God’s peace!

It is difficult to believe that another academic year is over. Graduations and celebrations that mark the passage of educational accomplishments have been observed, and already the new school year is being anticipated. Before the school year ends; however, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you in the name of all of us at St. Rita School. Whether you will return to us at the start of the new school year…whether your last or only child has graduated…whether you will be moving to a new town or a new school…we remain most grateful to you for sharing your most precious of gifts with us…your children. It is our prayer that your children have grown in wisdom and grace, and are well prepared to move on in their educational journeys.

As the summer begins I would encourage you to find a few quiet moments to anticipate the weeks ahead in an effort to savor all they might hold for you and your family. So often we move through our days without plan or without pause and we find that at summer’s end we are disappointed with not having lived each day fully. Perhaps we can build a few of the following suggestions into our days this summer…

Pray… Summer is a wonderful time to rejoice in the creation that God has given us. We spend more time outside engaging in activities that are renewing in body and soul, and they are often celebrated in the midst of God’s wondrous world. This is the season for praise…it is a time to truly glory in flower, sun and all that is good. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner states,

Holy gates are everywhere…Culture and organized religion conspire to trick us into

believing that entrances to holiness are only at predictable times and prearranged

places…Entrances to holiness are everywhere and all the time.

Summer is a time to renew our commitment to Sunday worship, and perhaps experience community in new ways as we visit other parish communities in our travels.

Read… Although for most, there are no true “lazy days of summer”… but there is often more opportunity to find a good book that brings new insight into life’s living. Although summer is often a time to fly through lighter novels, I would challenge you to find a book that you can truly sink your soul into. There are many out there… perhaps you might choose to return to a classic that you read years ago. (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Open the Door/A Journey to the True Self by Joyce Rupp, The Power of Half/One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, by Kevin and Hanna Salwen; The Anatomy of Peace by Arbinger, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, SJ; The Seven Storey Mountain, by Thomas Merton)

Play… So often we take ourselves too very seriously… we act as if we were in complete charge of our lives and when something does not go in the direction we play…we become agitated, upset and often angered. Perhaps we need to laugh a bit more… do something that has no real purpose except to enjoy the moment… take an afternoon off and do something out of the ordinary with your children… pack up a lunch or early dinner and drive to nowhere in particular for a picnic… A friend of mine gave each of her children an opportunity to plan a day for the family based on a given budget. Each member of the family would explore places in their own area that would engage their family in some way. One planned a day that began with breakfast in an old nearby town. She even went as far as getting a menu so she could list those things the family could order to stay within her budget. They then took a long ride to a park where they feasted on a picnic lunch and enjoyed swimming in the lake. Later in the afternoon they grabbed a bite to eat at a diner and then drove to the last drive-in movie theater in the state where they feasted on popcorn and soda that was brought from home. Life is made up of moments… memories are made from moments that catch us by surprise… Summer is a wonderful time to celebrate moments and make memories.

I also want to extend heartfelt thanks to Miss Maureen Christian, Mrs. Susan Hummel and Ms. Christine Rogers who have given of themselves so generously to our school community. Each of them has cared for and encouraged your children. We assure them of our prayerful support as they begin new chapters in their lives.

As the school year comes to a close and as summer begins in earnest, be assured that prayer continues for each of you and your families. May God bless you with peace…may your summer be a safe one…and may you find renewal in prayer, reading and play!

In prayer and gratitude,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

This past Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ. On Saturday evening at 4:00 PM Mass at our parish Church, our eighth graders joined the St. Rita Parish community in gratitude for the support we receive from our parishioners. Our eighth graders read, participated in the presentation of gifts, and served at the altar. I took that occasion to thank our parishioners for the many ways they support our school, and at the same time I shared with them some of the many reasons we are proud of our students. ( I will attach a flyer that was shared with the parish community that included a few highlights of the school year). In speaking with our parish community, I shared with them that these accomplishments are, indeed, a source of pride for all of us, but that these statistics do not reveal the whole picture.

