News - March - April, 2011
Spring Assemblies
In the summer of 2008, the Sisters and Associates of St. Joseph of Peace met at Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ for their 21st General Chapter. (These meetings are held every six years in order to evaluate, make important decisions, elect new leadership, and spend time with each other.) At that Chapter the Sisters and Associates decided to commit themselves to focus on two related themes: Growing in Nonviolence and Care of Creation and Climate Change.
Since then we have spent a great deal of time reading, studying, discussing, and praying about both themes. This spring each region of the community (the United Kingdom, the western United States, and the eastern United States) participated in an Assembly. The theme was To Enhance the Beauty of the Whole: A CSJP Spirituality of the Care of Creation. Our presenter was Fr. Terrence Moran, CSJP-Associate. Terry traveled to all three regions and shared his thoughts in person.
Terry began the day by outlining its purpose:
To deepen our Spirituality of Peace regarding the Chapter Act on Care of Creation and Climate Change.
To show the roots of the Chapter Act in our faith tradition and in our CSJP history and spirituality.
To deepen our consciousness that we are called not just to changes in our behavior but to a new imagining of our relationship to God, to Earth, to one another.
To show how the Chapter Act on Care of Creation and Climate Change relates to our commitment to Non-violent Peacemaking and supports our living into the reality of being a Congregation without provinces. 
He creatively interwove the sayings and life of our foundress, Margaret Anna Cusack, with the creation story and engaged us in a powerful ritual as we travelled through Earth’s history. Terry very appropriately included as part of Earth’s story, the destruction and desecration that we humans have inflicted upon it throughout time. He reminded us of the words we said in August, 2008:
Earth is a revelation of God and the sustainer of all life. We recognize that the exploitation and destruction of Earth’s air, water, soil, and species is a sacrilege. We are committed to a spirituality of peacemaking which compels us to live in right relationship with the entire community of life. In this way we engage in the struggle against the reality of evil and continue the work of establi
shing God’s reign of justice and peace.
Terry incorporated quotes and knowledge from many people–not only Margaret Anna Cusack but also current people involved in alerting the human population to the peril of our Earth. As we listened and pondered what those concerned with the health of our Planet have taught us, we were challenged to make even small changes in our patterns in order to begin to rectify the state that exists.
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You may perhaps have heard the story of Linnaeus, the famous botanist, who, when he saw a field of gorse for the first time, knelt down to thank God. The rare beauty of the mass of golden yellow flowers, the exquisite perfume that floated from them scenting the summer breeze, when seen and felt for the first time, drew the soul with more than common ardor to adore the Creator of the glorious scene. As each flower in the field of gorse contributed to the beauty of the whole, as the perfume of each mingled itself with the perfume of its companions, and so helped to form the rich essence which was borne afar upon the breeze, so also in our convent-homes, each soul has its own beauty which enhances the beauty of the rest…” (Sister Francis Clare Cusack, The Spouse of Christ, 50-51) |
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The ecological model of human life is a functional creation story – one that has practical implications for how we live at the personal and public levels. We could call these implications our new “house rules.” House rules are what one pins on the refrigerator as guidelines for sharing the space, the food, the resources of the home.
The Ecological Reformation is the Great Work before us. Sallie McFague |
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We live in a time of major change and major denial about that change. Scientific information is plentiful and accurate. The problem is not information; the problem is that information is not penetrating human consciousness. Thus the central challenge is not scientific but spiritual. What happens when that scientific information starts to penetrate? The fundamental religious story of Western culture blocks it – the story that says that the universe is a collection of objects rather than a community of kin. The task of spirituality is to deconstruct the maladaptive story that humans are living out of. The central task of spirituality is to create a culture that amplifies life’s hum. Brian Swimme |
During the day at various times, we had questions for reflection, integration and sharing:
How does it feel to you to experience the Christian and CSJP stories through the lens of the Universe story?
What new insights into our spirituality of peace through justice well up in you through your participation in this ritual?
How does our commitment to Care of Creation open up for you the depths of our faith tradition?
How can we release the energy of our charism for the integrity of our Earth-home and its inhabitants, especially peoples and species most threatened?
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These questions as well as others posed at various times certainly provide a strong challenge to the Associates and Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace to constantly recommit ourselves, personally and communally to:
deepen our spirituality of peace regarding care of creation
identify and reduce our carbon footprint in our communities, ministries, and institutions
pray, study, and act to promote a sustainable lifestyle
participate in legislative efforts to support the integrity of creation
stand in solidarity and act in justice with marginalized people whose lives are already affected by the devastation of Earth
collaborate with others, including interfaith and civic groups, who are addressing climate change
The Sisters and Associates in the region located in the western part of the United States blessed this year's Jubilarians and had a community dinner/celebration in their honor. (The public celebration is in June.)
View more pictures.