Flourishing in the Midst of the Cross

A quote from Catherine McAuley;

We go on, flourishing in the very midst of the cross.

When Catherine wrote this, there had been several deaths along with other pressures and stresses at her door. Yet, in the middle of all her turmoil she was able to see flourishing. Indeed, the fledgling community was flourishing. As someone died, there seemed to be two others to take her place. The stresses would be tempered with a bountiful gift in the form of good advice or some other event to put it in perspective.

What could we learn from that? Sometimes we are so much into the stress we forget there are also so many blessings going on at the same time. It's hard to see, if the baby is sick, the spouse laid off and the bills getting bigger and bigger. Sometimes just having to do finals and that big paper that has been put off, can seem insurmountable. Yet, if we could have a little distance, a little more perspective, we could see that we are indeed flourishing.

So goes for religious life. We hear all sorts of things, diminished numbers, aging and letting go. Yet the spirit is so alive, maybe even more today than at any other time. There is flourishing in the middle of all the other "stuff'" of our lives. Let us look for that part today as we go about the work and life we lead. I know I will.

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