The Lives Our Lives Prepare

The Lives Our Lives Prepare

If we will have the wisdom to survive,

To stand like slow-growing trees

On a ruined place, renewing, enriching it…

Then a long time after we are dead

The lives our lives prepare will live here.

Excerpt from Wendell Berry, “A Vision”

This short excerpt by Wendell Berry captures in poetic form the heart of evolutionary consciousness. Beyond the language of evolutionary consciousness which can feel just a few steps beyond us at times, the concept is simple and profound. It is attractive and saturated with implication in our everyday lives.

We, as humans are not destined to be stuck in the grim places that keep us at war, that separate us, that leave us living with anxious expectation. We are capable of sensing our ultimate belonging to each other. We can know that we are part of a larger whole. We do care about life beyond our own particular life span.

There it is. The invitation to accept the responsibility to engage the life that is ours personally with all its challenges.

There it is. The commitment to be part of a larger planetary community that changes the course of history.

There it is. For now and for a long time after we are dead, what is the life our lives are preparing?

Margo Ritchie, CSJ

Ah-men - Ah-women

Ah-men, Ah-men, Ah-men, we respond after the consecration at mass. My mouth responds, but strangely, some days, I find my mind singing in tune – Ah-women, Ah-women, Ah-women. As for my heart – it is doing a duet (being all inclusive).

We are coming up to the month of May – Mary’s month but it is interesting that it begins with the feast of Joseph the Worker. Ah-men, Ah-women! Together in life and death -they made quite the team.

They knew joy (birth of Jesus), hardship (flight into Egypt), and grief (the death of Joseph). Through all of these times there was Jesus, the joy of their lives. Is this not true for all of us – Jesus in good times and in bad.

We have concluded the Lenten Season and have bounded out of Easter. Jesus is risen and invites us to do the same. Here is an invitation to joy. Are we up for it? Take off those mourning clothes, colour-up your days, spread the Word, Jesus is Risen and walks among us!

Ah-Men; Ah-Women.

Join Mary, Queen of the May; Joseph, her husband Patron of Workers; Jesus their son, brother, and Saviour of us all.

Hail Holy Mary Hail!

Hail Holy Joseph Hail!

Hail Jesus Hail

Ah-men – Ah-women

Hail!

Barbara Vaughan CSJ

Irene - Goodnight

Several weeks ago, I said “God always calls our Sisters home in threes”.  WRONG – the God of Surprises came to call again – Sr. Irene Connelly, at 2:20 pm on Easter Sunday. Immediately came to mind the old song “Irene Goodnight Irene…Irene Goodnight”.  Better to sing “Irene come home Irene, Irene come home”.  Alleluia.

Irene liked to call her own shots – even as death approached, Irene let her family and Sisters know that she was ready for the journey and looked to celebrating Easter with her Risen Lord.  Our Chaplain commented during his homily that “If Irene had come to the empty tomb and seen the clothes scattered about, she would have asked “Who left this mess?” and she would go about folding the clothes.”

May 1^st is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, surely one of Irene’s favourite patrons. As a true Sister of St. Joseph, Irene took to heart the word “service”, she reached out in many ways, from direct service to her Sisters and Family to ushering at the theatre in Windsor and Detroit, singing in a choir and playing the harmonica. Like St. Joseph, she laboured with love. On Easter Sunday, I’m sure St. Joseph was in the welcoming party!

“Welcome home Irene, welcome home!  Would you play us a little tune?”  The celebration began and continues for eternity. Sr. Irene - pray for us!

Sr. Barbara Vaughan

The Easter Challenge

You believe because you can see. "Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:29)

Every year it happens: earth shakes her sleepy head, still a bit wintered and dull, and feels new life stirring.

Every year cocoons give up their treasures, fresh shoots push through brown leaves, seemingly dead branches shine with green, and singing birds find their way home.

Every year we hear the stories: empty tomb, surprised grievers, runners with news and revelation, unexpected encounters, conversations on the road, tales of nets filling with fish, and breakfast on a seashore.

And every year the dull and dead in us meets our Easter challenge:

• To be open to the unexpected,
• To believe beyond our security,
• To welcome God in every form,

And trust in our own greening.

Joyce Rupp

From Out of the Ordinary, Copyright 2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved.