The hills are alive ... with the sound of homework

Blog activity has been especially light these past few weeks, especially as we approach the end of the Spring Semester. Papers, projects, and the like with deadlines fast approaching.

Time marches forward so quickly, especially as I get older. This semester is my last one of classes for my MA program here at CTU. Over the summer, in the midst of retreat, community, various religious life stuff, and time with my Dad I will be crafting my questions for my comprehensive exams. Summer has me bi-locating between Chicago & Seattle for various meetings and events with in between time to work on comps questions at CTU.

When I get back to Chicago after our Congregation Chapter (I'm a delegate!) in mid-September, I will study, study, study and get ready for comps in late November. Then, in the winter/spring it will be thesis writing and my final class for my spirituality certificate. Which means, by this time next year, I will be getting ready to graduate!

But for now ... homework.

Except for tomorrow, when I head with my Dad and my sister to see the Sound of Music at Lyric Opera! How's that for a study break?

Triduum ... Three Days of Prayer, Solidarity, and Hope

Somehow, I find it hard to believe that it is already Holy Week. Blogging has been light here of late, I know. I could list the many things I am busy about, but you can probably guess. In any case, I've not been here. Tonight, however, I thought I would just post something short about these Holy days we are entering of Triduum.

Triduum is my favorite part of our Catholic liturgical tradition. For those not in the know, Triduum refers to the three holy days of holy week: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil.  We come together on these days to tell our story, to remember, to ritualize, and finally to celebrate the hope of the resurrection and welcome new members of our Christian family.

We open our hearts to the call to service on Holy Thursday, remembering Christ's love for his friends and his model of service and love.

We open our hearts to those who experience violence, oppression, and suffering on Good Friday, remembering Jesus who carried the cross on which he would die.

We open our hearts to joy and hope at the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday, when we stand again at the tomb and realize, along with the women, that Christ is risen!

The journey through Triduum is always a transformative one for me.  Part of my love of the Triduum might be the fact that even though I was raised Catholic and went to 12 years of Catholic school, I never really experienced it until I came back to the Church as an adult. And luckily for me, and my own faith journey, my first Triduums were experienced as part of a faith community at St. Phil's that took it seriously and journeyed together in a meaningful way.

Tonight I was invited by a young sister friend of mine to join her congregation for Holy Thursday liturgy at their mother house. It was a beautiful way to enter into these days. Tomorrow I will be joining the 8th Day Center Good Friday Walk for Justice through downtown Chicago. And on Saturday, I'm planning to attend the vigil at the University of Chicago Calvert House community.

Wherever and however you are marking these days, blessings of peace to you as we anticipate the joy of Easter!

A woman of prayer, hospitality, and peace

I got word today that Sister Elizabeth Ann Brennan, CSJP passed away this morning in Seattle. She has been struggling with some serious health issues, and so it was not entirely unexpected. In many ways it is a blessing to know that her struggle is over and that she is in the arms of her loving God, but she will be deeply and dearly missed.

Elizabeth Ann will always hold a special place in my heart. She was one of the Sisters who first welcomed me, literally into her home, when I was a candidate and spent long weekends living with the Sisters at one of our local CSJP houses in Seattle (St. T's). Long time readers of the blog may remember this as my "groovy sister reserves" era. Elizabeth Ann was one of those groovy sisters at St. T's who helped me realize that I made the most sense as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace and made me feel at home.

Elizabeth Ann was a woman of prayer. That was one of the first things that was clear to me living at St. T's on my groovy sister reserve weekends. Praying together was a priority in that house, and it was by no means going through the motions. We prayed the prayers of the church, we prayed for our wounded world, and we prayed for peace. Elizabeth Ann had an amazing presence, as evidenced in her relationship with God, community, and others. She was spiritual director to a group of Lutheran pastors for a few decades and they LOVED her. I loved knowing that they loved her.

Elizabeth Ann was a woman of hospitality. My first experiences as a candidate at St. T's made this part of our tradition very clear to me. Here's a reflection I wrote on the experience as a candidate:

My Sister housemates here at my weekend groovy sister pad have taught me the value of hospitality. There are always “extra” people here. They’re not even really guests, because if you’re here, you are part of the house. At Christmas & Thanksgiving we had at least 25 people at dinner. The house seems to have a way of magically expanding to meet the needs of those present. Laughter, warmth & good food are always on the menu here.

Elizabeth Ann was a big part of that experience. I experienced their gracious hospitality just a few months ago when I was home visiting in Seattle and was invited over for dinner by the St. T's community. It was clear to me that Elizabeth Ann was struggling with her health and lamenting her lack of energy. And yet, she was gracious and engaged in conversation, asked questions about what I'm learning at school and my thoughts on our community planning process. I am so grateful I had that last moment to experience her hospitality! And to pray with her. The evening of course was not complete without prayer!

Elizabeth Ann was a woman of peace. If you knew her, you knew that. Enough said. And now she is at peace with her loving God. I know that as our community moves toward our Congregation Chapter, she will be praying for us and cheering us on.

Goodbye Elizabeth Ann. Thank you for everything.

Margaret Anna Fridays

I am getting back into the groove of Margaret Anna Fridays, even if blogging has been light as I try to balance school, community, and family commitments. This blog feature is a favorite where I share some words of wisdom from the founder of my religious community, Margaret Anna Cusack, known in religion as Mother Francis Clare. She was a prolific writer, with more than 200,000 copies of her works in circulation by 1870. This week's installment is from her seminal (and controversial) 1887 book, The Question of Today: Anti-Poverty and Progress. She asks many challenging questions in this work, including:

We are, then, put face to face with the great fact of Poverty, we are put face to face with the certain consequences of the continuance of such a condition of things, and if we have one spark of humanity we are put face to face with the question, What can we do personally and individually to lessen poverty, if we cannot abolish it?