Happy February! This photo doesn't do justice to dawn at the
San Damiano Spiritual Life Center, where I spent last weekend with my sister, writing, researching, and praying. It's just 75 miles west of us in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, but it feels like a world away. I'll be back at least twice in the next six months, which makes me very happy! I hope you'll get the chance to visit a happy place yet this winter.
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Congrats to
Sister Jane of New Jersey, who won a random drawing for a $20.20 Amazon gift card. Her word for 2020 is CONFIDENCE. Check out
my blog for why she chose that word... and the story of others' words.
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Friends in Faith: Jean Sweeney
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I wanted to include a short profile of my friend Jean Sweeney in an upcoming book, but when Jean read it, she said I had given her "too much credit" for ministry to a friend.
In typical Jean fashion, she went on to say she hadn't been doing that much recently anyway... like helping women who were formerly incarcerated and are dealing with the difficulty of finding jobs, of reuniting with their families, of struggling with substance abuse. Like letting a woman live with her for weeks until the woman found housing.
Yep, to Jean, that's "not much." But to the rest of us, it's inspiration to do better in loving our neighbors.
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"The thought that one sweats and dies for the love of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the most abandoned souls in the world is far too sweet for us to desist from this great enterprise." --St. Daniel Combini
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I'm about 25 percent done writing
Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration, which will be published by Franciscan Media this October. (It's like
Sisterhood of Saints
, but profiling male saints.) I've been spending a lot of time with martyred men, which can be a little challenging; in fact, two men's deaths were so gruesome I chose not to include them. So, learning about Daniel Comboni was a wonderful break!
Daniel was born in Italy in 1832 and always felt called to missionary work in Africa. But his first experience there went very poorly. He returned home and spent a few years teaching and thinking, then decided he would focus on preparing Africans to preach the Gospel; it was a novel approach for the time, and he called it, "Save Africa Through Africa." He died in Sudan in 1881; the religious communities he founded continue to carry out that vision.
Daniel's approach reminds me to have humility in service; none of us react well when people act like they're doing us a favor to help us.
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On the Nightstand:
Living Memento Mori by Emily DeArdo
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Emily DeArdo is tough. She was diagnosed with end-stage cystic fibrosis when she was just eleven, and fifteen years ago had a double lung transplant. In
her first book, she uses the Stations of the Cross as a framework to share her story of living life in true awareness that it will end. I like the concept of
momento mori; for Emily, it's far more than a concept.
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I'll be wrapping up this month by giving a women's morning retreat at the
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, DC, on modern women saints and what they can teach us. Some details are still being ironed out, so
email me if you're interested in this free event February 29, 9 a.m.-noon.
My dear high school friend Diane will be in town at the end of the month. While she lives in Florida, she gets to DC at least once a year, and we always have a lovely time together. In addition, a friend I haven't seen for more decades than I care to admit (thank goodness for Facebook!), classical guitarist
Chris Freitag, will be playing at Georgetown University February 7. It's going to be great to catch up real time!
In between, I'll be going to a couple of Capitals and Wizards games, working on
Brotherhood, and thinking about how I can deepen my relationship with Christ during Lent. Ash Wednesday is February 26.
May February bring you valentine greetings from those who love you, and much joy and peace!
Melanie
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Other ways to keep the conversation going:
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