Our Lady of Marylhurst

May is traditionally the month in which Catholics honor Mary the mother of Jesus. Does this mean Catholics worship Mary? That we think of her as a goddess? No. Catholics honor Mary as an example of what a human person can be if he/she is completely open to the action of God working in his/her life.

Traditional images of Mary show her to be a passive, gentle, proper, quiet, handmaid of the Lord. Yet, there is so much more to Mary. She lived in a world of violence, oppression, and poverty. She lived at a time when women had no rights, not even the right to enter into agreements unless father, brother, husband, or son gave his consent.

It is in this context that Mary says “yes” to the angel of God. She is asked a question, she debates with Gabriel, and then she agrees to the request. She opens herself to becoming the mother of God Incarnate. In doing this she has broken away from sociality rules; she has entered into an agreement on her own.

She also took a huge risk, a risk that could have cost her life.  Joseph would have been well within his rights to stone Mary to death for being pregnant outside of their marriage. Mary’s family should have thrown her out, as her dishonor brought dishonor to the entire family.

These are just a couple examples from the New Testament that help us to see the courage of Mary. So as we remember her this month of May, let us not forget the tradition of “the lovely lady dressed in blue” as this image of Mary has meant much to many people. Instead, let us broaden our image of Mary; let us begin to spend time with the many images of Mary that have come to us through Scripture and tradition.

Happy Mary month!

Carol

“God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good” (Genesis 1:31).

This week we celebrate our earth. We remind ourselves to be aware of future generations and to reflect on how our practices will impact the lives of those yet to be born. Our faith traditions call us to consider an even deeper awareness – do we graciously accept, honor, and care for the gift God has given us?

Every major religion calls its followers to hold the earth as a sacred gift from God. We haven’t always followed this mandate. Instead we have often seen creation as our property – it is ours to use as we wish. But this is a misreading of sacred texts. Genesis, for example, asks us to tend, to nurture, to treasure — not to exploit the gift of creation.

Most of us understand the earth is in crisis, but we seem unable to change our behaviors to more earth friendly practices. Religious leaders believe  our sacred traditions and texts have the ability to inspire us to positive action. If we begin to see the earth as a sacred gift maybe we will find the motivation to make the necessary changes in our behaviors.

True change will only occur when we realize that we must care for the earth simply because it is a gift from God.

Have a great Earth Day!

Carol

Each year I am amazed by the beauty of spring in the Pacific Northwest. Even on the days when the sun hides behind clouds, even on days when the wind and rain practically blow me over, even on those days when I’m stuck inside — I look at nature and I am in awe.

Yet, the beauty of each flower, of the budding trees, of the rainbows that catch us by surprise, is fleeting. I want to hold on to that beauty. Should I take a picture? That might make me feel better for a moment, but the reality is I rarely look at the pictures I’ve taken.  It seems the only way to hold on to the beauty of spring is to let go of it. I can only really enjoy the tulip if I am with the tulip; if I’m worrying about how to preserve the moment I’m no longer with the tulip.

I was on a retreat once where the director had each of us study a tulip for an hour. Yes, for an hour. We were to take note of everything we saw. I was amazed at the intricate beauty before my eyes. Each part of the tulip enhanced every other part. Just remembering the experience brings back the awe I felt. Just remembering the experience helps to calm and center me in this present moment.

I don’t need to spend an hour with every tulip I see, but every now and then, as the saying goes, I need to “stop and smell the flowers.” I invite you to do the same.

Happy tulip gazing!

Carol

I’ve been reading a lot about the importance of narrative and how narrative shapes our identity as individuals and as cultures.  Narratives may be based on real events or they may be completely fictional — what matters is how we interact with them.

We are in the midst of the Easter season and for me as a Christian the meaning of the Easter narrative is clear — God’s love and abundance will overcome all evil, suffering, and pain.  I believe that God became one with us, that God became a particular human person at a particular moment in human history — we know this person as Jesus.  His world was difficult, especially for Jews, and because of his authenticity and willingness to speak truth to power, he was put to death. Yet, the narrative does not end here – if it did, nobody would even remember Jesus’ name. No, instead, Jesus rose from the dead, not to die again, but to live forever. The Easter story is a story of hope born of suffering; of hope born of powerlessness; of hope overcoming oppression.

I pray during this season that all people — Christians, non-Christians, atheists, spiritual seekers, those who don’t know and those who don’t care — can find in this narrative a message of hope. Even if you don’t believe that Jesus was God, even if you don’t believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, I pray this narrative will invite you to ponder the meaning of hope.  I pray that you will find the tender sprouts of hope in your life, in your relationships, and in your work.

Blessings,

Carol

Creator of the universe, of all that is beautiful and good, help each of us to create deep within our being an inner space, a place:

Where the work we do will not overshadow why we do it

Where we can spend a few minutes in quiet each day, gaining the courage to continue

Where we can look at ourselves—who we are, what we are doing, how we are doing it

Where we can stop and evaluate what the world is asking of us, what we are asking of the world

Were we can re-affirm those values by which we live

Where we can remember that the love and warmth and compassion which are deep-rooted in each of us should reach the surface of our lives and spill over into the lives of those we touch each day.

