CREATING THE STUDY PLAN

by Alex Fernon - Head of Study Committee

Cultivate virtue in your own person
and it becomes a genuine part of you.
Cultivate it in the family
and it will abide.
Cultivate it in the community,
and it will live and grow.
Cultivate it in the State
and it will flourish abundantly.
Cultivate it in the world
and it will become universal.

- Tao Teh Ching

Finally, a draft Study Plan has been born. The small working committee who have breathed life into this plan have also breathed a sigh of relief as the draft plan was passed over to Trish Burns then to Father Michael Mullins, before being sent to Queensland where Sister Mary Brennan rscj gave it her final blessings.

The input from all these people, as well as from the committee members Patrice Guterres, Penny Sturrock and our editor Josephine Barcelon, has been wise and enthusiastic. They have advised that we take a broad definition of reconciliation starting with a personal exploration of the definition of reconciliation, then proceeding to reconciliation with self and God before examining the questions of reconciliation with the broader community and finally the world.

The Study Plan defines a 3-year period for exploring ideas before commencing a reconciliation project. Yearly and final reports are also scheduled. Each member of the study plan committee believed it was very important to seek the feedback of the world Sacred Heart community before proceeding with a definite plan. Of particular concern was a need for the plan to be culturally respectful and relevant to as many alumnae as possible.

Having explored a definition of reconciliation, the study plan invites each alumna to consider the idea of reconciliation with self. Forgiveness of self and a consideration of each person's degree of self love and self acceptance are key points. Self love is the starting point for a capacity to deeply love others. Self love is an important component of our interactions with others, but it is an often neglected part of our daily lives. It is important to take time to consider what self love might consist of, and ways in which to practise it. Self love may be as simple as taking time out to really 'be' with oneself; it may mean acquiring a skill or learning something new; it may mean learning when to say 'no' and when to say 'yes' to other people's demands; it may mean something as complex as self forgiveness and self acceptance for a lifetime's action and inaction.

It is my hope that each alumna will travel a little lighter and a little wiser as a result of this process.

From this position we can then examine our relationship with God in the hope that each of us may deepen our understanding of and closeness to God.

Recently, I read a wonderful book entitled Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch, a disgruntled American Catholic who calls out to God in desperation about the unhappy state of his life. To his astonishment God answers him and begins a conversation which is recorded in several books. [Editor's Note: I have prevailed upon Alex to review this book for our next issue - appearing around December.]

Of significance was the reminder of God's boundless patience as he waits for each of us to acknowledge his presence through any means we choose such as acknowledging nature's beauty, prayer, quiet meditation, or simply chatting to God.

Lately I have attempted to take some quiet time each day to gently go within.

Sometimes I believe God speaks to me in these moments - quiet words of encouragement, love and guidance. I am also beginning to sense God's presence everywhere.

On a sunny day as I walk the children to school, I notice the intensity of colour in the flower blossoms or the smell of cut grass. Even across a smoky urban landscape, a huge setting sun reminds me of God's awesome presence. I try to remember that even in my daily rounds of rushed domestic activity, God walks beside me.

Walsch's book also underlines the enormity of God's love for and forgiveness of us. The book quotes God as saying about each of us:

"You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding
You are peace and joy and light
You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage,
a helper in times of need and a comforter in times of sorrow,
a healer in times of injury, a teacher in times of confusion.
You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth;
the greatest peace and the greatest love.
You are these things. And in moments of
your life you have known yourself as these things.
Choose now to know yourself as these things always."

This quote sits on my bedside table to be often re-read. It reminds me of the love and faith God has in each of us and the responsibility each of us has to the process of creating self in the image and likeness of God, no matter how impossible that may seem. Sometimes I become overwhelmed with the expectations I have of myself to be good, kind and loving.

However, as a starting point I have begun to experiment with the idea of reconciliation in small ways. At home my three school-aged boys - Edward,10; Thomas,9 and Jack,6 - provide me with a daily opportunity to practise tolerance, patience and understanding. I have attempted to change my irritation to conciliation at their conversion of my beautiful lounge room into a mini rugby playing field one day or a wrestling pit the next. Putting myself in their shoes has helped me to more fully understand the needs of young boys.

I have also tried to speak with them more truthfully, openly and intimately.

Taking more time to listen to their everyday concerns and cuddling them more often brings pleasant surprises and great joy. In the everyday contact I have with adults, I am trying to be present to every encounter without being distracted or thinking of the next thing I need to do.

When I concentrate on the quality of my interactions with people, each contact becomes more intimate and rewarding.

While the study plan speaks of reconciliation as restoring peace and friendship between people, the process of reconciliation may take us out of our 'comfort zone' and lead us into issues which we would prefer to forget or towards people who make us feel very uncomfortable. This is part of the process, a stepping out, a willingness to be vulnerable and take risks.

At times, reconciliation actually requires us to take a stand on an issue removing us from friendly relations and replacing it with conflict. This does not mean we abandon a respectful process for change but rather our strengths of courage and tenacity should be foremost.

There are numerous examples where this has been the case: Nelson Mandela's plight in South Africa and the role of Mahatma Gandhi in India; and the many examples of conservationists who believe in the preservation of our environment remind us that the way forward can the fraught with difficulty.

At a global level my thoughts have centred on a great concern for the inequities that we face between countries, particularly in terms of poverty, health, housing and education. I have also felt totally overwhelmed by my smallness in terms of affecting world events, and wonder whether my small drop in the ocean can make a difference. And yet I am always hopeful that there can be a 'ripple effect' . My hope for the world is somewhat eased by a strong sense that there is worldwide shift in consciousness for which (I hope) Christians and Catholics can be partly responsible, especially an awareness of the needs of people in the developing world, a greater respect for difference, the needs of indigenous mankind and an understanding of the impact we all have on the physical environment.

The study plan allows for exploration at all these levels, from our most intimate daily contact to a global perspective. I hope that you all enjoy the study plan. I hope we can all learn something through it, and that it helps us to experience some small part of God's 'vision' for us.

If you would like to communicate with Alex Fernon, she would welcome all comments and feedback on the study plan.

Write to her:

Mrs. Alex Fernon

37 Baroona Road

NORTHBRIDGE NSW 4402

AUSTRALIA

Or FAX communications to the AMASC Secretariat, or forward emails through Trish Burns or Josephine Barcelon:

trish@braenet.com.au OR jbarcelon@bigpond.com