what do i spend my time doing? it's a long day at school, then dinner and prayer, and then more prayer through my ignatian spirituality retreat that i am currently on right now...yup! only about 8 and a half more months to go! and what a blessing it has already been thus far.
i am spending my time receiving graces - those i am aware of and those i am not. i spend my time doing things i love, and i am having fun doing them. no it's not always a blast grading papers, but it is extremely insightful when i get to read my students' reflections on the daily journal topics i give them..."what is your greatest passion in life? How can you use that to serve others and how does it nourish you?" or " what is your favorite song to listen to at any time of the day? Why does it inspire you?" yes folks, welcome to health class. :)
i am finding it extremely important to give my students this time at the beginning of every class, to journal...journal about whatever topic i see moving in my life, and therefore, decide to share with them. i have recently been getting a lot of questions from students as to why i am here, "what, miss? you don't get paid?" ...and then i get a lot of, "you're from california? you were living the life! why would you want to move to new york?" ...and then, there goes the explanation that i am so accustomed to giving, but each time, it is more and more reaffirming to me, as to why i am here - not that i need it, but it is always nice to verbalize the plans that God has had for me so far in this life i am living :)
yesterday was vocations day and it was a meaningful time for me, probably because the words, vocation and discernment have remained top of mind for the past many months...but i got to meet the franciscan sisters of the renewal and i spent some time with the MSCs of course. i wondered what i was like in high school - did i even care about this stuff? did it even make sense to me? so in the class period that i substitiuted for yesterday, we spent time processing the day. what did they like, what didn't they like? what do they think about vocation? the word, "calling" is a very difficult and big word to grasp i think, so it's easier if we can break it down for the students a little bit. it was very informative for me, and it made me think of what the religious life would look like in the years to come...hmm...
everyone has been sick, and that has been unfortunate. the subways are even a little flu-infested, which is not the best situation, especially since i am trying my very best to stay away from all things that are potentially related to getting sick. the change in weather is not helpful, but i try to stay covered from like head to toe with some type of scarf or jacket or garment situation that would protect myself!
my days are filled with grace and peace, and solitude is nice too. be true to who i am, and know what my needs are - it's all very healthy for me, especially with me learning more about myself in my time here in new york. my friend asked me how i like new york so far, and i said..i love it! no pause or anything, i just simply love it! the environment is easy i think. i think it is the internal thoughts and processing of each day that proves some of the challenges in being a missioner. there's a lot of contemplation, a lot of reflection, and a lot of time to do so - well maybe not really, but it is important that i take the time. perhaps the contemplation and reflection is just me, because i tend to self-reflect a lot, but i think it's healthy for who i am as a person, and it's something that i am given time to do - especially on the subways! such valuable time!
the holiday season is just around the corner, and with that comes exciting times. life is good. :) and God is even better!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
phil 4:13
The past three days, I had spent my time in malverne, Philadelphia (I don’t even know if that’s necessarily how you spell it!) As Cabrini Mission Corps, we were invited to the annual assembly, held by the missionary sisters of the sacred heart of jesus. Haha yeah, you like the long title? Well, for short, you can call them MSCs, or Cabrini Sisters. That usually gets the point and understanding across!
In a nutshell, my weekend was spirit-filled. Filled with the goodness of the spirit in the talks given by the speakers, in the reflections and discussions, in the one-on-one conversations with the men and women heading up their individual ministries, and most certainly in the unifying under the charism of Mother Cabrini. I can not begin to explain to you how great it was to sit at tables with such experience, and zest, and boldness – through the sisters and through other lay missionaries. These people have fully dedicated their lives to the missions set up by Mother Cabrini and to the mission that Jesus had paved for them. In the spirit of disponbilita, or, going wherever you are needed, just wow. There was so much in that room. It is a spirit of putting yourself last, trusting in the Lord, and relying on God’s strength to get you to where it is He wants you to go. Being guided by Mother Cabrini, the patroness of the immigrants, it is not surprising that many of the sisters receive proper documentation (travelling from country to country) with such remarkably fast turn around times!
Something that was really made apparent to me this weekend, truly, is the boldness and steadfast ways of Mother Cabrini. With any challenges she was faced with, boldly she went, believing and trusting in the ways of the Lord, knowing that while she was faced with resistance, there is a God that was bigger and there was a world full of missions waiting to be embarked upon. And so she went. And a hundred plus years later, these sisters are still at it…in Swaziland, in baguio city, Philippines, in Australia…all over the world. Talk about going wherever you are needed!