Often many intangible signs of what makes us a vibrant school community get lost in statistics and other measureable means of quantifying success. Let me share with you two examples that are quite simple, and yet profound illustrations of what is truly at the heart of our school.

I shared the following with our parishioners:

“Friday we celebrated the First Communion of one of our fourth grade students. It was a wonderful event. We witnessed Christ’s life being welcomed ever-more deeply into the life of this young man. Our third grade students prepared the liturgy, read, and participated in the presentation of gifts while our Kindergarten students led us in song with a Communion meditation, and some of our Middle School boys sang the offertory hymn. So many participated and joined their prayer to the many prayers offered throughout the liturgy. It was a wonderful experience of life…of true communion… of oneness in Christ. As students were being dismissed to return to class, I noticed something that captured the experience of Eucharist for me. Two eighth grade boys approached the first bench where the young man who had just received his First Communion sat with his family. They extended their hands to congratulate the young man on this sacred event in his life…and then they walked to join their class and continue their day…an extraordinary moment almost lost in its simplicity.

Another experience that occurred this past week involved a teacher who came to me with a pile of papers in hand, moved by what her students had written. One essay from a fourth grader spoke of Mary, Christ’s mother as a young girl participating in a foot race…the fourth grader wrote of Mary’s applying herself…working hard… and finally winning the race and capturing the trophy. I would imagine in many cases the story would stop here, but this young writer went a bit further… she wrote of Mary looking back at the course she ran only to find a little girl lagging far behind… a little girl who wanted to win more than Mary did. In the next moment the young writer had Mary striding toward the little girl, encouraging her and gifting her with the trophy she herself had won. The young fourth grader ended the narrative by sharing simply… that the young girl whom Mary encouraged was the writer herself.

There are countless stories like these that reveal what is at the heart of our school.

We are certainly proud of our young people’s gifts and talents as well as their application and sharing of them… but what makes our students unique is described best in the simple stories that reflect what many might see as merely insignificant experiences… but each hand reaching out…each story written to reflect one’s heart…each act of charity…each expression of compassion does make our school…our parish…our town…our world a better place.”

We do have much for which to be proud at St. Rita School. We are learning how to live each day…in the midst of challenges…accomplishments…shortcomings…activities. We are the Body of Christ…living, breathing, and sharing the love that we have come to know.

May your week be filled with simple experiences that help you to see Christ alive in your midst.

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

Recently I read a story by John Shea. He is known for finding or creating stories that are simple, yet provide much food for thought. The story I would like to share with you is, indeed, simple…and yet I believe its meaning runs deep for each of us.

“For twenty years, I was a teacher. At Christmastime, it was the custom at the school where I taught for all the kids to bring gifts.

After about the third year, I could name the gift by the size of the box it came in. Whenever my students would come up with long, flat boxes, I would know they were handkerchiefs. Since thank-you notes were not expected, I would take these long, flat boxes and just throw them in my closet unopened. Then, as I needed a handkerchief, I would open a box and take one out. I always had more boxes than I needed handkerchiefs.

One time I went into my closet, took out a box, and opened it. Instead of a handkerchief, there was an antique pocket watch. All this time, I possessed an antique pocket watch and I didn’t know it.”

I found this story and interesting one… a gift given…an assumption as to what the gift is…the discovery of the true gift. As with every good story, there can be…and are…multiple layers of meaning which reveal themselves upon reflection. Perhaps I am presumptuous in asserting what the story’s meaning has for me… but let me offer a few thoughts…and then I encourage your own…even deeper reflections.

Each of us has been given a gift that is wondrous…beyond measure…undeserved… The gift each of us has been given is the gift of life, and that life comes from God who has breathed into each of us his Spirit, and has called us to life, creating us in His own image. Stop for a moment… don’t read these lines as you would any other… savor them…wonder at the prospect of having this gift… be in awe of God’s generosity, and the trust and unfathomable confidence God has in us.

