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SFP VOICES MARCH 2009
Vol. V, No.2 © |
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Reflections on the Community of Life
Dear Sisters and Associates,
In recent weeks, I spent considerable time thinking about our Chapter Directive: "To generate hope and compassion in the community of life." And most particularly, I have been contemplating the last phrase: the community of life. Just how broad might this be? Surely it encompasses all of God's Creation. I count myself as one of those who resonate with King David's: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." (Psalm 19:1, 2).
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I still remember a chilly October night in Croatia, an evening on the outskirts of Beijing, and a wondrous night on a plateau in the Navajo Nation when the ink-black sky was so densely populated with blazing stars that I felt like I could reach up and touch them. The immensity and grandeur of the galaxy made me feel utterly insignificant…and yet I also felt comfortable, even cozy, as if those stars signaled a larger Love who cared for me. Why? It is as simple as it is, perhaps, profound.
The Scriptures make the stupendous claim that this transcendent God who flung the 100 billion galaxies into space is like an attentive mother or tender father who cares for each and every human being, who hears our every cry for help, and who intervenes to act for our good. To this stupendous claim that God deeply loves and cares for me personally, the Gospel adds the stunning claim that God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son…to save us from ourselves! Wow!
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Today, quite incredibly through the words of scientists, we are learning the language in which God created life. We are gaining ever more awe for the complexity, the beauty, and the wonder of God's most divine and sacred gift. The discoveries of Einstein and, what today we have come to call the “quantum perspective,” demand shocking changes in how we see the world, ourselves in the world, and reality as a whole. Scientists have proven that we live in a world of total interconnectedness and consciousness, the old distinctions we made between matter and spirit never did exist. We truly are one in being: God made all that is from His Own Fabric. And science is bringing us to the edge of understanding what Christ meant when He said: "Insofar as you have done it to one of these, the least of my little ones, you have done it unto me." Wow! We are part of this Reality. Intimately. At the most fundamental level. Everything we think and choose and do affects it. So also does our neglect, abuse and domination.
Our Chapter Directive confronts this directly, and calls upon us to truly live St. Francis' Canticle of Creation: "…Praise be to You, my Lord, with all Your creatures…Brother Sun…Sister Moon…Brother Wind…Sister Water…Brother Fire…Mother Earth…" As Francis makes clear through his words written centuries ago, we are all part of the family of God… And blessed are we, for we shall generate hope and compassion in and within this stupendous community of life!
Pace e bene!
Sr. Joanne Schuster, SFP
CCA, US Area
How We Do It in the USA
Generate Compassion and Hope in the Community of Life
Sr. Arleen Bourquin, SFP
One of the most exciting aspects of the 2008 General Chapter was the development of a vision statement that incorporated ideas from all the members of the Chapter and was stated in as few words as possible. It is a statement that is easy to remember. For some of us, it has become a motivating force in our lives; a statement that encourages us to assess our progress as a member of the Community of Life. When have I offered hope to others? To myself? Do I treat others with compassion? Am I compassionate towards myself when my energy fails me and aches and pains frequent my life experience? As a member of the Community of Life, how do I show respect for the earth and all creatures that live upon it? How do I show respect for my own creative energy? The creative energy of other living beings, whether human, animal or plant?
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©Cover of this book, graphics and book design by Barbara Schwarz, OP
(one time only permission granted to use this art) |
As a Franciscan Congregation our efforts to respect the Community of Life did not begin with the Chapter Vision Statement. Many Sisters, local communities and Associates have been engaged in recycling for many years. Bags of aluminum cans and newspapers have been transported to the recycling centers and the moneys used to support various ministries. All have been motivated to simplify by donating used and no longer used items for the annual yard sale. Bags of gently worn clothing have found their way to various thrift stores from the East to the Midwest. Ecological issues have been part of our conversations for many years. All these efforts continue our ministry to the poor whom we have come to know and care for as Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. Perhaps the difference now is that our members are responding to a new motivational force.
The impact of our Chapter Vision Statement is permeating the lives of the Sisters and Associates in the USA in a variety of ways. Some have tried to ask each other in local communities, “How have you been living the Chapter Vision Statement? What have you done to generate Compassion and Hope in the Community of Life?” It is evident that many Sisters have been alerted to new resources to enlarge our world view. Each Sister received the booklet Where Pure Water Flows: The Story of the Universe and the Christian Faith by Margaret Galiardi that will be used to continue our discussion during our April Assembly. Some Sisters have watched videos and read books to aid their reflection on the Community of Life followed by a rich sharing of insights in discussion groups.
In March, the Associates are sponsoring a workshop led by Judy Cannato*, the author of Radical Amazement and an invitation has been extended to other religious congregations and their associates. Other examples of the efforts being made to embody the Chapter Vision Statement include a Circle of Life to explore together ways in which St. Francis Convent in Warwick can continue to be used to fortify the life of the Congregation and those who live in the village. Several local communities come together to participate in prayer services for the World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life and for Social Justice. Individual Sisters and Associates are approaching their responsibility toward the Community of Life in ways as varied as they are different.
How are you embodying the 2008 Chapter Call to Generate Compassion and Hope in the Community of Life?