Another aspect that I would like to share is with the spirit of discernment. It is a common theme that has been resounding itself in my mind, heart, and soul, for the past months, and of course, this weekend, as I continue to explore the ways that God is working in my life. Discernment is making decisions, rooted in prayer – prayerfully making decisions – inviting God into those decisions, listening to ourselves, listening to our hearts. In essence, while it involves ourselves, it is also a surrendering process to God and His dreams for us. The key is – be ok with not getting clear cut answers when we want them, but trusting in the guidance of the spirit. We learned that with discernment, it’s always a choice between two goods…of course if there is an option that is poignantly bad, that is already thrown out and ruled out. With discernment, it involves deciding between two good things. The importance of reflection and trust in ourselves was really made apparent to me today. What is life-giving to me? Where will that fulfillment come from?
Tonight was especially blessed with the opening liturgy for the 19th annotation of the ignatian spiritual exercises that I began a week ago. Me and mary gathered at my spiritual director’s house, and we shared a mass in her living room, with about 10 other people, also going through the exercises, including their spiritual directors. Wow, such a beautiful mass, and so happy we got to make it back to new york ontime to attend. They pretty much waited for mary and I to get there, and then began the liturgy. It was such a blessing to share that space with great community. To be surrounded by others walking the same journey, with the same purpose of wanting to learn more about our personal relationships with God – community is so precious. It was in that room today, that I felt the Holy Spirit really moving within me. That is where my joy comes, and that is where the hyperness comes from too, I think. I get excited really easily, especially when it comes to talks about spirituality, and hearing about how the Spirit is moving in other people’s lives. It just makes God so real, and it is through people that God really makes himself known to me. oh, so good! I feel so affirmed, and so blessed to be called upon to join in this mission of spreading God’s love to other people. And with everything that is to come, may I be open. God is, indeed, a God of surprises!
My brother, my sister, I pray for you, and you pray for me. yay! Thank you for coming on this journey with me.
In a nutshell, my weekend was spirit-filled. Filled with the goodness of the spirit in the talks given by the speakers, in the reflections and discussions, in the one-on-one conversations with the men and women heading up their individual ministries, and most certainly in the unifying under the charism of Mother Cabrini. I can not begin to explain to you how great it was to sit at tables with such experience, and zest, and boldness – through the sisters and through other lay missionaries. These people have fully dedicated their lives to the missions set up by Mother Cabrini and to the mission that Jesus had paved for them. In the spirit of disponbilita, or, going wherever you are needed, just wow. There was so much in that room. It is a spirit of putting yourself last, trusting in the Lord, and relying on God’s strength to get you to where it is He wants you to go. Being guided by Mother Cabrini, the patroness of the immigrants, it is not surprising that many of the sisters receive proper documentation (travelling from country to country) with such remarkably fast turn around times!
Something that was really made apparent to me this weekend, truly, is the boldness and steadfast ways of Mother Cabrini. With any challenges she was faced with, boldly she went, believing and trusting in the ways of the Lord, knowing that while she was faced with resistance, there is a God that was bigger and there was a world full of missions waiting to be embarked upon. And so she went. And a hundred plus years later, these sisters are still at it…in Swaziland, in baguio city, Philippines, in Australia…all over the world. Talk about going wherever you are needed!
Another aspect that I would like to share is with the spirit of discernment. It is a common theme that has been resounding itself in my mind, heart, and soul, for the past months, and of course, this weekend, as I continue to explore the ways that God is working in my life. Discernment is making decisions, rooted in prayer – prayerfully making decisions – inviting God into those decisions, listening to ourselves, listening to our hearts. In essence, while it involves ourselves, it is also a surrendering process to God and His dreams for us. The key is – be ok with not getting clear cut answers when we want them, but trusting in the guidance of the spirit. We learned that with discernment, it’s always a choice between two goods…of course if there is an option that is poignantly bad, that is already thrown out and ruled out. With discernment, it involves deciding between two good things. The importance of reflection and trust in ourselves was really made apparent to me today. What is life-giving to me? Where will that fulfillment come from?
