world, yet we see Earth’s life-giving resources weakened by human choices and actions. Climate change, especially global warming, is already affecting peoples and biological systems throughout the world. War and nuclear proliferation pose a particular threat to the integrity of Earth.

happy ministry moment

This evening after a good but long day at work, I headed out to a presentation at the local university on human trafficking. I often give these types of presentations as part of my ministry. In this case, one of the students was giving the presentation. She was using some of the resources I helped to develop for the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, and so she invited me to be present and be a resource for any questions.

I have to say, it was very cool if a wee bit odd to hear someone else using my words -- she was using our educational PowerPoint and script. We then watched a short movie on human trafficking and had a great discussion afterward.

I had been pretty tired when I headed out this evening, but as I drove home I felt energized and uplifted. I found myself reflecting on this section from the CSJP Constitutions:

As the biblical tradition has linked
the pursuit of justice
with the gift of peace,
so we believe that the promotion of justice
is integral to our mission and spirituality.

Our call to peacemaking ...
challenges us to accept and share our gifts
and empower others to do likewise. (14 & 15)

I feel incredibly blessed to be part of a community where I am able to spend my time and energy on something that I feel called to do, namely the promotion of justice. I am able to use my gifts in my ministry at the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center and to empower others - like the young woman at the university - to do likewise. How cool is that?

No wonder I left feeling so uplifted and energized. As another section of our Constitutions puts it:

Confident of God's faithful love
and collaborating with others who work for
justice and peace,
we face the future with gratitude and hope. (12)

This was definitely a happy ministry moment.

Happy Birthday - CSJPs founded 125 years ago today!

Today is the 125th Birthday of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. I suppose really it's an anniversary, but I say ... Happy Birthday!!!!

We always celebrate January 7th as our "Community Day of Thanksgiving." This year is especially special, because 125 years ago today our first Sisters professed their vows in St. Barnabas Cathedral. Our Constitutions tell our founding story well ...

In 1884 in Nottingham, England,
under the inspiration of the Spirit,
Margaret Anna Cusack, known as Mother Clare,
founded a religious congregation of women
... to promote the peace of the Church
both by word and work. The very name
Sisters of Peace will, it is hoped,
inspire the desire of peace and a love for it. - Constitutions 1884

This congregation had its origin
in the founder's response
to the social concerns and needs of the time.
Deeply moved by the sufferings of poor and oppressed people,
Margaret Anna Cusack sought ways to share her gifts with them:
... it did matter to me a great deal in view
of our common humanity, and in view of my
love of the poor, that I should do all I could
for those whom He had loved so well. - The Nun of Kenmare, 1888

Attracted by this commitment,
Honoria Gaffney, later named Mother Evangelista,
together with a few other women,
joined the new community.
Their faith and humility enabled them
to take great risks in serving their
sisters and brothers in need.

Edward Gilpin Bagshawe,
Bishop of Nottingham, accepted
and encouraged this young community.
At the first ceremony of profession on January 7, 1884,
he referred to the charism of the congregation
in these words:
To secure this divine peace for ourselves
and procure its blessings for [others] in
the midst of the sin, turmoil, and
restless anxiety of this modern world
is the object of your institute.

I was lucky enough to visit St. Barnabas Cathedral in Nottingham last year, and prayed in the very chapel where our first Sisters professed their vows and began the life of our community.

