Meeting Rebekah Therese

We hope you enjoy this video of the kids meeting their new sister.

Our Newest Missionary!

We are so excited to introduce little miss Rebekah Therese!!  She was born at 4:42 pm on Friday, March 24.  She was 6lb, 7oz and 19 inches long.  She has such a sweet temperament, is very alert, and is beautifully healthy.  Josh and the kids picked us up from the hospital today, and we are really enjoying be home with everyone!!  We will post more later, but here are a few pictures of our sweet little one!

 

 

 

Sports, Einstein, Ignatius and Lent

Husbands you know that moment when your wife realizes that you are sitting in the car in the driveway for the past 15+ minutes?   Sure you offered to run to the grocery store, but… hey… what is that on the radio?   Is it a March Madness game?   It is!!   How generous of you to offer to run to the store, by your quiet self, when a game just happens to be on!   And like most sports, the last 2 minutes are 10 minutes in real time.   The 2-minute warning in football should be renamed “the better put your plans on hold because the game isn’t even close to being over warning.”  The 2-minute warning really exist to warn to anyone who doesn’t like sports that there is another 10-30 minutes left.  So turn down the heat on the stove burners, because the dinner might burn.   Modern physics and the laws of relativity tell us that time is effected by gravitational fields.   Hmmm.  Is there some type of black hole that is intertwined with quantum mechanics and particle entanglement that is simultaneously slowing down time in living rooms full of sports enthusiast around the world?  Those of you who know me well are thinking one of two things.   1- Wow, Josh really put a lot of thought into this and are accurately imagining the self-amused smile that I am donning.   2- Dork.   But all of you are thinking, what does this do with missions and the family?   Actually, not much, but I was sitting in the car longer than normal after making a Wal-Mart run earlier in the week.

Down here in Catholic Cajun country, surrounded by the Bible Belt, there are a wide variety of Christian and Catholic radio stations.   After a quick spin around the dial you can hear multiple contemporary Christian and praise and worship songs, interviews with artists like David Crowder and Matt Maher, a variety of preachers and commentators on biblical passages, Christian living themes, and discussing current events.  Driving home from Wal-Mart I was delightfully blessed to hear part of a conversation on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s discernment of spirits.   Having been first introduced to the Spiritual Exercises during my undergraduate schooling and teaching at a Jesuit high school for eleven years, listening to this radio program on the road and in the driveway was like briefly reconnecting with an old friend.

I was led to reflect on some of my experiences over the past couple months and my Lenten journey so far.   Where were the blessings?   The challenges?   How have I responded?   What were my motivations?   I turned to a favorite scripture, 1 Corinthians 13, especially 4-7.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Often I’ve understood this passage as an ideal that one should strive for, though impossible this side of eternity.   Basically, I would insert my name for “love” and to aim for that goal.   Or the passage was a way of understanding God, God who is love.

But this time, I had a new angel with an Ignatian perspective and application.   In the discernment of spirits, Ignatius identifies one of the indicators of true consolation is an increase in the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.   How do we know if we are love in this way?   St. Paul tells us.   Love is patient, love is kind…   1 Corinthians 13 is not some theological ideal, but is practical.   How do I know if this motivation is from God or not?   Is it leading me to genuine love?   Is it leading me to be more patient and kind or is it really rooted in jealousy, being pompous, inflating my ego, and centered in my own interests?   This passage can be used as a very grounded examination of conscience in concrete situations.

God took it one step further, yesterday (Saturday) as I was praying through this passage, I then felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to look at the Gospel for the day.   It happened to be the parable of the prodigal son.   I could not help but be aware of the contrasting examples of the father and the elder son.   The father was motivated by love; he was patient, kind, and did not brood over injury and rejoiced in the truth. He bore all things.   He believed and hoped his son would one day return.  He endured all things.   The older son however was pompous, inflated, rude, seeking his own interests, and was quick-tempered.   Can I imagine myself in this scene with my own situations?   When I do so, do I find myself behaving more as the father or as the elder son?   Am I being motivated out of love, or am I being tempted to act out of some other motivation?   As we begin the Third Week of Lent, can I commit to carving out the time to seek God mercy and the grace to be aware of my own sins and to repent?   Can I approach the Creator and Lord of the universe with the humble faith that He longs to have me run into His arms, unashamed because of mercy, just as the father in the parable?   Do I show that same love and mercy to others?   To my family?  To my spouse and children?  To my friends and fellow missionaries?  To the people I am called to serve?

Today we were invited to minister at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Lafayette, a parish with a large outreach to the local Latino community.   There was a daylong retreat centered on the family and FMC missionaries were asked to run a children’s program from ages 3-13.   There were over 100 children including the three FMC families.   The children were amazing and I was personally refreshed to hang out and work with twenty 6-7 year olds.   We played games, made pictures of our families, prayed the stations of the cross, and listened to talks of God’s love.   We even had the opportunity to venerate a first class relic of Pope Saint John Paul II!   It was a long day, but so blessed!

Children's Ministry during the Family Retreat at OLF

Aron and company listening to Sister.

MJ in her favorite red dress waiting to meet St. John Paul II.

Nathaniel praying with St. John Paul II.

A simple touch

This week we had the opportunity to take a family that was here for a "Come and See" weekend to a nursing home for a morning of service.  I always love taking the kids in to the nursing homes because by just being there, the kids bring so much joy.  I got a kick out of watching an elderly gentleman play a game with MJ where he would point at her and she would just erupt in to giggles.  The residents would naturally gravitate toward the kids when they would see them, and conversations were easy to start when they see our family.

