The Legacy Continues

 

The legacy of Blessed John Martin Moye continues as the wheel of life continues to turn. This beautiful picture was taken two weeks ago in Mary's garden at our Provincial House in Melbourne, Ky. Sr. Mary Echo Perry C.D.P. and I were hanging out with Sr. Mary Mansueta Martineau C.D.P. At 101, Sr Mansueta still attends most community activities, reads and listens to daily news and faithfully watches the Reds whenever they play. Mansueta's ready smiles, attentive ears and pleasant aura distinguishes her as an amazing woman of Providence.  

 Sr. Echo professed her first vows in August 2015, making her the newest member of the Province. Hopefully I will be next in line in the nearest future. As the newest and second youngest members of the Province, we are grateful for the opportunity to know and experience our Jewel of inestimable value Sr. Mansueta, who happens to be our oldest living C.D.P. sister.

In Nigeria where I come from, elders are respected and held in high esteem. Like the book of Proverbs, we, the Ibos. believe that "Gray hair is a crown of glory" (16:32) especially for people like Sr. Mansueta who have made the Lord their heritage. Elders are respected for their roles in teaching, guiding and impacting good examples on the young. Most importantly, the wisdom of elders makes the geniuses in their particular callings.  

With over 70 years of experience of living community and being in active ministry, I could become a happy, holy, prayerful C.D.P even if I learn by just carefully obeserving how Sr. Mansueta lives out our C.D.P. charism. She once told me that everything is possible for those who are open to life, to God and to new beginnings. She definitely seems to live what she believes because whenever I pass her room at Holy family Sr. Manueta is doing something productive which continues to enhance her as person and continues to help her be what God want her to be. She also told me that when we truly trust God like our beloved founder Blessed John Martin, we will find it easier to pray, trust and abandon ourselves and everything about us to God.

I like hanging out with Sr. Mansueta because she inspires me/us and she is teaching us all that she knows. We are blessed to have her and because of her wisdom, we will see  and go far because according to an Ibo proverb, "What an old woman sees sitting down, a young woman cannot see standing up"  

 

 

Emerging Intertwined Boundaries

I attended the National Giving Voice Conference for religious women under the age of 50 in Kansas City this past August. More than 70 women in different stages of religious formation gathered from different parts of the country/world to reflect on the changing face of religious life in an increasingly diverse intercultural/inter generational American church. The three days event offered us a great opportunity to pray, dialogue and dream together. The event was filled with a lot of shared energy which helped us articulate our collective reality as well discern direction for the future. Conference speakers, Holy Name Sister Sophia Park SNJM and Incarnate Word sister Teresa Maya CCVI led us in the reflection around the theme  “Crossing Boundaries in Religious Life” Both speakers were equally wonderful in their respective approach to the topic. With the use of charts and graphs both Teresa and Sophia showed how the declining, changing and diverse nature of religious life in the Unites States is calling for a new outlook and leadership for the future. Although women under 50 constituted only 10% of those entering religious life today, we rejoiced that our presence affirms the fact that religious life is still here and will continue through us. As a small cohort on the margins, our speakers helped us see that we are in a privileged position to both articulate our present reality as well as see future horizons more clearly. Smaller size also means that we can be lighter, more flexible and fast. One of the important directions of our time is also the issue of leadership. In her recent article “Beyond Middle Space” in “Global Sister” Sr. Tracy Kamme, S.C. beautifully articulated how the changes in religious life seem to be calling for three main types of emerging leadership styles (A leadership style that is able to harmonize all the different facets of religious life discussed at the conference) as we march into the future. Those who feel called to continue with things the way they are, those, the dreamers who have more thrust for the future and those who are in-between. So while it is important for Congregations to focus on retirement and the need of older sisters, we affirmed the need for them to realize we are also here, that our stories, our questions and experiences are all equally relevant and emerging.