If you'd like to help me celebrate this important day and would like to know more about the history of community, why not watch the video our novitiate class produced to tell the story of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, from our founding to today! (To play the video, just click the arrow in the box below.)

on poverty

Just over two months ago I vowed poverty, celibacy and obedience for 3 years in accordance with our Constitutions. Among other things, the section on the vow of poverty says:

Our poverty involves a life of dependence
and of limitation
in the acquisition, use and disposition
of material goods,
in accordance with these constitutions.
This vow commits us to a simplicity of life
in which necessity rather than desire
guides our choice and use of material goods. (CSJP Constitution 50)

The sharing of ourselves and our resources
which is integral to the vow of poverty
is central to our mission as peacemakers.
We try to make our own
the concerns of the human family
and work to bring about the well-being of others,
especially those who are poor and oppressed. (CSJP Constitution 55)

With reverence for the blessings of creation,
we use our resources,
both individually and collectively,
in a spirit of stewardship.
The spirit of poverty also calls us
to work for a more just society
so that all may be enriched
by a more equitable sharing in the
goods of the earth. (CSJP Constitutions 56)

Our Constitutions are beautifully written, and I often reflect upon them. This past summer we had John Dear, SJ as a speaker at our Congregation Chapter. He was talking to us on non-violence, and periodically in his talk he would quote our own Constitutions to us, waving the book and saying "I'm not making this up, it's in YOUR Constitutions." He challenged us to live out who we already say we are.

How are things going, vow wise, 2 months in? Well, really 2 years and 2 months as I lived in the "spirit of" the vows during the Novitiate. To be honest, in terms of poverty, I've been feeling the luxury of the vow of late.

For those of you who wonder what I mean by that, it's not that I'm living a lavish lifestyle. There is definitely, as our Constitutions put it, "limitation in the acquisition, use and disposition of material goods." It all comes down to choices. For example, do I want to spend 1/3 of my monthly stipend on a hair cut at my old hair dresser? Or do I want to take a chance at the Aveda Institute (aka Beauty School) for a $14 shampoo, haircut and style? I decided on the latter, and after spending 2 hours with a very chatty student and her "learning leader," my hair looks quite nice.

So yes, there is limitation and simplicity of life. But these days, many are faced with "limitation in the acquisition, use and disposition of material goods." With the recently declared recession rapidly turning into a depression, more people are having to make choices based on necessity rather than desire.

That's where the luxury of the vow of poverty comes in. Yes, I am living simply and have limited personal spending money. But I also have a roof over my head, a car to drive, food, utilities, health insurance, etc... As part of a community, there is a certain amount of worry that I just don't have. I'm noticing this especially these days, as the economy continues its downward spiral. In the life I've chosen, with its built in mechanisms of "sharing of ourselves and our resources," it's almost like I've got a safety net in the groovy community of women with which I've put my lot.

One could become complacent or take it for granted, I suppose. But I find myself feeling very blessed, and more than that, I feel some responsibility. As our Constitutions say, we are called "to work for a more just society so that all may be enriched by a more equitable sharing in the
goods of the earth. "

The question, I suppose, is what one does with their situation. Most of you reading this post have not taken a vow of poverty. Perhaps you're doing just fine financially. Most likely you're wondering about your 401K or possibly your mortgage. You may even be on the verge of a personal financial crisis.

Every situation can be a growing opportunity for us, individually and collectively. What if, as a nation and as a community, we took this financial situation as a reminder that we're all in this together. What if we "make our own the concerns of the human family and work to bring about the well-being of others,especially those who are poor and oppressed."

Food for thought this chilly winter evening.

Catholic Social Teaching in the Real World

I suppose it is because I spent 11 years working in City Hall, but I was intrigued by this article in the current issue of America: A Theologian in Town Hall: How a small-town mayor implemented Catholic Social Teaching.

As the daughter of a Catholic elected official who herself spent many years slogging through local government, I know that most people are there to do good. Many are guided by their own religious or spiritual beliefs as well. Of course, in our American system which values the separation of church and state, this always carries some potential challenges.

What I like about this article is that it is down to earth and practical rather than pie in the sky ...

First, I learned that service as an elected official or as an appointee to a board or committee is a rich opportunity for Christian witness. Here one can directly affect the way taxes are raised and spent and create opportunities for employment, education and job training; one can work to ensure that affordable housing is provided and that building codes, safety and health standards are enforced. Above all I came to see such service as a vital way the baptized can heed the call of the Second Vatican Council to seek “the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God’s will.” In this way, too, U.S. Catholics can practice what our bishops have come to call “faithful citizenship.”

