Lent 2017
Were You There: “To Be With You is Sacred”
Editor’s note: Reflecting on the passing of a loved one, Interim Executive Director Meghan Meros shares how she came to a deeper appreciation that being present with another person is a sacred opportunity to encounter, share, and give love. Once, I was with someone when they died, but I did not have the privilege of…
Read More
Were You There: “What Was Accomplished?”
Editor’s note: The Poor Clare Nuns of Immaculate Heart Monastery in Los Altos Hills, CA, reflect on how—throughout his Passion—Christ gives us countless beautiful examples of how we are to treat those around us and follow His example of taking up our cross daily. In an age when accomplishment is everything, we might ask Our…
Read More
Were You There: “Mary Stood”
Editor’s note: DCSC member Amanda Saunders reflects on the example of Mary standing at the foot of the Cross during Christ’s crucifixion. “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother.” (John 19:25) Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother. It does not say that near the cross of Jesus, his mother wailed, screamed, fought,…
Read More
Were You There: The Unlikely Hero
Editor’s note: DCSC member Kathleen Strycula reflects on the unassuming but pivotal role of the disciple John throughout Christ’s Passion on the Cross. “Where’s Bilbo?” In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is the one who is constantly overlooked, forgotten about, and left behind by the group of dwarves with whom he is travelling. And…
Read More
Were You There: Being Simon
Editor’s note: DCSC member Chase Medelberg reflects on the Fifth Station of the Cross, and how we—like Simon of Cyrene—should be open to those times that we find ourselves called upon to help others carry their crosses. When we pray and participate in the Stations of the Cross during Lent, we get to experience the journey…
Read More
Were You There: Finding Peace
Editor’s Note: Guest blogger and nurse Emily Colonna reflects on a patient she accompanied at Christiana Hospital, where she was challenged to find God’s presence and strength even in the face of tragedy. I am a nurse at a local hospital in the intensive care unit. I graduated last spring from Neumann University, a…
Read More
Were You There: Entrusting Our Crosses to Christ
Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the figure of Simon the Cyrenian who helped Jesus carry his cross, and relates it to a personal encounter on mission. “As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on…
Read More
Meatless Meals for Lent: Homemade Tortilla Recipe for Bean Taquitos
Editor’s Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes is now in Jamaica, but she has not forgotten her Texan roots. Here she shares the recipe for homemade flour tortillas, the building blocks for many meatless Tex-Mex recipes. South Texas is where I call home and where making flour tortillas from scratch is a tradition. There is nothing better…
Read More
Were You There: Jesus, Help Us to Carry Our Cross
Editor’s Note: recent DC Service Corps member Josh Maxey reflects on what it means to “take up our cross,” and how he came to a deeper understanding of the phrase through his year of service with FMS. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up…
Read More
Were You There: “Rompiendo Barreras”
Editor’s Note: A Junior at St. Mary’s University and a finalist for the San Damiano Award, Valeria García reflects on how she came to a deeper understanding of what it means to “be present” and witness to the lives and sufferings of those around her. Barreras: they were always present. I grew up knowing that…
Read More
Were You There: What Can I Give?
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Madonna Enwe shares how a particular encounter with a client at the Refugee Service Center at Catholic Charities moved her to compassion, generosity, and a humble recognition of her own limitations. As I work at the Refugee Service Center at Catholic Charities, one of my most difficult moments is…
Read More
Were You There: Stumbling and Rising
Editor’s note: In a follow-up to his post Libre Soy, recently-returned missioner Jeff Sved reflects on how he sees Christ’s struggles and stumbles on the Way of the Cross reflected in the lives of the friends and inmates with whom he served throughout his ministry. Were you there when Jesus stumbled for the first time?…
Read More
Were You There: “Is It Scary?”