What do we do with this gift? If we are like Shea we at times toss it in the back of our life’s closet and assume we know what the gift box holds. Perhaps at some point in our lives when we need a realization of love and hope, we rummage through the dark recesses of the closet and unearth the box that holds what was ours all along.

We often walk through life clinging to what is passing…what delights for only a moment…what we believe will bring us peace… and we forget that we already possess the greatest of gifts which we have not earned, which we do not deserve, which was given to us out of pure love.

Pause…reflect…ponder…the ultimate gift… and then sing…shout…dance…declare your gratitude for it… Christ proclaimed “I have come to give you life, and life to the full” What an incredible promise, what a wondrous reality. Let us live each day with a deep awareness of what is ours…

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

This past Sunday we celebrated the great feast of Pentecost. We celebrate the church…each of us…being filled with the Spirit of God. What does this mean? Perhaps to recognize what we already possess… we are filled with grace, which is God’s love dwelling in us. This love moves in and around us…it inspires our thoughts, it calls us to work passionately for truth, it guides us in our decisions, it moves us to shift from self-focus to other’s needs…

In preparing for a Pentecost prayer experience I found myself rifling through a number of CD’s to find a piece of music that might capture for me, this Spirit moving in each of us… both God and David Haas were cooperative, and the result is a beautiful song (which can be downloaded from several sources if you wish to hear the lyrics paired with a beautiful musical setting). I thought I’d share the lyrics, which might be a source of prayer for us…

Abide, O Spirit of Life

Music by David Haas/Text by Bill Huebsch—This text is an adaptation of the prayer that was prayed before each session of both the First Vatican Council and the Second Vatican Council thought to be originally composed by St. Isidore of Seville.

May we always be open to God’s renewing and reconciling Spirit.

We stand firm here before you, with our weakness and longing for you; we are bound to love one another. Abide, O Spirit of Life!

We ask you to guide all our actions, and to show the path we should walk; we desire to know what will please you. Abide, O Spirit of Life!

Let peace fill our hearts, let love fill our minds.

Make us loving disciples of Christ.

So, May we be one; so, may we be yours.

Abide, O Spirit of Life!

May you be our sole inspiration, may you see whatever we do. May we act in your name forever. Abide O Spirit of Life!

May we walk together in justice; teach us wisdom, unite all our hearts. May your grace be here now to guide us. Abide, O Spirit of Life!

United in your name forever, may our work reflect your desires. May your mercy and love always fill us. Abide, O Spirit of Life!

So often when I forget the Source of my life… I find my focus narrows… I begin to lose clarity in my thoughts… and my actions flow from selfishness rather than selflessness. The Spirit is within me… The Spirit is within you… We need to call on the gifts the Spirit has given us: wisdom, understanding, counsel, courage, knowledge, piety, awe of the Lord.

May we continue to seek ways to build the Kingdom of God here on earth through our witness as Christians.

A blessed week!

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

Some weeks ago on a field trip with our 8th grade class, I picked up a “bargain book” entitled, The Intimate Eye, portraits by Bernard Gotfryd. I don’t really know the works of Gotfryd, but I was intrigued by his presentation. The book included rather candid photos of authors, artists, public figures, and other “famous” people. Although the photos were the first thing that drew my eye, it was rather the small snippets of text that truly captured me. These texts included interactions the photographer had with the one being photographed. The exchanges between photographer and subject varied in topic and in focus, but each one provided a keen insight into some aspect of the person who was being photographed.

As I paged through the book I found a striking picture of Sophia Loren. She was looking beyond the camera…stately…and regal. The picture was taken at the Museum of Modern Art where a Sophia Loren film festival was playing. The photographer spoke of the paparazzi that whirled around Loren. The photographer then related the following scene:

“After a five minute session, we were all asked to leave. Being the last one out, I took my time and managed to get several more exposures. She was very gracious. When I thanked her, she said, ‘I hope you got what you wanted.’ ‘One never does,’ I said. ‘That’s very true,’ she said, smiling.’”