But my time as mayor also gave me insight into some of the individual things that must be attended to if our collective institutions are to be humanized. And while most of what I learned was hardly revolutionary, my experience proved that St. Thérèse, the Little Flower, had it absolutely right: it is in the practice of love in the small details that we really begin to redirect the world to God’s purposes.

For those seeking ideas about how to pursue the work of social justice locally, I recommend looking to four important aspects of community life. Read more here.

The author doesn't pretend to have all the answers. Instead, she poses some of the questions that those of us desiring to answer the call to faithful citizenship might want to ponder.

I have left my position of semi-responsibility within the government and chosen a different path. However, as a Catholic, as a religious, and as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, that doesn't mean that I'm no longer engaged in the public sphere. Quite the contrary! As our Constitutions say:

Recalling Jesus' identification with the prophetic tradition,
we develop a critical, sensitive, conscience
regarding religious, social, cultural,
economic, and political realities,
and we direct our efforts
to actions which bring peace through justice. (CSJP Constitution 23).

Easy, right??? Well, not exactly. But reading this article reminded me that there are plenty of other folks striving to do the same thing in their own spheres of life. And together, only God knows what we can do!

discerning vows

Now that I'm back at the Novitiate House for the "home stretch," I find myself shining the spotlight on the year and nine months of my Novitiate experience so far. In particular, I'm looking at where I was and where I am and at my readiness and desire to request to profess temporary vows.

Last week we had a great two-day discernment workshop. This week is fairly un-programmed, so I'm taking the opportunity for some quiet prayer days. I've been reading over my written reflections, spending some time with the input I've received from community members, and generally trying to listen to what my heart is telling me.

This afternoon I took the opportunity to see what the official documents have to say. In the Directives section of our Constitutions I found this:

Readiness for first profession is determined by a process of discernment which takes into account:

• the novice's willingness to dedicate herself to God by vows,
• her ability to live in community and to participate in our mission,
• her identification with the spirit of our congregation and its focal values of justice and peace,
• the requirements for the validity of first profession according to church law.

Those were pretty much the questions I've been sitting with, so it's good to know I'm on the right track! "The Letter" requesting vows is due by the end of next week.

Please keep me, my fellow 2nd year novice and our CSJP community in your prayers.

Heart Thoughts

Today is the Feast of the Sacred Heart. I will admit that until quite recently, the Sacred Heart struck me as an old-fashioned and "pious" devotion. I chalked it up to one of those things that just didn't "work for me." But then, in God's infinite sense of humor in my life, the imagery of the Sacred Heart seemed to pop up everywhere I looked last year. It's almost like I was being haunted!

Last year on the blog I shared an experience I had praying with this icon of the Sacred Heart by Robert Lentz that really broke open this devotion for me:

"I prayed with an icon of the Sacred Heart by Robert Lentz, but it is a Sacred Heart like none I've seen before. No groovy Jesus pointing to his valentine shaped heart, but Jesus as an earthy Mayan burning with love and passion for the entire universe. Something cracked and it was as if I finally got it. God's love for, through and in all, everything, me. Jesus, the son, like the sun, bringing the light and fire of his passion to the universe. Wow."

These days I'm less haunted by the Sacred Heart, but continue to be growing in my understanding. I've also discovered that the Sacred Heart was also important for our founder, Margaret Anna Cusack! During our morning prayer today here at the Novitiate, we discussed how the Sacred Heart is really an implicit part of our charism - which makes sense considering Margaret Anna's devotion. So, on this feast day, I share with you some of her reflections on the Sacred Heart.

• "Consider how you may console the Heart of Jesus ... Let it be by the tenderest charity towards all who are in any affliction, from the poor half starved wailing infant to the much tried parent who must have so many and such anxious cares."
  
