“When we begin to believe that there is greater joy in working with and for others, rather than just for ourselves, then our society will truly become a place of celebration.” - Jean Vanier
This quote really lingered in my mind, so I thought I would share it with you. We here, in a little piece of the Kingdom of God on this good earth, are trying hard to do that. As you can guess, there can be many challenges in trying to work with and for others.
We can come up against folks who do not exactly have a positive attitude or believe that they are entitled to ‘everything’ because of who they are. On the other hand, there are still folks who want to experience the joy of working with and for others. Recently a group of parishioners helped to paint the Parish Center, at Saints Philip and James in St. James, NY; they proved that folks could work together and build up relationships as well!
My question to you is: where do you fit in this quote, this picture? Do you enter each day with a positive attitude in the hope of bringing joy to others?
That can be tough, especially if they don’t receive your joyful spirit in a positive way. How do you respond? Are we able to turn the situation around or does our negative human spirit take over?
I must say that for me, it is a fifty-fifty chance of my going either way. The good thing is that I recognize when my not-so-joyful spirit is creeping in. Progress, not perfection – I’m banking on that!
I once attended a presentation where the speaker shared that his favorite day of the year was – don’t miss this – Holy Saturday! Very interesting!
Holy Saturday? Yes, it is that time of unknowing between the Cross/Death and Tomb/Resurrection. What was that time like for the followers of Jesus?
The speaker, Tom, shared with us that he felt that we can spend most of our life in Holy Saturday. Wow! Does that ring true for you? It certainly hit a chord for me!
This is where I found that the quote took on so much flesh and helped me realize that the greater joy is in working with and for others.
My challenge to you is for you to check how you can or will live out this attitude? Remember: it is Progress not Perfection that we are looking for.
Have a Great Week,
Sister Theresita