Tonight was especially blessed with the opening liturgy for the 19th annotation of the ignatian spiritual exercises that I began a week ago. Me and mary gathered at my spiritual director’s house, and we shared a mass in her living room, with about 10 other people, also going through the exercises, including their spiritual directors. Wow, such a beautiful mass, and so happy we got to make it back to new york ontime to attend. They pretty much waited for mary and I to get there, and then began the liturgy. It was such a blessing to share that space with great community. To be surrounded by others walking the same journey, with the same purpose of wanting to learn more about our personal relationships with God – community is so precious. It was in that room today, that I felt the Holy Spirit really moving within me. That is where my joy comes, and that is where the hyperness comes from too, I think. I get excited really easily, especially when it comes to talks about spirituality, and hearing about how the Spirit is moving in other people’s lives. It just makes God so real, and it is through people that God really makes himself known to me. oh, so good! I feel so affirmed, and so blessed to be called upon to join in this mission of spreading God’s love to other people. And with everything that is to come, may I be open. God is, indeed, a God of surprises!
My brother, my sister, I pray for you, and you pray for me. yay! Thank you for coming on this journey with me.
Friday, October 16, 2009
it's a great day to be alive! :)
" mom, it's so cold here! it's like freezing!"
" oh, well maybe you should just come home then!"
- HAHA...and there is my mom for you! Gotta love it!
But truly, it is pretty cold - my thumb pads are starting to get dry. i didn't even know that was possible! apparently it's snowing in boston, and my friends are not liking it too much. i don't think i would either. it's only october! i didn't know this was in the plan. at all. haha
the past couple of days have been great - busy, but good. i've started to explore the best times of the day for me to take time to reflect for my ignatian spirituality retreat...journaling has been great, and i just got a francis cabrini candle that i bought at the shrine :) i'm pretty excited about it! yay! oohh and robin gave me a keyboard of hers that i can use to practice for the assembly's mass! yay! i started playing it last night and it was so good. i mean, ok, it's not the same as a piano, and it's quite restrictive since i'll want to play with a couple more octaves, but what i have is wonderful. such a blessing. haha :)
crystal definitely needs to start going to yoga again. it's a must that has to happen. it will definitely be one of my goals that i have for myself.
we had bowling night the other night with the sisters as part of the cabrini fundraiser, and i can not even begin to mention to you how much fun it was! mary kicked butt and she was pretty amazing, AND there was a super cool streak when mary got a strike, then i did, and then mary did again, and then i did again, and then michelle got a strike - it was classic. wonderful! bowling with the sisters is a great time, and i know you're jealous. :) oh so good.
the other night we discovered a place where you get a free personal pizza when you buy a drink. talk about awesome. YEAH that's what it was! it's been quite the week and tonight we are going down to sacred heart to see the sisters from philly (yay!), then busting out a little retreat for the prayer leaders, gonna hang out with some friends later that night, then leaving for philly for the assembly! YAY! it's going to be a good one! i see it coming :)
yipppee! mind/character/heart/soul ...life is good.
" oh, well maybe you should just come home then!"
- HAHA...and there is my mom for you! Gotta love it!
But truly, it is pretty cold - my thumb pads are starting to get dry. i didn't even know that was possible! apparently it's snowing in boston, and my friends are not liking it too much. i don't think i would either. it's only october! i didn't know this was in the plan. at all. haha
the past couple of days have been great - busy, but good. i've started to explore the best times of the day for me to take time to reflect for my ignatian spirituality retreat...journaling has been great, and i just got a francis cabrini candle that i bought at the shrine :) i'm pretty excited about it! yay! oohh and robin gave me a keyboard of hers that i can use to practice for the assembly's mass! yay! i started playing it last night and it was so good. i mean, ok, it's not the same as a piano, and it's quite restrictive since i'll want to play with a couple more octaves, but what i have is wonderful. such a blessing. haha :)
crystal definitely needs to start going to yoga again. it's a must that has to happen. it will definitely be one of my goals that i have for myself.
we had bowling night the other night with the sisters as part of the cabrini fundraiser, and i can not even begin to mention to you how much fun it was! mary kicked butt and she was pretty amazing, AND there was a super cool streak when mary got a strike, then i did, and then mary did again, and then i did again, and then michelle got a strike - it was classic. wonderful! bowling with the sisters is a great time, and i know you're jealous. :) oh so good.
the other night we discovered a place where you get a free personal pizza when you buy a drink. talk about awesome. YEAH that's what it was! it's been quite the week and tonight we are going down to sacred heart to see the sisters from philly (yay!), then busting out a little retreat for the prayer leaders, gonna hang out with some friends later that night, then leaving for philly for the assembly! YAY! it's going to be a good one! i see it coming :)
yipppee! mind/character/heart/soul ...life is good.