I have found myself musing over…wrestling with…pondering…considering this exchange for some time. Do we ever get what we want? This question is such a large and all encompassing one that to ponder it within the scope of this reflection would not do justice to it. I believe it’s one of those questions that has no answer…but the richness of its query is worth engaging in thought.

Saying that, let me simply share one direction I found myself traveling in as I considered this question. One of my first thoughts was to ask yet another question… “Do we really know what it is that we want?” If you were to pause right now and ask yourself this question… what is your response? Do we express what we think we should say considering the audience that surrounds us? World peace…an end to poverty…equality among all people…a just government… or rather do we focus on family and express our wish to have a healthy family…one that is economically stable…a family whose children grow up happy… or are we wont to look at issues of faith by highlighting the need to see God at the center of our lives…to witness to our faith by living what we value?

I challenge you to find a few minutes (that’s like trying to eat just one Lay’s potato chip) to let this question stir within you. The temptation is always to state what we want to be most important… the question is “What do we want now?” The answer to the question for any of us will reveal itself in the way we live now. If I am working to pile up what I believe is a monetary nest egg for my family, then perhaps my focus is economic stability (I wonder if the past few years have taught us that this is nearly impossible). If I find myself running from event to event for my kids, then perhaps my focus is on giving them what they want…or perhaps what I perceive they want or need. In the midst of this frenzy I wonder if the running around and its perception by others is more important than actually taking the time to question what is truly best for my children.

A shorthand response to the question after much consideration finds expression in what may be a simplistic answer: “No, we never get quite what we want.” I believe my reply comes from a sense that we do not really know what it is we want simply because we all too often act before we consider. I also believe that we are all too often moved by others’ “wanting” (keeping up with the Joneses); and therefore live out of others’ wants.

Not getting what I want is not necessarily a “bad” thing. Growing up taught us that sometimes our desires exceeded reality (as well as simple “sense.”) As a nine year old I wanted a horse. My family not only did not have the means to provide one, but my parents were wise enough to know that this desire would pass and it was not essential to what was truly important in living a full life. As a kid I also paid consequences for my wrong choices. These consequences were certainly not what I wanted…but they were, perhaps, among the best lessons I was graced to receive (although in many cases I did not realize this until much later in life!)

I have no doubt that this question will continue to surface in my thoughts and in my prayer. I encourage you to make some time to consider these questions as well… “Do we get what we want in life?”… “Do I know what I want in life?”

May your thoughts lead you to what is essential… what is life-giving…what is true.

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

There are days when I don’t think I can do anything right. I know I am not alone in this, for I have conducted many an informal assessment that confirmed that my feeling is not unique! Not too long ago I had one of these days. I began to wonder what caused this feeling of being unable to do something right. As I began to ponder this experience, I found myself reflecting on a story I heard not too long ago. It was the story of the “one-note wonder”…and it goes something like this:

There once lived a musician who was known as the one-note wonder. She inspected her violin, took her seat in the orchestra, arranged her music and tuned up her instrument. As the concert proceeded the conductor cued one group of musicians after another until finally the crucial moment arrived. It was time for her one note to be played! The conductor signaled, she sounded her note— and the moment was over. Just like that! The orchestra played on and the one-note player sat quietly for the rest of the concert; not disappointed that she had played only one note, but with a sense of fulfillment that she’d played in tune…on time…and with great gusto! She remained grateful for having played at all…and she knew that her note helped to hold the entire masterpiece together.

I began to see why nothing was going right…my vision was skewed and my focus was off. Each morning I need to walk into the day confident that my life has some purpose. As the day reveals itself so often that purpose reveals itself as well. It may seem a bit simplistic, but my purpose is God’s purpose. I have “one note” to play and no one can play it the way I can…no one can play it the way you can. When I recognize that I do have something significant to offer the world, I must also realize that others have their unique “one note” gifts as well, and as Andy Rooney once said, “Being kind is better than being right.”

