New Year - Renewed CommitmentBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director In this first week of the new year when my renewed commitment to doing things that enliven my brain and spark my soul is still fresh, I read Brian Doyle’s essay “A Better Monk Would Know.” Doyle begins the essay, “I was in a monastery the other day and got to talking to a monk who, when I asked him why he was a monk… said, because it’s hard.” The monk goes on, “Because I am not sure I can do it all… let alone do it well, and do it for years and years, perhaps for my whole life.” Amen, yes! My professional work; my home life; my spiritual life; the way I parent and step-parent; the relationship with my husband; my coursework for my Master of Divinity program; the way I wash my face, brush my teeth, blow-dry my hair; the way I exercise; the garden I plant; the books I want to read; the healthy food I want to eat – all of it! I am not sure I can do it all and do it well for years and years. The temptation is to curl up on the couch, pull a blanket over my head, and watch Netflix until my brain turns to mush. But Doyle’s monk continues, “I try to be a good monk for a week at a time… I might have been happy and fulfilled in a dozen ways. But I knew inside that I had to try to do what was hard for me to do, to be of best use.” This year, our Theresian Litany of Solidarity invites us to stand in solidarity through prayer and action with women emerging in leadership in church and society -- the women, like you and me, who are not sure they can do it all or do it well, but who have committed themselves to being of best use by doing difficult things. As we prayerfully unite to support women emerging in leadership, I invite you to spend some time with Doyle’s essay “A Better Monk Would Know.” What does it say to you about the emerging leaders in your life, in your church, in your family, and in your Theresian community? What does it say to you about being of best use and doing hard things? My hope is that 2024 is filled with opportunities for each of us to take these words of Doyle’s monk to heart: “I cannot explain why I hope that what I do matters; all I can do is do what I do, either well or ill, patiently or not, gracefully or not.”
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An Advent Invitation to SilenceBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director As I write this reflection, contractors are at work in our kitchen, hammering and sawing and grinding their way through a remodel. To drown out the noise, I have headphones on and am listening to instrumental Christmas music. Next to my keyboard, my phone emits intermittent sounds alerting me to messages and emails and phone calls. Soon my husband will be finished with his workday and will be walking through the house with questions for me, then the TV will be on. Noises from the furnace drone in the background. A school bus rattles by on the street. And that doesn’t even begin to describe all the thoughts running through my head – the to-do lists, the plans, the worries! My life is very noisy. Quiet time with God is almost non-existent for me right now. And I am craving silence. I am reminded of the Yiddish folk tale “It Could Always Be Worse.” In the story, a poor man complains to the Rabbi about how crowded and loud his small house is. The Rabbi’s advice is for the man to bring his chickens into the house. As the story builds, the Rabbi continues to advise the man to bring in more animals: goose, rooster, dog, cat, goat, cow (the animals vary depending on the version of the tale you read). At the end of the tale, the Rabbi tells the man, who is now at his breaking point, to remove all the animals from his home. The story ends with the man exclaiming, “Holy Rabbi, you have made life sweet for me. With just my family in the hut, it’s so quiet, so roomy, so peaceful… What a pleasure!” I believe God gives us chaos and noise as a way to teach us to appreciate the gift of silence. In this week’s Advent video from the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture, Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, reminds us that silence is difficult, especially with all the distractions in our world. But silence is so important in our relationship with God. Fr. Mark says, “Silence is to prayer like a canvas is to the artist.” He goes on to say, “Silence sensitizes us to hear God.” If your life is as noisy as mine is right now, join me this Advent in accepting God’s invitation for silence, even if it is only for a couple of minutes. For inspiration, please watch Fr. Mark’s 9:39 minute video below. AdventBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director My husband and I recently treated ourselves to reservations at a new restaurant. We thought it would be nice to enjoy some conversation over a plate of tacos after a long week. Maybe a bowl of guacamole if we were feeling extravagant. The reality proved to be a bit different. When we arrived, we discovered the restaurant was loud, crowded, and dark -- that level of darkness that makes it hard to read a menu. Most diners seemed half our age. A live DJ blasted music in one corner. Performers in Day of the Dead costumes strolled among the tables while servers brought out flaming plates of food and drinks. Quiet, intimate, simple, it was not. This misguided date night comes to mind as Advent approaches (Sunday, December 3). While I like to think of Advent as a month-long date with God where we make plans to hang out and talk, maybe over a plate of tacos and guacamole, the reality is rarely the quiet intimacy I had planned. Too often I allow my life to become too loud and too crowded with holiday preparations that I leave little space for quiet time with God. It is this noisy distraction that is addressed in the Ascension Press video series Rejoice: An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture. The series features Fr. Mark Toups from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana; Fr. Josh Johnson from the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Sr. Josephine