Heartsong

To say today has been ugly is an understatement. The rain has been heavy and horrendous and the winds have been howling and rattling the windows all day. It's the kind of day you just hope you don't have to go outdoors! However in the midst of it all today veiled behind the howl of the wind as it beats the rain against my office window there is another sound that has entered my consciousness-it is the birds and yes, they are singing. One wonders how these little creatures can sound so happy as I envision them being blown and whipped around-but they sing and it is a beautiful song that enters my heart and mind on this dreary Monday. It calls to mind the Gospel where Jesus reminds us to take note of the birds of the air and see how they are cared for by the Creator and how much more does our God care for us. A nice thought to begin the week. To know that regardless of the storms that may rise around and within us, our God is there and gives our hearts reason to sing.

To Be

"To be or not to be, that is the question" as Shakespeare wrote so long ago and is still relevant today. I say this because in recent days I have come across so many men and women who are asking themselves: "What is God calling me to be?". To be or not to be what???? This is the great question stirring in the hearts of many as they seek to find the path in life that will give significance to their call to live Gospel centered lives. Is it marriage, the single life, priesthood or being a consecrated religious sister or brother - that is the question. They are trying to discern where God is calling them and to be open to the movement of the Spirit within their hearts. I have spoken with men and women of varied ages, of various backgrounds and at different points in their spirituality but the common thread among them is their desire to serve God, their Church and their human family in a way that will make a difference. I am certain that God is calling them and many others at this time to the vocation of priesthood/religious life. It is a privilege for me to be in their presence as it strengthens and energizes my own vocation to listen to the fire in their own hearts as they seek to respond to the yearning that dwells within. Imagine the power of God's love that will emerge if they put their lives in God's hands and answer YES to the call. Let us hold them in our hearts and prayers. God needs them, the Church needs them, the world needs them, we all need them- TO BE so we can all BE for God and each other.

A Quiet Week?

As I looked toward this past week it seemed on paper to be a quiet one. One big event that I had planned on attending was canceled, my meeting schedule was held to two and it seemed that I was finally gong to catch up on paper work that had been leering at me from atop my file cabinet for weeks. The week started as such but then came the disastrous event in Haiti. As the world watched in horror, we here at our Motherhouse in Sparkill were focused with a much more personal view for we were seeing the pain and anguish through the eyes of our many Haitian employees who are like family to us. The morning after the quake they began to share the stories of not being able to contact family members, not knowing the fate of their mothers, fathers or their children who had not yet come to this country. There was the worker who had lost two cousins however her niece was found alive but had lost both of her arms. That afternoon we held a prayer service for the people Haiti and especially for our Sparkill Haitian family and their relatives. There was not much more we could do but perhaps at that point nothing more powerful that we could do but pray and shed tears together, hold each other both physically and spiritually as any family would do. We are beginning a new week, stories of sorrow and joy continue to come before us from all types of media and more personally through the front door of our Motherhouse each day. We continue to pray for our sisters and brothers in Haiti but more importantly we must continue to keep them in our heart's and minds eye as they recover, rebuild and write their own resurrection story on a new page of history.

Awesome

Sunday was Family Vocation Day on Staten Island. It was an awesome event. It was great having a chance to be with families who believe in the value of religious life and came to spend the day with us. So many young men and women are discerning where God is calling them. Be it married, single, religious life or priesthood they are trying to listen to God's voice within. I recall my own discernment time many years ago. It is sacred time. Let us hold these young men and women in our prayers.

Saturday night, Jan. 16th a special event is taking place at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Manhattan. It is called "Saturday Night Alive" and all young adults are invited. It begins after the 5:15 Mass at St. Paul's and ends around 9. There will be refreshments, prayers, presentations and great people to meet. Hope you can be there and bring a friend or two!

Happy New Year

Can you believe it's 2010! I think the good news is that 2010 may just be the year TO BELIEVE! I just returned from a conference of young adults who belong to the National Catholic Student Coalition. WOW, what a wonderful group of people who are committed to their faith and the Gospel call to social justice. They really "get it" when it comes to living as Jesus did. Being with them strengthened my belief that the future of our Church and society are in good hands when entrusted to individuals and groups such as these. God bless the NCSC and may 2010 be a year of blessing for all involved.