Reflective Moments Moments Reflective May 2008
The purpose of Reflective Moments is to offer you a way to incorporate the spirit of Saint Angela Merici into your own lives. We hope that it enriches you spiritually.
Jubilees and Justice By Sister Marietta Wethington, OSU
T
his is a year of special celebration for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as we observe a number of jubilees. The jubilees of our sisters are always significant when we honor those who have been in community 80, 75, 70, 60, 50, 40 and 25 years. This year, in addition to celebrating the sisters, we celebrate 25 years since the closing of Mount Saint Joseph Academy, giving birth to Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. We also celebrate the 25th anniversary of our associates.
County in 1874 was a big risk. Opening the academy was another. Gaining independence from the mother community in Louisville was perhaps the biggest risk of all. We took another big risk when we closed the academy in 1983 after 109 years of educating high school girls. We were not afraid to risk change in community structure when we invited lay women and men to join us as associates. Twenty-five years later, we see the tremendous gift all those changes have been to us and to all those involved.
Jubilee is an important biblical concept. In speaking of the jubilee year, the book of Leviticus says,“…it shall be holy to you.” One of the important aspects of biblical jubilee is that of justice. In jubilee justice God calls us all to restore justice by living in right relationships. Slaves were to be set free, the vulnerable protected, widows and children cared for, and the land and environment respected.
It has been said that the path is made by walking. Can we make a new path during this jubilee year? As we prepare to celebrate 25 years of our associate relationship we have already begun to walk the path. These are some of the ways we plan to do that. We will strengthen our relationships by having regional retreats for associates and sisters together. Our core value of contemplative presence will help us recognize and reverence the presence of Christ in every person. Our contemplative love of God leads
This jubilee year calls us to change. Ursuline Sisters have never been afraid to change, nor to take risks. Coming to the then-wilderness of rural Daviess
The question for us today, I believe, is how are we being invited to carry out jubilee justice? • How are we being called to live in right relationships? • What are the contemporary forms of slavery that need to be freed? • How are we to care for women and children? • Who are the vulnerable in need of our protection? • How can we best respect the earth and care for the environment?
Continued on back
Continued from front us to interior transformation and helps to transform the whole world. As we strive to live in right relationships, our core value of empowerment will enable us to discover and animate the gifts and talents of others. We will approach all persons with openness and acceptance, recognizing each one’s dignity and seeing each one as a reflection of God. We will address the contemporary forms of slavery by immersion experiences, educating ourselves about poverty and perhaps taking
steps to eliminate some of the poverty we see around us. Our core value of justice calls us to help create a world where peace is a reality for all people. One of our community goals is to free and nurture women and children. Through our core value of service we will seek to alleviate poverty of body, mind, and spirit, especially in women and children. As a community we are encouraged to look for and use opportunities to protect the land and save the environment for future generations. We strive to “be green” as we make new plans for our properties.
For Your Reflection Saint Angela Merici lived over 400 years ago but she promised to be with us always. Today, Saint Angela lives on in the lives of each Ursuline Associate and Sister. Go with her to the feet of Jesus and reflect on all you have read. How will you participate in this year of jubilee? With Angela and Jesus, make some definite plans and write them in your journal for easy reference throughout the jubilee year.
An Intentional Minute...
We invite you to join together in daily prayer for the needs of our world
PEACE Let us take the side of the poor and the helpless, to speak out for those who have no voice, to work effectively to change these situations, out of the conviction that no one can be happy ALONE. --Adapted from the Assisi Pledge for Peace sent by Pope John Paul II to political leaders around the world February 2002
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Send your prayer requests for friends and loved ones to the E-mail Prayer Network. Write the Ursuline Partnerships office, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356 Call 270-229-2006 • E-mail associates@maplemount.org