Can I suggest that we have a few minutes
of silence before we enter into "The Spirit of the Day".
Towards the beginning of her Conference,
Clare spoke of this Congress as being an oasis of refreshment
and nourishment at the end of the day. I'm sure that we all
agree that we have been all well nourished. She said it is also
a stopping place and I see this moment at the end of the day
as a stopping place when we pause and look back over what has
happened today. In the spirit of St Ignatius, each one - let
us be aware of how she's feeling at this moment.
Now let's look back at the preparation
for this International Congress on the carefully chose theme
"Matters of the Heart: Reconciling ourselves with our World"
preparation done by all of your members living in so many
countries of the world in such varied situations. How very impressive!
This, I believe, has prepared the soil, tilled it, reading it
for the planting of seeds and the planting will done during
these days; we will plant seeds which will grow and bear fruit.
In the month of March during the service
for the World day of prayer in which this year was on the theme
"Challenged to Reconcile" and prepared by the women of Roumania
-- perhaps a number of you participated in this--there was a
response repeated many times throughout the ecumenical service
which was taken from 2Co 5:18 and it is "God has reconciled
us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation." That day, I thought of this gathering of how
the Spirit is working and how our Congress continues this reflection
and enters into the worldwide movement for Reconciliation.
The attitudes which Clare proposes for
us as we begin our work together are very important and in order
to remind us of them for we do want to remember them--and today
we have received so much nourishment, that we could loose them
- I'll bring them to mind "openness of spirit, a common search
for justice and peace, a willingness to take the initiative
to bring healing where there is division, understanding where
there is confusion and pardon where there is injury." Openness,
common search, willingness to take initiative. These attitudes
will ensure the success of your Congress - let us pray for each
other then, asking the Spirit, the Giver of all Gifts, to help
us to be open, to search together, to be willing to take initiatives.
We all know of the call fro the General
Chapter of 2000 "From Collaboration to Reciprocity". All here
present, Alumnae and rscj are called to deepen our understanding
of and live this call (from Chapter Document: entitled "From
Collaboration to reciprocity". We need each other in order to
respond to the call. Trish spoke passionately to the Chapter
delegates asking for more active and effective collaboration
with the Society, telling us how AMASC wanted to work more closely
with us on certain projects and all this in a spirit of mutuality.
This was also requested by the Directors of Schools during their
meeting in Joigny. The Society responded by selecting this as
one of three calls to be lived very specially during the coming
years. We can thank Trish, representing AMASC for giving us
this nudge. We are aware and perhaps growing in this awareness
that we need each other in order to respond as fully as possible.
We heard both this morning and this afternoon
of examples of commitment to Justice gave the courage to live-out
and intuition, to work towards an end which would be the betterment
of humanities. Sharing a common vision and working together
to achieve it can have far reaching effect. How can we coordinate
our efforts at international level? Collaboration! Is this a
possible call which the Spirit is whispering on this first day
of Congress?
This afternoon we have been presented
with painful situations powerfully presented in Korea, Albania,
Kosovo, Columbia, Australian Outback and how practical solutions
are being sought with vision, great courage and commitment.
Where not these examples of bridge building - "bringing social
capital" which has Geraldine talked about is the real gold dust
of our time, to be imagined and then created.
We have heard that we are called to be
not just human doers but human beings - another level of being
with each other which implies, as Claire put it so well, a mutuality
of friendship. What a strong and beautiful model we have in
Madeleine Sophie! She can be our model, our inspiration so that
we strengthen our relationship, our bonds of friendship. Madeleine
Sophie who is with us now, is in our midst, is closer to us
than we can ever imagine, will obtain this grace for us if we
ask her.
I felt an urgency in Clare's talk - we
have no time to waste. We have only one life to live and the
years pass quickly. So, lets us be alert, on tiptoe, listening,
open to respond to the Spirit working in the whole group and
in each person.
Which seeds are we choosing to plant
and water during this Assembly? It would seem to me that collaboration
could be one of the seeds we might want to plant. Can we call
the field in which we plant the "Matters of the Heart: Reconciling
ourselves with our World".
The last of the poem by Christopher Fry,
there is a phrase "Exploration into God". Can I leave you with
a question to ponder this evening? How do I understand "Exploration
into God"? We can understand this on many level - who is God
for me? Has my image of God changed over the years? What name
would I give to God today? How aware am I of God working within
me? And in the group gathered here? How can I collaborate with
God in his/her work.
And finally I want to leave you with
a quote from a book by Macrina Weidenburg "A tree full of
Angels" which speaks of the reality - and have in abundance.
There is so much feminine energy here!
-
If I could choose one, great
gift that the world is neglecting
I would have to choose feminine energy.
It is what we need to save the world,
feminine energy is powerful because it is pure presence
- gentle yet firm.
It is an energy that gives warmth, comfort, and spirit
simply by its presence.
It receives rather than takes.
It invites rather than demand.
It unfolds rather than control.
It empowers rather than overpowers.
It finds itself in been rather than in doing.
Feminine energy shows her best face in leisure.
She does not take time. She has time. She has time to
be.
The world is starving for this energy.
It is part of the fire Christ came to cast on the earth
-
A slow flame that burns from within
And gradually transfers what it touches,
Precisely because it touches rather than clutches.
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