When I can truly see… I recognize that each of us has been given unique gifts and talents that complement others…they don’t compete with others. In the New Testament Ananias entered history by simply introducing Saul of Tarsus to Christ, then he promptly exited history. He was a one note player, but what a note! He not only changed Saul’s life…but through that life…the life of our church.

As we walk through life we impact the lives of others. Often we are unaware of just how this happens… but it happens… What we say…how we reach out…the way we share…our gift of listening…who knows how our “one note” will affect and change others? (and indeed our very selves)

Today is a better day… The day will no doubt hold mistakes and wrong decisions…but what I must be certain of is my intention… my focus. I want to be a good person… I want to be a committed Christian…so I must look to the note I’ve been given to play in this rhapsody of life and I must recognize the unique notes of others and revel in the incredible sound we can make when we play in harmony…each allowing the other to express his/her note in symphonic unity. There will be dissonance… and practice is needed to sound my note properly… but what we need most is the will to want to play in harmony… to blend in celebration of the incredible music we can make together!

May your week be filled with beautiful music!

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

Recently several people have shared stories with me regarding our school community. One comes from a parent who spoke of an experience while driving with her child. It seemed to be an ordinary day…they were driving from errand to errand…and suddenly an emergency vehicle came from a nearby street with siren shrieking…cars pulled to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass…and from the back seat the woman heard her son say quietly, “We need to pray for the person in the ambulance, mom,” and then he began to pray.

The second story comes from a parishioner who was getting her hair styled. Conversation went back and forth between herself and her hairdresser. They found themselves on the topic of ministries in their parishes when another patron approached them, apologized for overhearing their conversation, and asked what church they belonged to. “St. Rita,” said the parishioner. “Really… well I want to tell you that I ride on Whitney Ave almost daily, and knowing that your school community is praying for me and all who pass on Whitney Avenue has often lifted my spirits and made my day. Thank you!”

As I was pondering what Catholic education has to offer our community…our world… I found myself reflecting on these two recent stories as responses to this reflection. Although our Catholic schools provide a good, solid education…they do so very much more. As our students pass through our hallways each day they are immersed in the promise that Christ is with them…and that He loves them beyond measure… When discussions arise regarding war … relationships…poverty…mathematical concepts and their application, the role of science in our living… these topics, and all others are seen through the lens of Christian morality and the spirit of the gospels.

A student who is taught solid moral living by his/her parents and supported by his/her school has an incredible impact on society. Let’s take for example nuclear power. In the hands of one person nuclear power might be used to build up humanity and provide a means to bring light and energy to humankind. In the hands of another person nuclear power might be used to render darkness as the norm and destroy life through annihilation, or at the very least…the threat of utter destruction. What makes the difference in a person? Does pure knowledge allow one to judge morally? Does a high IQ or straight A’s guarantee ethical thinking and acting?

In this past Sunday’s gospel we were asked to move from the Old Testament’s command to “Love another as you love yourself,” to the New Testament’s challenge to “Love another as I (Christ) loves you.” The first is difficult enough…but the second? Where do we learn to love as Christ loves? Where do we see this lived? How do we know how to recognize it?

Catholic education builds on what is learned in the home. We partner parents in their quest to encourage in their children a life well lived. Knowledge pales in the presence of wisdom… the good news of our Scriptures empowers all learning and provides us with the means to live life to the full.

The young boy in the first story understands something deep down… we are connected to each other… we need the prayerful support of a community who looks beyond only our own needs and concerns. The woman in the salon attested to this. Prayer moves us…it sustains us…it needs to be as natural as breathing…it is not something we do only on Sunday’s or only when we are in need…prayer moves in and among us… it is gratitude, it is petition, it is anguish, it is praise, it is delight… Prayer is a relationship with the divine and in dialogue with Christ we are moved to see all people as our brothers and sisters…

Catholic education stands as a prophetic reminder to our society that education does not flourish by simply exercising the mind, but rather by engaging the whole person and infusing that person with what is rightly his/hers: the incredible realization that we are made in God’s image and likeness…and it is this reality that inspires our decisions…our treatment of others…our very being.

