Happy New Year!by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
As we transition from one year to the next, I would like to share with you a few words I stumbled upon from best-selling author Donna Ashworth. In a recent Facebook post, she shared a poem that began: Why do we start a new year, with promises to improve? Who began this tradition of never-ending pressure? I say, the end of a year, should be filled with congratulation, for all we survived. And I say a new year should start with promises to be kinder to ourselves, to understand better just how much we bear, as humans on this exhausting treadmill of life. Ashworth goes on to implore us “to strip away a layer of perfection” and “to reveal the flawed and wondrous humanity we truly are inside.” She ends the poem by challenging us to embrace the beauty of our imperfections. In these last hours of 2022, I invite you to consider making a list of all that you have survived this year. This is not a list of your public accomplishments and awards, though those are important. Instead, make a list of those struggles and uphill battles that may not have been as readily seen by others. When your list is complete, acknowledge the difficulty. Embrace it. Then, make another list of all the actions that helped you survive. Maybe it was praying, calling your Theresian sisters, enlisting family support, walking in nature, journaling, petting your dog, going to therapy, seeing your doctor, or staring out the window into the wonder of the world. Whatever is on your 2022 list, I would like to congratulate you! You did it! You survived! Read those words again slowly: You survived. In these last days of 2022, I celebrate you for all that you have survived – all the spoken and unspoken challenges. As we begin 2023, my prayer for you is one of peace and acceptance and love.
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Merry Christmas!by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director As we make our final preparations for the Nativity of the Lord, I would like to share with you a video by the artist Jenedy Paige. Jenedy created a strikingly beautiful painting called “Little Lamb.” (I invite you to go to her website to see the image). While the painting touched my heart, the story behind its creation touched my soul. I encourage you to watch this video from Jenedy and to open your heart and soul to new ways of encountering the birth of Jesus this Christmas. A few joyful resourcesby Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director As the third week of Advent comes to a close and the Nativity of the Lord quickly approaches, I would like to offer you a few joyful resources to watch, to listen to, to read, and to reflect on. TO WATCH Joy – A music video from Gospel recording artist VaShawn Mitchell. Theology of Joy – A video interview with German theologian Jürgen Moltmann. TO LISTEN Re-Awakening Advent Wonder – A podcast episode from Things Not Seen, featuring an interview with author and artist Scott Erickson. How can I make Advent more meaningful? – A podcast episode from A Nun’s Life featuring, Sr. Candyce Rekart, IHM TO READ Experiencing the Joy of Advent – An article by Sr. Bernadette Reis, FSP. The Man Who Was a Lamp – Poetry by theologian and storyteller John Shea. TO REFLECT Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) – Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation. If holiday busyness keeps you from diving into the entire 224 page message, consider reading and praying with this excerpt: “Sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met. To some extent this is because our ‘technological society has succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure, yet has found it very difficult to engender joy’. I can say that the most beautiful and natural expressions of joy which I have seen in my life were in poor people who had little to hold on to. I also think of the real joy shown by others who, even amid pressing professional obligations, were able to preserve, in detachment and simplicity, a heart full of faith. In their own way, all these instances of joy flow from the infinite love of God, who has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: ‘Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction’”. BONUS: TO LAUGH Joy to the World – And lastly, I offer you this Muppet music video, because sometimes great joy comes in lighter moments of silly laughter. Are you willing to love yourself as much as God loves you...?by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director As we come to the end of this second week of Advent, I would like to invite you to pause and reflect on this excerpt from Pope Francis’ Prayer for Peace: “Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: ‘Never again war!’; ‘With war everything is lost.’ Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister...” (The entire prayer is available here.) When I read this prayer, my first thought is of the ongoing battles in Ukraine and the violence on so many of our city streets. My immediate urge is to find a place to donate or volunteer to support efforts for peace abroad and at home. But, when I sit with this prayer for a while and allow the words to penetrate my heart and mind, a different urgency emerges. I hear in this prayer a call for inner peace. Before I can help heal the division and hatred in the world, I must first, in the words of Pope Francis, banish from my heart my own division, my own hatred, and my own war. This internal battle can take shape in different ways for different people. Maybe it is a battle with self-image or self-esteem. Maybe it is a war with addiction – your own or someone else’s. Maybe it is the division between what you dream of doing and what your body will allow you to do. Each of those inner battles can spill over into our daily interactions with others. This Advent, are you willing to love yourself as much as God loves you, then extend that love to everyone who crosses your path? Are you willing to release your inner struggles and stresses so that you can smile at the grumpy store clerk, hold