It is once again that time of year, when we turn our attention to thoughts of gratitude. Some of my Facebook friends have a practice of daily gratitude — where each day he or she posts something that happened during the day for which he or she is grateful. Wow! A lot of work, if you ask me, but I can’t help but admire the zeal behind the idea.

A wonderful mental health practice is to end each day by naming five things you accomplished during the day and five things for which you are grateful.

Why is it important to be grateful? Who cares anyway? Well, in the great scheme of things when we can practice a gratitude attitude we tend to be happier, we tend to appreciate the people in our lives more, we are able to let go of those daily frustrations with greater ease… so who cares? We all do! When we practice gratitude we are easier to be around and our positive energy can inspire others.

So whether you post each day on Facebook, or keep a priviate list, or just take a moment each day to appreciate someone or something — let’s make this habit of gratitude, not just a once a year celebration, but an attitude for life.

Blessings as you celebrate gratitude,

Carol

I love the feasts of All Saints and All Souls — I love them because it is the time of the year where we intentionally celebrate those who have walked this journey before us. We remember all of the men and women — famous, and not so famous — who strove to follow a path to God.

Elizabeth Johnson borrowing from St. Paul describes the Communion of Saints as the crowd up in the stands cheering us on as we run the race of our faith journey. They are all on our side, they all wish us well, and want us to succeed. We as Catholics, as well as people from almost every major faith tradition, believe that those who have died care about us, are connected to us, and long for our happiness.

So let us celebrate the Saints with a capital “S” and the saints with a lower-case “s” — one and all.

Blessings,

Carol

As we journey through these beautiful days of Fall, it is important to stop and take pause. Maybe I should say, that we’re somehow drawn to stop and take pause. For some reason Fall is a season that draws us inward, to the source of life. As we notice the leaves changing colors and the light becoming filtered something within us calls us to nest, to slow down, to take a moment to be reflective.

I hope that these glorious days of Fall find you with a bit of time to enjoy and to ponder.

Carol

Yesterday, we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of the foundress of the the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary, the founders of Marylhurst University.

Marie Rose was not a strong woman, physically; in fact she was ill most of her life and died on her 38th birthday. But during her brief time on earth she touched people deeply.

We remember Mother Rose because she was a woman of passion — passion for God, passion for justice, passion for the needs of the poor and under-served. For me, Mother Rose is a powerful reminder of what happens when we allow ourselves to be transformed by the flame of God’s love. Parents who had been hesitant to allow their daughters to join the newly formed religious community changed their minds after one brief encounter with Mother Rose. Why, I ask? I believe it is because she was so deeply open to God’s love that she radiated God’s presence to those she met. Does this mean that life was easy for her, no. She like the rest of us struggled with misunderstanding, fatigue, obstacles, and injustice — but she had a broad, deep vision which gave her hope, even in the face of despair.

My prayer for all of us, no matter what our faith tradition might be, is that we become alive with the energy of the holy — that we become signs and prophets of God’s peace and justice.

Blessings on your journey,

Carol

Did you know that your University Ministers are here to pray for and with you?

If you have a prayer request please send it to us, and we will be happy to pray for you.  You can send a request via email (chiggins@marylhurst.edu), reply to this blog, slip a request under the door of Marian 104, or leave your request in one of the envelopes located on bulletin boards throughout campus.  No need to use your name, unless you wish for us to pray for you by name.

Coming soon — we are going to join with other young men and women throughout the United States and Africa to discuss justice issues in a program called, “Justice Cafes”.  These cafes are sponsored by IPJC (Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center), an organization dedicated to the work of justice funded by members of Catholic religious orders.  More to come on this exciting project.

Also, on October 4th we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis.  There is a nation wide call for people to “Take the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.”  You may find out more information about this amazing project via their website — CatholicClimateCovenant.org.  It is a free resource, so feel free to share and pass it on to others you know that care about the earth.

Many blessings, as we slide into September!


Carol

Did you know that your University Ministers are here to pray for and with you?

If you have a prayer request please send it to us, and we will be happy to pray for you.  You can send a request via email (chiggins@marylhurst.edu), reply to this blog, slip a request under the door of Marian 104, or leave your request in one of the envelopes located on bulletin boards throughout campus.  No need to use your name, unless you wish for us to pray for you by name.

Coming soon — we are going to join with other young men and women throughout the United States and Africa to discuss justice issues in a program called, “Justice Cafes”.  These cafes are sponsored by IPJC (Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center), an organization dedicated to the work of justice funded by members of Catholic religious orders.  More to come on this exciting project.

Also, on October 4th we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis.  There is a nation wide call for people to “Take the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.”  You may find out more information about this amazing project via their website — CatholicClimateCovenant.org.  It is a free resource, so feel free to share and pass it on to others you know that care about the earth.

Many blessings, as we slide into September!


Carol

Wow! It was great to read all the responses to our first blog on the social teachings of the Catholic tradition… I look forward to more fruitful sharing on these essential teachings.

This week our focus is, “Community and the Common Good”

Community and the Common Good:

In a global culture driven by excessive individualism, our tradition proclaims that the person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Our Church teaches that the role of the government and other institutions is to protect human life and human dignity and promote the common good. (Archdiocese of St. Paul—Minneapolis)

For many of us this is where the rubber meets the road. When do the needs of my family, friends, or community need to yield to those of the larger community? When does the greater community need to consider the needs of the individual? Being a fan of Star Trek, I am reminded of the death scene of Spock when he states, “sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.” A statement that is reframed in the next movie as Kirk and the crew risk all to bring Spock back to life, “sometimes the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many or the few.”

I do not have any easy answers; I think seeking the common good is a delicate balance requiring much prayer and discernment. As a vowed religious sometimes I do have to set my desires aside for the common good of my community—at other times I am aware that my community sets aside time, energy, or resources to meet my needs. Is this not true in marriage and family life as well?

My hope and prayer for all us is that we will continue to make our decisions as individuals and as a nation in light of the common good. Concern for the common good is often an investment in our collective future, meaning that it might cost us time or resources now but the result will be a happier and healthier society.

Finally, I hope as we consider the common good we remember all who share this planet with us—the plants, animals, and natural systems that provide us with a home.

Blessings, and I look forward to your comments!

Carol