Grant to each of us the honesty to do what is right and just, the courage to take a stand when necessary, the strength to face the problems of each day and the gentleness to handle them with care—so that it may be said of each of us as was said by the psalmist of old:

“Surely, goodness and kindness have followed them, all the days of their lives.”

Sister Joanne Glavin, SNJM, 1983

Many thanks need to go out to our university community.

Since mid-January we have collected dozens of gloves which were donated to a local shelter to assist those who without homes. We ran a successful blood drive. We collected bags of delicates for women rescued from human trafficking. With the help of the Sisters of the Holy Names we were able to donate $100 in cash, $150 in gift cards, and two car loads of nice clothing and bath items for rescue agencies to give to women in need.

We being Lent this Wednesday. We will be hosting a Mass at 12:00 in Wiegand on Ash Wednesday (Wednesday, February 13th).

What is Lent? Traditionally Lent has been a time for Christians to reflect deeply on how well they are living the promises they made at Baptism. As children most of us were taught to “give something up” during Lent as a way to enter into the suffering of Christ. As adults most of us try to change a behavior. Sometimes the behavior is an attitude, or an automatic reaction; sometimes the behavior is to be more mindful of another person, or to learn more about a specific issue of justice.

However you decide to spend this season I wish you well, and I pray that this season will help you deepen your relationship with our loving God.

Carol

Happy October!

During the first week of classes University Ministry hosted two events.

On Monday, September 24th we celebrated Mass with Archbishop John Vlazny.  The Archbishop was on campus for his annual visit and to attend the first meeting of the Trustees for the 2012-2013 academic year.  Members of our community:  students, staff, faculty, and trustees gathered together to pray and to thank the Archbishop for his on-going support of Catholic education and of our university.

On Tuesday, the 25th we were honored to celebrate Yom Kippur with our very own Rabbi Rob.  Rob is a graduate of our Master of Divinity program and he is an adjunct faculty member in our School of Business.  Rob led a group of 25 through the rituals of Yom Kippur and he took time to explain the meaning and history of each ritual.  For many of us the experience was a powerful reminder that we are human, we fail, and we need to ask one another and God for forgiveness.

The coming days we will focus on social justice:  climate change and human trafficking.  Read more →

I hope that this new academic year is filled with good things for all of our students, faculty, and staff.  Learning is exciting and exhausting. Some days everything connects, makes sense, and we see all sorts of possibilities for applying our knowledge to the real world. Other days, well… not so much!

As with many things in life learning is not a straight line. Instead, learning is a spiral. As we learn new ideas those ideas touch upon previous knowledge and in that moment of touching new possibilities are created.  Learning also challenges us to let go of what we think we know; we may feel frustrated as we realize how much we have to learn.

We learn best in relationship — whether you are in an on-campus class, or sitting in your living room, you need to develop relationships with your teachers, classmates, the scholars you study — those relationship will help you understand yourself better. So take the time to talk to your classmates, feel free to disagree with the authors of your textbooks, ask your instructors questions — be engaged!

Blessings on your journey!

Carol

Summer is always filled with expectations — maybe we remember the long summer vacations of childhood and hope that we’ll feel that sense of freedom this summer.  Maybe we recall the camping trips, vacations, and long evenings of past summers and hope that this summer will be a time for making good memories.

Whatever our expectations for summer, it is good to remember that summer is a time of fullness, of warmth, and it does call us to a more relaxed and playful pace.

No matter how you fill your days:  work, study, care of family, travel, time with friends… I hope that each of you find in this season a sense of renewal, rest, and relaxation.  Let us also not forget our neighbors who might be in need:  the elderly neighbor who might need a new fan for the hot days of summer; the young mother who needs a bit of time to herself during the long summer vacation; the homeless who may need us to share our abundance via a local service agency.

Blessings to each of you and no matter how busy you may be… don’t forget to take time to be and to rejoice in the beauty of summer! 

Carol

May 11, 2012

A diverse group of about 25 — students, faculty, and staff joined together on Tuesday, May 8th to learn more about Trafficking. 
We learned about local Human Trafficking from the perspective of two members of the local task force on Trafficking — a police officer and an FBI agent.What we heard sparked an energetic discussion about how we can impact change by taking steps to change laws so that the criminals (pimps and Johns) in the metro area can be held to greater accountability for their crimes.

We also hold in mind the countless children, women, and men who are trafficked across our planet.  Some are sold into the sex trade, others are used for dangerous or difficult labor working long hours in horrific conditions, still others are used as domestic servants. 
At Marylhurst we are united with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in their public stance to end human trafficking. 

Our next gathering on Trafficking will be held on Tuesday, June 12th from 12:00 – 1:00. 

Those of you in the Portland area might also be interested in a panel on Trafficking which will be held at West Linn Lutheran Church (right down the road from the university)  20390 Willamette Dr. (hwy 43) on Wednesday, May 16th at 7:00 pm.