Under construction!

To all of our faithful readers,

The Future of Charity blog is taking a little May-cation.  It deserves it, don't you think?!  The blog will be going through some updates and transitions throughout the month, so we won't posting regularly.  Don't worry -- we'll be back in June!  We look forward to continuing to share our journeys with you.  Thanks for the 39,454 pageviews and all the support!

See you in June!

New life: in Earth, and in me!

By Judy Donohue

In taking a walk this afternoon, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the springing forth of nature.  I saw eight turtles sunning on the bank of the lake.  I observed two Canadian Geese nesting, preparing for the little ones to come. The red buds are in full bloom; the dogwoods are beginning to come out. The beginning of leaves are forming at the end of tree branches. So exciting and encouraging.  God is renewing the Earth with spring growth!

Spiritual direction is also a springboard to new life. Having the accountability of talking to a spiritual director each month has increased my self-awareness. She is able to gently point things out areas in me that I am blind to.  This has been stretching and good, sometimes painful. 

Looking at my personal and spiritual growth over the past year, I see similar excitement in viewing the new growth from spring flowers and budding bushes. In the fog of the novitiate, I have wondered “Why am I going through this? Will this ever make sense?”  

As I see maturity developing, I am encouraged. I’m growing in knowledge on how to relate to people, how to be thoughtful of others, how to be less selfish. I am excited about growing in my ability to build community.  To be able to communicate my ideas, contribute my talents to my community being built with a greater noble purpose. Religious life is too grow together with others (lay and consecrated) in so many ways.  

While walking, I saw a mother push her one year old baby in a carriage.  I think how much her life has changed because of the birth of her baby.  She can’t do what she wants. She has to get up at night and feed her child.  She has to change, bathe, rock to sleep her infant.  She does this out of love.  God has put that maternal instinct in mothers/fathers.  She is glad to do it for the joy of raising a child.  In becoming a Sister, knowing God is forming me into a mature, loving, less judgmental person has been hard work.  But knowing I will be a better person, friend, sister, confident encourages me to persevere. 

My spiritual director encourages me to feel my feelings. In feeling my feelings, I’ve learn not to shut down my pain because it will come up somewhere else.  I give myself permission to feel my pain and with time, move on.  When you are driving on ice and start to skid, you turn the steering wheel toward the direction of the skid to recover.  If, out of fear, one turns away from the skid, you spin out of control and land in the ditch. So too with our emotions. As I turn to my feelings and feel them, I recover, but if I avoid them, I spin out of control.

One day, driving back from Evansville, Indiana, I stopped for a prayer break at St. Meinrad's.  While in the chapel, I looked out a window and saw a tall, stately pine tree.  I realized that this was once a seed that cooperated with the sun, water and earth around it.  It grew to become a huge, lovely creation. It did nothing on it’s own.  As I cooperate with the graces around me and relax, God makes me into who I am to be. Let go and Let God.

As I care for myself through spiritual direction, I am a better servant to those around me.  As we take care of the earth through what we buy and products we use, we develop integrity and pride in our community.  We have something to pass onto our children/nieces/nephews and grandnieces and nephews, not only in clean air but also with clean hearts of  great faith.  Celebrate new life!

Why be a Daughter of Charity? It's What I'm Made For

By Kara Davis

This reflection is a response to a blog written by Catholic speaker and high school theology teacher, Katie Prejean.  She so eloquently described our universal call to holiness, our vocation of love, and her personal testament to the vocation of Holy Matrimony.  As I read her words, I couldn’t help but insert myself, and my own journey of understanding God’s call in my own life.  This reflection is meant to echo Katie’s insightful words, but under a different lens, the lens of the vocation of consecrated life.  You can read Katie's blog by clicking HERE!

“Why do you want to be a Sister?”  That is a question I hear a lot now a days as I dive more deeply into formation with the Daughters of Charity.  Most of the time, I look at my watch and ask the person how much time they have for an answer.  I could share the saga of my discernment journey, where my boyfriend of all people encouraged me to go check out the Sisters.  When folks as me, “Why do you want to be a Daughter of Charity?” I could tell the story of being casted as a Daughter of Charity in a play about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the very lines I delivered in the play prompted me to explore the call to serve Christ in the face of the Poor.  I could also go into my year as a Resident Catholic Worker at the St. Hedwig Haus of Hospitality, where I encountered Christ in the women and children who were in need of a home and support of a loving community.  I could possibly describe the deeply personal journey of discovering my deep desire to be made whole, a wholeness that only God could provide.  And yet sometimes, I simply respond with a half honest answer, “I want to be a Sister so I don’t have to worry about what to do on a bad hair day.”  (You know, just cover it up with a veil.)

