Want a meaningful gift for Christmas? Want to have an impact beyond Christmas Day? Today I received my Joy to the World magazine from Heifer International. I love looking for the best gifts that fit my budget and still lift people in developing countries from their poverty. It’s wonderful to look at all the good one can do by contributing. Llamas or alpacas? Ducks or geese? Livestock or honeybees? You can even fill an ark! I know what I’m going to give in the name of my family for Christmas—but I won’t say it, because I have family who read these blogs. (By the way, this is not a paid announcement. Just a friendly thought to help you with your Christmas shopping.)
Since you’re reading this blog, perhaps you have some connection to the Sisters of Notre Dame. Did you know they have an associate program? (Most religious orders do.) An associate feels he or she has something of the Notre Dame charism (spirit) and could assist in the prayer and works in which the Sisters are involved. When becoming an associate, the person connects with a Sister to learn something of the history and works and aims of the Sisters. Perhaps the inquirer already has some connection by teaching in the same school, working in the same parish, or just happening to meet and feel a connection. After becoming acquainted with the Sisters and their charism, the person may decide to become an associate. He or she then spends about a year getting to know the Sisters at a deeper level. A sister will companion them, inviting them to join her and other sisters in their ministry or other venues. When they feel ready, they may choose to enter into a covenant with the Sisters. At that time, there is more intentional involvement with the Sisters in their prayer and activities. You may want to look into this opportunity to proclaim God’s goodness and trust in God’s provident care along with the Sisters.
My home is situated on roads lined with the most colorful trees in Whitehouse, Ohio. Looking out my window or walking or driving down the road provides a panorama of spectacular colors. But not this year. My throat doesn’t catch in an intake of surprise. Rather I feel disappointed at the drab, dry red leaves. The trees don’t jump out at me with amazement and delight. I miss the trees’ “Boo!” Are they tired of the game?
We are in the midst of a Synod on Synodality. Perhaps its outcome will have far-reaching impact for Catholics around the globe. But the full effects of the synod may take years, and historians decades from now may be better equipped to report the synod’s results. The same was and is true of Vatican II. Sixty-two years ago the opening session of the Second Vatican Council occurred on October 11, 1962. Just as there were joy, upheaval, and many other emotions at the promulgations, so there may be when the Synod is accomplished. But neither Vatican II nor the Synod will be fully accomplished. Pronouncements may be revolutionary but they are lived out in an evolutionary way. We are still evolving toward “full, active” participation in liturgy, the best ways to initiate candidates in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), ecumenical outreach, more time and resources given to social justice, methods to be “a leaven in the world,” and the list goes on. The Synod’s effects will be as wide as the world and as wide as our hearts.
Autumn has arrived and with it my annual thoughts about breakfast cereal. (You’re saying “What?”) Well, I can’t help it. When I see straw bales, I immediately think of the Shredded Wheat that I ate as a kid. Anyone remember that cereal? The soft crunch of leaves underfoot reminds me of the crunch of Rice Krispies eaten quickly before sogginess set in. Outdoor life of animals and foliage is changing, and the thought of Life brings me to my favorite cereal—Life. The browning of the cornfield behind our house brings to mind Corn Flakes. Did you know that Corn Flakes was the first cold cereal to be produced in our country in 1894? When’s the last time you bought Corn Flakes? A question akin to When’s the last time you played with a hula hoop? And then there were the days when Mom made oatmeal. Did your mother always say “It’s good for you” too? What would autumn be without apples: apple pie, apple butter, apple crisp, and Apple Jacks cereal. Are you getting hungry reading this? Do you feel S’mores Krave? (Yes, that’s really a cereal.) I’m getting my Kix writing this. I wonder if I could reconstruct this blog by using Alpha Bits. Turn on your Lucky Charms, and I might mercifully end this blog. Ok! Good bye! I mean Cheerio(s)!
In 1850 two teachers at St. Lambert School in Coesfeld, Germany, professed vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They exchanged their baptismal names Hilligonde Wolbring and Elizabeth Kühling to their religious names Sister Maria Aloysia and Sister Maria Ignatia, respectively. And the congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Coesfeld, Germany was born. You are reading this 174 years later. Next year will be the 175th anniversary of our founding, so stay tuned to see how we celebrate then. Every year we honor our foundresses and express our gratitude to God and one another in several ways. Because our founding sisters shared their lunches with poor students, we do some form of sharing food. In our schools we share ice cream sandwiches, and in our convent homes we have a special meal. The liturgy of the hours in our congregational Notre Dame Prays office book includes antiphons from our foundresses’ letters and novice instructions. The prayers praise and thank our “good and provident God.” Join us in our gratitude. If you see a Sister of Notre Dame on October 1, wish her a “Happy Foundation Day!”
We rarely, if ever, picture Jesus as ranting and raving. But that’s the picture today’s Gospel presents. Jesus is outraged that anyone who has experienced God’s abundant blessings would dare to limit what God could do with those blessings. His language is graphic, and the message is clear: Whoever does even tiny deeds for others will be rewarded with salvation. What tiny deeds will you do this week to care for the weak and vulnerable, including our vulnerable planet?
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, awaken us to counter the culture of waste with simple living and reflective buying. Inspire us with ways to answer the cries of the earth: “Save Me. Save Me.”
Last week we heard this paradox: Lose your life to save it. This week we have another paradox: to be first, be last. Jesus gives the example of bending down to a child. Bending down is one way to care for creation. We bend down to weed, to plant seeds, to capture caterpillars, to pick beans and strawberries, to uproot onions and carrots. Bending is sometimes a posture of humility. Often our bodies might feel the pain. Perhaps the old saying “Close to the sod, close to God” came from previous generations who spent the time farming and gardening to pray—if not explicitly at least from a grateful heart that receives the bounty and sees the beauty.
Prayer: Inspire your people, O God, to practice simple living, and strengthen our resolve to respect creation and preserve the earth’s resources. Give us generosity to share the fruit of the earth
Today’s readings are quite insistent and very direct. We must give necessities like food, clothes, and shelter to those in need. In addition, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross; that is, we must lose our life if we want to be faithful disciples. Another way to say this is: Get behind our Leader Jesus, and follow Him.
Prayer: Guide all people to value the dignity of every human life and all aspects of creation.
Jesus had unusual healing methods; namely, fingers in ears and saliva on tongues. Such methods show how very involved Jesus gets with us in his and our humanity. We may not cure those who cannot hear or speak, but we have a responsibility to improve people’s lives. How? First, we must be open to the Spirit breaching the walls around our hearts and minds. Such openings will let God break in our hearts with the knowledge and hope to change what needs to be changed in our sphere of influence. How ready are we to care for the earth? (Based on GIA Quarterly, Vol. 35 No. 3, p. 38)
Prayer: Protect those whose lives or property are endangered by wildfire, storms, or environmental disasters; and increase our care for the earth to prevent these problems in the future.