communitas et caritas

We just had a lovely evening of community -- all 7 of us together for prayer, then a leisurely dinner, and then games!  We celebrated a birthday, and it was so lovely to spend time together without having to rush off to other responsibilities. I'm very grateful for this time in community.  I loved living alone, but it's wonderful to come home to people , generous people who care about how my day was and what's on my mind.  And I care about them, too! On another note, one of my students asked me today, out of the blue, "So, can you ever leave the convent and get married?"  I could help laughing (it was really random), but then it sparked a brief discussion about what this life is about, and what this commitment means.  I think it's easiest to compare to a marriage: I am committed to it, but sometimes people do walk away.  (As one of my friends responded, it's not like the pope has a gun to my back demanding that I stay!)  And then I also was able to...

I finally figured out what was wrong with the comment function....so I think it works now!

This morning at mass, I found myself relating a little too much to the music--it felt as if it was picked just for me!  Such a strange experience.... First:  "Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don't know and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known? Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?" Yikes.  I love this song, and it really expresses for me a lot about the call to religious life--that I am trying to follow Jesus as he calls my name, but that I don't have a clue what is in store.  I do know that my life will never be the same.  And that's good--I've grown and learned so much, even at this early stage. And the recessional: "I have decided to follow Jesus, No turning back, no turning back." "Though no one join me, still I will follow, No turning back, no turning back." "The world behind me, the cross before me, No turning back, n...

I love the previous template for this blog, but comments were not functioning...so we'll try this for a bit, and then I might try a nicer one later!  I hope it works!

"God's mercy and faithfulness shine forth in a world wounded by sin." These words have been in my mind and heart this week. They come from the beginning of our Constitutions, and they seem to provide us with a real reason for living. Our world is wounded by sin--we need only to look at the paper or watch the evening news to see the sinfulness of the world and the harm that it causes. Yet, the story doesn't end there. I always wish that the news media would tell us more of the goodness, the stories that show the mercy and compassion of human beings toward each other. The Constitutions go on to talk of God's great Gift of Love to us--the gift of the Son. Our world is wounded, yes, but God is still here with us, loving us, showing us kindness and mercy. I have to hold on to that mercy, or I can easily be swept away in the woundedness of our world. I love that it uses the word "shine forth." What a beautiful image! In my mind, I can see the darkness o...

Well, it's been far too long since I first posted here. Sorry for the delay! My whole world has changed in the last two months, so I'll try to summarize a few things here. At the end of June, I gave away / sold / threw out nearly all of my possessions, keeping only what fit in the car. Now, I filled every nook and cranny in the car, but still, it's a lot less than what there was. So I left behind my own apartment, and moved into a community of nuns 600 miles away. But that's not the end of my summer adventures. I moved my stuff into my new room, and then took off on a road trip to the east coast, ultimately to visit my brother and leave the car with him. My road trip took me through 13 states! It was great fun, and I was very ready to arrive "home" again with my new community. We then had a nun meeting at the end of July, with all of the sisters in the United States who could come gathering in Chicago. It was an amazing experience, if a little overwhelmi...

From today's lectionary: Ephesians 4:1-6 Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. What a great way to begin living in community. As I prayed over this text, I drew out all the characteristics that Paul asserts: Humility Gentleness Patience Love Unity Peace Hope Faith I pray that these will be my guides throughout the next year, and indeed, throughout the rest of my life.