Monday, October 12, 2009
i will be...you will be...strength, for the journey
wow, this weekend was beyond words pretty freakin' awesome! :) what a great time, had by all, on so many levels! michelle and the students were so wonderful in throwing me a surprise birthday party on friday afternoon after school...from one of the student's delicious strawberry cheesecake that probably weighed like 15 pounds - covered in like 50 strawberries and the strawberry glaze!...to the chocolate birthday cake made by one of the other students with beautiful writing that said "Happy Birthday Ms. Catalan!" to all of the students that stayed after to join in on the surprise, to the birthday poster that said "Happy Birthday" and included winnie the pooh stickers, to the flowers from one of my students, to the graciousness of EVERYONE...it was just so good! haha i clearly didn't know what to do with myself...i was like walking along the wall. haha, such a surprise! how beautiful it was! yay!
friday night, since it was still the eve of my birthday, i celebrated my friend's birthday which fell on 10/9. she's my friend from san diego, and i was also her sponsor for confirmation, so it was so good to spend time with her and our other san diego friends in new york! and THEN! some of my other best friends arrived - charles, andrew, and lena! they came into town from boston! oh soo good to see them! it was like a mini reunion! we went out for a little bit, and then saturday happened! happy birthday to me!
slept in until 9:30ish, and then went straight to the kitchen! it was time to make pancit! and who joined in on the fun? oh! the amazingness of that which are my sister housemates, michelle, mary, and michelle's friend, matt. yay! it was so good! however...situation in that when i was boiling the noodles in the chicken broth, i realized, shoot, i should probably start adding in some maggi and soy sauce...yeah, project fail. BUT! the redemption came later when we ended up making so many noodles that we realized, hmm we should probably separate this dish into two different pots so that everything gets cooked correctly! woohoo! we were successful in smelling up the whole house with traces of garlic, and sauteeing the chinese sausage, and chopping up the vegetables, and making lots and lots of delicious pancit! woohooo! yay!
then, the party happened! it was wonderfully complete with my college friends, JD, poor ryan couldn't make it, my sis, the GSV kids, and the sisters! yay! oh it was so good...and then they got a tour of our humble abode over here, and then we went out to piano's. the usual. :) yay! oh such a great time. for my first birthday away from home, it was pretty wonderful! such a blessed weekend! oh!! and while we were making pancit, the doorbell rang, and it ended up being a chinese delivery man...my mom ordered our community chinese food for lunch, to celebrate my birthday! :) who would have thought she could be so high tech nowadays. haha love her!
and then sunday happened and i got to spend time with my friends before i dropped them off at their bolt bus. haha i love that we are all teachers, or were teachers at some point! after brunch, we spent a good time sitting in central park, just enjoying each other's company and catching up...i think it was just awesome just being in each other's presence - there wasn't any need to really, really catch up and go on such a deep, deep level, having one-on-one conversations... i think, just because it was just so good to be around people who are already familiar, and who are pretty much like family. it was just such good, quality time...then after i dropped them off, i ventured off to church then saw my sis and ryan in BK. gotta love it. :)
today i met with my spiritual director for the first time, and i am so excited about the ignatian spiritual exercises and my involvement in this experience. it is going to be so wonderful and i am looking forward to the graces that are to come and for what will be made visible to me during this time of prayer and discernment. woohoo! i spontaneously led prayer tonight for some of the sisters, and after an awesome discussion over dinner inspired by one of the sisters here, i read Isaiah 41:10 and played "in this place" and "strength for the journey."
it seems that everyday i am here, i am reminded - even if i wanted or tried to forget, i don't think it would be possible - that God is everywhere, and even when He places us at unexpected places during unexpected times, He is still there, still moving, and still everso present. as i continue to live my mission here in NY, i am given time to also reflect on my everyday here. what am i spending my time doing? who am i spendng my time with? what is God's plan that He has in store here for me? through it all - through the struggles, the questioning, the not hearing answers sometimes, and the joy, and tears, i see that God also has blessed us with companions on our journey, and thank God for that. thank God for the strengths and weaknesses that we each have.
on one of the retreats i went on in college, we always held hands interlocking our fingers, to symbolize that our weaknesses are covered by one another's strengths. thank God that we do not all have the same gifts or talents, and that we have all been given a gift and a strength and weakness that complements our neighbor. we are able to be strength to one another on this journey of life, and we are all joined together by the Spirit that wills it to be as it is. it's such a beautiful blessing, and i think that when i actually give myself some time to think about it, and sit in that idea and that feeling, it all comes together, that truly, God's plan is just so apparent.