  
• "Sanctity does not wither up the heart and deaden it to all interest in and love for others. Rather does it deepen our tenderness for those around us as to increase the trials of life ... Many persons hide a deep selfishness under the pretext of practicing perfection. They care not for the sorrows and have no sympathy for the joys of others. Perhaps they thus save themselves an hour's grief but to do they please the heart of Jesus?"
  
  
• "How may we best worship and glorify the Risen Heart of Jesus? Let us run with the holy women to his tomb ... Let us return with the women to declare what we have seen; let us tell the "brethren" of his risen love; let us manifest to all that his resurrection is also ours."

My prayers and reflections have made me realize that this call to an active response to God's love is mirrored in our Constitutions today:

The call to live community for mission
comes to us from Jesus
whose Spirit is the source of our unity.
Our sensitivity to this call
is heightened by the needs of poor and oppressed people,
by the joys and sorrows of our sisters and brothers,
and by our confidence
that the saving action of Jesus
continues in and through humankind. (CSJP Constitutions 13)

The words "Sacred Heart" aren't mentioned, but it's there all the same. God loves us so much - how else are we to respond to that love than by sharing it with others in action. In this way, we in turn bring God' s saving love to the world and the cycle continues.

By the way, did you know that on June 11, 1899 Pope Leo XIII consecrated every human to the Sacred Heart? He called this the "great act" of his pontificate. I find this especially interesting, because Margaret Anna received his approval for her new order in a private audience with Pope Leo XIII 15 years earlier!

on violence

I know I haven't written much here about my ministry experience. This is mostly out of respect for the women I am working with - it's very challenging to find a way to share the experience while respecting their right to confidentiality. But today was one of those days that inspires me to try.

Months ago when I was asked what type of ministry experience I'd like this spring, I answered that I'd like to work with women because, as our Constitutions say:

Because our founder showed particular concern for justice toward women, we commit ourselves to be involved in ministries and action which affect the contemporary situation of women in the church and in society.

I felt like I needed a direct experience trying to live out this passage of our Constitutions as part of my novitiate experience. And so I find myself on Mondays and Tuesdays working with victims of domestic violence, helping them to navigate the court system as they seek to find some protection for themselves and their children.

First of all let me say I am in awe of these women for finding the strength to claim their own power in confronting the oppressive situation of their daily lives. I am also in awe at the people who commit themselves, day in and day out, to helping them do exactly that.

But I am also frustrated. Frustrated at the continued and pervasive existence of violence in our world. From the violence of armed conflict to "solve" international problems, to the violence on our streets, to the institutional violence of our social/government structures, to violence in families.

I am frustrated at the bureaucratic systems that make it so hard for some of these women to be protected. On the one hand I recognize that the work of domestic violence advocates and legislators in the past has provided more resources and made it easier. At least we have laws that protect people from domestic violence on the books. But on the other hand, particularly when these women have faced such daily terror and harassment, the bureaucratic hoops they have to go through seem to be almost too much.

It's easy perhaps to be overwhelmed by the frustration. It's a temptation I suppose to be numbed by the day-in-day-out reality of these stories of violence. It certainly seems as if many of the women have suffered from this numbing effect in their own lives. And yet, here they are seeking to do what they can to protect themselves. That, in itself, is a source of hope and a reason to be doing what I'm doing. Again, as our Constitutions say:

We value the mutuality that empowers people to share in decisions that affect their lives, and we work in a collaborative way to achieve this. Whatever our ministry, we act on the belief that only in freedom can persons assume responsibility for their lives.

And so I pray. For an end to violence. For an end to unjust structures. And for freedom for all people.

update

Today I helped a client update his CV. He happened to be one of the first clients I helped when I started at the day center almost 3 months ago. He's still looking for full time work, but he did manage to find housing so he was updating the address on the CV. Since I helped him with the original CV, this was sort of going full circle.

