O the Harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Let us go, let us go into the fields. Called by One, called by One, Invited by many to proclaim the reign of God in a’ world! Though our arms will grow weary and our shoes will wear out. Let us go let us go into the fields. (Song composed by Janèt Sullivan Whitaker for the this Convocation)

October 9^th – 13^th in Louisville, KY

More than 400 religious attended this Convocation. As so many of these national events, there are many layers of what one appreciates and is looking for. For me, I am enjoying being with other vocation personnel from the different communities of women and men religious, the sharing with each other, swapping of ideas and mutual encouragement and support. Furthermore, the input provided by the speakers is an excellent resource for ongoing formation.

Here is some of the input of the keynote speakers that I would like to share:

1. Fr. Donald Senior, is a Passionist priest and has been a Professor of New Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union since 1972. His presentation to us was on St. Paul.

Have you noticed that Paul’s vocation story is related in such length and depth as none other in the scriptures? His story shows the maturation of a call over time, as we can read and pinpoint in Acts and Paul’s letters. His main journey was from persecuting to loving; from realizing that where he was weak, God was strong.

Fr. Senior pointed out that a vocation is actually the retrieving of the call that we have received in baptism. It is important to consider that this is a call, not a choice. Through the cycles of our lives, we move ever closer to the Source of this call.

Some aspects of God’s call:

it is a call to follow Jesus

it is sharing in Jesus’ mission of redemption

it is a life changing event, new allegiances are required (as seen in Paul’s story)

it is a mission of human transformation

it is a process of ongoing conversion

2. Sr. Maria Cimperman, is an Ursuline Sister from Cleveland, and Assistant Professor of Moral Theology at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. Her presentation had a very different speed and approach than Fr. Senior’s as she had build-in moments of reflection, silence, and sharing.

Sr. Maria spoke about the Image of the Threshold and she structured her talk into three movements:

a. The image of the Threshold, what is it?

It is an image that can help us to look at movements in religious life. It is a sacred space, entrance way, a crossing that will call us to greater freedom and creativity. It becomes clearly visible once you cross it. You can’t return because you are changed (i.e. Jesus advised the blind healed not to go back into the city).

It can be a physical, geographical space; an image; a word; scripture; a poem; an experience; etc. Whatever serves for you to do a step that causes a shift or change for you, your community, your church. When you left one way of being and entered another. These moments show us where we deeply belong, a place of deep connection.

She then reflected on the poem “Sometimes” by David Whyte. As we look at our religious communities and the future of religious life, this poem gives us some words to grasp our current situation, our standing at a threshold and the movement to cross it. I will copy the poem here for your own reflection. Be aware of David Whyte’s emphasis on questions:

SOMETIMES

Sometimes
if you move carefully
through the forest

breathing
like the ones
in the old stories

who could cross
a shimmering bed of dry leaves
without a sound,

you come
to a place
whose only task

is to trouble you
with tiny
but frightening requests

conceived out of nowhere
but in this place
beginning to lead everywhere.

Requests to stop what
you are doing right now,
and

to stop what you
are becoming
while you do it,

questions
that can make
or unmake
a life,

questions
that have patiently
waited for you,

questions
that have no right
to go away.

~ David Whyte ~

(Everything is Waiting for You)

b. What are the questions and gifts that we meet at the Threshold?

This is part of any communal discernment, communal discernment that goes beyond our chapters; gift of communal dreaming; shows the potential of the creativity for the individual and the community. For vocation ministry it follows from here: What could you offer a new member?

c. What will we find when we cross?

More questions: What Threshold beckons your congregation now?

What is your participation at the congregation’s Threshold?

What gifts are present at this Threshold moment?

Across the Threshold we will find:

Our own identity and greater belonging

Creativity and imagination (creativity is a deeply spiritual act!)

Communion spirituality

Globalizing solidarity with all creation = The vow of life

3. Break-Out Sessions

There were several different workshops offered on Saturday morning. Each Convocation participant could choose two. My first workshop was “Screening for Risk to Abuse” with Christy Schiller from Praesidium. As I was the one introducing her that morning, I stayed for the workshop and was grateful for the very practical suggestions of how to screen and interview candidates.

My second workshop was very special as it touches at our own current situation:

Vocation Ministry: Before, During, and After Congregational Restructuring

Here is the description of this workshop:

The members of this panel will share their experience of creating a new vocation model as part of congregational restructuring. They will focus their comments from the perspective of leader, formator, and vocation director. They will also present what vocation ministry looked like in their congregations before and during the restructuring and how it looks now. A question and answer period will follow the presentation. Panel Members: Brother Charles Johnson, SM; Sister Pat Twohill, OP; Sister Carolyn Jost, SSND; Sister Jeanine Tosit, RSM.

It would be impossible to share their stories with you here. But I would like to summarize the insights I gained:

Restructuring is a process that calls us to trust and patience.

We are called to share our resources. Despite the loss we feel, it is for the sake of the mission.

Go about reconfiguring with the spirit of hope.

Restructuring stretches each of us to broaden our horizon, to change, to engage in new relationships and cultural learning.

The real work of restructuring occurs afterwards in the living faith community to be of one heart and one mind.

All of the panel members stressed that their vocation ministry never ceased during the process. While the congregations reconfigured, so also their vocation offices. It also did not seem to deter discerners to continue looking at these communities. One thing that was interesting though was that one congregation now has younger members that still knew the “old” structure and also new members that never got to know the old structure because they entered after the restructuring was finalized.

4. This was my absolute favorite:

The Prayer Breakfast with James Martin, SJ on Monday morning. He is a well known author and editor of America.

He spoke about humor! Here are his eleven points on why humor is important in a Christian’s life:

1. Humor evangelizes: Live your own vocation joyfully!

2. Humor is a tool for quest in humility, a good tool for holiness, reminds you of your humanity

3. Humor shocks listeners into realizing reality

4. Humor speaks truth to power

5. Humor shows Christian courage

6. Humor deepens our relationship with God

All things you say about prayer, you can say about friendship. There is playfulness in the relationship with God. Can you allow God to be playful with you, take delight in you? Can you imagine God liking you?

7. Humor welcomes

8. Humor is healing

9. Humor fosters good relationships and helps us with our work (the gospel parables show Jesus’ sense of humor. The parables help us to understand difficult topics.)

10. Humor opens our minds and can reveal God’s presence. Laughter helps to get your message across

11. Humor is fun!