advent
Day 16: Beauty
Editor’s Note: On the sixteenth and final day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Interim Executive Director Maggie Conley reflects on beautiful moments from the Advent and Christmas seasons. Advent is a time of prayer, a time of preparation, and a time of waiting. It is a season for prioritizing…
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Day 15: The Franciscan Family and Advent
Editor’s Note: On the fifteenth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Lay Missioner Ralph Anderson, OFS describes the Franciscan Family and how Saint Francis of Assisi was inspired to make the first manger scene. December 3, 1223. Francis of Assisi created the first creche (Manger Scene) in the Italian…
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Day 14: Sacredness
Editor’s Note: On the fourteenth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps alumnus Noah Duclos contemplates sacredness and what we hold to be sacred. What does it mean for something to be sacred? According to the Latin roots of the word, for something to be sacred it…
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Day 13: Healing
Editor’s Note: On the thirteenth day of our Advent blog series “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Tai Ha reflects on how he offers a ministry of presence to the patients at his ministry site, Christ House. Every morning, before I walk into Christ House, I say hi to the patients…
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Day 12: Comfort
Editor’s Note: On the twelfth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps alumna Jennifer Eburuoh shares her openness to comforting those around her, inspired by God’s call to be a comforter. “Comfort, give comfort to my people.” I recently read a commentary on this passage of Isaiah…
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Day 11: Small and Beautiful
Editor’s Note: On the eleventh day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” newly commissioned lay missioner Mary Liston Liepold, OFS reflects on Jesus’ humility, both in the Eucharist and in his Nativity. “O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!” Though St. Francis was speaking of the Eucharist when he wrote these…
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Day 10: Gospel
Editor’s Note: On the tenth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Hans Dethlefs, Chair of the FMS Board of Directors connects gratitude to the good news of the Gospel. I periodically find myself asking “What is the good news of the Gospel?” In our world full of strife, suffering,…
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Day 9: Home
Editor’s Note: On the ninth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Emma Edwards, Associate Director of Franciscan Volunteer Ministry shares what is most necessary in fostering a home environment and how it relates to being children of God. In this season of my life, I spend a lot of…
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Day 8: Communion
Editor’s Note: On the eighth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” lay missioner Susan Sarkissian shares a moment from her faith journey when she experienced communion in a profound way. I spent decades away from my faith and the Catholic Church, and in those years, I knew an emptiness…
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Day 7: Contemplation
Editor’s Note: On the seventh day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Br. Sam Roberts, OFM Cap. helps us understand the prayerful practice of contemplation. Contemplation is a muddy word. What does it mean? Maybe most of us imagine it being like a “deep pondering” where we can get existential…
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Day 6: Waiting
Editor’s Note: On the 6th day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” lay missioner Kim Wagner reflects on how God is with us during our various seasons of waiting. As I sit at the front desk at Casa Papa Francisco, a shelter for immigrants in El Paso, Texas, and wait…
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Day 5: Trust
Editor’s Note: On the fifth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Anahi Vega shares a reflection on letting go and trusting God. Sometimes it’s hard to trust that everything will be okay. Trust that where you are is where you are supposed to be. Trust…
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Day 4: Solidarity
Editor’s Note: On the fourth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Grant Diego describes what solidarity entails in an intentional community. In today’s world, where individualism often takes center stage, the concept of solidarity in community living serves as a powerful reminder of the strength…
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Day 3: Go Forth
Editor’s Note: On the third day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” lay missioner Julia Pinto reflects on the various ways that God calls us to “go forth,” whether on a physical or spiritual journey. There are many times in the Bible where God asks someone to “go forth,” to…
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Day 2: Refuge
Editor’s Note: On the second day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Cecilia Gillis reminds us that we are all refugees. You may have a hard time finding a central story in the Bible that does not involve migration or movement of some kind. God’s chosen…
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Day 1: The Holy Family
Editor’s Note: On the first day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” FMS Communications Coordinator Madeline Turley shares how the Holy Family embodies the spirit of solidarity. When I contemplate the Holy Family, composed of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I describe it as extraordinary, with emphasis on both “extra” and…
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Waiting Through the Seasons
Editor’s Note: As Kim Wagner anticipates beginning her time on mission, she relates her waiting to the liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas. As I have worked to unpack my bags in my new home in Douglas, Arizona, I have begun to reflect on the past month and a half at home and the Advent…
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Day 16: Humility
Editor’s Note: For day 16 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Amanda MacMillan, a DCSC alumna and former house manager, reflects on the Feast of the Epiphany and contemplates how we can approach our Lord with humility. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the first visitors to the Holy Family. The…
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Day 15: Poverty