I've still got this week and next at the day center, but my time there is drawing to a close. It has really been an honor to work as part of such a dedicated, caring and creative team. We've had quite a few clients move into full time or temporary work in the past few weeks. In fact today it was kind of quiet in the education training center, as some of our "regulars" were either at work or interviews.

My time there has helped me understand how important it is to have someone care about you. While the cv writing and techie help is important in this internet age, really I think the main thing the team in the education center provides is a caring presence in their chaotic lives. They give them encouragement to try, they challenge them when it's needed, and they always give congratulations when due - even for the small moments.

It reminds me of this line from our groovy constitutions:

Our call to peacemaking
permeates all aspects of our lives together.
It seeks expression in mutual love and concern
It challenges us to accept and share our gifts
and empower others to do likewise.
It pervades our prayer
and calls us to a life of simplicity and service.
(CSJP Constitutions 15)

Musings on the Peace Cross

"We recognize our Peace Cross
as a special symbol of identity with the congregation."
~CSJP Constitutions

Every morning since August 26, 2006 (my date of reception as I novice), I have put my Peace Cross around my neck with a short and simple prayer to be a woman of peace. As our Constitutions say, the Peace Cross is a special symbol of my identity as a Sister of St Joseph of Peace. It not only identifies me as a CSJP, but is full of meaning for me personally.

This afternoon I realized that although I've been wearing the Peace Cross for over a year, it's only been the past month here in London that I've worn it out and about "in the world." Last year I wore it at the Novitiate House, or our Intercommunity Classes, or at the hospital which is sponsored by our community. Hence, although it was full of meaning for me I never got much comment on it.

A few weeks ago a Muslim shopkeeper commented on my Peace Cross, saying that it was a nice Christian message. Last week one of the clients at the day center said to me in French - he is Congolese - that "La Paix etes avec vous." And today, I had a young woman tell me she really liked it and where could she get one?!

The Peace Cross has always seemed "right" to me. It's by no means what attracted me to the CSJP's, and it's not that it's a nice fashion statement. As I said it just feels right.

• It does identify me as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, which I think is important. We may not wear traditional habits but our Peace Cross is a public witness of who we are and what we are about.
• It is a universal message that we share with those we interact with each day.
• It reminds me of our charism and the values on which I choose to center my life.

As our Constitutions say:

"Christ is our peace,

the source of our power.

United with him

we engage in the struggle

against the reality of evil

and continue the work

of establishing God's reign

of justice and peace."

random thoughts

Random Thought #1 - This weekend I will have been in London a whole month! Which means I'm 1/3 through this experience. Where has the time gone???

Random Thought #2 - My work experience at the day centre has helped me to realize that part of my call is to empower people to find their best self, to call forth their gifts, and to help them find their own path to sufficiency. Now this isn't easy and I'm only part of the equation, but something tells me this is part of what I'm supposed to do ministry wise. It's all part of putting that particular puzzle together.

Random Thought #3 - My provincial is coming to visit tomorrow, on her way to a Congregation Council meeting. It will be good to see her and touch base, as always. I'm going to find my way to Heathrow by the Underground which will be an experience in itself.

Random Thought #4 - One major point of this time of intensive ministry/community experience is to begin to navigate the path of integrating ministry, community life, and prayer. It's a delicate balance to be sure! I'm finding that it's a challenge to make time for prayer - particularly after the intensive time for prayer I've had this past year. But I'm also finding that in contrast to my work-a-day life prior to entering the community, I crave prayer time so much more that I am more motivated to not just "fit it in," but to make it a key part of my day. I'm also finding that my prayer time is linked to my ministry. As our Constitutions say, "prayer leads us to action, while action leads us to pray."

Random Though #5 - I need to bring this post to a close as it's almost time for BBC's The Restaurant. I have become addicted to this show during my short time here in London. It's a stupid reality tv show ... and yet, I love it. As one of the Sisters here said, "It really brings out all of your emotions." I think she watches it to see my reactions!