A VIABLE LIFE

March 1, 2012 marked my twentieth anniversary in community.  I spent the night before and all that day at the CSJ Motherhouse in Baden, PA. 

During that time I reflected on my life in community so far.  I wrote a theological reflection of my journey using Moses and the Israelites as my scriptural reference.  I expressed my joy and excitement of reaching this milestone in a letter I wrote to our foundress, Mother St. John Fontbonne; and I wrote my own version of St. Augustine's Late Have I Loved you.

As I continue to reflect on these twenty years, I remember that feeling of total peace when I finally made the decision to enter a religious community.  I recall how everything in my life fell into place and how natural it felt to enter.  I have made many important decisions in my life, however I have never been so sure of anything as I am about being a Sister of St. Joseph. 

All this reflecting leads me to say that although I know I could have continued being an accounting clerk and still live a good life, or I could have gone into teaching (which is what I do now) without becoming an SSJ, and knowing what other ministries our sisters are active in, I am sure that religious life is a viable life for any woman willing to follow Christ as a woman religious. 

As vocation director, I pray constantly for women to recognize God's call and to be open to respond to that call.  If you think you have a vocation to religious life, contact me at s.lfusco@ssjerie.org.

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

Last week while our diocesan priests were at their annual gathering, I was asked to give a reflection for one of the Communion Services at our Community Living Center.  The gospel that day was Jesus teaching the Our Father to the disciples.  "Lord, teach us to pray," they asked.

Who taught you to pray?  Was it your mother, father, or grandmother?  What was the first prayer you learned?  As I reflected on that line in the gospel, three points that stand out is my childhood prayer, when I really learned how to pray, and how I continue to pray.

The Our Father is a prayer full of praise and petitions.  We praise God in the first part.  In the second part we petition God for what we need each day, for forgiveness, to forgive others, and to be strong when tempted.  First, I remembered the first prayer that my mother taught me, the prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep..."  Later, when I went to school, it was the Sisters of Charity who taught me the rote prayers at Catechism classes.  That was the only way I knew to pray for many years.

Secondly, it wasn't until my late 20's that I really learned to pray.  It was Madeleine Hahn, RSM who introduced me to books that explained how to pray, and by attending prayer and scripture study at Dwelling Place in Sharon I began to experience different prayer styles and kinds of prayer that would lead me to a relationship with God that I never knew was possible.

Thirdly, eleven years ago at my thirty-day retreat, I learned the Ignation Examen of Consciousness.  I have been praying my examen every evening since. What I like is that I journal my examen; and by doing so, I praise God, thank God, and petition God.  Each sunday I review my journal and look for the graces that God has given me during the week and on the next clean page I gather the graces, a habit I learned on retreat.  Gathering the graces leads me to more prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God.

"Lord, teach us to pray."

Who taught you how to pray?