I have come to accept that more and more people are going to ask these questions, especially after I actually become a Sister, and it has encouraged me to ponder a more concise, yet authentic response that does not take three hours to explain and is not so deeply personal that I am sharing my heart with a complete stranger.

One of my favorite definitions of vocation comes from Frederick Buechner, who states, “Vocation is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”  It is a two-part discernment.  What is your deep gladness, the deep desire that God has placed in your heart?  And then, how is that deep gladness a response to the needs of the world?

God designs each and every one of us with a longing for this deep gladness, communion with Him.  By being made in the image and likeness of God, we are designed with a great capacity for love, for God is love.  St. Therese, The Little Flower, puts it best when she writes, “I realized that love includes all vocations, that love is all things, and that, because it is eternal, it embraces all time and place.  Swept up by an ecstatic joy, I cried, ‘Jesus, my Love!  At last I have found my vocation.  My vocation is love… I will be love.”

Indeed, we are all called to love and be loved, for we are God’s beloved sons and daughters.  We live out our call to love in a variety of ways, often through marriage, priesthood, religious life, or single life.  God gives us the gift of discernment and invites us to ponder how are we called to grow in union with Him, sharing His love in the world, and spreading the gift of God’s self with our brothers and sisters.

When I was poking around with some extracurricular theological studies in college, I was introduced to the concept of “kenotic caritas” in my Moral Theology class.  We read a chapter titled, “Love and Liturgy,” by M. Theresa Lysaught, and this article changed the way I approached the Eucharist and viewed our vocation of love.  We are all called to participate in God’s love, a love that does not merely give, but gives all.  We are all called to that self-emptying, prodigal love, which seeks not its own interests, but pours out in love for the other.   

I was so drawn to this call of kenotic caritas, and felt that God had created me with a great capacity for this self-emptying love.  I felt as though God had attached me to a special faucet where I could fill and refill my cup as I emptied it out to others.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the vocation of consecrated life is a call “to follow and imitate Christ more nearly, and to manifest more clearly His self-emptying is to be more deeply present to one's contemporaries, in the heart of Christ” (CCC, 932).  The call of consecrated life is a call to incarnate God’s kenotic love in the world, to meet the world’s great need for love in an absolute, total gift of self.

To do that, I will give myself completely to God, in community, for the service of the Poor.  Consecrated life is the vocation to which God has called me.  The call of a Daughter of Charity will allow me, the future Sister Kara Davis, to increase in love, grow in authentic holiness, and draw more deeply into communion with God.

The life of a Daughter of Charity will require humility, an awareness of gifts received by God, gratitude for these gifts, and putting them to use in service.  Humility also requires an acknowledgment of my own human limitations, a difficult reality for a young person ready to take on the world’s deep need.  I am reminded that I am but a mere servant in the hands of God.  The life of a Daughter of Charity will require simplicity, an authentic witness true to the call to self-emptying love in the context of the community.  Simplicity is a readiness to seek God in all things.  Finally, the life of a Daughter of Charity will require charity, the kenotic caritas that flows from a total love of God, poured out to the Sisters and those whom we serve.

Consecrated life brings me into closer union with God, loving in the complete, self-emptying way for which I am created.  I do not have to become a Daughter of Charity to serve the Poor.  There are plenty of people who serve the poor who might be married, have children, or live the single life.  I also do not have to become a Daughter of Charity to live in community.  There are intentional communities all over the world that live together and pray together.  I also do not have to become a Daughter of Charity to surrender my life to God.  There are religious congregations, secular institutes, and a number of other formal ways I could give myself to God.  However, when all three come together:  Given to God, in community, for the service of the Poor, there you will find a Daughter of Charity.  There you will find a servant of the Lord wrapped in humility, simplicity, and charity.

So now, when I am greeted with the question, “Why be a Daughter of Charity?” I might still share about my journey of discernment, the play, and the Catholic Worker House, maybe even the convenience of a veil on a bad hair day, but my first response will be, “Because it’s what I’m made for.”

On the Way

By Whitney Schieltz

Last weekend, the theme for our Future of Charity gathering was The Appearance on the Road to Emmaus.  I spent much of our time together, and the time since, pondering the passage: Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way…?”  It got me thinking of the way that has led me to where I am today and where it is taking me.  Growing up, God was not a part of my life; or should I say, I was ignorant and indifferent to God’s presence in my life.  It wasn’t until my early twenties that I began to feel the love of The Father, the friendship of The Son, and the mysterious workings of The Holy Spirit.  Fast forward a few years, and here I am as an Affiliate with the Sisters of Charity.  Me!  Considering religious life!  How did I get here?  If I’m really meant to be a Sister, then why hasn’t my heart been burning for God my whole life?

