Birthday Thoughts

Today I turned 41 ... a good age I think.  Not too young, not too old.  Just right, for now anyway!

I arrived back in Chicago yesterday for a few weeks after  my four week sojourn on the West Coast. Tonight I celebrated my birthday with some of my Chicago friends.  I realize I am very blessed to have lived here just one year, yet I have a good group of friends to celebrate with.  I invited them to join me at a bowling birthday extravaganza.  I'm not the best bowler, but I own a pair of (black suede) bowling shoes and always enjoy an opportunity to give them a spin!

It was an eclectic mix of young nun friends and grad school friends, some of whom have many years to go before they reach the ripe old age of 41.   This was brought home when a song played on the speakers at the bowling alley and I reminisced that I had seen the band perform  live at a stadium concert in 1988.  "You know what else happened in 1988?" my friend asked me.  "Let me guess," I said, "you were born."  Yup.

Last week I was lucky enough to be present with the elder Sisters in my community for our July birthday celebration at groovy sister hq. Today I celebrated with friends mostly younger than myself, although there were a few older. Both birthday parties were both intergenerational gatherings of a sort.  They were both fun, enjoyable, and brought a smile to my heart.  Tomorrow I get to celebrate my birthday yet again in another intergenerational celebration ... this one with my big sister and my 3 year old nephew!

Birthdays in my book are wonderful because they are an excuse to gather with those you love for no other reason than that you enjoy each other's company and want to celebrate life together.  What could be better than that??

9 years later ... my proper place

Next month marks nine years since I first drove onto the property here at St. Mary-on-the-Lake for a vocation retreat.  A few months earlier, I had finally woken up to the possibility that perhaps, possibly, maybe my desire might best meet God's desire as a Catholic Sister.  That initial wake up call would never have happened were it not for an simple email from my pastor that helped me name my deep desire to serve God and promote social justice as a path to peace.  I started meeting with a spiritual director and explored the possibilities of religious life, all the while sure that I would NEVER find a religious community where I would belong and be able to answer God's call.

Then, almost nine years ago, after searching the internet and finding the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, I accepted an invitation from Sr. Jo-Anne to drive up to Bellevue and attend a vocation retreat.  Since I was driving from Portland, I asked if I could stay overnight.  I was nervous.  Even though I'd attended 12 years of Catholic School, this would be my first time staying with Sisters.  I had lots of nervous energies and wonderings about what it would be like.  And then I drove onto the campus of St. Mary-on-the-Lake, our regional center in the Pacific Northwest.  I had a mix cd in the car stereo (this was 2004 and pre-MP3).  Literally as I turned down the drive into our forested campus, this song by Voice of the Beehive started to play:


"Jesus, Jesus, help me find my proper place."

No joke.  Unplanned.  And yet, he did. Nine years later I am finally professed as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.  This is home.  These women are in my heart.  I carry them with me when I am in studying in Chicago.  I carry them with me when I am helping to organize a conference of younger Sisters from congregations across the country.  I carry them with me when I am sitting by my father in the emergency room.  Somehow, through the grace of God I was able to stop, listen, and discover that place, both physical and not, where I am able to be my best self for the glory of God and to serve God's people in need ... as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.

Tomorrow I head back to Chicago to finish up some of my summer projects, head to another meeting, a week of vacation, and then start back up with school.  Today I will visit with a few more Sisters and soak in more of the peace that is this sacred space at St. Mary-on-the-Lake.  I might be leaving, but I carry this gift of community with me, and for that I am so very very grateful!

Pacific Northwest Summer

Summer is glorious this year in the Pacific Northwest. Just check out these pictures!

Feast of Mary Magdalene

The Church today celebrates Mary Magdalene, faithful friend and follower of Jesus.  Today's Gospel passage is one that has born much fruit for me over the years, ever since I "re-discovered" Mary Magdalene for the model of faith and love she truly is.

