Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY

This week, October 25-31, 2020 is Pastoral Care Week. Pastoral Care Week gives organizations and institutions of all kinds and types the opportunity to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry which the caregivers provide. On October 26, 2020, the St. Joseph Convent’s Pastoral Care Team was honored at a mass in Sacred Heart Chapel. The Sisters and Staff of the St. Joseph Convent thank Elizabeth Meehan, Ann Marie Amadeo and Valerie Dunne for all the care they provide.

Reflection The spirit of the beatitudes challenges us not to take up hardline positions especially those that reject or disparage others. We are all challenged to tolerance, to empathy, to appreciation of differences, to respect. While we are miles apart, we agree not to let that drive a wedge between us. Deeply shared values such as integrity, love and respect, can and should overcome any differences that may exist( Michael Morwood). These words although written in a theo...logical context, can apply to our political situation now. Different political views have devolved into anger and enmities. They have been ignited and spurred on by public vitriol. As the country prepares to choose its leadership this hostile attitude is dangerous. We are citizens of one nation, we share a common future, and, from our informed and honest perspective as individuals, we are expected to make what we believe is the best choice for the good of all. Prayer May we respect one another. Action Try to keep a calm and respectful outlook as these days progress. Don’t accept divisive rhetoric but make your own decisions based on factual information. Focus on the fact that this is not a contest for a prize but a serious choice for our common future. Suggested Reading We exhort our people to take an active part in public life, and to contribute towards the attainment of the common good of the entire human family as well as to that of their own country. Pope John XXIII, Pacem in Terris Authentic social dialogue involves the ability to respect the other’s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns. Pope Francis, Fratelli tutti Patriotism based on the common good does not pander to divisiveness. True patriots don’t fuel racist or religious or ethnic divisions. They aren’t homophobic or sexist or racist. To the contrary, true patriots confirm the good that we have in common. They seek to strengthen and celebrate the We in We the people. Robert B Reich It’s okay to disagree with each other, what’s not okay is to hate each other because we disagree. Abhijit Naskar One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. Bryant H. McGill Respecting others’ opinions doesn’t mean being untrue to our own. P. M. Forni Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Steve Jobs

Reflection You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:34-40...Continue reading

Reflection The words echo from as far back as the Book of Genesis: Am I My brother’s keeper? Now as then, there is no evading the answer. As a nation we are in the grip of a virus that has sickened and killed an incredible number of us. People are dying alone and families are grieving. To deny responsibility for one another’s health and welfare is unconscionable. To refuse to take the simple steps to protect one another claiming infringement of freedom is the ultimate self-...centeredness. This has nothing to do with politics. Scientific facts are not dependent on personal opinion. This is harsh reality. Our actions can mitigate or exacerbate the situation. We are responsible. Am I my brother or sister’s keeper? The answer? This is the greatest commandment: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Prayer Create in me a new heart. Action Separate what is right from what is comfortable. As we face another time of pandemic crisis with the oncoming cold weather, what are you doing to protect yourself and others from illness? How can you personally stop the spread of this insidious virus? Do not listen to those who twist the facts. Suggested Reading Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis 4:9 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:5 We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it. Pope Francis Love consists of a commitment which limits one’s freedom it is a giving of the self, and to give oneself means just that: to limit one’s freedom on behalf of another. Pope John Paul II A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good. Barbara Jordan I believe I have a personal responsibility to make a positive impact on society. Anthony Fauci Leadership is about vision and responsibility, not power. Seth Berkley Caring for our seniors is perhaps the greatest responsibility we have. Those who walked before us have given so much and made possible the life we all enjoy. John Hoeven No decisions should ever be made without asking the question, is this for the common good? Michael Moore What it missing, I think, is this notion of the common good. Susan George Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves. Sonia Sotomayor Deep human connection is the purpose and the result of a meaningful life and it will inspire the most amazing acts of love, generosity, and humanity. Melinda Gates

Reflection One area where we probably often have the chance to be aware of our duplicity is in our speech. We talk so much. How much of what we say do we mean? How much of what we mean do we say? How much does what we say really mean? Suppose one undertook the discipline, well known in monastic tradition, of speaking only what one knew was given to one to speak? How quiet our homes, our dining rooms, even our churches and places of worship would be. Our society plays very loo...se with words, with talk; but there is little silence, and silence is where meaning comes from. Elaine M. Prevallet Prayer Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 Action It is difficult to sort out reality in the profusion of words we are bombarded with daily. Truth is obscured and unreality is promoted. How can you discern fact from fiction? How can your own words be rooted in truth as you perceive it? How can you speak from your own depth with integrity? Suggested Reading Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. Mother Teresa Truth never damages a cause that is just. Mahatma Gandhi Speech has power. Words do not fade. What starts out as a sound, ends in a deed. Abraham Joshua Heschle Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the worldwould do this, it would change the earth. William Faulkner Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. Spencer Johnson Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving. James E. Faust Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime. Rachel Wolchin Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble. Yehuda Berg Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall. Jodi Picoult Only the one who can bear silence will hear the voice of God. Anonymous