the door for a stranger, or invite someone to cut in line in front of you? In the words of our patroness, St. Therese of Lisieux, “A word or a smile is often enough to put fresh life in a despondent soul.” My prayer for you this Advent is that God grants you an inner light of peace that radiates throughout the world. Peace on earth begins with peace within. I got this! --Godby Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director I recently had one of those moments. Maybe you’re familiar with these types of moments. Tired. Hungry. Pushing too hard. Juggling too many projects. Dreaming of crawling into bed and sleeping one of those exhausted restorative sleeps. Then The Thing happened -- The Thing that under other circumstances would brush by me with minimal disturbance, but without self-care, The Thing seemed like a crushing mountain of debilitating debris. The Thing for me was simple stuff really: a miscommunication between my husband and me about driving privileges for one of the children. But, it was a moment that required me to pause, step away, and sit quietly with myself and God. In a quiet corner of my house where I go for prayer and meditation, I sat with tears of frustration and anger streaming. “OK, God, calm me down. Tell me how to handle this one.” I fumbled for the nearest book, hoping there would be some sort of calming message to inspire me. The small book I grabbed was Time for Joy: Daily Affirmations, by Ruth Fishel. My well-worn copy fell open to a sticky note I had tucked between the pages many years ago. It was a note that formerly had lived on my bathroom mirror during a challenging point in my life. The note said: Dear Tammy, I got this! --God When God answers my prayers on sticky notes, there’s nothing much I can do except wipe my tears and smile. The note was a reminder that even in emotionally challenging moments, there is hope! God’s got this! Whatever your challenges this Advent, whatever struggling moments of anger or tears may come, I invite you to pause and connect with the Divine Presence that is always with us, always guiding us, and always our source of hope. Love and blessings, Tammy Townsend Denny Executive Director P.S. If you are looking for resources about hope, consider listening to this interview with MaryAnn McKibben Dana. MaryAnn is a writer, speaker, and pastor who recently published the book Hope: A User’s Manual. She is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. The season of giving
by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
Did you know Advent begins November 27? That is a little over two weeks away! While Advent is supposed to be a time of quiet preparation and prayer, the reality is that many of us are shifting our thoughts to our Christmas shopping lists. It is hard not to when stores have had Christmas lights flashing since August. Each year, I try to avoid the Christmas shopping frenzy by focusing on ways I can give to others in sustainable, life-giving ways. I do this by donating to or purchasing from a charity that is important to the gift recipient. If you would like to make charitable giving a part of your Advent and Christmas season, may I suggest making a Celebrate Life gift to the Theresian Foundation, honoring someone important in your life? You can also consider asking your friends and family to give to the Theresian Foundation in your honor instead of buying another pair of fluffy Christmas socks that make your feet sweaty. Simply use this link https://bit.ly/TFCelebrateLife or download, print, and mail this card to the TI office at PO Box 487, Elburn, IL 60119: https://bit.ly/TFCelebrateLife-paperform Please share this link or card with friends and family! If you prefer to have items to wrap and give, consider some of the Theresian jewelry options. All proceeds benefit the Theresian Foundation. To see the jewelry, please watch this short video from Theresian Foundation Board Member Lynn Moroux, Esprit de L’ame, Lafayette, Louisiana. Encounters with Faithby Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director Before you begin reading this reflection, I would like to acknowledge that the words that follow might make you uncomfortable. What I am sharing here might not align with your beliefs. And that’s OK! There is space for your deeply held faith as much as there is room for the experience I recently had. I invite you to read to the end of this reflection with an open heart and an open mind. This past Sunday I had an opportunity to attend services at Travis Park Church in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The church, affiliated with the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, is known for its “unconditional love and justice in action.” I went to Travis Park Church not to gawk or judge or condemn but rather to fully experience our Christian faith in another way. I admit I would not have voluntarily walked in the doors of Travis Park Church if it had not been for an assignment in the “Introduction to Ecclesiology” course that I am taking this semester as part of my Master of Divinity program. I may have dismissed the church as a place for other people but not for me. However, as part of the work for my ecclesiology class, we were asked to attend a church that is not part of our faith practice. The purpose of the assignment was to explore where Christian faith traditions converge and diverge. The professor prepared us for these visits with specific instructions. We were to be respectful. We were not to be voyeurs or religious “tourists.” Instead, he challenged us to have an encounter with the experience. What I saw, what I felt, what I encountered when I attended services at Travis Park Church ranks as one of the most profound spiritual experiences I have ever had. I entered the church with an open heart and open mind, walking in side-by-side with people in need who did not have homes. I sang hymns with LGBTQ couples. I witnessed a female pastor prepare communion and invite everyone to the table. I celebrated God’s love with multi-generational families of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I