* Unfortunately for health reasons, Judy Cannato, will not be present.
Sharing our Charism with Associates and Friends:
“Love, is like a blanket that envelops all of humanity – a humanity made of different cultures and represented by different colors.”
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 Life in the Community - A Moment together at the feast of Mother Frances |
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Casa Santa Chiara Community, Messina
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Santa Chiara Community has been living an experience of deep sharing with lay people and Associates for several years. We meet monthly for various formation opportunities and retreats. To accomplish all of this a planning team meets every year in September.
This year we have chosen to focus on the theme of welcoming others: we began by learning from the Word and, assisted by a Jesuit, we studied how the Bible deals with welcoming strangers. With us also was Maurizio Pallante, the initiator of the ‘Movement for Happy Diminishment,’ who helped us “welcome” a more frugal lifestyle.
We also held an interesting meeting about St. Paul with the Pastor of the Valdesian Church in Messina. There will be many more meetings like this one: you are all invited! In our journey up until today we have given particular emphasis to the Feast of Mother Frances. We had the idea of praying in a different way, sharing the talents of each.
We formed a planning team, which also included a friend of ours who is a dancer. This gave us the idea of involving some young boys and girls, both Italian and Rom, who would perform a dance during our prayer service.
The idea was successful, in spite of the challenge of putting together people of different cultures. The song we chose for the dance is called: “A Blanket for the World.” It talks about Love, which is like a blanket that envelops all of humanity – a humanity made of different cultures and represented by different colors. The young adults had pieces of fabric of different colors, and they put them together to form a large blanket which filled the room with colors.
We rehearsed every week. It seemed that the young adults would not be able to do the dance well, since they were often distracted during rehearsals. . . like all young people. However, against all expectations, on the Feast of Mother Frances they were incredibly good! Watching them dance together, without being able to tell who was Italian and who was another nationality, was really moving.
Pinella, our friend the dancer, shares her experience of teaching these young people. . .
“In preparation for the prayer service for Mother Frances, I shared with a group of six young adults – four Roms and two Italians – the preparation of a dance. Initially, I thought I would suggest, through them, a prayer expressed as a dance, but this turned out to be impossible. However, thanks to the universal language of dance, we had together, with struggles and joys, an experience of true integration, in which the extaordinary vitality and gift of being able to build relationships of these youth came into relief.”
You are all welcome to join us and attend our meetings!
Photo Essay
Senegal: Circles of Life!
Generating Life in Brazil:
THE EDUCATION, CULTURE AND LEISURE PROJECT
Sister Tânia Maria Ribeiro Machado, SFP
We are immersed in a world characterized by a serious global and structural crisis about how we live on planet Earth. As a result, the serious need arises for us to constantly renew our ministries in Brazil by designing new ways to act and respond. This is why our Education, Culture and Leisure Project at the Frances Schervier Formation Center in Goiânia has as its essential and final purpose motivating people and giving them the formation they need to live in a more humane way. This implies the mandate for us to apply the universal principles of ethics:
“Love your neighbor as yourself” [Mark 12:31] and “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you.” [Matthew 7:12]
Caring is a fundamental human principle. We care for everything we love. All forms of life need care.
Solidarity involves respect for collective norms and begins in helping the most needy, manifested through our compassion. Compassion means sharing in someone’s passion, putting oneself in someone else’s situation, rejoicing and suffering with the other so that the other will not feel abandoned. It means building together something positive for all to enjoy.
In applying these principles toward the achievement of our goals, we dare to propose generating transformation by means of our activities with people from our neighborhood. We are engendering a new spirituality to help all envision the direction of each one’s journey ahead with a new attitude. We are utilizing to our human potential the qualities among us and sharing all that is good and beautiful and available to everyone, as gifts to be received and offered.
Through the challenges of this hope we are serving 220 people of all generations. We are developing fourteen areas of service to further develop spiritual, educational, social, cultural formation and empowerment to people ranging from two through seventy years of age.
This year has begun with many surprises for us all! At the beginning of February, the staff was in an uproar as we looked for people interested in joining us in the activities we offer. Through God’s grace and the blessing of Mother Frances Schervier, many volunteers came and are willing to help us. All the people we needed to complete our staff were found and all are responding enthusiastically.
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Sr. Tânia |
Among the volunteers we now count on the collaboration of Denise, who was our General Chapter translator and interpreter. She is helping us to teach liturgical singing. We also have with us our friend Maximiliano (Max) a Diocesan seminarian, who is experienced in working with young people. He helps as time allows. Since the middle of March Sister Ana from the Reparatrix Sisters Servants of Mary has begun to share her talents in Arts and Crafts. In addition to these new volunteers, we are happy to have our regular staff working four hours each day.
This is how, while weaving the different threads at our disposal, we remain thankful to God who strengthens us and to our Congregation that gives us formation and orientation. We especially thank the staff and leadership of the SFP Foundation, who have consistently been supporting this project since 1998. This allows us to serve those less favored in our midst, with whom we are building, through our activities, the Community of Life here in Goiânia as a way to respond to our General Chapter directive.
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Copyright 2009 Franciscan Sisters of the Poor