Why Older Does Not Always Equal Holier

This is from the Days of Deepening Friendship Blog and I share it with you because of the last paragraph from this blog, which I believe is part of what being an Associate helps us to do.  After you read it let me know what you think.

Why Older Does Not Always Equal Holier

As much as I admire older women, I do not believe that getting older automatically makes a person wise or holy or even pleasant. We never escape the need to work at our personal growth and our spiritual vitality. Here’s more from Paula Huston’s A Season of Mystery:

Does holiness become more possible for us as we age? I believe that in some ways it does. Many of the strong passions and desires that keep us so self-focused as young people begin to lessen as we get older. Concerns that once obsessed us, such as finding our true vocation or our destined soul mate, have long since been laid to rest. We no longer feel the need to prove ourselves at every turn. And we are less likely to engage in grandiose, self-important fantasies. In many ways, we know much better who we really are, a state more conducive to humility.
But this quieter, more acquiescent temperament does not guarantee that we’ll become holy. As Cistercian monk Michael Casey points out:

It has been noted that most of the manifestations of humility described by St. Benedict and other writers of the monastic tradition are not virtues but simply the result of slowing down that comes with old age. The young are typically active and adventurous, boisterously self-assertive, and they make a lot of noise. The old prefer their settled routines, a quiet corner, and the abandonment of all initiative and ambition. (A Guide to Living in the Truth: St. Benedict’s Teaching on Humility, Ligouri, MO: Ligouri Publications, 2001, 8.)

In such a state, we can easily become complacent, lazy, and amiably hedonistic, our need for comfort and security outweighing the potential for, and inclination toward, holiness.
Thus, if we are to become blessings for the world in our old age, we must still rise to meet new challenges, some of them extremely painful. We must be willing to give up old securities for new unknowns and old loves for new solitude. We must be willing to take a journey to the depths of ourselves at the very time we feel that we most deserve a rest. And we must be willing to make the same downward journey that Jesus made when he descended from the Father to the world.

Gratitude - Moving Art

My cousin (Rob) sent me this lovely link to a video about gratitude.  When you have a few moments, please take the time to allow you eyes to feast on the images this shows you and listen to the words of the speaker. Peace to all!


 https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?feature=player_embedded&v=nj2ofrX7jAk

Circle Meeting Today

January usually brings such cold weather; however, today was warm and sunny for the Associates meeting in New Bern. So warm we stopped at the park in New Bern before the meeting to see the water and the ducks. Edgar and Jennifer took a stroll along the water way and enjoyed the sites and smells of the water.

 While the St Paul’s Church was still decorated for the last day of Christmas (Joy was working diligently to take down the decorations and pack them away for next year) and thoughts of the snow in Scranton were discussed,

 the warm weather drew us outside to enjoy the sunshine as we shared the message of the day.

 

The new book from the IHM Sisters’ Lessons from Life was discussed and favorite stories from the book were shared.  After we broke into individual groups, I shared how Sister Amanda Del Alle’s story Milagros from the book had touched me.  I have thought to ask God for a lot of things in my life but never a rose.  Her request for a red rose as a sign of God’s presence really made me stop and contemplate how she must live her love every day to be able to ask in such simplicity for a red rose.  Which in my thoughts lead me to see it not just as a sign of God’s presence but a sign of his love as well.  This lead to a discussion of other things we have asked of God or other times we knew he had made his presence known to us.  Then when we came back together with the other groups, Jennifer from the Youth Group begins by telling Maggie how much she likes her poem “Give Me a Rose”.

“Give me a rose, while I yet live

  Don’t wait until my death before you give.

   If you have not a rose, a daffodil will do.

   I’ll cherish it . . . because it came from you.”

There is more to this poem but you will have to ask Maggie; for her rendition of the poem, she gives the words more power then I can share here.

For the closing prayer, we were joined by Sister Monica and her friend who shared her story with us.  It seems they have been discussing Sister Monigue’s return to Marywood when she is ready to retire; while her friend, Irene, does not have a place to look forward to, but is looking into her options.  After spending time discussing this, they had lunch together and upon opening their fortune cookies, Irene's fortune was “You are going to have a comfortable old age.”  Not will have or going to have but are going to.  This lead to a discussion of how we are taught to Walk by Faith for God has everything planned out for us.  This walking in faith brings peace and comfort to the soul like nothing else in the world can do.

Another book recommended for reading was When God Winks at You, a gathering of short stories describing how God uses coincidences to send us encouragement.  Kind of how Maggie and I were discussing Sister Amanda's story about the Red Rose and then Jennifer asked Maggie about her Poem "Give Me a Rose."  Coincidence?  I think not! I think we were winked at right then!

The meeting for next month was set for February 17 at 2 pm at St Paul's in New Bern.  

Please feel free to share what you found interesting, moving or something that just touched you in a special way.  For the ones that were not able to attend know you were missed, prayed for, and we look forward to seeing you in February. 

Peace to all.

From Sister Jean Louise

We stand on the threshold of a new season. The Feast of the Baptism of Jesus marks the end of the Christmas season. As we cross into the season of Ordinary Time we are beckoned to ponder other passages we may be making. The thresholds of our lives serve as places to choose, to discern, to sort out what we consider important and where we feel called to go. We may find ourselves at a threshold by choice or by circumstance, arriving by our own design or landing there by events seemingly beyond our control. Whether or not it seems sacred at first, a threshold can become a holy place of new beginnings as we tend it, wait within it, and discern the path beyond…I come to understand the ways that the holy is born only as I enter the mysteries of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany again and again. Each passage offers visions in the darkness. Each threshold offers signs for the way.

We do not all choose

the same place

of beginning:

not all doorways

are meant for entry.

And so

When silence falls

across the threshold

I have meant for welcome,

may You,

guardian of every passage,

cast your shadow

at my door.

—Jan Richardson, Night Visions

Sister Jean Louise Bachetti, IHM

Director of IHM Associate Relationship

 

 

 

Which passage will you take? 

What does each room hold?

What do you see as you look out the window of each room?