Summer Sense is knowing how to wonder – Weekly Message June 16, 2015

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the marvels of living in community with other consecrated women is the opportunity to experience real joy. A joy that comes from the beauty of a life dedicated completely to following the Lord, while receiving “the hundredfold” in return that our Lord promised us in Matthew 19:29. As a consecrated woman, I have the privilege of practicing a daily life of prayer and service that opens my eyes to recognize the amazing handiwork of God at every turn.

Like any family, my consecrated community also goes through challenges, especially at this time of the year as we welcome new faces while saying goodbye to those sent to missionary posts around the world. After a busy year, just like any other family we look forward to a completely unplugged vacation — no work-related emails, phone calls, or activities. We want that chance to connect, enjoy, and get to know each other better.

How interesting that to enjoy a vacation and seek rest from our labors, we need to ‘vacate’ from our daily lives and disengage from all that is familiar! As we pack up to get away, we should take a moment to stop and ask this simple question, “What is it that I seek?”

Could it be that the real purpose of vacation is to reawaken our capacity to wonder and marvel? “A man who needs the unusual to make him ‘wonder’ shows that he has lost the capacity to find the true answer to the wonder of being. The itch for sensation, even though disguised in the mask of Boheme, is a sure indication of a bourgeois mind and a deadened sense of wonder.” Josef Pieper, Leisure: The Basis Of Culture

But how does one go about reawakening the capacity to see all that is wonderful and marvelous before our eyes? One means is the simple act of spiritual reading every day, even for just a few minutes.

Here are a few summer reading suggestions, along with Study Circle ideas, that you may find helpful.

Seeking Better Answers

Interior Freedom:
There is a difference between choosing and consenting; being free also means consenting to what we did not choose. The difference between accepting what we did not choose by resignation or consenting to that which we cannot control is an attitude of the heart. Access this Study Circle Guide here.

Endow Catholic Women’s Studies:
The advantage of Endow’s programs is their depth and faithfulness to the Church. These are programs that challenge women to think deeply about Church teaching and how it can inform their own lives as Christian women. Access this Study Circle Guide here.

Searching for and Maintaining Peace:
This spiritual treasure on peace of heart brings to light practical examples of the day-to-day struggles we experience in order to achieve peace of soul, as well as the means to attain and preserve it. Access this Study Circle Guide here.

You can explore all of our Study Circle Guides by clicking on the Study Circle Guides tab on our homepage.

Make this year’s “beach book” the daily practice of increasing your capacity for wonder, by feeding your soul with spiritual food. Our Study Circle Guides, Retreat Guides, and Ask-a-Priest service are created to help you do just that. Wishing you a peace-filled and restful summer vacation!

With the assurance of my prayers,

God Bless!

In Christ,

Lucy Honner
Director, RC Spirituality

lucy@rcspirituality.org

P.S. Can you support our mission with a regular monthly donation? Click HERE to help us keep them coming! A monthly donation as small as $5 will keep the Retreat Guides coming and touch many hearts!

 

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