Dough-Bread

A quote about Catherine:


Catherine's letters sough to knead the spirit of union and charity through the
dough of the expanding institute.
Joanna Regan

I keep reflecting on the words "union and charity" of which that Catherine so often spoke. As we continue in the midst of what we Mercys call 'reconfiguring and reimagining" this is so much needed. There has to be growth as the dough rises, there has to be kneading, to get the "air bubbles' out as well as softening of the hard parts and work them together for the whole.

Even the thought of Catherine's writing of letters that connected everyone, we too need to connect with others, especially those who are lost in the flour dust of life. We need to brush them off with care and gentleness and bring them back to the whole.

The long rising of waiting until the new community is formed still needs care, just as the dough needs time to rise. We need to keep it out of cold draft so it rises consistently, we need to be sure it is not too warm lest it rise too quickly and fall. There may need to be another "punching down and rekneading" as we shape and form the loaves that will be the future.

Then there is the placing it in the pan, to rise more. Once we have the assembly out of the way, the new leadership elected, there still needs to be more rising and shaping before placing it in the oven that magical day, July 1 and letting it bake into the loaf it is to become.

Where am I in all of this? Am I still covered with flour dust? Am I being kneaded? Am I waiting to raise? Am I ready for the next 'punching down" and reshaping? Am I ready, really ready, for the final shaping and placing in the pan? Will I be ready for the oven? These are the days to wait and raise.

Today I remember that on this day that the foundation to Guam was begun in 1946. What was it like then, the first year after a world war? What were the Sisters thinking and doing ? I remember that today we have two sisters from the West Midwest who have truly raised and are with Catherine - Sr. Alice Marie and Sr. Mary Raye.

Union and charity...good words to ponder these days!