Questions That Catapult Us into Reflection

By Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP

Summer time seems like the perfect opportunity to reflect on finding one's path. Our schedules are not quite as crammed with team sports that take us from one event to the next. Summer's slower rhythm gives us the space needed to ponder questions that give direction to our lives. We might even say that it allows us to really experience the slow work of God in us.  
 

Discernment of life choices is really one of those tasks that require spaciousness, silence and persistence. We ought not to rush into any decision. Here are a few questions I ran across in ¡OYE!, a discernment magazine. Please use them during your summer reflective time.
 

• In what ways have you encountered Jesus?  
   
• Where do you think God is calling you?
   
• What special talent or ability do you have that can be put in the service of others?
   
• Do you feel called to do something, but worry that it is too much or you don't have the strength or courage to do it?
   
• What brings you joy?  
   
• What do you seek? Who do you seek? 

I hope you will take some steps this summer to ponder your response to these questions.  

While you're at it, take a look at this great little clip from Pocahontas. Listen with your heart. What is God nudging you toward?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm0uR81AZhA&feature=youtu.be.   

Meanwhile, here in Adrian, we Dominican Sisters will keep you in our prayers. Have a beautiful summer. We thank God for you as we go about each day.

Being a Dominican Theologian

By Sister Anneliese Sinnott, OP

Back in the Middle Ages, St. Anselm defined theology as "faith seeking understanding." His definition implies that everyone who has faith and seeks to understand what that "faith" means is a theologian! So, in a sense, we are all theologians! Some of us, however, are what might be termed "professional theologians." In other words, we spend our professional lives seeking an understanding, in a more formal way, of the essence of our faith. In our case, that faith comes out of a Christian history and tradition.

I was fortunate to be a Catholic school teacher just as Vatican II was happening. I began to realize that the theology I had learned in my early education and my time in formation was no longer adequate and didn't mesh very well with the materials that were being developed at the Council. So it was with some eagerness that I responded to an invitation from our General Council to study theology at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan.

When I had completed my degrees there, I was invited to stay on and teach systematic theology at the seminary. Soon, I realized that if I wanted to stay in that field, I would need an advanced degree. So I went to the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium, and completed a PhD in systematic theology. However, it was only when I began in earnest to teach theology that I began to hone my vocation as a Dominican theologian.

One of my most important learnings through my studies and in my teaching was that one views truth out of a lens, a lens that is shaped and formed by one's experiences. Thus we don't all see the same truth or view it in the same way. Once we understand this, we can accept differences in beliefs or expressions of that belief.

As I interacted with the adult students at Marygrove College and then at Ecumenical Theological Seminary, I began to realize that my understanding of truth as a Dominican was somewhat different from theirs. Dominicans, I believe, approach truth as "the expression of who God is and an attempt to speak of God's vision for the world." Thus, that articulation of truth can change and deepen with each new experience that touches us and each new insight that we gain. In some ways, all Dominicans who "seek truth" are Dominican theologians! Some of us, however, get a title with it!

The Stirring of Vocation

 By Suzanne Schreiber, OP

In the painting of the Annunciation by Henry O. Tanner, Mary sits on the edge of the bed, gazing toward a vertical beam of light representing the angel Gabriel, messenger of God. In her facial expression, we sense the stirrings and the hesitation as she listens to the inner voice of the Spirit. She seems to be discerning her call. Mary's life of prayer and attention to Scripture has prepared her for receiving the invitation to give birth to Jesus. The painting and the Annunciation passage in the first chapter of Luke capture a "snapshot" of Mary's experience. The moment, however, seems to contain a decision process that takes place over a longer period of time.

The Annunciation scene becomes a metaphor for a gradual coming to awareness of one's vocation; it represents a process of ever-deepening attention to the stirrings within. First, there is a vague sense of something going on. The awareness brings up feelings and draws our attention. Next, we listen to the message, though it may not be totally clear. We might pray, "Be still and know that I am God" as we come into the silence. We may resist or think, "This is just in my head," or "I am making it up." Then the message, or call, becomes clearer. Finally, there may be a sign, a reassurance, an acceptance, and a sense of peace. This process may take place over months or years.

I have found understanding and practicing this process of discernment to be helpful in my own spiritual journey. In the very early 1960's, while in college, I felt the stirrings of the Spirit and realized something was shifting in me. I had been drawn to Eucharist, silence, nature walks, music, and the arts. Thomas Merton's contemplative life inspired me. Later, his photography affirmed my path as a contemplative artist. In these life experiences, I sensed God's presence and call to religious life. I listened to the stirrings of the Spirit and joined the Dominicans of Adrian, finding joy in the teaching ministry. But years later, my call to religious life was interrupted, and I left the community.

After a time, I returned to Adrian Dominican life. Prayer and consultation with Sisters, friends, and my spiritual director helped me to clarify the call. My identification with the Mission and Vision of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, and a desire to give myself to that Mission, became clearer. I was particularly drawn by the commitment to "practice non-violent peace- making" and to "live right relationships with Earth community."

One of the reassuring signs of my rekindled vocation was this: As I was discerning next steps in life, I came across a line from the poet Rumi: "Be still. A sublime generosity is coming toward you." I had written it on a small scrap of paper; it remained on my desk, surfacing once in a while from under the piles. I would read it as though it were a message from the Divine realm, wondering what it might mean. It seems that the "sublime generosity" was God's invitation to a full and committed life as an Adrian Dominican Sister, and the "welcome home" I received.

The poet Mary Oliver says "the voice is working in us all the time." I think this is true. Discerning the movements of the Spirit and the call to one's vocation continues throughout life.