i am finding that when we share parts of our lives with one another, and listen to each other's stories about how they ended up being missioned here or there, versus other places, or versus where they thought they would be missioned, in the end, or somewhere along the journey, it all seems to come together, like a beautiful story. like a hand crafted storybook...like, it leaves you with the feeling, this would not happen if God did not exist, and if He was not so present.
i suppose in a way, sometimes looking back, i truly have felt the hand of God just moving me right along. i think that's at least how i see it with me being here in new york. and with that, God is just so good. it's really pretty awesome that we are not perfect, because i feel like if we were, we would be missing out on the many graces and gifts from God - which are so rich!
as our feet become Christ's feet, we go forth with the grace...of the power, and the spirit, that is here, in this place...
friday night, since it was still the eve of my birthday, i celebrated my friend's birthday which fell on 10/9. she's my friend from san diego, and i was also her sponsor for confirmation, so it was so good to spend time with her and our other san diego friends in new york! and THEN! some of my other best friends arrived - charles, andrew, and lena! they came into town from boston! oh soo good to see them! it was like a mini reunion! we went out for a little bit, and then saturday happened! happy birthday to me!
slept in until 9:30ish, and then went straight to the kitchen! it was time to make pancit! and who joined in on the fun? oh! the amazingness of that which are my sister housemates, michelle, mary, and michelle's friend, matt. yay! it was so good! however...situation in that when i was boiling the noodles in the chicken broth, i realized, shoot, i should probably start adding in some maggi and soy sauce...yeah, project fail. BUT! the redemption came later when we ended up making so many noodles that we realized, hmm we should probably separate this dish into two different pots so that everything gets cooked correctly! woohoo! we were successful in smelling up the whole house with traces of garlic, and sauteeing the chinese sausage, and chopping up the vegetables, and making lots and lots of delicious pancit! woohooo! yay!
then, the party happened! it was wonderfully complete with my college friends, JD, poor ryan couldn't make it, my sis, the GSV kids, and the sisters! yay! oh it was so good...and then they got a tour of our humble abode over here, and then we went out to piano's. the usual. :) yay! oh such a great time. for my first birthday away from home, it was pretty wonderful! such a blessed weekend! oh!! and while we were making pancit, the doorbell rang, and it ended up being a chinese delivery man...my mom ordered our community chinese food for lunch, to celebrate my birthday! :) who would have thought she could be so high tech nowadays. haha love her!
and then sunday happened and i got to spend time with my friends before i dropped them off at their bolt bus. haha i love that we are all teachers, or were teachers at some point! after brunch, we spent a good time sitting in central park, just enjoying each other's company and catching up...i think it was just awesome just being in each other's presence - there wasn't any need to really, really catch up and go on such a deep, deep level, having one-on-one conversations... i think, just because it was just so good to be around people who are already familiar, and who are pretty much like family. it was just such good, quality time...then after i dropped them off, i ventured off to church then saw my sis and ryan in BK. gotta love it. :)
today i met with my spiritual director for the first time, and i am so excited about the ignatian spiritual exercises and my involvement in this experience. it is going to be so wonderful and i am looking forward to the graces that are to come and for what will be made visible to me during this time of prayer and discernment. woohoo! i spontaneously led prayer tonight for some of the sisters, and after an awesome discussion over dinner inspired by one of the sisters here, i read Isaiah 41:10 and played "in this place" and "strength for the journey."
it seems that everyday i am here, i am reminded - even if i wanted or tried to forget, i don't think it would be possible - that God is everywhere, and even when He places us at unexpected places during unexpected times, He is still there, still moving, and still everso present. as i continue to live my mission here in NY, i am given time to also reflect on my everyday here. what am i spending my time doing? who am i spendng my time with? what is God's plan that He has in store here for me? through it all - through the struggles, the questioning, the not hearing answers sometimes, and the joy, and tears, i see that God also has blessed us with companions on our journey, and thank God for that. thank God for the strengths and weaknesses that we each have.
on one of the retreats i went on in college, we always held hands interlocking our fingers, to symbolize that our weaknesses are covered by one another's strengths. thank God that we do not all have the same gifts or talents, and that we have all been given a gift and a strength and weakness that complements our neighbor. we are able to be strength to one another on this journey of life, and we are all joined together by the Spirit that wills it to be as it is. it's such a beautiful blessing, and i think that when i actually give myself some time to think about it, and sit in that idea and that feeling, it all comes together, that truly, God's plan is just so apparent.