The visit that left the biggest impression on my heart though was visiting Ms. "Alice."  We knew before walking in to her room that she was almost completely blind.  When we went in she had a sweet, peaceful smile on her face.  While we talked, she did not turn toward us but would always keep her face pointed toward the fluorescent light fixture on the ceiling.  It was tough to start a conversation because the kids short one word "Hello" as we introduced them didn't fill much time.  Then Josh and I worked on having a conversation with her about her life while MJ and Naomi worked on drawing pictures like they did for the other residents we visited.  Conversation limped along for a little bit until the girls finished their pictures.  

Once Naomi finished, she crumpled the picture, then gave it to me to give to Ms. Alice.  Ms. Alice apologized and said she couldn't see the picture, and it seemed like she wouldn't accept it.  I assured her it was ok that she couldn't see it, but that I could explain the picture to her.  I took her hand and I described the colors Naomi used  Then I traced her hand along the lines of the pictures helping her to "see" what was on he paper.  As I took her hand in mine, so much of Ms. Alice's demeanor changed.  She turned her face toward my voice, her body relaxed, and conversation quickly became very easy.

We always say it, but it is incredible to watch the impact of a simple human touch.  It helped her to relax, to "see" what words alone could not show her.  It showed her that we wanted to get past the obstacles that blindness created in communicating with her.  It gave her the chance to encounter us in a very real way.  It gave her the chance to experience the girls and the gift the girls were trying to give.

We saw it at the nursing home, and we saw it time and time again in Mexico...when there is an obstacle to communication, whether it is blindness or language barriers or another obstacle, just a simple touch like the holding of a hand to guide or a hand on a shoulder to comfort or to pray with someone changes everything.

It was such a great reminder that we have a God who knows how much can be said by touch.  He wanted so badly to communicate with us, to show us His love and the things we couldn't understand by words alone that He became man (in Jesus) so that He could be physically present to us.  He wanted to show us His love where we have trouble understanding it.  He became Man so we didn't have to keep just looking up hoping we hear him, but now we can turn our faces toward Him, feel His presence, and know His unending love.    In today's gospel, after the disciples were afraid after seeing the transfigured Christ, "Jesus came and touched them, saying, 'Rise, and do not be afraid.'"   A simple touch can tear down barriers, evaporate fears, and share compassion.  It can free us to encounter Christ, others, and to rise and move forward.

Back in the U.S.

We arrived safely in the U.S.   Last Sunday, February 26, we left the mission house early in the morning and drove to the boarder.   Except for a wrong turn near the boarder, we were without incident.  And even the wrong turn was a blessing.   We had to stop and asked some armed-to-the-teeth boarder guards with automatic rifles and full body armor.   Maria and I still haven’t gotten use to seeing a militarized police force and the idea of being pulled over still gets me nervous.   But we had to stop.   Through our very broken Spanish and hand gestures we had a very pleasant encounter from these very human and helpful individuals.  Sometimes our minds villainize people or groups, creating division and fear that holds us back from sharing Christ’s love.   We forget that this is a person too, with a home and probably with a family.   This person probably has a favorite TV show, a dish they like to have on their birthday, a morning routine that includes washing their face and changing their clothes.   This person is loved by God, and just like me, needs to be reminded of Christ’s love practically everyday.

After crossing into the U.S., we drove to Corpus Christi, Texas.   We spent the night and enjoyed some precious family time by the Gulf.   We were also able to visit and reconnect with some of the members of the SOLT order that Maria knew from her time in Corpus from 1999 to 2000.   It was a blessing to celebrate mass with the community in their adoration chapel and to receive the hospitality and have lunch with Fr. Peter, Fr. Brady, and Dcn. Bernie with whom Maria shared classes back in the day.

Our Lady of Corpus Christi

We arrived back at Big Woods in Louisiana late Monday evening.   We have unpacked and settled into our new home (St. Michael’s House) for the next two months or so.  

Once again, I feel like we are waiting.   I feel my wheels are spinning.   As someone who likes to keep busy and is a “do-er” slowing down does not come easy.   I didn’t become a missionary to not share Christ’s love.   I want to go out and do great things for God, and yet God says, “Wait… Slow down… My relationship with you is more important than you doing My work.   Who you are is not defined by what you do.   Your identity is found in My love, in your relationship with Me.”   I am beginning to wonder how many of you must be saying, “Come on Josh, the Lord has been working on this with you for a while now.   When are you going to get it?”

I was blessed by the first reading at mass today, Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7.  I was especially struck by the lie of the serpent, “God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods.”   The lie of the serpent tries to convince us that we are not good enough, that we have to be better, that we need to do more, that we need to be more like gods.   While we are called to be holy and to share in freely given gift of God’s life and divinity as sons and daughters, we not called to be gods.   I am called to be holy as an imperfect, limited human being, not as a god.   Can I let go of my pride?   Can I seek the humble, simple way of love?   It is better to seek God’s will and wash the dishes and sweep the floor in love and humility then to preach in front of multitudes in pride.   It is better to till and keep a garden then to be like gods.   I cannot earn God’s love.   There is nothing I can do.   All I can do is let go of those obstacles that hold me back from receiving more of His love…  And maybe that is my pride, that is my compulsion to keep busy, to be a do-er.   Maybe the greatest thing I can do for God is the smallest and simplest and humblest acts, maybe it is just resting in His presence.

Speaking of resting…  Missions is exhausting work… take Naomi's word for it!