A reflection on mission by Melanie Guste, RSCJ
We are called...to deepen our interior life, our capacity for contemplation
and for listening to the heartbeat of God in ourselves and in our world; to discern in silence
and welcome the action of the Spirit that transforms us, energizes us, and calls us to
live our prophetic and educational mission.
–Society of the Sacred Heart General Chapter, 2016
While in morning prayer several days ago, a powerful insight took shape in my heart as I read a passage from the First Letter of Peter. The passage addressed the qualities of leadership necessary for service as ministers in the larger community of faith and society. An exhortation about ways in which to be in communities of practice characterized by mission, collaboration and partnerships, it invited me to further reflection in my religious community. In a cascading manner, several conversations unfolded within the course of the day resulting in a personal written letter to each member of the new Cabinet in the White House.
As a spontaneous process, a letter to the U.S. Cabinet was never predicted or planned as an outcome of morning prayer. There, in the silence of listening to the daily Word of Scripture, an action took an expressive form. The words of the letter flowed effortlessly, with a style that was straight-forward, honest, and Gospel-centric.
Hearing the 23 stamped envelopes drop into the bin at the post office became a moment of risk, a moment of commitment, a moment of gratitude, a moment of grace. When God moves us to “love-in-action,” we know it. A letter today, a volunteer event, a phone call tomorrow: there are many ways to stand in witness. Sometimes it is from within silence that we are led.
Our perspective as educators is shaped by our own interiority, our relationship with the Spirit and with our community. We cannot develop this perspective without choosing to create in our consciousness, in our heart, the space and time for silence. It is in silence that listening begins, and it is in silence that we develop a sense of mystery.
– Philosophy of Sacred Heart Education, Sophie’s Gift…Our Call to the Future, International Education Commission, p. 6
Melanie Guste, RSCJ, is the Director of JPIC for the Society of the Sacred Heart, United States – Canada Province