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. ... she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her. (John 20)

Mary's simple response to the Risen Christ - "Rabbouni" - comes back to me often in prayer. She is the "apostle to the apostles." Not only was she the first to encounter the resurrected Jesus, she then immediately went to spread the good news. Of course, as other gospel stories tell us, her news was not necessarily believed. But that's for another post.

I noted above that I "re-discovered" Mary Magadalene. Sadly, tradition and misunderstanding have led many to continue the misconceptions about Mary as a fallen women, prostitute, etc... (even though such conclusions are not born out by Scripture and even if true would not discredit her in any case). I could hazard a guess or two as to where the smear campaign against Mary Magdalene came from, but for now let's just say that the story of this strong woman of faith might have intimated some of those in power.  But again, that is for another post.

What we do know is that she was healed by Jesus, travelled with and followed Jesus, and was faithfully there at the foot of the cross and at his rising.  I too have been healed by Jesus in my own way.  I seek to travel with and follow Jesus as best I can.  I seek to witness to the suffering of our world and to hold fast to the hope of the resurrection.  Who better to have as a spiritual companion than Mary Magdalene?

Sadly, many folks have not yet "re-discovered" the real Mary Magdalene of Scripture and instead are still clouded by the fog of misconceptions.  Today, the feast of Mary Magdalene, is a good feast day for women -- women of the cross and women of the rising. Today is a good day as women to stand at the tomb with Mary and recognize the risen Christ as our teacher and friend.

Stepping In ...

View of Seattle from the dock at St. Mary-on-the-Lake

I've been here at west coat groovy sister hq (St. Mary-on-the-Lake) for a few days now.  From the very first time I drove onto the property for a vocation retreat in 2004, this has been a place of deep peace and joy for me.  The trees.  The lake. The faith-filled, joyful, playful women.  What more could I want than to spend two gorgeous Seattle weeks here with my CSJP Sisters?

This is my second trip home since I went away to Chicago for grad school last August. It's such a gift how quickly I seem to step into the rhythm of the house.  Literally, it seems, this time.  Our two Sister Sacristans are both otherwise occupied this week,  so I volunteered to take over Sacristan duties in our Chapel while I am here these two weeks.  It's a new way to participate in the life of the community for me.  It's also a new way for me to experience liturgy, setting the table that sets the table, so to speak.  Somehow in all my churchy life so far in parishes and community this task has eluded me.  Lector yes. Sacristan no.

Chapel at St. Mary-on-the-Lake

When I was being trained on Sunday night, I frantically jotted down notes with my thumb on my smart phone and even took a picture of what the table should look like where the chalices/hosts/ purifcators/etc... are put prior to mass to make sure I'd get it right! Not that I don't have an entire house of expert women who could help me along.  Today was my first day on my own and I managed to remember everything ... although I almost forgot the large host that the presider uses during consecration! My trusty list saved the day on that one, however, and all was as it was supposed to be.

I'm enjoying the slower pace here, the good conversations, and the opportunity to pray with my Sisters each day.  I'm also making the rounds of some of our local communities, visiting Sisters who live in Seattle and the surrounding area.  Tonight in fact I'm invited to dinner at the house where I did my groovy sister reserves as a candidate!  First, however, I'm headed back to the chapel for the Holy Hour for Peace that the Sisters have each Tuesday afternoon with our Congregation Weekly Peace Prayer.

Good people.  Good times.

Catching Up

Some of the younger women religious
at the 2013 GV Gathering

Sorry for the blog silence! As regular readers know, I've been busy as part of the planning/hosting team for the 2013 Giving Voice National Gathering, otherwise known as the "young nun conference."  If you're interested in what happened at this amazing opportunity for Catholic Sisters in their 20s, 30s, and 40s to creatively engage with their peers across congregations, check out our gathering blog.  I also was invited to offer a "harvest" of our time together on our last day.  I used images for my talk, which I've put together in this video.


To sum up, it was an incredible time with my religious life age peers that fills me with hope, energizes me with creative ideas, and makes be believe once again and always in the future of religious life.  We may be building the bridge as we are walking it, and we might not quite know where the bridge is headed, but we know that we are going there together, answering God's call, seeking to serve God's people in need and continue the mission of Jesus.

