Chatting about: Gentleness

Ruth (Guest): Fragrance of Love. Who was it who used that expression in prayer? Was it Mother Teresa, in the daily morning prayer of her sisters? Hi everyone.

Ruth (Guest): Sorry I signed in late; I’ve been here since before 7:30 but my computer was on super-slow. Guess it is time to sign up for some of that “clean up” software.

Ruth (Guest): Thanks for the tip Carol Ann.

Ruth (Guest): Dawn, so much wisdom!

Ruth (Guest): St. F. example gives me hope.

Ruth (Guest): That’s it Judy. Yes.

Ruth (Guest): I thank God too, for the living saints I’ve had the privilege to know personally. God’s mercy shines through them.

Ruth (Guest): Yes, Brian (Guest 1293?), the many conversions took place precisely because people observed “See how those Christians love one another!“

Ruth (Guest): That word “simple” has so many ways of being understood. I was just reading something about simplicity by Sr. Joan Chittister (Benedictine) who probably is not a very simple person –– and I found some of it kinda confusing. It seemed she was mixing us simplicity with various other virtues, concerns, etc., like poverty, humility, obedience to a religious superior. Of course there is probably a good deal of overlap in practice.

Ruth (Guest): The desire to grow in simplicity –– which certainly is NOT one of my strengths –– is one thing that I find attractive about religious life. It is so hard to be simple in this complicated world, and when interiorly there is so much that needs –– I’m thinking the German word, “aussrheumen” –– something like “cleaning up,“ tidying, making space.

Ruth (Guest): Dawn, I love that observation about the children. I just volunteered to teach religious education –– maybe partly because of what you’ve been saying –– to the 1-5 grades IF they’ll have me. I suspect that the kids will teach me a great deal. My training and certification is for the grades 7-12 and adults.

Ruth (Guest): But what they need are teachers for the younger kids.

Ruth (Guest): I was a 4-H leader of a Cloverbud Club, and had the 7-10 year olds when I was a camp counselor, so I do have a LITTLE experience with the younger ones.

Ruth (Guest): Yes, as part of our Pentecost celebration there were forms in the pews with various ministries in the church that needed people to sign up, volunteer. The pastor at St. Agnes Chruch wove the notion of “going out” and serving into his sermon.

Ruth (Guest): Dawn, I remember one time, I think I’ve mentioned it before, when I was leading, with one other woman, a group of teenagers at a retreat. It was the gentleness and the kindness of all those kids toward one who seemed to be there just to make trouble and maybe have a cheap vacation. They prayed for him a lot, gently, kindly. They could have become angry with him because he was being deliberately disruptive. A year or so later I

Ruth (Guest): I was in that part of the country (Germany) again and happened to run into a couple from our group. They asked, “Do you remember ___ ?“ How could I NOT! They told that that young man had become a part of their prayer group and that he was an exemplary member –– all in the course of a few months!

Ruth (Guest): Yes, Dawn. THAT is another “draw” of consecrated religious life. This week I chatted (in person) with the past president of a local chapter of the a Carmelite Third Order. All I said was, “Sometime I’d like to talk with you about the 3rd Order Carmelites.

Ruth (Guest): To my surprise, right then and there, she summarized –– almost as if she could read my mind or as if we’d known one another well, although practically the only contact we’d had was the two of us with our former pastor praying the Divine Office together a few times after Mass –– everything that would be my concern –– and basically said, “It give you nothing: you already pray the Office; You do mental prayer (I guess she assumed that because sometimes we sat silently after Mass); there is NO COMMUNITY, not

Ruth (Guest): even among those of us who live right near here.

Ruth (Guest): This past president is a very quiet, humble, gentle woman, it seems to me. She is a librarian in the part of the library, in the basement, where she sits among the historical documents about local history and practically only researchers occasionally stop by. Maybe I should go visit her there more often.

Ruth (Guest): She married into a local farm family.

Ruth (Guest): I’m not sure she does much scholarly research herself, just keeps the documents available to others. I don’t think she has published or even attempted to publish anything. But if you need a document; she’ll help you find it if it is there –– and hand out cotton gloves to wear while examining the old records

Ruth (Guest): OK. I just copied what I was writing –– cut from here. Will put it in a “private” message.

Ruth (Guest): Have a good week. This one has been really, really trying for me. I am grateful for and welcome your prayers.