CSJP Charism,Gift, & Spirit!
An open letter of gratitude to the CSJP family
L to R: Sisters Sheena George, Sheila Lemieux, Teresa Maya and Susan Francois.
by Teresa Maya, CCVI
“Charism is a gift of the Spirit.” A statement we have been tossing around in charismatic families for several decades, familiar, matter-of-fact even; and yet, we need to engage with its three components in light of the times we are living through. What is charism? How do we know it’s working? How do we know it’s healthy or waning? And for apostolic congregations, with a culture of service and giving, “gift” can be challenging. We are not used to being on the receiving end; we like to do, create, offer, and make possible. And then, the Spirit, the third person of the Trinity… present, inspiring, consoling, and often noticed only in retrospect.
Times of uncertainty demand a clear sense of identity. They challenge us to answer questions we tend to postpone until we tend to the urgencies: Who are we? Why are we here? What is ours to do? What are our values? Charism is the soul of an institute. Charism is at the heart of the CJSP identity. Charism is the reason sisters committed their lives to the Reign of God in this institute, the reason friends and benefactors collaborate in the Mission, the reason for the ministries, the litmus test for our discernment. How do we know we are stewarding the charism? I offer some insights to kindle the conversation: charism needs a healthy ecosystem, a community of relationships. The stronger and healthier the relationships between sisters, associates, lay collaborators in ministry, friends, the more energized the charism will be. The charism energy will then spark possibility in the style of the CSJP family. And what is that style? Perhaps it takes outsiders to notice more clearly.
I have accompanied the CSJPs for several years, as speaker and friend, and I have noticed three traits of the charism that I pray you continue to shine on our hurting world: community, justice-advocacy, and openness to what is emerging. CSJP is a community-building, hospitable space for our world. At your best, you make everyone feel welcome, even if the differences can be awkward or the diversity needs to be reconciled over and over again. Your very soul is a place of welcome. Whether in small ways like offering baked goods at St. Mary’s in Bellevue, or morning tea in the U.K. Or, more significantly, hosting events in your congregational centers. Your relationships are growing in the digital world, and you always offer digital content that builds bridges and promotes human dignity. You are justice advocates; you are a voice for justice! When others are timid or afraid to stand up for those in vulnerable situations, your voice is always among the first; the Gospel is your message, whether in or out of fashion. Your presence in marches, your digital footprint, the use of your influence, and the advocacy through your resources are beacons of hope for communities worldwide. And then, there is that openness! CSJPs have always been early adopters, unafraid to test a new idea, process, or structure. Your journey to one has been admirable, despite the many time zones it spans; you have merged structures and resources, but more importantly, you have created a culture of unity. Pope Leo will be proud.
The challenge for CSJP now is gift. Because gift requires patience, waiting, and above all faith. And here is where the “Peace” in your name becomes your spiritual legacy. You might be St. Joseph people, but with a Peace last name. Pope Leo referred to the Resurrection Peace when he stood on the balcony for the first time after his election. He greeted our Church with the words of the Resurrected Christ: “Peace.” I realized this gift has come into my life through your witness. A gift that can be freely given because it is freely received, active peace and spiritual peace. We are normalizing violence. I have watched it grow in Latin America and spread through our continent. Violence is now seeping into our relationships, families, and ministries. COVID kindled a violence in the form of fragmentation and dehumanization that desperately needs the gift of peace. Welcome the gift of peace into your midst. Teach us how to be peace for our world, please.
Finally, how can the CSJP family fine-tune its dialogue with the Holy Spirit? I write these words in anticipation of Pentecost. That moment turned fear into hope, difference into relationship, and doubt into faith. That moment when a community gathered gets inspired into apostolic commitment to create the world God dreams for all of us, to do our part to build the Reign of God. We are now all challenged to be synodal missionaries, to move the Church and the world into the synodal ecclesiology where authentic listening is the reason all feel welcome. Human agency alone will not accomplish this, so it is time to renew our trust and faith in the Holy Spirit. What and how do we believe in the Holy Spirit?
I pray the Holy Spirit reaches through every crevice of the CSJP family and ignites your charism to bless our world. Margaret Anna Cusack is dreaming that for you, I am sure.