Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
New conversations
I am on vacation with my family this week and it is an interesting time to learn new things, look at different perspectives.
Each of the people (and we are a big crowd +/- 30 at different times) serves the bigger mission of bringing love into our world in a different way. Parents and aunts and uncles are focused this week on being coaches, mentores, teammates to the younger generation.
We see the core issues of our faith differently, but not less faithfully. We have fun together.
And throughout the week are living communion (even if that is not the language most of us would use to describe these moments).
Each of the people (and we are a big crowd +/- 30 at different times) serves the bigger mission of bringing love into our world in a different way. Parents and aunts and uncles are focused this week on being coaches, mentores, teammates to the younger generation.
We see the core issues of our faith differently, but not less faithfully. We have fun together.
And throughout the week are living communion (even if that is not the language most of us would use to describe these moments).
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
As the deer stands
As the deer longs for running water
so my soul longs for you, O God.
~ Psalm 42:1
As I walked down the hill this morning, somewhat distracted with thoughts of
things to be done
choices poorly made
and the usual things that can make me miss what it is real and important and beautiful...
suddenly I looked, and there, standing still not far from me, was a beautiful deer.
A little twitch, but mostly mutual gaze for a minute.
Then, another twitch and off (she?) went.
What a gift for the morning...an encounter that helps drop away the other thoughts and refocus.
As the deer stands, quietly, peacefully, so may I be peacefully and quietly rooted in a different posture for my day.
so my soul longs for you, O God.
~ Psalm 42:1
As I walked down the hill this morning, somewhat distracted with thoughts of
things to be done
choices poorly made
and the usual things that can make me miss what it is real and important and beautiful...
suddenly I looked, and there, standing still not far from me, was a beautiful deer.
A little twitch, but mostly mutual gaze for a minute.
Then, another twitch and off (she?) went.
What a gift for the morning...an encounter that helps drop away the other thoughts and refocus.
As the deer stands, quietly, peacefully, so may I be peacefully and quietly rooted in a different posture for my day.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Giving changes everything
This post on how giving changes everything is a helpful add-on to my thoughts from yesterday.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Why I do what I do: reflections on fundraising
We have been in some meetings about planning different times during the last few weeks. This pushes me to reflect on why I do what I do.
(Of course, I've also been reflecting on my problem with focus, which would indicate that I don't stop often enough to on this...)
Full-time work in our Development Department has been a huge challenge for me. But it is also an incredible privilege. We have the opportunity to share with the wonderful, amazing people who make our ministry, our vocation, everything about our lives possible...
the people whose prayers make all the difference in the world
the people who give $1 or $100,000 once or over and over again to make God's love visible....
there are thousands of reasons I do what I do: connecting with people who share our missionary call through their prayers and donations
there are thousands of reasons I do what I do: trying to make it possible for our Sisters to serve the poor and suffering wherever they are, with whatever gifts and talents they have...whether it is health care in Bolivia or Education in Tanzania, artistic spirituality in Hawaii or theological education in Taiwan, care for our earth in the Philippines or catechetical training in East Timor....
there are hundreds of reasons I do what I do: the names and loving hearts of every one of my Maryknoll Sisters who reaches out to serve the mission of Jesus in whatever way she can
there is one reason I do what I do: to be as faithful as I can to the vocation that is my gift, my challenge, my call, my struggle, my hope, my best expression of God's love in me and trying to make God's love visible to others.
(Of course, I've also been reflecting on my problem with focus, which would indicate that I don't stop often enough to on this...)
Full-time work in our Development Department has been a huge challenge for me. But it is also an incredible privilege. We have the opportunity to share with the wonderful, amazing people who make our ministry, our vocation, everything about our lives possible...
the people whose prayers make all the difference in the world
the people who give $1 or $100,000 once or over and over again to make God's love visible....
- so that Sister Connie can work with people in Guatemala to get better housing
- so that Sister Fran can work with young people orphaned by AIDS in Zimbabwe to provide for themselves and their families
- so that Sisters Susan and Norma can learn Chinese culture (language and so much more)
- so that new young women can enter our Congregation and receive the education, support, formation, training....orientation that they need to be prepared to make vows and live lives of ministry, community, prayer, service...making God's love visible as Maryknoll Sisters.
- so that Sisters working with the poor all over the world have food and shelter
- so that our ill and elderly Sisters can receive care in their last years as they do their final ministry of prayer for all of us in preparation for their final journey home to the amazing, loving, merciful God they have served in so many ways.
there are thousands of reasons I do what I do: connecting with people who share our missionary call through their prayers and donations
there are thousands of reasons I do what I do: trying to make it possible for our Sisters to serve the poor and suffering wherever they are, with whatever gifts and talents they have...whether it is health care in Bolivia or Education in Tanzania, artistic spirituality in Hawaii or theological education in Taiwan, care for our earth in the Philippines or catechetical training in East Timor....
there are hundreds of reasons I do what I do: the names and loving hearts of every one of my Maryknoll Sisters who reaches out to serve the mission of Jesus in whatever way she can
there is one reason I do what I do: to be as faithful as I can to the vocation that is my gift, my challenge, my call, my struggle, my hope, my best expression of God's love in me and trying to make God's love visible to others.
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