Recently, while reading James Martin’s Jesus: A Pilgrimage, one particular line jumped off the page at me.  It was Matthew 14:31, “Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”  Although I had heard that verse many times before, in that moment I could feel myself, like Peter, being tossed around in the waves, gasping for air as I struggled to stay afloat.  Then, looking up, I saw the smile of a friend who knew me better than I know myself—a friend who has been with me my who life.  But instead of questioning my faith in him, I heard Jesus challenging me with something else: Why do you doubt yourself?  Why do you doubt the road you’re on?

Why was I doubting?  Before moving to El Paso last October to begin my Affiliate stage with the Sisters, I had a lot of concerns about how I would adjust to the changes.  As a Midwesterner my whole life, the thought of relocating to the Southwest was hard to imagine.  On top of that, my complete lack of Spanish skills made living on the Mexican border somewhat daunting.  In the past six months, however, I have undergone personal and spiritual growth that I probably would not have experienced back home.  When I thought of the two travelers on the Road to Emmaus, they were not standing still.  Jesus was walking with them just as he has been walking with me my whole life, whether I realized it or not.

Even though I knew I would be stepping well outside my comfort zone this year, I took that step because I knew it was what I needed to move me forward.  I needed this new experience to grow—as a person, as a woman, as a friend, as a daughter, as a sister, and as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Ending up here was not by mistake.  And this time has not changed me into a different person.  It has given me the opportunity to discover and embrace who God created me to be.

This week was the 6-month checkpoint for my Affiliate period, which means an evaluation by my director and local community, as well as a serious conversation about whether or not I am ready to begin the application for Novitiate.  Among my many considerations while weighing the options of staying in Affiliate another year or moving on the Novitiate, one of the most important questions I asked myself was: Where do I have the most potential for growth?

When I think of how much I’ve grown in this time as an Affiliate, I recognize not only my progress but also my potential to grow even more—in my personal life, in my spiritual life, in my community life, and in my ministerial life.  So although I am looking forward to discovering what lies ahead along the way, for now, I am excited to extend my time of growth, discovery, and discernment as an Affiliate in El Paso.  And knowing that Jesus will be walking with me, my heart is finally burning within me!

Walking Through Holy Week

By Sr. Meg Kymes

I believe!  I’ve seen it!  Did the people who praise you in the streets and lay their cloaks on your colt and palms in your path say that?  Did they believe what they saw?  Or were they the same ones who cursed you on Friday?  Were they the ones who called to Pilot for your blood, “Let it be on our heads and the heads of our children!” 

Where would I be?  Would I be clinging to the Apostles with your mother and Mary Magdalen?  Would I be helping sing your praises on Sunday and join the masses calling for your blood on Friday?  I could even be like Peter, swearing I would die with you then deny you.  How can I judge when I know my own sins?  I join Peter’s cry for mercy.

Would I be at the foot of the cross with John, your beloved, your Mother and the sobbing   Mary Magdalen?  Would I hear, “Woman, behold your son.  Son behold your mother.”?Would I feel the earth shake and see lightning flash across the sky?

I desire to be like Mary Magdalen.  I want to be overwhelmed with sorrow on Friday and have boundless joy on Sunday when I see you in the garden.  I want my joy in Your presence to be so large I have no choice but to spread the Good News to others.

Our world today is not too different from your world then.  We praise our savior one day and condemn him the next.  We hold no respect for the life of the child or the condemned.  My Lord, my God have mercy!  Our world still need your glory!  May we sing one day, “Holy, Hosanna to our King!”

The CASA Experience

By Melissa Fisackerly

Marie Flowers, SCN invited our house to take part In her ministry event called Embrace A Child breakfast given by CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).  The morning started off with a warm welcome from the CASA team in Louisville.  It was nice to hear one of the judges speak on behalf of CASA.  She spoke about how much it means to her and how important it is to them that children in the foster system have a CASA.  I was especially moved by the testimony given by a woman who was given a CASA in her life and is now an advocate for her children.  Her story is one of too many circumstances that is right before our eyes.

The mission of CASA in so many words is to help, support, show the children what love is and find “forever homes” for each child that is in the foster care system.  I have not had much experience with CASA in my life until a few years ago when a family member was a CASA for a child.  I learned a little through my aunt’s experience of advocating.  My parents fostered siblings who had a CASA.  We did not have much interaction with the CASA volunteer but realized the importance of a CASA volunteer. In the foster children's lives.  I may not have had experience with CASA but I have had experience about adoption and foster care system.  I am one of nine adopted in my larger family and one of five in my immediate family.  Three of my siblings were in foster care in Guatemala and my youngest brother was in foster care in Hammond, Louisiana by my parents.  My four siblings did not have a CASA but were in foster care system for various reasons.   The event opened my eyes even more in recognizing that there is a child always in need of love, care, and support.  I was grateful for the reminder that there is someone bigger than me!