  The event helped me realize that, as a group, we are all grappling with the same issues, asking the same questions bordering on size, diversity and resources. I found it enriching to be on  common ground where we could openly voice our hopes and dreams while acknowledging the challenges ahead of us. Hearing our hopes and fears spoken out loud helped us turn our hearts to God whose spirit is at work in us as a discerning group in an emerging church/world. In this space, we also realized that one of our major roles is to continue to build bridges for the future, a future that we are all part of and which we are all moving towards. As the present and future of the church, we are encouraged to continue to rend our voices because whatever we have to say is authentic, even as we respectfully acknowledge the disappearing past which our older sisters are grappling with. We cannot let our voices be stifled by the fear of a disappearing familiar past or concerns about an uncertain future.  

The speakers also discussed how to bridge age gaps, cultural and racial divides. As emigration into United States continues to affect it’s demographic, it is clear that future religious life is not going to be any different. During one of the session, a random sampling of the group’s diversity was conducted by Sr. Teresa who asked all those born outside of the United States to raise their hands. At least 25% of the group indicated that they were born in another country. As a group, I think that GV is well ahead in preparing for an emerging coordinated interconnected/intercultural future religious life. For example, the entire event was translated in both English and Spanish. I think that this type of initiative is great in providing the framework for bridging gaps and creating common ground. This is also why the event has a personal thrust for me. The topic helped me confront some of my own personal challenges as someone coming from a vibrant church discerning a vocation in a church/religious Congregation where things are beginning to slow down or die out. In Nigeria where I come from, the church is still very vibrant, pews are filled to the brim on Sundays and Holy days of Obligation, and religious life and seminaries are still getting lots of vocations. But I have moved from comparison to appreciation. I have personally experienced the type of inclusivity demonstrated at GV and which also happens to be the chapter call of my Congregation this year. I live with older sister whose cultural experiences are different from mine, but whose love, acceptance and openness is constantly challenging me to recognize and share my gifts. And that is the essential in being an effective witness of the Gospel. Recognizing and using my gifts is not limited to space nor place. The world is God's and everything there-in. Where I flourish is not as important as using my talents. 

How can we make religious life more inter-culturally relevant in our society today? No group, culture or generation can represent the entire picture of religious life. Like the universe, the church and religious life is in the process of evolution and each individual, group, and generation can only represent his/her/their experiences in the context of the culture in which they exist. In other words, part of our reflection is to see the whole picture of religious life, the past, the present and the future, to see how this evolution is part of God’s on- going creation Isiah 49:13. I am undoubtedly energized with hope for the future. The space provided at GV helped me not just to articulate the emerging themes of the reality of religious life in the United States but to realize how my personal story and experiences are part of God’s unfolding plan. My cultural background means that I bring an entirely unique outlook which is my gift to my Congregation/church/world. The conference reinforced my optimistic outlook on life/vocation to the religious life. I am at peace because I know that religious life is the work of God expressed in one language – Love. The culture of religious life, like all cultures, is not diminishing, will never extinguish as long as people walk the face of the earth. Rather it is evolving along the pathways specific to it, which is why GV is such a gift we must continue to treasure. Yes, the future may be smaller, inter generational, and multicultural but nevertheless a precious gift of our time. I am excited to be part of the future of religious life, energized in my present role in being the voice, the change the church and the world are waiting for. As a person/group, I/we are called to continue to build bridges for the pregnant future and remain open to accept it as it unfolds. I know that this is possible because we are united in our love for God and are motivated by our passion to bring about the reign of God through our services to the church/world.

Addicted

As I approached Holy Cross parish for mass this morning, I was humming one of my favorite songs. I was happy about a new encounter with my Lord today and beginning my day with him as usual. But as I got closer to the church, my heart sank for a moment. Did I miss something? I wondered. When was mass cancelled? I thought out loud. Suddenly I stopped singing and looked frantically for signs of people around the church. In particular, I looked for a little old blue Toyota car which belonged to an elderly couple that frequent the mass every morning. When I did not see it, I concluded that mass had been cancelled or postponed and I did not know it. The thought made me sad because I was looking forward to yet another great encounter with my friend Jesus in the Eucharist. I just have to have my daily dose, I said. Nevertheless, I decided I would go into the church anyway to pray, mass or no mass for an hour because it is my time with the Lord. However, as soon as I opened the front door, the huge church bell started to ring and I quickly yelled “YES!!!” and quietly went inside.

