The Romero Prayer

A prayer given to me by a fellow missionary. It needs no explanation:

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

-John Cardinal Dearden

Keeping reading

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.”

I remember reading this passage over and over again in both college and high school. Anxiety. That was the word that stuck out to me the most. Anxious, stressed, worried, constantly thinking about my tests, about my leadership positions, about my friendships, about everything. God seemed to come almost as a relief from all these things, rather than First in my life. I would read this passage weekly, thinking, “God,... let's get through this week.”

Getting through a week? How terrible. I had made myself so busy that I couldn't even take the time to read the full passage. I was simply reading the part that I felt related to me at the time: being busy, and letting God know it. Yes, sure, I was to do it in prayer with thanksgiving, but I was missing something. I was missing the part where God IS first. He is the reason for living. He is the reason for our education. He is the reason for being a leader. He is the center of our friendships. Or at least... He should be. And His intention will never be to make us anxious. If that is the case, something is wrong. The majority of the times that I can look back and see this anxiety.. what was wrong was that I was taking in all the earthly things I thought represented God such as my Catholic organization on campus (and the 10 related groups), my social justice classes, my service sorority, and even my friendships, and I was shutting God out. Saying, now that I have these physical representations of you, I am no longer in need of YOU.
When in reality- ALL we need is Him. To be silent and hear His voice. After we hear His voice- to listen to His voice. He will guide us in these activities, and with that He will help us to read the passage more closely.

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7

As I reflect on this passage now, all I see is this phrase: “peace that surpasses all understanding.” What a beautiful phrase. Alone- we know nothing, we can do nothing, we are nothing. Our body in not ourselves, and it is not the actions we do that count but the love inside with which we do them. Peace.... yet a peace we do not understand and do not wish to understand. Giving ourselves entirely, knowing that we will be looked after. God will not leave us when we truly give ourselves to Him.

“The faith given to me in baptism suggests to me surely: by yourself you will do nothing, but if you have God as the center of all your action, then you will reach the goal.”
-Pier Giorgio-

An update on our time here: Many of the missionaries were sick this weekend (5 of 7) and so we postponed our volcano hike to tomorrow! We did have the chance to celebrate three of their birthdays this weekend though with a pinata! There were many children in the park, so we invited them to join us. What a beautiful experience to be able to share in community with the children around us! 2 weeks until we arrive in Honduras!

The children gathering the candy from the 5'5 Buzz Lightyear pinata

Erin, David, and Erin. All three of their birthdays were this weekend!

Allison and I with Buzz

Picture post :-)

This is Antigua, Guatemala. Mountains, Volcanoes and Churches are in large supply. The 5 people standing at the foot of the cross are other missionaries serving at the Farm.
This is San Francisco, where we go to Mass. The church looks as though it is ruins (partly because it is) It was destroyed by an earthquake many years ago, and just recently they have decided to reconstruct it.
Flowers are also in large supply in Antigua. The whole town is colored purple, orange, and red. It is quite a treat to be able to see this on the way to work.
These are 2 of the 7 people I'll be living with for the next 2.5 year. David (from California) and Allison (from Chicago). They are playing with the cootie catcher we had just made. (The things you do when you don't have internet!)
This is Ashley (from Massachusetts) and Kevin (from Tennessee!!) Laughing at David and Allison playing with the cootie catcher.
On the left is Erin Lucía (from Maryland). Her middle name is not actually Lucía... but we have 3 Erins serving at the Farm, and needed someway to distinguish between them. Her middle name is actually Lucy, which sounds like lazy to hispanic people- so they thought we were all calling her lazy.... In the middle is a friend that we met- Gabriella
This is Erin Marina- again... her middle name is not Marina but Maureen is also not easy to say in Spanish.

This 6 people are some of the most wonderful people I've ever met (as you can tell simply by their smiles!) I can't wait to tell you more about them, and about our adventures.

I wish I could show you more about the smells, the sounds, the people and the culture, but that will have to wait for a day when I have hours upon hours.

We are celebrating THREE of their birthdays this weekend, and will be climbing an active volcano! More updates to come.

poco a poco

I started school last week, and have been studying Spanish 4-5 hours everyday at the local school here. There are students from all over the world, including the two that live with me from Quebec and Germany. Classes have been needless to say- a bit frustrating. For those that have gone to school with me, you are aware that I'm not a fan of the classroom. I would much rather be out in the world- talking to people, working with my hands, seeing change. Yet, mi maestra (my teacher) is teaching me valuable lessons every day. Humility at how far behind in Spanish I am. (Amazing that those last few classes on Spanish Art in the 1800, the early history of Spain, and the rule of Franco did not aid me in speaking to people in everyday conversations.) Understanding, while being able to see many cultural differences through her. And patience... realizing that nothing will come quickly or easily, especially if I try to do it alone.

Her favorite phrase is "poco a poco" (little by little) ... you'll understand Spanish more little by little. Little by little your stomach will stop hurting... Little by little you will not be so white.

Poco a poco.

We cannot do anything big. All is done little by little, and even those small things we cannot do without God.

“What I do, you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

-Mother Theresa

"You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them."

Saint Therese