kindness

Talking, Listening, Communicating

I was extremely proud when Smoochie, a male cat who’s lived with me for more than seven years, began to understand — and obey — my command, “Come here!” Not long ago, Mimi, who’s 15 and has been with me since she was six months old, was sitting on the dining room table. I called to her and patted my stomach once, twice and a third time. With feline grace — and in her own time — she came and curled up in my lap. Then there’s Mimi’s plaintive cry, which I have come to recognize as her request for kibbles.

The longer the cats and I live together, the better we're able to communicate with each other. Smoochie complains each morning that he's hungry and I try to persuade them not to scratch the furniture. My ability to communicate with them was never more important than the other day when a guest apparently went out the back, opening both the sliding glass door and the screen door, but only closing the sliding door behind them.

When I came into the living room, I wanted to get some air and so I open the sliding glass door not realizing that the screen door was also open. I put out food for the kitties and when I walked back into the living room, I saw to my horror that both doors were wide open. I ran to see if Smoochie was eating, he was not. I ran to the door calling his name, over and over and over. Finally, the scalliwag trotted over, sat down and gazed up at me.

“Smooch, come on, come inside.” Luckily, he complied whereupon I immediately closed the screen door.

There’s a spiritual parallel here. Through prayer, spiritual reading, meditation and even acts of kindness, forgiveness and generosity, I believe we strengthen our connection to God. God, obviously, always understands what we’re saying, but listening to God’s Word and deeply understanding it, well, that takes time. But just like Mimi, Smoochie and me, the longer we hang out together, the better we communicate. And the longer I hang out with God and listen closely, I can hear God issuing not a command, but an invitation, an invitation to Love.

Love Without Boundaries

With the announcement that financial aid is being cut to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, my prayer this morning drifted to the many trips I had made to visit our Mercy mission in Chanmagua, Guatemala. One trip, in particular, stood out.

My travelling companion, Sister Ellen Kurtz and I had spent the night in Guatemala City en route to Chanmagua. After travelling across Guatemala City, we boarded the bus to begin the four-hour bus trip — no bathrooms or AC on the bus — to Esquipulas. There we planned to meet our Sisters and travel the rest of the way up the mountain, ultimately arriving in Chanmagua.

To Make the World Whole

Years ago I read about the “butterfly effect,” the theory that the flap of a butterfly wing in Tokyo may affect a tornado in Texas. As I thought about it, I understood that small events in one place can have a much greater effect somewhere else, and small events now may impact events at a later time. Somehow this reverberates in my head lately as the environment continues to be under siege in our country.

In the Same Boat...in the Airport

Recently I attended a meeting of the leaders of Mercy retreat houses in the U.S. where the conversation focused on what people need today and how Mercy retreat houses can fill those needs. Everyone spoke deeply about the good people who show up at our doors looking for something — perhaps silence, a re-connection with themselves or God, or a trained and listening ear. I was inspired by the conversation and realized I was not alone in this unique ministry. We agreed to collaborate and cooperate with one another for the common good, to share our ideas and knowledge, and to continue to work together.

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