After a year of study about the Missionary Sisters I, a laywoman, made a commitment to become an associate of the congregation in October of 2005. I became an associate so I could take a more active role in our church and have a spiritual life that would be motivated by the spirit of St. Francis and the missionary spirit of the community. I was looking for direction in a life of prayer and a support system. I work with the poor and knew if I were to continue to do this work I needed a strong spiritual life. The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception offer this through the associate program. It is a source of comfort for me to know as I go about my work I have the support and especially prayers of the community.

I would like to share a reflection of what it is for me to live my life in the spirit of the charism of the congregation.

In this article I would like to focus on a spirit of simplicity.

A spirit of simplicity----

As a wife and mother and grandmother how does one live this? If I am to be faithful to this part of my pledge to the community and truly try to live in a spirit of simplicity I have to let go of so much. I think this is the hardest thing for me to do. This is 2007, every place one looks, TV, newspapers, magazines, Internet are all telling us "WE NEED" what ever the latest products are out there. Things have become so important to us. This consuming is our nations favorite past time. What does a woman who stood before a Franciscan community and said she would live in a spirit of simplicity do now? Well here is my attempt to deal with the situation. Get rid of the credit cards. Understand that I have God given gifts to give my grandchildren and they do not need material gifts from me. This means I must create time and attention for each one where we do special things together. Taking the time to write out my Christmas memories and creating a book of pictures that coincide with the memories as the gift for each one of my adult children this year was another way to live a spirit of simplicity. I did not feel a need to go and buy any other gift. I wanted them to value the sense of family and love we have shared over the years and incorporate this into their idea of Christmas. I am pleased to say that they all welcomed the gift and were pleased with the idea. (we will have to wait till I am dead and listen to the stories at the wake about the Christmas all I gave was that book of memories to see how they really felt.)

Creating an atmosphere of peace for my husband and I is another place where my focus on simplicity has been implemented. To do this means learning to say NO. This is not easy when you have a job that could easily be 24 hours a day and gives you great satisfaction, along with adult children who would be happy to drop off grandchildren 7 days a week. In saying NO it puts a sense of order in your life and it sets limits at work and with family. This gives David and I time to focus on our relationship and creates a home where there is a peaceful atmosphere.

This little phrase, "A spirit of simplicity" did not bother me when I stood up and said it would become part of my life. Today it is before me always. It is not just the need to let go of things, it is looking at life through a Franciscan’s eyes, to stop my day and take time to see the beauty around us and give thanks. With these same eyes to see how we are destroying the environment and in turn take action to create change. I try to do this by example with the products we use, and being conscious of the waist we generate, which is not only in garbage but water and electricity as well. I can be a witness to how to create change at work, at home and with my grandchildren. Just bringing attention to the need to look at how much paper we use each day in the work place or showing the grandchildren how to wash or brush their teeth with out running water the whole time are part of my spirit of simplicity. It is the little things that help.

A Spirit of Simplicity is just one of the three charism of the congregation I pledged to live by. What I have shared is just a small view of what an impact this one charism has had on my life. In every day life we get so caught up in things. I am learning to let go and be more focused on what I need to do to be a witness to the Gospel Values in my life and my work.