Awakening and deepening faith

So this is our mission statement as Cenacle Sisters 'to awaken and deepen faith with and for the people of our time'. I've been reflecting on what that means: faith.

Well, faith is about belief but it's also about the capacity to be faithful.
It's about keeping your promises.
Surely it's about who you love, and why you love them and how you love them, day by day.
I want to say that faith begins and ends in love.

We are committed to awakening and deepening faith in others, with others, for others.
We want to help them know a God who loves them no matter what, on good days and bad. This is a God who wants them to be happy, to be free, to live out their true potential.
One thing I know for sure is that awakening and deepening faith means to tell people that God believes in them whoever they are.

That means you.
You know what?
God loves you, just as you are, right now.
God wants you to be happy, which means to be free to be the person you are destined to be: to be deeply, truly you.
God believes in you.
Isn't that more important than anything?

Choice

You want to choose me for the rest of your life?

Choose then.

Go on. Right now.

Start with the isness of your life, where you find yourself

floundering around

looking for something to do or believe in.

You don't have to go very far.

It's right here: The Word.

Read it.

Make a choice to start. 

Stepping into Lent Space

Spaciousness

moment by moment

even in the midst of all my busy-ness.


Here it is - the invitation
breath by daily breath
into deepening knowledge of you.

Lord
grant me the courage
to risk it.

Kindness

'The kindness of the Lord is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear him' (psalm 103)

Our world is sorely in need of kindness.
Save us O Lord from brutality ... including our own.
Give us compassionate, tender hearts that recognize your presence,
that peace may come.

We pray this day for those whose lives are torn apart by violence.

O Lord,
that Peace may come.

Not loitering, not being dragged, but do not delay!

I've been reading Pope Francis  The Church of Mercy and he talks about Mary setting out on her journey to visit Elizabeth 'with haste' (Luke 1: 39). Mary, he says, ' is not in a hurry'! Mary, he says 'does not let herself be dragged along by events'.
But, here's the critical thing it seems to me.... 'when she has clearly understood what God is asking of her, what she has to do, she does not loiter, she does not delay, but goes with haste' (P. 148)

and so I pray
Oh Lord, don't let me be hurried, dragged, driven, pressurized  along paths not of your making.
Help me to stand still, just for a second even, to listen deeply for the tone of your voice.
Unmistakable, when I hear it.

In the midst of delays of tube and bus
call to me.

I will answer.

In another garden

I'm in another garden now: crouched, forlorn and seeking.
'Have you seen him whom my heart loves? Has he passed by you?'

I am standing in the presence of an indomitable life force
if I could realize ...
for a moment, for a lifetime.

It is I, Mary, It is I.

John 20: 11-18

Song of Songs 3: 1-5 

St John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/canticle.iv.html

Along the way

In the midst of all the noise, confusion and violence of this Good Friday, where hate prevails ...
I am listening to the stillest silence.
It speaks quiet strength, roaring lion. Love.