Editor’s note: What do escape rooms and the 14th Station of the Cross have in common? NSLP alumna Maria Beben reflects on how Lent—with all its uncertainty, waiting, and unknowns—calls us to greater trust and community. As one of my part-time jobs, I work at Surelocked In Escape Games in Frederick, Maryland. For those of you…
Read More
Meatless Meals for Lent: Quinoa with Black Beans
Editor’s note: FMS Missioner Erin McHugh shares a gluten-free vegetarian favorite for Lent. Since I have only been in Guatemala for about two months, I am not sure of special meatless meals they have for Lent, so I am going to share a recipe from home. In the US I am not much of a…
Read More
Were You There: Bearing Witness
Editor’s Note: Mary Grace Donohoe—a San Damiano Award candidate and a senior at Stonehill College in Easton, MA—reflects on how our Catholic faith and Jesus’ own suffering call us to stand up for all those around us who are suffering or persecuted. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -Dr.…
Read More
Were You There: Practicing Repentance
Editor’s note: Father Joseph Nangle OFM reflects on how the season of Lent is a time to practice awareness, repentance, and change, not only for personal failings but for broader societal injustices as well. Since my years on overseas mission, the Lenten season of penance has always signified much more than a personal expression of…
Read More
Were You There: Bearing the Unbearable News
Editor’s Note: A friend of FMS, Mickey Edwards reflects on the First Station of the Cross and how being present with another person through their suffering can be a sharing of grace. The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death I imagine the devastated disciples and ask myself, “Who told Mary?” Who could summon the…
Read More
Were You There: Showing Christ’s Love Amongst Pain
Editor’s note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects back on her time on mission in Jamaica, recounting how she felt called to witness to the challenges and the joys of her students there. When I was given the topic for our Lenten blog, “Were you There,” the first thing that came to mind was working with the 4th grade class…
Read More
Were You There: Consolation in Isolation
Editor’s note: Charlie Gardner—a FMS formation presenter and a member of the Sant’Egidio Community—reflects on how cries for help often reveal a deeper need for recognition and consolation. “Bartimaeus began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more…
Read More
Meatless Meals For Lent: Bolivian Llajwa
Editor’s note: FMS Missioner Maggie Van Roekel expands her hot sauce horizons with this staple Bolivian condiment. One thing that many people know about me is that I absolutely love hot sauce. It’s a staple for me that goes on almost anything that I eat. When I arrived in Bolivia, I was eager to try llajwa,…
Read More
Were You There: When There is Joy and Pain
Editor’s note: Missioner Cindy Mizes reflects on a friendship she formed with a resident sister at the Jeanne Jugan Residence for the Elderly, recounting the times of both joy and sorrow she shared with her. I will never forget my first day as a volunteer at the Jeanne Jugan Residence for the Elderly in Washington,…
Read More
Were You There: A Time to Expose, Implore, and Adore
Editor’s note: Brother Thomas Piolata, OFM Cap., offers a reflection on how Lent is a time to open our wounds to Christ in order to receive his grace and adore him. “[T]he desert is the place of silence, of solitude…The desert is the place…which sets man before the ultimate demands…In putting aside all preoccupations man…
Read More
Were You There: Comfort From a Stranger
Editor’s note: Missioner Anna Klonowski reflects on a past service trip she attended in college, where a small gesture of comfort from one of the women there reminded her that service begins in the little deeds of kindness we do for each other. In college, I had the opportunity to participate in an Alternative Break…
Read More
Were You There: Am I Just a Bystander?
Editor’s Note: Missioner Misty Menis-Kyler reflects on her first weeks in Guatemala and how she has found herself called more and more to take action rather than remain a simple bystander in the face of the suffering and needs of those around her. During Lent we often hear the question, “Were you there?” or “What…
Read More
Were You There: The Fall and the Rise
Editor’s note: NSLP alum Sarah Sokora reflects on how the stumbles in our life can become the stepping stones to greater perseverance, trust in God, and holiness. On the long road to Calvary, Christ fell three times and rose three times. With each fall, He rose dirtier, more scratched, and with the Cross repositioned on…
Read More
Were You There: Am I Here with Christ?