I have been a Christian all of my life and have always gone to church but have never been this in love with Jesus. Looking back, I see a huge difference in my faith journey. I my understanding of Jesus’ love for me has grown and deepened. As a child, perhaps I had associated Sunday masses with putting on nice Sunday outfits and eating rice which was the traditional meal cooked every Sunday when I was growing up. Perhaps growing up, I even emulated St. Paul whenever I would chide my friends for committing “mortal” sin against God by not coming to church the previous Sunday. As a child, I kept a good list of my “sins” and went to confession every Saturday so I would receive communion the following Sunday. I did what I assumed was right, did what I thought was love. But now I know that my obsession with showing God how much I love him was grounded in my fear of his judgment and impending punishment in Hell. I despised my shortcomings and assumed that I God saw me the same way I saw myself.  Whenever I was sick or something goes wrong in my life or family, I would see it as punishment from God for some sin I have committed.  

Thank God for opening my eyes to see that my relationship with him begins by discovering his love for me. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I john 4:10) God wants us to always remember his unconditional love. God does not want us to seek his love but to receive his love and freely share it with others. Until we recognize and accept God’s undeserving love of us, we will continue to miss the point like I did as a child.

There is always a longing that comes from experiencing the goodness of the Lord. I am addicted to Jesus because his love compels me, continues to invite me to respond to him. I love it and it makes all the difference in the way I see myself. My constant awareness of God’s presence continues to lead my mind back to him over and over again. I know that when I set the Lord always be before me (psalm 16:8), then I am more confident of myself and is less likely to worry about making mistakes for God has promised to show me the way of life, and grant me the joy of his presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever. I will always remain addicted to Jesus for then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation (Psalm 35:9)

God’s Majesty at Cumberland

At Cumberland Falls

The heavens, the earth and the river meet

It is beauty personified

Trees in all sizes and shades of green adorn the park

Leaves sway as if responding to some rhythmic music

Gentle winds make whistling sounds as birds chirp in the sky

And water like lightening flows downstream from the falls

The splash of water a warn relieve from the scorching sun

At Cumberland falls

I saw a glimpse of God

In the sights and sounds of the park

In the guests, their smiles and the serenity of the place

Aghast and lost in profound wonder, my gaze lingered  

I could not stop myself from singing

Praise indeed is the God for this 250 million years work of art

How could I stop from singing and adoring so great a God?

Yes, Cumberland is a piece of God’s majesty. 

Evolving Providence

This is  the fourteenth Liturgical Sunday in Ordinary time. My reflection on the Gospel kept reminding me of an interesting conference I attended recently. The reading from the Gospel of Mark 6: 1 - 6 explained the exchange between Jesus and his townspeople. Jesus came to his hometown ready to cure, heal and restore people back to God. The towns people listened as he preached, taught and explain the scriptures. They observed his zeal, enthusiasm and passion for proclaiming the coming of the reign of God. They even acknowledged that Jesus had extraordinary powers, and were astounded with the miracles they witnessed. But they were not convinced that there was more to Jesus than the village carpenter who lived down the street. They closed their minds to the truth which they witnessed and which their hearts affirmed and instead questioned how a mere carpenter could possess the type of power that Jesus had.

Unlike Jesus' townspeople, my eyes were significantly opened by the insights from Sr. Ilia Delio’s presented during the Conference of Women of Providence in Collaboration conference I attended with some of our CDP sisters in June 2015.

With Ilia Delio

CDP Sisters and Associates

Liturgical Dance

With other Liturgical Dancers

Delio gave an expansive understanding of evolution and elaborately explained why we need to reimage our traditional notions of God and creation. Delio  explained that evolution has come to be understood not as some narrow theory explaining biological phenomena, but a cosmic process that challenges the plausibility of a static and unchanging notion of God and God’s relationship to all of reality. She claims that evolution, the meta-narrative of our age, implies that all being is whole and is advancing in complexity and unity through time. This cosmic process she said, is and has always been at work, is accelerating, and has implications for religious systems and for theology

In the Conference, Delio began by detailing the medieval Ptolemaic worldview with its theological and cosmological implications and then explores Copernicus’ heliocentrism, which challenged existing notions of the hierarchy of being. With God no longer the source of unity, a disconnect emerged between God, the human and the cosmos. By the 18th century, said Delio  the divide between science, especially cosmology, and theology widened further, relegating theology to fixed speculation and allying science with dynamic change. Delio said that evolution, at first interpreted narrowly, came to be understood as the dynamic process that generated novelty, change, complexity and convergence, a process that impelled and attracted all toward the future.

