|
Before I Forget…
· "Maybe I'm not making big changes in the world, but if I have somehow helped or encouraged somebody along the journey then I've done what I am called to do."
-Sister Thea Bowman (1937-1990)
Franciscan Sister, African - American
· Life is a temporary assignment.
-Seen on T-shirt
Have you ever been lost? I get lost more often than I care to admit. Getting lost in a big city is annoying but you can ask for help, make a phone call, or look at a map. But getting lost in the wilderness is a whole different experience, especially when the sun is going down and it's getting dark. We feel out of control and vulnerable. Our imaginations often double our fears. When one is in the wilderness, everything is unpredictable.
I think we want everything to be predictable and where we can be in control. We don't like to live with the unknown, danger, risk and pain. No matter how hard we try to create a safe, predictable world where we can be in control, it never quite happens. We only have to think about September 11th and how that day has changed our lives and the safe, predictable world we live in.
Consider your own pilgrimage through life… Birth. None of us were in control of anything. We had to depend totally on our parents for everything. Growing up. Through a lot of trial and error, we began to take responsibility for our own lives. Of course, we wanted a predictable life where we were in control. But many of us fall in love. When you are falling you are completely out of control. After a while, you find out that the other person has a mind and will of their own. Love makes everything unpredictable, and who is control? Marriage can be somewhat predictable and both partners can feel somewhat in control. Then along comes children. Who can predict how their kids will act or turn out? Aren't kids totally unpredictable? In the musical The Fantasticks, two fathers sing about what it's like to raise children:
Why do kids put beans in their ears?
No one can hear with beans in their ears.
After a while the reason appears.
They did it 'cause we said 'No!'
And:
Plant a radish, get a radish, not brussel sprouts.
That's why I like vegetables; you know what you're about.
Vegetables are predictable; "Children are bewilderin'." Through trial and error the kids grow up and take responsibility for their own lives and move out. Finally, predictability and control. Ha! Ha! We aged and we're not even in control of our body's functions the way we were when we were younger. And our friends, partners and co-workers begin to die. None of us can control death. We can never escape from being a human in this scary, unpredictable world, where we are not in control. The day comes when we have to say "Goodbye".
We are always saying "Hello!" and "Goodbye!" to birth and death. Growing up and leaving home. Marriage and children. First job and retirement. Losing a loved one. We learn that life is not predictable and that we're not in control. The old gives away the new.
Once again, the people of St. John the Baptist will have to say "goodbye" to one of its leaders. I don't want to say "goodbye" in June, but I have to. After 21 years as principal of St. John the Baptist School, Sr. Gwendolin is retiring from education in June. She survived three pastors! She is an outstanding educator, leader, J-O-Y filled woman religious. One of the reasons I am your pastor is Sr. Gwendolin. She knew me when I was an associate here in the early 80's. When Fr. Jerry moved in 1996, no one was applying to be pastor of St. John's because of its size. In July of 1996, I called Sister and asked her if I should apply. She encouraged me, and for that I am most grateful.
The first weekend of June we will have the opportunity to say "Goodbye!" to a great lady. She will have a year off, a sabbatical, to renew herself as she plans for the future. Please join me in being most generous to someone who gave her entire life and energy to children for over 50 years. And who can predict children? What can I say? Sister, it's hard to see you leave us. May your future be filled with exciting and new blessing from our wonderful God!
Thanks for everything, Sr. Gwendolin!
Fr. Bill
P.S. We have a search committee in place to find a new principal for our parish school. Please pray that we find a good person to assume leadership in this wonderful parish … a person who can continue to build on a firm foundation, thanks to Sr. Gwendolin.
|
|