Editor’s Note: Gigi Gruenke reflects on times on mission and in her life when she felt God’s promptings and overcame her fear in order to take action and accompany those who are suffering. I see Jesus’ embrace of the cross as the ultimate act of solidarity with us: He is present in the middle of…
Read More
Were You There: Stand and Watch
Editor’s note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan shares a time when she was called to accompany and witness the painful suffering of a friend throughout their trial and testimony. About half of the way through our pre-mission formation, our formation director set an album in the middle of the kitchen table that contained little bios and quotes…
Read More
Were You There: He Provides
Editor’s note: A friend of FMS and a Franciscan-hearted individual, Elizabeth Green reflects on how her trip to Haiti with Engineering Ministries International taught her a deep lesson in God’s providential care. Children. Chickens. Roosters. Roads. As I woke up for the first time in Pignon, Haiti, I was surprised by how pleasant these…
Read More
The Stripping of Tradition, One Pollera at a Time
Editor’s note: Missioner Allison Dethlefs reflects on the parallels between the stripping of Christ’s clothing with the societal stripping of the cultural dress that she has witnessed in Bolivia. As I reflect on the Stations of the Cross in preparation for our coming Lenten season, my thoughts have come to dwell on the Tenth Station—Jesus…
Read More
Were You There: Presence at Camp
Editor’s note: missioner Maggie Van Roekel shares how a conversation and friendship with a young camper challenged her to find time to be present even amidst the busyness of her work. For the past three summers, I worked as a summer camp counselor at a camp for individuals of all ages who have special needs.…
Read More
Meatless Meals for Lent: Dutch Babies (Oven Pancakes)
Editor’s Note: Missioner Anna Klonowski shares a family recipe traditionally made on Fridays during Lent. Note: This recipe calls for an oven safe pan 3-4 quart capacity with sides at least 3 inches high. Ingredients 4 eggs 1 cup milk ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 1/3 cup butter Instructions Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt…
Read More
Were You There: Ministry of Presence in the Little Things
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Ali Sentmanat reflects on an encounter with a man at the Father McKenna Center which changed her perspective and approach to “being there” for other people. The Father McKenna Center has a large gathering area for meetings that is often called “the chapel.” As I was walked through it…
Read More
Were You There: Lightening the Load
Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi reflects on the painful reality of child abuse experienced by her students at Valley of the Angels and other children in Guatemala. After two years on mission, I have come to the harsh realization that one of the most difficult things I face is the abuse of children. When I…
Read More
Were You There: Are We Also Innocent Bystanders?
Editor’s Note: Paula Scraba, OSF and Associate Professor at St. Bonaventure University, reflects on when she attended a live reenactment of the Stations of the Cross which made Christ’s Passion a very real and present reality. The first thought that came to mind in reading the theme of “Were You There?” was my experience on…
Read More
Were You There: He Consoles Us
Editor’s note: Contemplating the Eighth Station of the Cross, Missioner Aubrey Kimble reflects on the power of following Jesus’ example in being present to those who are suffering. “Were You There?” This is a question that I frequently find myself reflecting on. One of the things I strive for on mission is to be present…
Read More
Meatless Meals for Lent: A Taste of Home – Maryland Cream of Crab Soup
Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi shares some local flavor from her Maryland upbringing in a meatless meal for Lent. Above is a picture of the river near the house where she spent her summers and first enjoyed Maryland Cream of Crab soup. Anyone who knows me can attest that I have a slight obsession with my home…
Read More
Were You There: What Did You Do?
Editor’s Note: NSLP alumna Bridget Higginbotham shares about attending the Mass at the White House for Muslim Refugees, and reflects on how the next step after being present is taking action. Sometimes I imagine that 50 years from now, future generations will ask me about something they learned about in history class. The conversation might…
Read More
Were You There?
Lent is a time for reflections and questions. What will we offer up during Lent? How can we change our daily habits to grow in our relationship with God and each other? How can we serve and walk in the footsteps of Christ right now in our own lives? “Were You There?” is a beautiful…
Read More
Meatless Meals for Lent: Lentils with Spinach and Ginger
Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen offers the first simple, meatless meal for this Lenten season. Her recipe is adaptable for whatever ingredients you might have handy. I prefer to eat meatless, so Lent is never a dietary problem for me. When I was in the US, I would use the recipes sent out to my…
Read More