In the days since our gathering ended, I've been catching up.  Catching up on some of the follow-up from the conference, including updating our GV podcast channel and creating the GVTV YouTube channel.  Catching up with good friends as I stay in Portland for a few days (I took my Godson to see the Monsters U movie yesterday).  And catching up on some sleep.

Tomorrow I am headed north to Seattle to spend a few weeks catching up with my groovy CSJP Sisters.   I am so looking forward to that time with them.  My spirit needs a CSJP reset.

And so the next few weeks might continue to be slow on the blogging front as I catch up.  Or I might catch a wave of bloggy inspiritation and pop in more frequently.  I'm leaving that one up to the Spirit.

Young Nun Gathering

Our Giving Voice National gathering is just two days away!  We've already got some press from Catholic San Francisco, the diocesan news service in the Bay Area!

Young sisters to gather in Bay Area for national convention
July 3rd, 2013
Under-50 Catholic sisters will gather at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont July 5-8 for the Giving Voice National Gathering. The sisters, most of whom are the youngest members of their religious orders, will pray and reflect on the future of mission and ministry in the church and society in the 21st century. Sister Yolanda Tarango, congregation leader of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and a renowned theologian, will share her insights on the conference theme of “Mission and Ministry in the 21st Century.” 

The four-day national gathering will bring together vowed women religious from across North America representing more than 30 religious orders. Participants will pray, reflect and creatively imagine what the future ministry of Catholic sisters might look like given the growing number of people living in poverty or on the margins on society as well as the increasing intercultural reality. The sisters themselves represent this intercultural reality, and simultaneous translation will allow English- and Spanish-speaking participants to share in their own language. 

Religious life is in the midst of an historic shift, as the large novitiate classes of the 1950s and 1960s age and fewer women enter religious life today. On July 8, the sisters will participate in an outdoor interactive exercise to imagine “going on a mission” in smaller numbers in the future. 

Giving Voice is a peer-led grassroots national organization of Catholic sisters under the age of 50 that creates spaces for younger women religious to give voice to their hopes, dreams and challenges in religious life. The July conference is the seventh national gathering of younger women religious organized since 1997 and the first to take place on the West Coast. Previous gatherings have taken place in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
For more information, visit www.giving-voice.org. 

From July 5, 2013 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
- See more at: http://www.catholic-sf.org/ns.php?newsid=27&id=61576#sthash.2Dwfakgz.dpuf

By the way, we will be blogging a bit from the conference.  Follow along on our Giving Voice 2013 blog!

The Groove is in the Heart of Giving Voice

For the past year and a half I've been having periodic conference calls with some other young nuns to plan our Giving Voice national conference.  We've attended to all the details .. meeting space? Check.  Speaker? Check. Prayer, ritual, process, name tags? Check, check, check, check.

I'm headed to California in the morning to spend a few days with my old roommate before the conference starts on Friday.  I've still got some on the ground tasks to take care of, like shopping for supplies and setting up the sound system.

Speaking of the sound system, tonight I started creating a dance mix for our young nun fun.  Yes, that's right.  We dance.  I'm taking song requests, but the benefit of creating a dance mix is you get to make sure your favorites are included like this one from back in the day.




Somehow, making the dance mix made me realize ... the Giving Voice national gathering is almost upon us!  Please keep all the participants in your prayers for safe travel and that all the details may go smoothly and we may be open to the movement of the Spirit among us (and have some fun!).

The groove, after all, is in the heart.

Yay Family

I am on a mini weekend break with my big sis, her family and my 16 year old niece who is visiting from California. I have not been on a family vacation for a long time. It is always surprising to me how quickly a family road trip can reset your batteries.

Family fun is important. As we get older, distances get larger and we spend more time on our own lives/ families or helping out with Dad's medical issues. Hence we necessarily spend less family fun time together. But when I think back to my best memories of my own family, it is family trips to the beach or road trips that stand out most. It is important I think to step outside of our daily lives to come together for some family fun time.