was moved to tears by the joyous presence of love and acceptance. The experience reminded me of an interview with Richard "Mac" McKinney, a United States Marine who served in Afghanistan and is the subject of the short film “Stranger at the Gate.” The film tells the story of Mac’s rage-filled return from Afghanistan and his plans to bomb an Islamic center in his Indiana hometown. His plans changed when he came “face to face with the community of Afghan refugees and others of Muslim faith.” They welcomed him and offered him love, the kind of love I witnessed at Travis Park Church. We read in Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you invited me in…” But, what do those words really mean to us? Are we willing to welcome the stranger and to be the stranger? This week I invite you to ponder the “strangers” in your life. What encounters are you willing to have with those who look, act, and believe differently than you? The Spirituality of Gumboby Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director I recently made gumbo for the first time. Inspired by the okra I got from the farmers’ market and the peppers, onions, and celery I had growing in my garden, I thought I would try my hand at making a batch. I pulled out the Cajun cookbooks given to me by generous Theresians, read through the various recipes for gumbo, and began to make my cooking plans. Then, I panicked. Was it OK to use okra in Cajun gumbo? Trying to recall all the delicious gumbo I ate during my visits to Lake Charles, Jennings, and Lafayette, I couldn’t remember if okra was part of it. Chicken. Sausage. Seafood. Yes. But okra? I don’t know! Sure, no one would know up here in the North. But what would happen if I was asked by someone in Louisiana about gumbo and admitted to using okra? Would I be condemned? Ostracized? Even if I made an awesome roux, but added the wrong ingredients, I might lose the respect of the entire state of Louisiana. There was a lot at stake here: my reputation as a good cook and my credibility as the TI executive director. I am familiar with Gumbo Doctrine: Always use the Holy Trinity (onions, peppers, celery). No tomatoes unless I’m in New Orleans. White rice only. But, okra? Is okra allowed? On a Sunday afternoon, standing in my kitchen in a complete conundrum, I emailed Eileen Eskew, Petals of Faith, Jennings, Louisiana. “Will I be committing a mortal sin if I put okra in my gumbo?” She replied within the hour, demonstrating women in support of women who are trying to make gumbo for the first time. Eileen assured me okra was fine to use. My chicken-sausage-okra gumbo turned out great, though it had more of a greenish tint than the deep brown color I remember from the bowls in Louisiana. (Yes, I cooked the roux to a dark chocolate color.) Let’s blame the green tint on the dark green celery from my garden. Or maybe the okra. Unfazed by the color, my husband ate three bowls. I had two. This gumbo experience made me think a lot about the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Regardless of where or how we choose to worship, it is the relationship among and with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that forms the foundation of our Christian faith. Your faith may not look exactly like my faith. Perhaps yours is a little greener than mine or maybe it has tomatoes, but it is still built on the same basic relationship of love with and among our triune God. In the words of Bishop Robert Barron, God is “a family of love.” I guess you could say my gumbo was love, too… even if it was green. How will your community be remembered?by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director Last week, I attended the Communicators for Women Religious (CWR) conference in Cincinnati. The conference was an opportunity to learn about current trends in communication in the Catholic Church, especially as the communication relates to women and the Church. Our opening keynote speaker was Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, who shared about how we can become agents of unity in our society today. Sr. Norma was named to the 2020 TIME magazine list of the 100 most influential people in the world. (You can watch a 2019 presentation from Sr. Norma here.) Theresians International also hosted an exhibitors table, sharing Theresian information with nearly 120 attendees, most of whom had never heard of Theresians. During dinner one evening, a Catholic sister seated at my table heard that I worked for Theresians International. “I know Theresians,” she said. Surprised, after spending the last several days giving my elevator pitch about who we are, I asked her where she had encountered Theresians. “In Florida,” she said. “I was asked to do a presentation for one of their communities several years ago.” (The Theresian communities in Florida have since disbanded. Sister Carol Stovall, SSJ, (pictured on the right with me) was my gentle reminder that our presence and legacy continues, even in places where our communities no longer meet. This week, I challenge you to reflect on how your Theresian community is building a legacy. How will your community be remembered? St. Thérèse of Lisieux - Theresian Patronessby Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director October 1 is the feast day of our patroness, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. As we pause to honor the ways St. Thérèse inspires and guides us in our communities and throughout our lives, I invite you to use one or more of these activities as a guide to reflect on what being a Theresian means to you: Read (or re-read) our “Holy Newness and the Five Dimensions: A Theresian Way of Life” booklet; Reading Explore the Theresian prayers on the Theresians International website; Prayers Visit St. Thérèse’s poetry on the Archives du Carmel de Lisieux website; Poetry Watch the “Invitation” and “Be My All” videos by Rick Lee James and think about all the ways you have been invited and supported in your Theresian community. Music: Invitation Music: Be My All St. Thérèse, pray for us. |
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