Do you know Sister Karen Burke of the Sisters of St. Joseph? If not, you are invited to tune in to this 1-on-1 interview with one of Long Island's most importa...nt environmental leaders and communities and Monday, October 26, 2020, from 6:30 8:30 PM. The actual start time is 7pm. Karen is the recipient of the Long Island Progressive Coalition Award Long Islander Who Has Made A Difference. Sr. Karen walks the walk. On their Brentwood campus, the Sisters of St. Joseph has built one of Long Island's largest solar farms (https://www.newsday.com//religious-order-solar-power-1.166). The Sisters of St. Joseph are now building the largest communal nitrogen-treating system on Long Island. News coverage on that exciting development will be coming out in the next few months. Karen Burke, CSJ, EdD is the Coordinator of Land Initiatives for the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY. S. Karen has a Doctoral Degree in Instructional Leadership, St. John's University, New York (1998) and an Advanced Certificate in Campus Sustainable Innovation, University of Vermont (2015). As a member of her faith community, the Sisters of St. Joseph, Karen has moved her community to become Long Island's definitive leader on the environment. Please note is this is an environmental event. It is also a political event. The event opens at 6:30 PM. Folks can gather early so we can start promptly at 7:00 PM. Interviews will run for approximately an hour, and we will have time for a Q&A after. It will be Livestreamed on Facebook (see the event page) and also available on Zoom. If you are interested in registering to receive the Zoom link, please email me at [email protected]. Women of the Resistance is a series of 1-1 interviews by Dr. James Bertsch with female leaders awakened who I view as part of the Resistance. Some of these woman, like S. Karen and the Sisters of St. Joseph work each day to create a climate of social justice. Not a monolith, the causes these leaders advocate for are diverse. Read more about Sr. Karen Burke, Ed.D. here: http://ruralmigrantministry.org/karen-burke

Reflection Every day we make innumerable decisions some by habit; others which require more deliberate thought. Some have more significant consequences than others. We enjoy the freedom of making our own decisions. There are many people who are not free to make decisions about their existence. Some are prisoners, some are in relationships that curtail freedom, some are limited by age and some have debilitating illnesses. How fortunate we are to be able to choose freely. Wi...th this comes the responsibility to make choices guided by wisdom and integrity, rooted in principle, and conscious of the common good. Prayer Holy Spirit, create in us a compassionate heart and a new vision. Action Try to understand and have patience when relating to those whose choices are limited. Exercise your freedom with responsibility rooted in facts and experience. What choices do you make that affect the common good? Suggested Reading Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, Do you love me? He said, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.Jesus said, Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. John 21:15-19 A true hero is not someone who thinks about doing what is right, but one that simply does what is right without thinking! Kevin Heath It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. Roy Disney Life is the sum of all your choices. Albert Camus Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever. Keri Russell Choices are the hinges of destiny. Edwin Markham The more decisions that you are forced to make alone, the more you are aware of your freedom to choose Thornton Wilder Openness, respect, integrity these are principles that need to underpin pretty much every other decision that you make. Justin Trudeau Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions. Author Unknown

Reflection The challenges facing Earth require the human community to develop new ways of seeing, thinking and interacting with the larger web of life. Our existence, survival, and well-being depend on the life-support systems of our planet. The wonders of earth, sky and sea and the diversity of life forms delight our senses and stimulate our imaginations. Yet, we know that natural habitats and the species dependent on them are destroyed daily by our interference. As people ...of faith we believe that creation is a revelation of God and a sacred trust. If we reverence the One who creates and sustains all life, how can we not act less selfishly and more responsibly? Prayer Gracious God, all creation reveals your glory and love. Give us the desire, the will and the imagination to preserve and protect the integrity and beauty of the Earth community. Action Take time to think and pray about how you can actively contribute to the care and harmony of the Earth community. What problematic activity can you discontinue? Suggested Readings O God, how glorious is your name in all the earth! Who are we that you should be mindful of us. yet you entrust us with the work of your hands to care for all your creation. Psalm 8:1,4,6 Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greenings. Now think. What delight God gives to humankind with all these things. We are to work with it. For without we cannot survive. Hildegard of Bingen All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents. Pope Francis, Laudato Si There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed. Mohandas Gandhi We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. Native American Proverb We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Aldo Leopold It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. Ansel Adams Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. Chief Seattle

Reflection A few years ago, there was a resurgence in interest and belief in angels with many books being published about the place of angels in our lives, some even on the New York Times best-seller list. Perhaps the greatest benefit was that it made us stop and think about the angels in our daily lives family, friends, colleagues, sometimes even strangers who speak a friendly word, spend time with us, or who challenge us to go beyond ourselves and take a risk. These ...angels are present and visible and often taken for granted. Their relationship is a message that we are not alone and God can be present in many ways. Prayer May I be attuned to the insights and inspirations that come to me through the people in my life. Action Spend some time today thanking God for those people in your life who inspire you and lead you closer to God. Suggested Reading But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 Angels are not extraordinary beings with wings and a halo. They are ordinary people living ordinary lives But they have special qualities that touch our heart and soul in special ways. Aurli Kahruna The people whose lives you touch may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. David B. Haight The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone. George Elliot Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Angels exist in our lives every day, but unless we remember how to listen, we are not aware of their presence. Unknown We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Lucretius I could not have made it this far had there not been angels along the way. Della Reese

So happy to have New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer come by with donations of COVID safety prevention sanitizers and face masks!

Reflection Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. Mark 10:45-46...Continue reading

Our Sister Kate Braet shared her parent’s story with Newsday... https://www.newsday.com//wedding-dress-silk-parachute-1.50