RFC's Transformation of Religious Life events are wrapping up, with upcoming events in West Hartford and St. Louis.
"Always be prepared to go on Mission. Always be prepared to die." This is the advice given by the foundress of my Congregation, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, to her Sisters.
The mission question haunts me from time to time. Circumstances change, my response is getting sophisticated and articulate, but nevertheless, the question returns. Isn't religious life about mission: the fascination with Jesus and his Good News of the Reign of God, the conviction that to make it a reality you need others (community) and the importance of prayer to know what that Reign of God means today? But religious life is not an "auto-reply" to the question of mission and ministry.
We are on a mission. We are living the life and bringing the gospel to those we meet in our words and actions. It is very important to me that we are doing this together. As I reflect on the particular mission of younger women religious I can't help but think one of the most important things we're doing now is building a network of relationships, which will somehow be the "seedbed" of the Spirit's leading us into the future.
Serving the needs of the poor; educating for life; proclaiming the goodness of God; living the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in the 21st Century.
Happy New Year, everyone! The dawn of a new year is a great time to set goals for the coming year and to take a look at our lives, and I guess that's why so many people do so at this time of year. Well, the Giving Voice core team met right at the onset of January to take stock of things, to discuss how our group is doing, and to take care of some business. As members of the core team, we really see ourselves as place holders - sisters who are taking a turn at holding the circle, keeping track of the logistics, and trying to serve all of you in the best way that we can - and all of us are
This morning I had the honor and privilege of waiting in line with my two year old nephew and his mom for a very important event .... visiting Santa Claus. He was laughing and smiling the whole time we waited in line--until, of course, it was time to actually visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus for the all important photo op. Looking at the resulting photo, you might think this was a watershed moment in his life or that he carries great responsibilities on his pint sized shoulders. He looks so very serious!
A thought recently happened upon me as I was considering my call to religious life. The 1950’s are far behind us and who knows if there will ever come a time when religious communities will see those numbers again. I am well aware of the statistics of my aging community, how significantly different--and specifically smaller--we will be ten to fifteen years from now. This is not just our reality, this is the reality of religious life today.