i am finding that when we share parts of our lives with one another, and listen to each other's stories about how they ended up being missioned here or there, versus other places, or versus where they thought they would be missioned, in the end, or somewhere along the journey, it all seems to come together, like a beautiful story. like a hand crafted storybook...like, it leaves you with the feeling, this would not happen if God did not exist, and if He was not so present.
i suppose in a way, sometimes looking back, i truly have felt the hand of God just moving me right along. i think that's at least how i see it with me being here in new york. and with that, God is just so good. it's really pretty awesome that we are not perfect, because i feel like if we were, we would be missing out on the many graces and gifts from God - which are so rich!
as our feet become Christ's feet, we go forth with the grace...of the power, and the spirit, that is here, in this place...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
to...mark
ahhh mark!! so glad you found me! yeah, i actually had to change my blog name and web address because of an unfortunate situation at a coffee shop with a creeper...ANYWAY...YAY! :) i actually thought of you and was like, ahh mark! how am i gonna tell him about the switch? thanks for being a stalker and finding me. :)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
just like a violet on the little boaties.
it all began when i started to do more and more high school visits. using my sales and marketing background, it has been a blessing to be able to use these skills i have sharpened and refined, for a good cause - my high school. i have been pretty much going on multiple school visits every week, accompanied by a current student of course, to market the school, and list x, y, and z reasons of why they should look into applying to our school.
WELL - last night, i ended up going on the high school visit myself because the two students didn't show up. on top of that, there were about 150 students, and i had no student representation. so if you can only imagine me, handing out all these folders and "shadow day" information cards, and handing out pens, and answering questions left and right...that's what i was doing. i was a one-woman show, i did my best, and i think it turned out wonderful actually :) and of course this was in spanish harlem, so naturally, i called a cab and got myself home. PHEW! just in time for prayer with the sisters. and of course, i was in bed by 9:30pm. my life is awesome. :)
today was freshman retreat day! woohoo! this morning, michelle and i hurried off to the subway as we always do, and right when we got off our train, just about to transfer, i realize, AH! my pants are missing! i packed my black slacks in one of the many bags i was holding, since i had another high school fair tonight that i had to attend, and obviously look professional for! and sure enough...they were GONE! so what did i do? i re-traced my steps...all the way back to the convent, and sure enough...didn't find them :(. so they were gone, they had fallen out, and now someone has a pair of my black banana republic slacks. now, while this is quite the unfortunate tale, i'm just hoping it went to someone that really needed them, so therefore...clothing the naked. not bad to start the day with a beatitude. :)
THEN! it was freshman retreat day! woohoo! it was truly amazing - the senior leaders were great and insightful, and you could really see and feel the spirit moving among the freshman. such a blessing. there was a part in our day when we went to the shrine and michelle walked them through the mural - telling the story of mother cabrini's life. in the back, sister toni and sister ada talked more about mother cabrini and talked to us in more detail about the different things on display in the cases. sister had brought a relic with her and so she blessed each of the freshmen with the relic - i got to experience it too! what a blessing. wow...it was so moving and when we got back to the large group, we had each of the students say one word reflecting how the felt about that experience in the chapel, and some of the words were, " wow " / "awesome" / "inspiring" / "motivating" / "ohmygosh" ...great, great things!
mother cabrini is truly amazing and truly, truly, what a blessing it is to have such wonderful students at the school. at the end of they day, they are all sisters, we are all sisters, and i am appreciating more and more learning about each of the girls and learning about their lives - how hard they work, how some of the students work before school and after school only to help pay for some of their tuition because they want to continue attending this school...such hard workers - no, they may or may not be the top in their class and the best in academics, but in terms of education of the heart and soul...these girls are brilliant. :)
and with another high school fair to close the evening, it is time to lesson plan! and by the way, i think it's hilarious how i am making friends with all of the admissions and "office of advancement" reps at each high school in manhattan. haha, just hilarious. now, when i see familiar faces at these fairs, it's like, oh! how are things? it has been so long since i've seen you...like, two days! you look great! haha, god love it.
