From Slovenian Perpetuum Jazzile a memory of "Africa"

Amazing, fun, joyful

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).

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.

Giving changes everything

This post on how giving changes everything is a helpful add-on to my thoughts from yesterday.

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....

• 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.

Seeking focus

My office resembles a war zone more than usual after a couple of weeks of moving from mailing deadline to special event to mailing deadline to special event to...more deadlines.

I came across this reflection on service and it is one more reminder: We all have to be vigilant about making sure our actions are aligned with our core values.

The other day I used the image of the pinball machine (or rather, the pinball) to describe my reality.

So I am back to seeking focus, seeking alignment.

In Good to Great, Jim Collins makes an interesting response to an assumption that one can't lead an organization to greatness and have a life. No, balance is important. Loving what you do is important. Being with the right people on the bus is important. (I am enjoying and being challenged a lot by this book...)

So I am back to seeking focus, seeking alignment, seeking balance. And hoping to be less pinball bouncing off whatever bumper, lever or wall happens to come.

The next generation

I am preparing the materials for a mailing to solicit funds for our major renovations efforts. My focus for the renovations tends toward the idea of strengthening the foundation for the next 100 years of mission. I hope it will continue to be collaborative, in the Maryknoll spirit and beyond.
Here is a celebration of that next generation that will serve mission.

Yesterday was the ordination of Father Stephen Taluja. In the picture on the left, Father Stephen is blessing Archbishop Timothy Dolan.




















This morning was Father Stephen's first mass. Here is pictured with Sisters Janice McLaughlin, Jareen Aquino, Genie Natividad, Sue Rech, Laura Guledew, and Linda AB. Genie, Laura and Linda have nearly completed their formation as Maryknoll Sisters. Soon they will profess their vows and prepare for their first mission assignments as Maryknoll Sisters.






These committed people, far more than the buildings, are the foundation for the next generation of making God's love visible.

(Photos thanks to Maryknoll Fathers Joe Veneroso and Dennis Moorman)

Poverty and Simplicity

Some of us have been reading articles and sharing conversation around the vow of poverty during the last few months.

I am out of times that focused on simple living. "Live simply that others may simply live."

A lot of religious discussion on poverty addresses the common good.

In some many ways, simple lifestyle was easy in Bura-Tana, Kenya. There wasn't much to have so we didn't have to worry to much about choices. And the focus of our day to day ministries were integral human development--helping people with basic needs. So maybe I am spoiled. I didn't have much money and didn't have anything to spend it on except basics (rice, beans, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, kale and collard greens [locally, sukumu wiki--low cost greens to push the week until something else could be found].

Now, I try to learn and be informed by a bigger consciousness of common good--common good of the whole of everything--all of God's amazing, magnificent creation. The idea of footptrint (usually as in carbon footprint) can be expanded.

How much do I need?

How much do I use?

In addition to trying to reduce my carbon footprint,
what about reducing my attention footprint--listening, and paying attention more to a bigger world than demanding attention for my own.
How about expanding my mindfulness footprint?

Seeking peace

Inspirational Poems or really quotes. Takes a few minutes, but some nice things to reflect on.

Friday afternoon

Some days it is easier to be a seeker than other days. Perhaps it has something to do with remembering the purpose of the seeking.

It's Friday afternoon. And I am thinking: blessings and peace to all.