Earlier this month, I got to ride in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Louisville, Kentucky.  Marie invited me to ride in the parade and represent for CASA.  What a fun day!  With Marie you know you are going to have a BLAST and that is exactly what we did.  This was another good experience for me because it gave me more time to get to know the organization.  I enjoyed listening to the Louisville CASA team share some of their experiences with me.  They said some of their cases are easy while many are difficult.  I noticed the ending of their sharing they would say, the goal is to find a forever home for each child.  Each time I heard that ending it would tug at my heart.  It made me think of my four siblings and what their situations could have been especially my youngest brother, Luke.   Riding on the CASA float was not only a chance to ride in a parade but a way to get the word out by telling the people on the sides of the streets that WE NEED CASA VOLUNTEERS.  I was grateful for this day and to spend it with Marie as we sat in the back of a pick up truck.  Here are some photos to prove how much fun we had:

A Holy Week Reflection: 2016

By Sr. Alice Ann O'Neill

"Pray that you may not undergo the test," Jesus said this twice to his disciples the night his Passion began. Jesus himself prayed for this so fervently that his sweat fell like drops of blood. Jesus knew suffering intimately in the end of his human life on earth, and his suffering and death have been commemorated and re-enacted for over 2000 years. We believe Jesus' death began a new covenant between God and God's people and perhaps Jesus, our teacher, was also modeling how to truly live through his death. Jesus trusted his prayerful discernment with God. He bravely placed his life in service to God, and his sacrifice of suffering and laying down his life has inspired billions of people to believe in God.

Suffering and death are not topics people wish to talk about deeply together. Many suffer in silence, and others cry out to God, "why have You forsaken me!" Suffering is difficult to understand and many offer the standard pastoral response, "God's ways are not our ways...God's will is a mystery." To try to help myself better understand God's will concerning suffering, I read books such as Kushner's When Bad Things Happen To Good People and Young's The Shack, Wiesel's Night, and the Bible to help me understand. The battle of good versus evil and free will with God's will are polarities which can never be resolved but are deserving of deep prayerful reflection. Through prayer, discernment, resilience, and direct experiences with suffering, a deeper understanding has developed for me, or at least an openness to the mystery. 

Ronald Rolheiser, in his book Sacred Fire, describes a mature Christian disciple as someone "who has surrendered his or her life to God at a deep level." Jesus' Passion, his suffering and death, were the ideal model of this mature discipleship. Jesus prayed to not be tested through suffering and death, but knew that if this is what God was leading him to, he trusted God and surrendered his life for his friends. Jesus encouraged His friends to do the same. Jesus suffered so something could come to life, so God could shine through him.

Sisters Anselm, Reginette, Judith, and Marguerite: Missionary Sisters of Charity.

Sisters Anselm, Reginette, Judith, and Marguerite: Missionary Sisters of Charity.

Sisters Anselm, Reginette, Judith, and Marguerite: Missionary Sisters of Charity.

On March 4, 2016, a Christian community in Yemen caring for poor, elderly people lost 17 men and women. Four Missionary Sisters of Charity and 12 of their co-workers were brutally murdered, and a priest living in that house was kidnapped and is missing. These Christians were quietly carrying out their daily duties of caring for others in the name of Jesus in their corner of the world and this is why they were killed. Since their martyred deaths, every corner of the world has heard about the desperate plight of people in Yemen.  By killing these brave Christians, the murderers have empowered and illuminated God's message through Jesus and moved millions to compassion, to prayer, and hopefully to action to help Christians in Yemen and throughout the Middle East. Sometimes this kind of suffering and death is asked of God's disciples. There are millions of Christian martyrs in our world's history.

Jesus said, "pray that you may not undergo the test," but if we are asked to give of ourselves through suffering or even death, let us also pray that we may join ourselves with Jesus and His Passion. Through prayerful intention, we can join our suffering with the suffering of others; suffering unique to each Christian...

...illness...

....physical and emotional abuse and pain...

...losing dear ones...

...loneliness....

...and much more.

With Jesus, we can offer our suffering and join together in compassion with others. We may never know or see the results of our offering ourselves but we can trust that God will use us and our suffering to help our world. Perhaps it will also help us to grow into mature discipleship and develop a heart willing to surrender all to God as Jesus did…from darkness to light…from death to new life.