Garrett, a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth. (Sr. Josephine offered a presentation on community and commitment to Theresians on June 24, 2023. You can watch a recording of her presentation here.) In the first Rejoice video offered below, Fr. Mark, Fr. Josh, and Sr. Josephine talk about the importance of silence, perceptions of silence, and obstacles to silence. If you are unable to watch the entire 28-minute video, please consider watching Sr. Josephine’s three-minute message that can be found at the 11:50 minute mark in the video. Each week through Advent, we will be sharing these Rejoice videos with you. A journal is mentioned in the video and is available for purchase through various online booksellers (options are available here). The journal is NOT needed to enjoy the program. Please join with me this Advent in finding time for silence and simplicity. Maybe we can even find some time for tacos with God this holiday season! Follow meBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
In Mary Oliver’s poem “Six Recognitions of the Lord,” she writes: Oh, feed me this day, Holy Spirit, with the fragrance of the fields and the freshness of the oceans which you have made, and help me to hear and to hold in all dearness those exacting and wonderful words of our Lord Christ Jesus, saying: Follow me. My husband and I have been watching The Chosen, slowly working our way through each episode. As I watch the show, I am always a little jarred when Jesus says, “Follow me.” (Watch a compilation of scenes from The Chosen here). What does it really mean when Jesus says, “Follow me”? I understand Mary Oliver’s desire to be fed by the Holy Spirit with the “fragrance of the fields” and the “freshness of the oceans.” But the simple words “follow me” seem so much more complex. What do the “exacting and wonderful” words “follow me” mean to you? For an interesting exploration of “those exacting and wonderful words of our Lord Christ Jesus,” consider listening to a few of the Old St Pat’s Podcast episodes (available on Spotify). I especially recommend You Can Never Get Enough of the One You Love 6.4.23, Transforming Hearts 6.13.23, and A Little Help for My Friends 7.9.23. Yes, tranquility can exist with chaosThings are a bit chaotic at home these days. One of the “offspring” (a term of endearment my husband and I use to refer to the four children in our blended family) is raging through our house like a Category 5 hurricane. Just when we think we’re nearing a moment of calm at the eye of the storm, another round of 160 mph winds hits us. It is an exhausting, soul-tearing experience! The storm has my husband and me pulling out all our survival supplies: prayer, love, healthy (and enforced) boundaries, and support from our circles of community. And we’re finding moments of rest and connection, like a Sunday bicycle ride along the river or picking mulberries off the trees in our backyard. Our experience reminds me of something author Parker Palmer recently posted on his Facebook page. He writes, “When the world’s heartbreak threatens to take me down, it helps to remember that this is not the only world to which I belong.” He goes on to describe how each of us is part of a “vast and very real world of nature” that stretches from the “cells in our bodies” into the “immensity” of the “cosmos.” We are members of a vast and interconnected community of life. But experiencing our connection to this great whole “is not about evading heartbreak,” Palmer says. Rather this connectedness is a way of entering into life’s ups and downs “neither crushed by a sense of futility nor lost in fantasy.” (I admit I’ve fantasized about moving into a tiny house in the middle of the woods and not leaving a forwarding address.) As part of his Facebook post, Palmer shares the William Stafford poem, “Time for Serenity, Anyone?” The poem begins with a “reminder” that “this world still is alive… and I’m part of it.” Stafford writes of “tranquil chaos” and “motionless turmoil” that co-exist in the “great peacefulness” of “wilderness.” Yes, tranquility can exist with chaos. Yes, there can be peace even with turmoil. Yes, there can be bicycle rides and berry picking even when the winds of a hurricane-force “offspring” threaten to blow the roof off the house. We can, in the words of Stafford, embrace this “everything dance.” What is your hurricane? When the storms of life surge, are you dancing with the winds or are you hiding under the bed? Are you connecting with God, your Theresian sisters, and your other support communities or are you being crushed by a sense of futility? Wherever you find yourself, I invite you to join me in this everything dance. I’m going to look very silly if I’m the only one on the dance floor in the middle of a hurricane! P.S. For those who would like to explore more about nature’s interconnectedness, I am currently reading Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, by Suzanne Simard. It is a bit of a dense read, but Simard’s discoveries about interdependence among trees are fascinating. Community, vocation, ministry, synodality, and hopeBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