But for her, the preoccupation of science with objectivity gave only a partial understanding of this process. What was needed according to Delio, is some way to capture its wholeness and explore its force of attraction, its energy.  Delio then borrows heavily from the mystical Teilhard, who suggested that the evolutionary process, with its orientation toward unity, complexity and consciousness, is driven by the fundamental energy of love. Delio proffers that love is the means by which global wholeness will emerge.

What are the implications for Christian life?
Delio described how the medieval understanding of the unity of being unraveled and the devastating consequences for intellectual life and human well-being. She explored the synthesis of evolution and its ramifications for many aspects of inquiry, and then using the insights of Teilhard she attempts to show through contemplative understanding the meta-narrative of evolution how the Christian might re-imagine how to live. Delio said that religion must grow and redefine itself. She is also convinced that the kind of religion that humanity lacks cannot be found in the religious traditions of the past which are linked to static categories. What is needed she said, is a new religion full of dynamics and conquests. One that can use all the free energy of the earth to build humankind into greater unity. Delio believes that today people are looking for a religion of mankind and of earth, because faith in God in this world are a source of great spiritual energy in human being. Quoting Teihard, Delio explained that Christianity is a religion of evolution, why is why Christ cannot be limited to any one religion.  So the “stasis of religion, is the stifling of religion” convergence of all religion is possible said Delio when we harness the energies of love for the forward movement of evolution. So as humans, Delio believes that we are a process and unfolding, we evolve to never stop evolving. We experience inner evolution by letting go in other to let flow, by leaning into suffering, by recognizing our deep relatedness to all of creation and by openness, kenosis. Since now is all we have, Delio advised that we should learn to live in the now, mind body, heart and create structures to fit the moment, structure that change as needs change. She also said that we should remain open to new ideas, new patterns and not to allow ourselves to be fixated because we are still been created. As dynamic becoming, we also need to recognize that we live in an unfinished universe where everything is connected. We have to accept the truth of our nature which is incompleteness. This enables us to live in the primacy of love as well as recover the capacity of wonder and awe. For Delio, we evolve to never stop evolving, to be alive is to ceaselessly beginning, every end is a new beginning and every arrival, a new departure. We can change the world only when we change the way we think. Unless we change the way we think we cannot change the way we act said Delio.  God is the power of the future who is within us and up ahead. So we must advance all together in a direction in which all together we join and find completion of the earth – that all may be one.

I learned a lot from all that I heard, and the passion with which Ilia Delio talked about her prophetic message for the world. I defiantly agree that we need to change a lot of how we have been oriented to think and act. I hope that as you read this, you will take this message to heart and act as God’s spirit moves you.

Link to Ilia Delio’s books http://www.amazon.com/Ilia-Delio/e/B001JS2T2E

YouTube Videos:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ilia+delio

Heart of Jesus, Heart of my Love

Christ, have mercy on us. 

Lord, have mercy on us. 
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. 
God the Father of Heaven, 
Have mercy on us. 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, 
Have mercy on us. 
God the Holy Ghost, 
Have mercy on us. 
Holy Trinity, one God, 
Have mercy on us. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus                                                                         I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus fountain of love                                               I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus mansion of compassion                                   I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my firm refuge                                                I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my faithful friend                                            I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my source of joy                                              I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my linkage with the Holy Spirit                      I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my way to the father                                       I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my way, truth and life                                     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my only hope and happiness                           I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus my eternal light                                               I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who has gifted my with his love                     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who has invited me into his father’s house     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who knows and understands me                     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who always answers my prayers                     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who never judges or condemns me                 I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who provides for me                                       I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus who acknowledges me                                     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus ever faithful                                                     I praise and thank you

