Are You an Eve or a Mary?

photo: Google Images

by Sr. Pia Ignatius, O.Carm.

Poor Eve really gets a bum rap in the Bible.  In a moment of weakness she succumbs to peer pressure and eats from the tree of knowledge.  We’ve all had our Eve moments.  Most of those moments probably happened in school when we were struggling to fit in and not be different.  But we can all look back on our lives and remember times when we did something, with full knowledge of it being wrong, just to not be different or cause waves.

Let’s take a second look at what Eve really did.  She was told by our Lord not to eat from the tree of knowledge.  That sounds familiar doesn’t it?  How many times have we been told by our parents or loved ones ‘don’t touch that’?  And how many times has someone come up to you and said ‘forget what they said, I know better.’  And we believe them, only to regret almost immediately our actions.  But what did Eve really do?  She decided to believe a stranger over Our Lord, our Creator who loves us dearly.  Again, sound familiar?  Think back to a time when your mother said to you, ‘I don’t like so and so, you shouldn’t hang out with them.  They are bad news.’  And what did you think or say in reply?  Probably something along the lines of ‘you don’t know what you are talking about I know better’.  And in the end what happens?  The whole thing blows up in your face.  This scenario plays out countless times throughout our lives.  It just changes location, from the school yard, to work, to the local bar.  Same premise just in a different wrapping. 

Now dig deeper.  What did Eve fail to do?  What is the one thing she could have done to help her learn and give her the strength to say no?  She could have gone back to our Lord and talked to Him.  And now we come to Mary, the new Eve.

The Archangel Gabriel presents to Mary a proposition.  She had free will, as we all do, and she could have said no.  In Luke 1:29 Mary was perplexed and pondered.  She thought about what Gabriel said.  She even questioned it! In Luke 1:34 she doubted and basically said (in modern layman terms) um, you’re crazy I can’t be pregnant I’ve never had sex.  Gabriel doesn’t yell at her or demand that she blindly obeys.  No, he explained exactly what was to happen and not only that but told her that she will not go through it alone.  Luke 1:36 tells us that Elizabeth, her relative is also pregnant.  So now this scary thing isn’t so scary anymore because she has a friend to travel on this journey with.  And Mary said yes.

When in your life have you reached a cross road?  A life changing decision must be made.  Picking what college to go to, accepting a job promotion, or getting married.  Did you turn to the Lord asking for guidance?  Or maybe something negative happens in your life and you turn to our Lord and ask why did you let this happen to me?  Either way you asked.  And then you look around to find your Elizabeth.  Ever hear the expression ‘God only gives you what he knows you can handle’?  Mary was about 14 years old.  Just let that sink in for a bit.  Mary like Eve had a choice to make.  And unlike Eve, Mary questioned and asked for an explanation before she made her decision.  

LIFE IS PRECIOUS: AN ADVENT REFLECTION

by Sr. Pia Ignatius, O.Carm.

It was the year after I graduated high school when I heard the news.  A fellow classmate took her own life.  She had just finished family dinner, when she excused herself from the table, took her father’s gun and used it to kill herself.  She was still alive when EMS arrived but was pronounced dead at the hospital.  She left behind a 3 year old daughter.

One sunny September morning, I was at work and my boss shouted down the hallway calling everyone into the conference room for a meeting.  This was not a good sign, an unannounced meeting.  We all sat down and noticed a grim look on his face.  He informed us that a fellow colleague and friend had taken his own life sometime in the early hours of the morning.  He lived alone, having been recently divorced with no children.  It was about a week before he was supposed to be his older brother’s best man.

As Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, we take an oath to protect all life in every stage.  But how do you come to terms with someone who makes such a finite decision?  It is easy to say, “Oh that person was so selfish” or “That’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem” or “They must have been on drugs or drunk”.  No, that is not the case.  Suicide is often the unfortunate result of a battle with depression, just as a person who has a heart condition dies of a heart attack.  And for those who remain there is often the guilt of having survived.  Questions start to pop up.  Why didn’t I notice the warning signs?  Why didn’t this person reach out?  Why didn’t I reach out?  What could I have done differently?  Why God?  I don’t understand. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2280) states: “Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.  (2281) Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.  Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.  (2283) We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.”

How can we who are alive process this type of tragic event and help others to heal?  By listening.  St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross have said that it is through silence that God speaks to us.   People want to be loved and want to know that they are loved.  Love thy neighbor.  Love others as God loves you.  Be silent and listen. We are not God, we cannot be everywhere, we cannot see everything, or hear everything.  But we can be more aware.   We can make ourselves available.  We can take a moment out of our day and reach out to others.  A simple text message, a warm smile, grabbing a cup of coffee together, or inviting someone to Mass- these are just few examples of little things that can go a long way for someone who is at the end of their rope.  And above all PRAY. 

If you need someone, or know someone who needs someone, pick up the phone and call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).  During this holiday season remember those who are alone or who feel lost and show Christ’s love to them. 

Advent Activities

                                                                            Baking

                                                                  

 

                                                          Ginger bread cookies!

                                             Writing Thanksgiving "Thank You" notes

                                   Novitiate Infant Procession is a long held Carmelite tradition 
                                                         honoring the Infant Jesus

                                                         The Advent Jesus procession

MY FAVORITE VIRTUE

by Sr. Hope Therese, O.Carm

My favorite virtue is HOPE.  It has literally been with me my whole life.  In order to explain just how important the virtue of hope is to me, I will need to give a little of my background.  I was born and baptized Dianna Hope Maring.  My parents had hoped they would have another child.  Little did my parents know just how much I would need that virtue.  From the time I was born I have had various medical issues.  My family and I hoped and prayed that everything would turn out fine.  Through the grace of God all of these issues have been resolved.  In college, I had to do fieldwork placements to become an occupational therapist assistant.  I thought I wanted to work with children because I had occupational therapy as a child.  Playing with children is fun.  Working with them is difficult and complicated.  The children had Individualized Education Plans that I did not find holistic or realistic.  I dropped out of one fieldwork placement with children and failed another.  Clearly God was telling me to go in another direction.  I was despairing over what to do with my life.  I could not figure out God’s plan for me.  With a heavy heart and lack of confidence, I decided to do two more fieldwork placements.  Both of them were in nursing homes.  One was with a COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant).  The other was with an activity director.  My favorite was with the activity director.  I did very well in both of these placements.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Advent signals the start of a new liturgical year.  In the different convents and monasteries of the Carmelite Order, the Holy Infant Procession has been part of our tradition.  After the First Sunday Eucharistic celebration, Sr. Maureen Paul carried the Holy Infant Jesus, in procession with the rest of the Community.  The Infant will then spend a night with each Sister as part of the Advent waiting for Christmas.