Editor’s Note: For day 15 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Ralph Anderson, a newly-commissioned missioner shares his thoughts on poverty and describes how one of his Franciscan brothers embodied this virtue. When the list for the Advent blog series topics came around, I was the last to sign up. The…
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Day 14: Stood Before the Manger
Editor’s Note: For day 14 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Executive Director Elizabeth Hughes shares farewell with the FMS family after 7 years of service to the organization. It is early Advent, and I join my friend’s 5-year-old in setting up their nativity from Cote d’Ivoire, comprised of the Holy…
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Day 13: Simplicity
Editor’s Note: For day 13 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” missioner Julia Pinto contemplates the simplicity of Jesus’ Nativity and tells the story of a simple yet meaningful encounter. God, I don’t get it.. Why a barn in some far-off village? Why not have the King of the universe born…
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Day 12: Lights
Editor’s Note: For day 12 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Darleen Pryds discusses how an icon of the Nativity has become more than a simple Advent or Christmas decoration. Years ago, a friend gave me a small icon of the Nativity. I wasn’t sure what to do with it until…
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Day 11: A New Bethlehem
Editor’s Note: For day 11 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps alumnus Sam Hardwick writes a poem that contemplates the Nativity of Jesus and how we participate in this new birth through Baptism and the Eucharist. Birth in a strange land. Joy and amazement from a message. Truth,…
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Day 10: Joy to Be Found
Editor’s Note: For day 10 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Susan Sarkissian, a newly-commissioned missioner, recounts a season in her life when God helped her experience genuine joy. Today is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. There is great joy to be had in recognizing this incredibly humble and…
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Day 9: Praise
Editor’s Note: For Day 9 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” returned missioner Anna Metzger, inspired by the lyrics of a praise and worship song, describes how she continues to praise God through changes and challenges. Before reading the following blog, I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen…
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Day 8: Solemn: An Advent that Looks Beyond the Blow-Up Santa
Editor’s Note: For day 8 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Bohdan O’Shaughnessy contemplates the solemn nature of Advent and Christmas. Admittedly, the word “solemn” is not a term I have associated with Advent or Christmas. I typically would assign “joy” or “anticipation” to describe this time…
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Day 7: Prepared
Editor’s Note: For day 7 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Grace Kueber, a DC Service Corps alumna, describes her tendency to over prepare and resolves to trust in God. I always grew up making sure I was prepared. For bad weather – dress warmly, maybe an umbrella, For traffic –…
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Day 6: Multitude
Editor’s Note: For day 6 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” lay missioner Mari Snyder uses an acrostic, a poetic device in which the first letter of each line forms a word, to describe the diverse people whom she encounters at her ministry site along the US-Mexico border. On a pilgrimage…
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Day 5: Tears
Editor’s Note: For day 5 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Madeline Turley, a DC Service Corps alumna and current blog manager, shares how a pilgrimage to the Holy Land restored her hope during a season of tears and waiting. “Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy.”…
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Day 4: Brilliant: Why Let There Be Light?
Editor’s Note: For day 4 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Jennifer Eburuoh compares the image of light disrupting darkness to the Advent season and the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation. Light can be a disturbance–even a nuisance. Many of us have experienced an interruption of sleep due…
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Day 3: Amplifies
Editor’s Note: For day 3 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,”Stephan Rochefort, the Casa San Salvador house manager, uses the imagery and the composition of The Adoration of the Magi to contemplate Jesus’ Nativity. Housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is my favorite depiction of the Nativity,…
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Day 2: Arrive
Editor’s Note: For day 2 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Noah Duclos reflects on waiting for Jesus’ arrival during Advent and notices that God always has been and always will be present in our world. An ongoing debate in the Casa community has been when it…
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Day 1: Invited
Editor’s Note: To begin our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Associate Director Rose Hardwick shares an experience from her pilgrimage to Assisi and shows how God invited her to go deeper into a beloved Christmas tradition. “How would you like to go on a pilgrimage to Assisi as your professional development for…
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Day 6: “Carrying that too”
Editor’s Note: Former DCSC volunteer and House Manager, Amanda Saunders, takes part in FMS’ Advent blog series by looking introspectively into the question, “What am I carrying?” and how to bear the weight of those answers. Throughout the Bible, we are given many images of carrying. We see in the Old Testament with the carrying…
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Advent Day 1: Enkindled
Editor’s note: Associate Director Meghan Meros opens the 2019 Advent blog series, “Enkindled,” with a story from childhood and a reflection of the value of persisting in our efforts to enkindle goodness and light in the world–even in the midst of a storm. The winter and spring of 1998 was an “El Niño” time in…
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Love Blooms through the Incarnation
Editor’s Note: FMS Executive Director, Liz Hughes, reflects on the joy and love that can be found in the presence of God’s unfathomable love. Upon entering my brother’s home, it’s common for my 16-month old nephew, Benjamin, to squeal with delight and then hide behind the couch, eager to engage in our favorite game of…
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Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall Come to Thee!
