Are We Ready to Welcome the Mystery?

Beloved Brothers and Sisters,

As I prepare to leave for family travels, I wanted to share with you a story.  It is a story shared with me many years ago, a story that gave birth to this beautiful painting---a powerful image of the visitation of Mary with Elizabeth, their presence to one another, and their marveling at the mysterious workings of God.

The Windsock Visitation
 by Brother Michael O'Neill McGrath

The story goes like this---A community of Sisters, The Visitation Order, established one of their homes in the inner city of Minneapolis, responding to God’s call to them to be a place of prayer and presence for their surrounding community, and in particular to the children.

The sisters quickly noticed a need for the children to have a warm, safe, and welcoming place to come to in those crucial after school hours, as well as during some of those long vacations.  And so the sisters began to open up their home---offering a warm welcome, a healthy snack, time and support for homework, as well as a safe place simply to play, to laugh, and to have that sacred space freely to be God’s beautiful children.

The sisters soon realized, however, that they were not always able to serve the children as often as there was need, for there were days and times where their other ministries called them away. Yet they knew that this work they were doing was essential, indeed God-breathed, and that they could not give up on it.  And so they met with the children and what emerged was a beautiful plan. 

Whenever the Sisters were able to offer this sacred space of welcome to the children, they would hang a windsock out on the front porch.  The children would watch for it, and when they saw it they would know that the Sisters were present, ready, and delighted to welcome them in.

Can you imagine being a child and watching for that windsock?  Can you imagine the joy of entering in to the Sister’s home and receiving such a warm welcome?  Can you imagine the joy of the Sisters in welcoming the children?

It’s amazing, really, these two stories---the Sisters and the Children; Mary and Elizabeth--  for they both speak of welcoming the mystery of the very real presence and the very real movement of God in our midst, and that seeming obstacles are no obstacles at all!  God is in our midst! 

My Brothers and Sisters, I see the light of Christ in you!  Let us go forth and serve with that light, entrusting our ministries to the same abundant Spirit that inspired the Windsock Visitation, and that brought forth and brings forth to and from all of us the Blessed Incarnation.

With much love and many prayers for you, and for a blessed journey of Advent and Christmas,

Julia

Being the Light of Christ for Those in Darkness

My Brothers and Sisters,

As we continue to mourn and to be deeply perplexed and troubled by the last week's tragedy in Connecticut, I share with you this clip I came across through the PBS Newshour:

As more details emerge about Friday's Connecticut school shooting, thousands of Americans found comfort in the following touching image and quote from the late Fred Rogers:

Photo by Jim Judkis

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world."

My Brothers and Sisters, may we seek, with the gift of God's empowering grace, to be those helping and caring people in this world.  May we seek, in other words, to be the light of Christ to and with all the world.

I see the light of Christ in you.

With love and prayers,
Julia