Marguerite Bourgeoys: A Woman for her God, a Woman for Others
Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty. (Jn 15:5)
Sister Marie Morin, annalist of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, described Marguerite in this way: “There is nothing Sister Bourgeoys cannot do. She succeeds in both spiritual and temporal matters because her actions and her intelligence are inspired by the Lord’s love.”
The driving force behind Marguerite Bourgeoys’s missionary commitment was her love of God. Before being a woman for others, she was first and foremost a woman for her God. Her greatest wish had always been to do the will of God, to whom she had vowed her love. In a prayer to Mary, she expressed herself in this way: “My good and most honored Mother, I ask of you neither riches, pleasures nor honors for the present life in this house, but I ask only that God may be loved here, served and obeyed.”
Addressing her “Lord, Savior most worthy of my love,” she requested the following for herself and her sisters, “…that we may never have any other joy than to live in You and with You.”
TED Talk at Norwalk Community College (NCC)
CONGRATULATIONS to Congregation of Notre Dame Associate Stacie Van Deusen! Stacie attends Norwalk Community College (NCC) which is holding its first TED Talk this evening. The format and spirit of TED Talks is to present “ideas worth spreading.” Stacie is one of the four finalists chosen to present her speech at NCC’s PepsiCo Theater, 4:30 – 6:30 pm today. The presentations will be posted on the TEDx website and on Youtube. Her topic concerns learning to value yourself and discover your self-worth. Well done, Stacie! http://www.norwalk.edu/news.asp?1463
The Meaning and Practice of Faith, by Diarmuid O’Murchu
Book – The Meaning and Practice of Faith by Diarmuid O’Murchu (Orbis Books, 2014 – 132 pages). This little book has 6 chapters to invite our reflection: Adult Faith, Faith in God, Faith in Jesus, Faith in the Holy Spirit, Faith in the Church and Faith in the Future. In the Preface, the author writes: “I am not offering hand-me-down answers, which is precisely what many adults are seeking to outgrow.”
Each chapter offers a few pertinent questions for personal or group reflection. Unlike some of Father O’Muchu’s scholarly books, this one is an easy read expecting no reader qualifications beyond a desire to live our faith with meaning and even joy. “Passing on the faith came to be understood as indoctrination,…” (p.3). “My hope is that this generation of wise elders can engage more interactively and contribute more proactively to the fresh spiritual challenges that confront all adults in the world and church of our time” (p.13).
