Saturday, May 31, 2014

On Leadership in the Church


Only when the Church becomes what Jesus had envisaged it to be, namely, a servant Church, a Church of the poor, the leaders becoming truly servants and ceasing to be Lords, etc., then the Church regains its authority to speak for God and in God’s name. It is true that Vatican II spoke of the Church as a people of God, but we all know how it has been effectively negated in the Church since Vatican II. That concept has been buried and the presumed hierarchical nature gained predominance.... 

This is a great piece by Joseph Mattam S. J. on the historical sources of some of the styles of leadership in the church and the call to follow Jesus' style of leadership, published on the website of the International Union of Superiors General.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

All this life and heaven too: Flowing from the Heart of God

All this life and heaven too: Flowing from the Heart of God: A vocation is a fruit that ripens in a well cultivated field of mutual love that becomes mutual service, in the context of an authentic eccl...

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Following Christ

The vow of obedience takes religious into the heart of the mystery of Christ that we celebrate in this Paschal season. In faith and love, we enter in a special way into the following of Christ, obedient to the end. Undertaken in this spirit, each institute comes to an understanding and practice of the vow that develops over time. Read more....

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Last Word: Living Witness

In the fall of 2009, less than six months after graduating from college, I found myself meeting with a vocation director about the possibility of a call to religious life. As I would soon learn, our conversation followed a fairly standard pattern. After small talk about my job and daily life, the director asked a series of questions: What was my relationship with God like? Why did I think I was called? What were my fears or hesitations about religious life?.... Check out this powerful piece by Colleen Gibson

Saturday, May 3, 2014

BBQ & Contemplation


As we move through the Easter Season and toward Pentecost, the younger sisters in the St. Louis Area (Giving Voice - St. Louis) will be gathering for an evening of BBQ and contemplation.
1. iIn the light of Pentecost, what is religious life today and where are we going as younger religious?
2. How can our local GV group support us in this?
3. What would we like to do for the Year of Consecrated Life?
This present moment in religious life is both challenging and energizing. Much that we have known and loved is passing away: the brothers and sisters, the ministries, the service. But much is also being re-imagined with fresh energy. What better way to celebrate Pentecost and this groundswell of the Spirit than through BBQ and Contemplation with others who are eager to be a part of this adventure?
Peace,
Amy