Editor’s Note: FMS Programs Manager, Emily Norton reflects on the unexpected love that has bloomed from a friendship that emerged from an emergency response training. **Names have been changed to respect privacy** “See you Sunday! Safe travels. I love you!” I hung up the phone and reflected on how natural the words “I love you”…
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Love Blooms Through an Internship
Editor’s Note: FMS intern, and Don Bosco Cristo Rey student, Cayla Dolet reflects on her time here at FMS and the growth she has experienced. Just like a blossom in a field, love can bloom. Although, it might take some work, it isn’t impossible. And just like that blossom, love can’t just bloom on its…
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From a Mustard Seed to a Garden
Editor’s Note: Former DC Service Corps volunteer, Sam Hardwick, shares how God spoke to his heart and inspired growth through the invitation to live a life of faith. This is the irrational season When I was going into my senior year at Providence College, God planted a seed in my heart. This seed came in…
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Love Blooms In Vulnerability
Editor’s Note: Return Missioner, Amanda Ceraldi, shares how love has bloomed in vulnerable conversations with students at Catholic University of America. The box of tissues on my desk is almost empty. My office couch has been occupied by countless students. If the walls of my office could talk, they would tell you stories of heartbreak,…
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Love Blooms… Out in the Woods
Editor’s Note: Friend of FMS, and Assistant Campus Minister for Immersion Programs and Community Service at CUA, Harrison Hanvey reflects on how God’s love radiates beyond institutional establishments, and is present and alive in the beauty of creation. A little over a month ago, a couple friends and I decided to take a bike trip.…
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Love Around A Table
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Nayeli Garcia reflects on how the simple act of sitting down at the dinner table has shaped her family’s relationships. This Advent season is a time for us to celebrate the coming of Jesus, but it is also a time to celebrate, with family, all of the good we’ve…
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Love Blooms Through Patience
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner in Bolivia, Maggie Van Roekel recalls a moment where beauty shone through the side of relationship that requires patience. The three of us walked back to the house in silence. There had been an argument on the soccer field. Unkind words and raised voices had been thrown. Heads down, we quietly…
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Love Blooms: Growing in Love
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Erin McHugh shares a beautiful encounter in which God allowed her to grow in love with the kids at Valley of the Angels in Guatemala. When I first arrived at Valley almost 2 years ago, I was so overwhelmed by the 215 kids. I didn’t know how I could give the…
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Love Blooms… At the Casa
Editor’s Note: Former FMS Associate and Current House Manager, Amanda Saunders reflects on the lessons that have come from living in intentional community at Casa San Salvador. I have been a member of the FMS family for three years. First, as a DC Service Corps volunteer, and then as the Casa San Salvador House Manager.…
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Love Blooms… In the Words of a Familiar Tune
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Amy Brandt reflects on how love has bloomed for her through an Elton John song. Love blooms… In the words of a familiar tune: It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside. It is physically impossible for me to keep from singing the next line of “Your Song”: I’m…
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Mary’s Choice
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Kevin Ruano, reflects on Mary’s ability to abandon reason and trust in the love of the Creator. This is the irrational season when love blooms bright and wild. Had Mary been filled with reason there’d have been no room for the child. —Madeleine L’Engle, “After the Annunciation” Contemplating L’Engle’s…
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Love Blooms- Persevering Through Personal Growth
Editor’s Note: Missioner, Misty Menis-Kyler, who has served in Guatemala and will be returning home in January, reflects on the importance of self-compassion and persistent personal growth. Love doesn’t have to come from a significant other, a mother, a father, a sister, or brother Love comes from all around and it comes from within. Once…
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Beginner Level Transformation… In the Soup Kitchen
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Tim Shelgren describes the transformation and change of perspective he experienced through serving at a soup kitchen in Kingston, Jamaica. Every week, I spend a few hours serving at the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) soup kitchen in downtown Kingston called Jesus the Redeemer. Recently, a group of volunteers from the…
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Love Blooms Through a Stranger
Editor’s Note: In preparation for her mission in Guatemala, Missioner Becky Kreidler reflects on the generosity of a stranger she encountered while serving at the Father McKenna Center. Each week during Formation, I served at the Father McKenna Center, a social service agency supporting men struggling with homelessness and families dealing with food insecurity. One…
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