On the May 30 episode of the podcast Beyond the Habit, Sisters of St. Joseph Erin McDonald and Colleen Gibson interviewed Sister Nathalie Becquart, a Xavières Missionary Sister who currently serves as the undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. (To learn more about the Synod, click here.) As women in support of women reaching out with Gospel values, it is important for Theresians to pay attention to the work of people like Sister Nathalie who is the first woman to hold her position at the Vatican. During the interview, Sister Nathalie offers insights into community, vocation, ministry, synodality, and hope. She also talks about women and young people in the church today. She believes that “the driving force of synodality and solidarity are young people and women.” Take some time to listen to this “Journeying Together” episode. (Click here to listen.) Morning RoutineBy Tammy Townsnd Denny, TI Executive Director My spiritual director recently shared with me a reflection called “Morning Rituals” from the blog Sunflower Seeds: Celebrating Everyday Spirituality. Written by Sister Melannie Svoboda, SND, the reflection asks us to think about how we begin our days. Do we rush around grabbing coffee on our way out the door? Or do we pause and pray, maybe even bowing to the wonder of the world around us? A morning pause can be challenging, though, especially if we have kids and pets and spouses vying for our attention. But, it takes less than a minute to look out the window and say, “Thank you, my dear, sweet God—for everything!” Read Sister Melannie’s “Morning Rituals” here. Theresian FoundationBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director The Theresian Foundation recently held their annual meeting and call to serve. Join with me in welcoming the new officers and members of the Foundation Board of Directors: President - Stephanie Hawkins, Illinois Vice President - Sharon Staffel, Texas Secretary - Marilyn Arendt, Texas Treasurer - Stephanie Wallace, Montana Directors: Lynn Moroux, Louisiana Mary Anne Camello, Philippines Claudia Pieske, Illinois The Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support to Theresians International in perpetuity. The Foundation Board of Directors achieves its mission by meeting investment goals established by the Foundation Board, receiving contributions and donations, conducting fundraising activities that are related to and support the work and mission of Theresians, making an annual distribution to Theresians International (TI) in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Board, and balancing investment growth goals with current spending needs of Theresians International. While the Theresian Foundation and Theresians International work in collaboration with each other, each ministry is a separate legal entity with separate boards of directors, separate reporting requirements, and separate bank accounts. The Theresian Foundation is focused on managing the investment funds that began with an endowment fund established by our founder Msgr. Voss. These funds have continued to grow thanks to the generosity of Theresian benefactors. The Foundation distributes a set percentage of these funds annually to Theresians International. To learn more about the Theresian Foundation, please visit Theresian Foundation FAQs. If you would like to consider a contribution to the Foundation, please visit Giving to the Foundation to learn more. “Women’s Cry” exhibitBy Tammy Townsend Denny. TI Executive Director A new exhibition recently opened at St. Peter’s Square in Rome called “Women’s Cry.” The online publication Aleteia reports: “Organized by the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO), in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication, the exhibition seeks to give visibility to women from the world’s peripheries, whose portraits are accompanied by quotes from Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical Fratelli tutti.” I encourage you to watch this three-minute video about the “Women’s Cry” exhibit and to reflect on the images. As Theresians, we have dedicated ourselves to being women in support of women. How does “Women’s Cry” call to you about supporting women around the world? Thoughts on Mother's DayBy Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director On May 14, we will celebrate Mother’s Day in the United States, a day to honor and recognize all the mothers in our lives. But for some of us, motherhood and Mother’s Day are complicated! And messy! I agree with author Anne Lamott who says Mother’s Day “feels incomplete and imprecise.” The day seems to forget those who are mourning miscarriages, infertility, or death. It loses sight of birth mothers who place a child for adoption and foster parents who open their hearts and homes to other people’s children. It fails to adequately honor those who are caring for a child with mental or physical illness. And it does nothing for those who are caring for a parent. It misses grandparents and stepparents and aunts and uncles and dads and cousins and friends and teachers who do so many mom duties – if mom duties can even be defined. It forgets those who never knew their moms, those who have been abandoned or abused by their moms, and those who have moms (or children) who are incarcerated. Mother’s Day feels awkward for many of us. A few months back, a good friend called me in tears. Her stepson didn’t want her to attend a parent event at his school. He wanted his mom there, not his stepmom. I shared with her my stepparenting experiences, recalling moments when I cleaned up, picked up, supported, calmed, cheered, cringed, and cried for my husband’s daughters. Yet, I have never been invited to be at their schools’ parent-teacher conferences or acknowledged in any sort of parenting role with them. That is because my husband’s two daughters have a mom. And it isn’t me, even though I sometimes do mom-like things for them. The stepparenting experience, as awkward as it is, has taught me a lot about humility. I try to do the right things and be of service when I can even if my efforts may be rejected. I reminded my friend to do the same. If this Mother’s Day feels incomplete and imprecise for you, you’re not alone. It’s a wonky kind of day. I encourage you to spend some time praying with Eve or Mary or Mother Earth, if that sort of prayer speaks to you. I invite you to join me in letting go of the expectations and envy of flowers, chocolates, and overpriced brunch at overcrowded restaurants. Instead, embrace the support of women throughout the ages who have mothered us into being in all the complexity and messiness of life. P.S. If you would like to recognize or remember a mothering influence in your life, consider making a donation to the Theresian Foundation with a “Celebrate Life” gift. Click here to donate. We will send the person of your choice a card acknowledging the gift. |
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