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O Lord, Show Me the Way!
By S. Janet Gildea
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Psalm 25 reads, “Show me your ways, Lord. Teach me your paths.” But how many of us have hearts docile enough to choose the way God lights up for us? Stubborn or resistant to the leadings of the Spirit we set our own agenda even when it is clearly not in our best interests. Why do we do this? St. Paul commiserates: “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate” (1Cor7:15). And how do we even know what we truly want?
Discernment of the heart’s deepest desire, which is the same as God’s will for each of us, is possible because the Spirit of God dwells within. That loving Spirit is always available to guide and direct us, but at times it underwhelms us with the subtle movements that show us the way. In order not to miss the gentle leadings of the Spirit we have to pay attention, to make time each day to free our minds and hearts of distractions. As with any subject we want to learn, practice is required. And practice takes time.
If you’ve ever tried to teach a small child, you know how impatient she can be to “do it myself!” Let me try! Let me try! We can be the same with God, anxious to forge ahead when we aren’t yet ready, to force a decision that isn’t yet mature. Allowing God to show us the path, to teach us the way, requires a mellow heart, an open mind and a willing spirit. We all become impatient with our slow progress at times.
When you find yourself squirming in your prayer place, a good piece of music can sometimes settle your spirit and remind you that the way you are seeking is God’s way. Here’s one such tune, thanks to Alison Kraus and generations who have sung it in hopes of finding and following the Way:
http://www.tmn.today/2016/08/alison-krauss-down-river-pray-favorite.
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Future of Charity Blog
“No Exceptions”
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The title of this 2012 TED talk by J.E. Sigler, a graduate student in Communications at Virginia Tech, doesn’t quite reveal the theme of her presentation which is actually “discernment.” In her own life and in the lives of her students Sigler noticed the challenge of finding “ourselves, our callings or our happiness.” She sought answers from a group of people that she felt knew how to do that: Catholic nuns. Her interviews with them led to very clear advice about the practice of discernment.
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My Mentor
By S. Peggy Rein
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My third year on mission, I was missioned to teach at St. William in Price Hill (Cincinnati, Ohio). It was during this time that I met S. Helen Agnes Goedde; she was a golden jubilarian. In those days – as a young Sister – to be a golden jubilarian you were thought to be slowing down … but that just wasn’t so with S. Helen Agnes! At the time the Sisters ministering at St. William would visit the homes of the families in the parish and community, and the sick and infirmed. This was a ministry S. Helen Agnes was devoted to. When I came to St. William, she said to me, we are going to go visit these families. She’d take me to go visit elderly Sisters, the elderly in the neighborhood, and eventually she took me to Mother Margaret Hall (the Sisters of Charity nursing facility). She was the one that got me started visiting Sisters in Mother Margaret Hall. I always say Holy Family is one of my loves, Mother Margaret is another. I continue this tradition of visiting Sisters today, spending a lot of my time in MMH during the summer months. I credit S. Helen Agnes for getting me started in this ministry.
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Sept. 2-5, 2016
Come and Serve weekend, New Orleans, Louisiana
Sept. 4, 2016
Diamond Jubilee Mass, 10:30 a.m., Motherhouse chapel
Sept. 25, 2016
Delhi Township Bicentennial Open House, 1-4 p.m., Motherhouse, Bayley, Mount St. Joseph University
Sept. 25-29, 2016
Online Discernment Retreat
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Members of the Sisters of Charity Community welcomed Romina Sapinoso (left) into the Canonical Novitiate during a ceremony Aug. 20 in the Immaculate Conception Chapel at the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. The purpose of the one-year Canonical Novitiate is to learn more about religious life, to deepen connection to the Congregation’s roots and history, and to develop an integrated apostolic spirituality.
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E-vōc is the electronic newsletter from the Vocations Team of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati for single women wondering what new thing God is calling forth in their lives.
If you are interested in learning more about life as a Sister of Charity, visit our website at
www.srcharitycinti.org or contact S. Monica Gundler at 513-504-5592.
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