Sacred Heart of Jesus                                                                         I will live for you

Sacred Heart of Jesus                                                                         I will die in you

Sacred Heart of Jesus                                                                        I will reign with you in glory

Prayer

Lord Jesus, on this feast day of your Sacred Heart, we remember that your love for us led you to the cross. You gladly offered your life in exchange for our eternal death. Help us to reciprocate what you have done for by showing unconditional love and service to all of earth’s human family. Amen

Faith and Committment

Commitment is a very important ingredient of life. It is the truest sign that we believe in something and shows how serious we are about it. Commitment gives us focus, shows how responsible we are and how determined we are to make our visions possible. Everyone is committed to someone or something. It could be your health, career or family. The character of people can be assessed by their levels of commitment. Relationships that lack serious commitment do not last, and people get fired from their jobs when they are not committed.  The question is, how committed are you? We cannot answer this question honestly without taking a closer and deeper look at our values if we know them, and if we don’t maybe it’s time we try to identify them? 

The first key to commitment is goal setting. Unless we set goals that are meaningful, there will not be accompanying motivation to attain the goal(s). Take the case of a teenager whose dream is to become an engineer. The student must begin to develop the skills needed for a professional training in engineering and he or she must begin to make choices that will help foster that desire, such as choices about who to be friends with, how best to use theirs or things, or taking college level courses in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. 

The second key to commitment is to willingly exert oneself for the greater good, even when it is uncomfortable. For example, the young prospective engineer may need to sacrifice engaging playing Facebook chat, computer games or spend hours watching hours of television. So, instead of attending parties or engaging in wild teenager pranks, the focused will look for a more creative and productive opportunities such as internships. 

  

The third key to commitment is re-commitment. A person of integrity should be concerned about the type of progress he or she is making. Similarly, when we constantly re-evaluate the levels of commitment, it helps to put things into a clearer perspective. This enables us to separate mere words from action and dreams from reality. On the other hand, if we are satisfied with the result we are getting, it enhances our self-esteem, and makes life worthwhile.  So as we journey through life, let us take the time to ask the tough questions:

1.      Have I been committed to whatever or whomever?

2.      Does my behaviors reflect the values or person I am supposed to be   committed to?

3.      Are my choices compatible with my dreams?

4.      What do I need to improve? Change?

These are the types of questions I have been asking myself at this time in my religious formation. What does it mean to live a life completely dedicated to God? Are my behaviors, choices and actions compatible with my dream of becoming a Sister of Divine Providence? As a Christian, I know that it is impossible to live a committed life without first acknowledging that “all good and perfect gift comes from God” (James 1: 17), including the gift to seek, love and serve him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church captured this truth clearly. Part 1, section 1 of the article on the Profession of Faith states that the desire for God is written in the human heart, because they are created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw them to himself. In other words, only in God can I find true happiness. The article also explained that God wants us to be in communion with him so that I can know and do his will.

God is always with me and has brought me to this moment of my life. This is great! I do not think that there is any commitment that is greater than God’s commitment to us and his commitment continues for all time. In John 14:3, Jesus told his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them so that where he is, they will be as well.  It encourages me to know that God is watching out for me much more than my desire to return his love, because I know I can’t. The more I contemplate God through our Congregation, the more it is clear to me that our beloved founder John Martin Moye understood what total commitment to God means. Everything he did: his intentions, writings, and actions were initiated, executed and sustained by Providence because he abandoned all to Divine Grace. Until his last breath, he prayed for, preached, taught, wrote about the reign of God. Like Father Moye, I am just going to continue to let God dwell in my heart through faith so that I may be grounded in his love (Ephesian 3:17). Like Father Moye, I have accepted Jesus as my way, my truth and my life and as his sheep, I will continue to strive to listen to his voice and follow him. I will not be discouraged with my shortcomings because the Lord is with me and will always uphold me (Isiah 41:10). Commitment, then, is to realize that you have been chosen by God, that you are special to him and that he is waiting to open your eyes, to discover his unconditional love so that you can return it to him through your love and service for others.