Of course having kids along makes it a blast. So far we have spent time at the arcade (which to my delight and the dismay of my brother-in-law does not have any violent games!) And the water park. Tomorrow it is back to the water park. Then my niece and I are going to the spa to get pedicures before the family heads back to Chicago.

When we walked around the shops in town earlier today I saw a magnet that says "Yay Family." With all the ups and downs of family life it is good to remember the joyful fun part too!

Life Lessons

Sometimes life gets more complicated than we were planning on. Anyone who has dealt with an unexpected crisis know what I am talking about, whether it is an unexpected lay off, an extreme weather event, or even war. Just think about all those people in Syria or Afghanistan who went to work or school one day and ended up in the middle of a war zone instead. Just imagine how their lives and plans have been turned upside down.

More common I suppose are sudden illnesses and medical situations. Each of us has loved ones who are getting older, for example, and that is an unpredictable process. As tough as it is for the person facing the situation, it also can put a wrench in the plans of the loved one. But it can also help us refocus on what is truly important in life. It can reconnect us with family and help us put our very independent and important lives in perspective. We might realize that we can't do everything for example. We might ask for help when otherwise we are very independent thank you very much. We might have to slow down and focus on what is in front of us rather than everything that "needs" to get done.

My family has had our own share of these moments. Growing up I helped my mother care for her parents from middle school through high school.  Ten years ago my mom herself passed away after a three year struggle with cancer. And my dad has faced a variety of medical challenges in the decade since. My siblings and I have done our best to be supportive from a distance. It is not easy but it also a key part of being human.

I do not want to go into any details here (privacy and all) but my dad is in the midst of another one of those moments, which means my four older siblings and I are also in the midst of one of those tough times. Please keep us, and all families supporting a loved one through tough times, in your prayers.

Peace

Patience and a patient

Sorry for the blog silence. I have been otherwise occupied the past week. Without going into too much detail, I came to D.C. last Thursday to visit my Dad for Father's Day weekend. He had a medical situation and we ended up spending the whole weekend plus a couple of days in the hospital.

Most of our time was spent waiting. Waiting for tests. Waiting for results. Waiting for doctor's to explain said test results. Etc... It was frustrating for both of us, but at least I was there to experience the frustration with him and hopefully make it a little more bearable.  While I was in the chair next to the bed and not in the bed, it was an experience of solidarity and compassion building, as in the word's meaning as "suffering with." He's home now and I was able to shift some things around in my schedule to stay a little longer with him and get him settled.

Of course there are lots of things I should be doing at home. I am not even sure what all is on my to do list at this point, other then that I know it is quite long. But this is where I need to be right now. Developing patience as I companion the patient who is also my father.

Please keep my Dad in your prayers. I am also praying with and for all those without someone to keep them company in the hospital.

Clutter

Before I left for my trip to visit our Sisters in the UK, my life was a bit of a whirlwind, end of semester style. I was finishing projects on my to do list literally up to the minute I had to lock up and head downstairs to my airport shuttle.

One thing anyone who has lived with me knows is that when life gets busy for me, the clutter piles up. You have to cut back somewhere, right?

In any case, to make a long story short, I finally had a good chunk of time yesterday to clear some of the clutter. What a joy it was to open my eyes and see the clear space on the floor and even the clean dusted quality of the little table in my prayer space.

Sometimes we just need to stop and take the time to declutter our lives. I think that goes for the spiritual life too.

While I was in the UK I spent a week of retreat in contemplative prayer and dialogue with with my Sisters. The entire experience was one big graced moment, but perhaps the most significant was sitting in silent prayer together.

Sometimes words can get in the way for me, a type of clutter of their own. Yet the silence is always there, waiting. So in addition to deluttering my room, I am also making the comittment (again) to clear some space for silent sitting with God as part of my regular prayer practice.

Where do you need to clear and away clutter and make space in your life?