May we recall often this week… that we are reflections of God!!!

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

While attending a recent spirituality seminar I was touched by a story told by Fr. Michaels Himes, a professor of theology at Boston College. He spoke of his mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s and of his evening visits with her in a nearby nursing home . As time passed, he noticed that she recognized him less and less. On some visits she thought he was her husband, or a friend, or simply someone with whom she found herself in conversation. On a particular evening, Fr. Himes sat in the presence of his mother and asked her, “Do you know who I am?” Her eyes searched his face and she smiled, “I don’t know who you are, but I know I loved you.”

The power of love… to pull us back from any experience…any fear…any suffering. In this case, it was not the power of being loved, but rather the power of loving that drew someone from darkness into the light. Fr. Himes love for his mother brought him into her presence most evenings. He no doubt had other things he could have done with this time…after all…evening after evening it seemed as if his visits were futile, for his own mother didn’t recognize him… or so it seemed. Neither Fr. Himes nor his mother were focused on being loved…but rather on loving.

Where is my focus? Do I look outward to see what it is I can be doing for another? Perhaps there seems little I can do for another in the face of pain, disappointment or despair… perhaps my presence in prayer, my “being-with” is the greatest gift I can share.

There is a powerful scene from the film, Marvin’s Room, where two sisters stand in the kitchen of the sister who is dying of cancer. Bad news is delivered to the sister regarding her cancer and as she hangs up the phone, she turns and knocks dozens of pill containers to the floor spilling medications everywhere. As both she and her sister bend to pick them up, she sighs and shares with her sister, “Oh, I have been so blessed to have so much love in my life.” Her sister responds, “Yes, dad and others love you so much…” “Oh no,” her sister responds, “It is I who have been lucky to have loved them.”

So often our focus is on “what’s in it for me?” I have found in my own life, that when I feel most “down” or “out of sorts” it is because my focus in large part is on whether I am loved/accepted, rather than how much I love another. Paul’s well known reflection on love calls us to be for others… patient, kind, not jealous, not boastful… Paul defines love as powerful because we give it to others… We may well forget those who loved us…but we shall never forget those we have loved.

Let us reflect this week on those we love… on those we are blessed to have in our lives…

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

While in Reynosa those building met each morning and evening for prayer. During one of those prayer experiences one of the students read the following story:

A man is being tailgated by a woman who’s in a hurry. He comes to an intersection and when the light turns yellow he hits the brakes. The woman behind him goes ballistic. She honks her horn and yells profanities. As she’s ranting and raving someone taps on her window. To her horror she looks up and sees a policeman. He invites her out of her car and takes her to the station where she is searched, fingerprinted and put in a cell. After a couple of hours she’s released and the arresting officer gives her her personal effects and says to her, “I’m very sorry for the mistake, ma’am. I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn and using foul language. I noticed the ‘What would Jesus do?’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow me to Sunday School’ window sign and the peace emblem on your trunk, so I naturally assumed you had stolen the car.”

The story’s end caught all of us by surprise. The reflection that followed centered on how each of us does not often “walk the talk.” How do we live what we believe in? How do others know what is most important to us? How do we reflect God to others?

As the week progressed I witnessed God in our midst in those who built and in those for whom we built. Each person there was focused on “the other.” No one thought very long about themselves…they always found themselves reaching out…doing for…and anticipating the needs of someone else. We didn’t have any bumper stickers on the back of our vans that proclaimed that God was near…but the message that each person carried was evident in how they lived and worked and played.

On my return flight I found myself in prayer. “Help me Lord… Help me to live what I know to be true…that there is only one way to know true life… to love You, my Lord, and to love all people. Give me the grace to be for others…and to forget myself…”

May each of us be graced to live what we believe…to be courageous enough to forget ourselves so that we may look to the needs of others…

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen