Stations of the Cross

In a little while, I will be going to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Point Lookout, NY for the Stations of the Cross.

I have many memories connected to the Stations of the Cross from my childhood and teaching years at St. Philip Neri Parish in the Bronx.

First of all, when I was a child, Sr. Catherine Marie Jordan, osu held a midday service in the school for children while parents attended a service in the church. I remember being in school, coloring pictures of the stations, acting them out with various skits, using all different materials to create the scenes and praying as a group.

Some of the great memories include:

• carrying lots of textbooks up three flights of stairs to simulate Jesus' Carrying of the Cross,
• taking a towel and acting like Veronica wiping the face of Jesus,
• making a tomb out of paper bags and desks, and
• jumping out proclaiming Jesus is Risen.

When I went back to St. Philip Neri as a teacher, I remember working with the fourth graders and Ms. Maureen Harten on lessons related to Lent. We set up a mini art gallery in the hallway on the second floor outside our classrooms. The "art gallery" contained Mass card pictures of the various stations of the Cross and asking to children to walk around, examine the pictures, meditate on the images and then either draw a similar picture or write poem/paragraph on the experience.

Also when I taught fourth grade, I would bring in matzo and grape juice to reenact the Last Supper with my students. At times, I would wash students' foot just as Jesus washed the feet of his apostles.

All these experiences were very powerful to me and remind me of my faith and how it has been nourished throughout the years. I am so grateful for this and hope I am providing some faith nourishment for others.

Lent is a very holy sacred time for Catholics around the world. It is a time when I find myself feeling very connected to Jesus. I am overwhelmed by sadness at the suffering he underwent for my fellow human beings and me. But I am also energized and hopeful because I know the Resurrection of Jesus is to come soon.

Prayers and blessing to all this Good Friday.

Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu

Singing

Last year for my 40th birthday, I received a birthday card from a good friend who happens to be our Ursuline Provincial right now.

This Hallmark musical card states:

You gotta sing the song that's in your heart. Anything else is just lip-synching.

The card hangs by my desk and periodically I open it and hear those words sung to me. The words come from "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

It reminds me each time how important it is to follow one's heart and sing out what is stirring deep inside my heart and soul.

Otherwise, are you being true to yourself and faithful to God's call? In my mind, that is the continued essential question of life.

Sr. Jeannie

Good Actions and Speaking Up

Today’s Gospel from John 10: 31-42 states the following:

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.”

According to the Jews, his blasphemy was that he was saying he was God. Even though he was getting stoned for that, he would not deny it. Jesus would not change who he was or say something different.

I am so struck by this today because I am thinking how often do I not speak up when I see something wrong or when I do speak up, I say something that is not going to cause any conflict or have people think less of me since I don’t agree with their statements. But Jesus stuck by his beliefs and the truth of who he was.

I need to more truthful to others about what my beliefs are. So often especially in political discussion, I back down. I hope that during the upcoming Holy Week, I can pray for the grace to be able to use my voice to speak my truth at all times. Often I think the good weeks I do will show my beliefs. But more is needed. My words and speech can also do the same. Just as Jesus did, I might have to suffer because of my words.

Thank you Jesus for your truth speaking and help me to speak up more about unjust practices and statements.

Sr. Jeannie

Love and Action

This past Sunday, Sr. Pat and I had a gathering with other women for prayer and conversation about the spiritual dimension in our lives.

Sr. Pat shared how 3 times in the last week, she heard Mother Teresa's saying;
Do little things with great love.

I've been reflecting on that these past few days.

I am trying to live it out as I

smile at the janitor at my school building.
work with a child helping her find places in her writing to put periods.
counsel a teacher on how to discipline a child not listening.
converse with one of our elderly nuns about the sad news in our world.
communicate with outside educational consultants about my students.
type another response to an email about a meeting
put in a phone call to a person about a potential apartment.

Each day these events might seem insignificant but if there are done with great love, then they are done well.

Sr. Jeannie

Remember: God is in Control!!!

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8)

As I sit and look at the above line from today's First Reading, I can not help but reflect on the fact that I am not in control of everything in my life. That has been a real challenge for me to accept. I want to know everything, plan my life 100% percent and always be in the driver's seat. But as a person trying to live the Christian life, I must remember that God is in control. God has thoughts for my life and they do not always agree with mine. Plus the way I want things to proceed might not happen. Rather, I have to be willing to go along on the ride of this journey of life. I must be willing to travel it with God and just like if traveling with a friend, communication must take place. Therefore, I need to spend time talking and being with God and in my mind that is prayer.
More prayer time in my life is very needed. I must take some time for prayer each day, no matter how busy I get.

Sr. Jeannie

Parents

Today and tomorrow, we have Parent Conferences at my school Cooke Center for Learning and Development. We are so fortunate in that most of our parents are happy with their child's progress. It is so nice to hear from the parents what they are experiencing with their son and daughter. We laugh and talk about the funny things the child has said or did. Plus we also talk seriously about the child's learning, social and behavior challenges. The parent's perspective of how to handle situations sheds light on many of the issues for me.

Topics covered today included:

• the struggle with homework each night and the desire for the child to do it perfectly,


• the pride a mom had for her child for finally reading a book on his own,


• the appropriate consequences for misbehavior,


• the way the child mimics and reenacts the school day for parent,


• the deep conversations about the hurts and pain the child has experienced


• the inappropriate behavior of talking back to adults,


• the desire for a mom to see her daughter make a friend on her own


• the mother and daughter evenings


• the weekly dinner date a mom has with her son


• the way a dad refers to his daughter as a princess,


• and the excitement the child has about school trips and rewards.

I left work today admiring the parents and the love and dedication they show their children each day. People say teaching is hard work. But I think parenting is even harder. To all you parents out there-Thank you for the Good Work you do each day!!!

Sr. Jeannie

An Acrostic on Lent

My thoughts on Lent

Learning to listen
Entering into the quiet
Noticing what is in my heart
Taking time to just “be” and not always “do”

Sr. Jeannie Humphries, osu