peace be with you. may the spirit of disponibilitá be with you always :)
WELL - last night, i ended up going on the high school visit myself because the two students didn't show up. on top of that, there were about 150 students, and i had no student representation. so if you can only imagine me, handing out all these folders and "shadow day" information cards, and handing out pens, and answering questions left and right...that's what i was doing. i was a one-woman show, i did my best, and i think it turned out wonderful actually :) and of course this was in spanish harlem, so naturally, i called a cab and got myself home. PHEW! just in time for prayer with the sisters. and of course, i was in bed by 9:30pm. my life is awesome. :)
today was freshman retreat day! woohoo! this morning, michelle and i hurried off to the subway as we always do, and right when we got off our train, just about to transfer, i realize, AH! my pants are missing! i packed my black slacks in one of the many bags i was holding, since i had another high school fair tonight that i had to attend, and obviously look professional for! and sure enough...they were GONE! so what did i do? i re-traced my steps...all the way back to the convent, and sure enough...didn't find them :(. so they were gone, they had fallen out, and now someone has a pair of my black banana republic slacks. now, while this is quite the unfortunate tale, i'm just hoping it went to someone that really needed them, so therefore...clothing the naked. not bad to start the day with a beatitude. :)
THEN! it was freshman retreat day! woohoo! it was truly amazing - the senior leaders were great and insightful, and you could really see and feel the spirit moving among the freshman. such a blessing. there was a part in our day when we went to the shrine and michelle walked them through the mural - telling the story of mother cabrini's life. in the back, sister toni and sister ada talked more about mother cabrini and talked to us in more detail about the different things on display in the cases. sister had brought a relic with her and so she blessed each of the freshmen with the relic - i got to experience it too! what a blessing. wow...it was so moving and when we got back to the large group, we had each of the students say one word reflecting how the felt about that experience in the chapel, and some of the words were, " wow " / "awesome" / "inspiring" / "motivating" / "ohmygosh" ...great, great things!
mother cabrini is truly amazing and truly, truly, what a blessing it is to have such wonderful students at the school. at the end of they day, they are all sisters, we are all sisters, and i am appreciating more and more learning about each of the girls and learning about their lives - how hard they work, how some of the students work before school and after school only to help pay for some of their tuition because they want to continue attending this school...such hard workers - no, they may or may not be the top in their class and the best in academics, but in terms of education of the heart and soul...these girls are brilliant. :)
and with another high school fair to close the evening, it is time to lesson plan! and by the way, i think it's hilarious how i am making friends with all of the admissions and "office of advancement" reps at each high school in manhattan. haha, just hilarious. now, when i see familiar faces at these fairs, it's like, oh! how are things? it has been so long since i've seen you...like, two days! you look great! haha, god love it.
peace be with you. may the spirit of disponibilitá be with you always :)
Friday, October 2, 2009
if you wanna be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere...
On the train home today, I looked around, and saw that I was the only one still sportin’ my work clothes. Yup, that’s right. everyone, I mean EVERYONE was in jeans , and there I was rockin my pin strip pants with my uggs. Haha yup…gotta love it. I just got back from my USD alumni event – it was awesome! I got to see a lot of my friends who live here in new york, and then got to meet some great, wonderful people as well. it was quite the extravagance with drinks, and delicious food, and great, great people. Tonight I realized how fortunate and lucky I am to be an alumni of USD. Go toreros!
So for the past few days I have been all up and out of the school I feel. Randomly I would get pulled out of my day and my schedule, to attend to something to help with recruiting efforts or with chaperoning students to go off campus. I think the difficulty there is that I don’t get to spend as much time ON campus with my students, but instead, I get to spend some long, quality time with a smaller amount of students. I suppose that is the trade off, but still, it is just quite the adjustment to be out and in and all of a sudden realize that oh in 15 minutes you are NOT going to be administering a test to your students, but rather, you will be in a cab with a student on the way to harlem to give a presentation on why those 8th graders should attend our high school. Yup, just like that. it all goes with the spirit of what is needed and where I am needed, and for that, I am all game. Going on these presentations, visiting these classrooms and spending time with the student ambassadors in hearing their academic lives, their school lives, and social lives, I am just continually, continually impressed. These students work hard, they get wonderful, amazing grades, and they have so many responsibilities to balance – not just family, but their own social lives, and of course, their academics. It is quite impressive and great and I am so blessed to be able to hear them speak about their accomplishments in school.
