SPIRIT OF THE DAY   Sister Helen McLaughin, RSCJ

MONDAY 15 APRIL, 2002

 

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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