I have been slowly but surely been having brighter days, but my heart is still in sadness for the state and conditions in the Philippines. I just can not believe and am still in shock that the storm has hit marikina as it did. Nothing really ever happens in that area of town, and for something like this to erupt, it is just so absurd to me. I am keeping manila in my prayers as a “super typhoon” is expected to hit on Saturday. Winds in the 100 mphs? I can’t even fathom…but it is what it is.
For the past few days I have been reconnecting with a lot of my friends with who I have felt I have lost touch with for a little bit. Since I got into the swing of things with beginning my school year as a teacher, and starting to get into a routine of things, it is point blank, exhausting. Today when I got home, I definitely spent no time in getting into sweats and my pajamas. It was just that desirable that I worked as fast as I could to get as comfortable as possible!
It is of course only the beginning of fall, and yet I have already felt like this would be my winter in California. YUP…apparently it gets colder, and sister pat read on article on how this may be one of the coldest winters. Awesome. Crystal is NOT looking forward to that, but I am definitely looking forward to listening to Christmas music as soon as the day after thanksgiving begins!
And with that folks, it is time for bed time. There’s no time to waste, because whether I like it or not, the train WILL live with or without me.
Oh yeah, and I do love random, spontaneous visits with ryan and jess. That is awesome. It is great just randomly surprising ryan at his work with jess, and spontaneously getting dinner. It is great that we are finally all within only a few miles of one another. It is great that I also have friends who share a passion for social justice with me, and understand what I am going through. It is a blessing to have my sister here before she embarks on her new journey to Hawaii. It is indescribably amazing to live with beautiful, beautiful sisters and missioners. When I think only about this one month that has passed since I have been here in new york, I just think, wow, this has been such a whirlwind so far, and I know that the best truly is only yet to come.
So for the past few days I have been all up and out of the school I feel. Randomly I would get pulled out of my day and my schedule, to attend to something to help with recruiting efforts or with chaperoning students to go off campus. I think the difficulty there is that I don’t get to spend as much time ON campus with my students, but instead, I get to spend some long, quality time with a smaller amount of students. I suppose that is the trade off, but still, it is just quite the adjustment to be out and in and all of a sudden realize that oh in 15 minutes you are NOT going to be administering a test to your students, but rather, you will be in a cab with a student on the way to harlem to give a presentation on why those 8th graders should attend our high school. Yup, just like that. it all goes with the spirit of what is needed and where I am needed, and for that, I am all game. Going on these presentations, visiting these classrooms and spending time with the student ambassadors in hearing their academic lives, their school lives, and social lives, I am just continually, continually impressed. These students work hard, they get wonderful, amazing grades, and they have so many responsibilities to balance – not just family, but their own social lives, and of course, their academics. It is quite impressive and great and I am so blessed to be able to hear them speak about their accomplishments in school.
I have been slowly but surely been having brighter days, but my heart is still in sadness for the state and conditions in the Philippines. I just can not believe and am still in shock that the storm has hit marikina as it did. Nothing really ever happens in that area of town, and for something like this to erupt, it is just so absurd to me. I am keeping manila in my prayers as a “super typhoon” is expected to hit on Saturday. Winds in the 100 mphs? I can’t even fathom…but it is what it is.
For the past few days I have been reconnecting with a lot of my friends with who I have felt I have lost touch with for a little bit. Since I got into the swing of things with beginning my school year as a teacher, and starting to get into a routine of things, it is point blank, exhausting. Today when I got home, I definitely spent no time in getting into sweats and my pajamas. It was just that desirable that I worked as fast as I could to get as comfortable as possible!
It is of course only the beginning of fall, and yet I have already felt like this would be my winter in California. YUP…apparently it gets colder, and sister pat read on article on how this may be one of the coldest winters. Awesome. Crystal is NOT looking forward to that, but I am definitely looking forward to listening to Christmas music as soon as the day after thanksgiving begins!
And with that folks, it is time for bed time. There’s no time to waste, because whether I like it or not, the train WILL live with or without me.
Oh yeah, and I do love random, spontaneous visits with ryan and jess. That is awesome. It is great just randomly surprising ryan at his work with jess, and spontaneously getting dinner. It is great that we are finally all within only a few miles of one another. It is great that I also have friends who share a passion for social justice with me, and understand what I am going through. It is a blessing to have my sister here before she embarks on her new journey to Hawaii. It is indescribably amazing to live with beautiful, beautiful sisters and missioners. When I think only about this one month that has passed since I have been here in new york, I just think, wow, this has been such a whirlwind so far, and I know that the best truly is only yet to come.
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