Letting Go Archives | Franciscan Mission Service

The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Franciscan Simplicity

Editor’s note: DCSC member Madonna Enwe shares about a book she read about decluttering and organizing, reflecting on how it helped her learn simplicity and presence in the moment. “Life becomes far easier once you know that things will still work out even if you are lacking something.” This is a line from Marie Kondo’s…

Student sitting along a ridge looking out over a rural valley at sunset

I Am Learning to Let Go

Editor’s Note: Missioner-in-training Misty Menis-Kyler shares how her past service experiences at St. Labre Indian Catholic Academy formed and inspired her. Letting go means being willing to allow life to carry you to a new place and maybe even to a deeper, truer version of yourself. I spent the last two years serving the…

Letting Go and Following the Risen Christ

Editor’s Note: On this joyous day of salvation, we are reminded of the promise that lies behind Jesus’ invitation to follow him and walk in his footsteps. Alleluia, He has risen! After these 40 days of sacrifice and waiting, today is one of the most joyous days in the Church year. On this day, we…

Letting Go and Waiting

Editor’s Note: Holy Saturday teaches us to let go of past hurts and look ahead with hope, even in times of greatest uncertainty. Holy Saturday is a unique day in the Church year. There is no celebration of daily Mass. Until the celebration of the Easter vigil tonight, this day acts as a kind of…

Letting Go of Desensitization

Editor’s Note: Missioner Jeff Sved reflects on the implications of the cross and its significance in today’s world. Today, Christians worldwide remember the death of Jesus. But let us not remove this execution from its context. Have we become so used to the “glorified crucifixion” that we fail to remember that Jesus was historically the most-famous…

Letting Go of the Need to Understand

Editor’s Note: On this Holy Thursday, the recounting of the Last Supper reminds us that, like the disciples, we typically do not understand God’s plan at the time of its unfolding. These times of uncertainty offer incredible invitations to trust. If asked to summarize the way that God usually works in our lives in one sentence…

Letting Go and Finding God in the Silence

Editor’s Note: Former Salesian volunteer Matthew Beben shares how time spent on a silent retreat during his year of service in Ethiopia showed him how to slow down, re-center, and simply “be.” It wouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me to hear that it took me twenty-four years to attend a silent retreat. I’m definitely not someone…

A Prayer for Letting Go

Editor’s Note: Franciscan Sister of the Allegany Sr. Cathy Cahill, OSF, reflects on letting go of difficult decisions and situations and placing them into God’s hands. A number of years ago I was faced with a very important DECISION. I had the freedom to choose between two equally good opportunities that I will call X…

But When Do I Let Go?

Editor’s Note: Communications Manager Bridget Higginbotham reflects on how she found peace with the question: how do we know when it is time to hold on and when it is time to let go? My appreciation for “letting go” has recently come from reading works by Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, and Al-Anon, which all emphasize…

Letting Go and Having Total Trust in God

Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Josh Maxey reflects on the fact that if we focus too much on what the world wants of us, it will be harder to discern what God wants of us. Philippians 4:6-7, NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him…

Letting Go and Accepting God’s Timing For a Call

Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on some of the the conversations she had before she left for Jamaica when she explained to others what she was going to do. Often, the response she received was, “I would like to do what you are doing, but…” After these conversations, Janice reflected on the notion of…

Letting Go and Letting the Door Close

Editor’s Note: Programs manager Emily Norton shares how her participation in the FMS Re-entry Retreat for Class 29 led to the realization that she never fully let go of her own mission experience. For 2.5 weeks in January, I had the privilege and honor to journey with our Class 29 missioners (Val, Hady, Mary, and…

Letting Go and Seeking the Truth

Editor’s Note: The image of the cross is incredibly unique in that it simultaneously offers one of the most powerful symbols of suffering but also love and salvation. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the people, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you…

Letting Go of Our Independence

Editor’s Note: Transitional Deacon and Capuchin Franciscan Friar Br. Albert Carver reflects on his first trip to Papa New Guinea where he was struck by the importance of community and by the the strength that often comes from admitting our own limitations. As someone who was born and raised in the United States the biggest obstacle…

Letting Go of Bitterness

Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Lizzy Balboa shares how a major shift in the expected trajectory of her life led her to reevaluate her priorities and value relationships over a sense of achievement. When a relationship central to my identity dissolved without warning, I became incredibly disoriented. Why was something so good and joyous…

Letting Go as St. Francis Taught Us

Editor’s Note: In the well known Franciscan Peace Prayer, each line contains an invitation to let go of a particular stumbling block in order to receive the grace offered in its absence. For Franciscans and non-Franciscans alike, the Peace Prayer is often a source of comfort. It’s a prayer for the strength to become an…

Letting Go of Balto

Editor’s Note: Communications associate Maria Beben reflects on letting go of feeling wronged when, as it so often does, life took a very different turn than what she expected after college. Sometimes, the greatest adventure lies not in traveling far distances, but in looking at the familiar with new eyes. This time last year, I…

Letting Go of Everyday Life: A Video Reflection

Editor’s Note: In this video reflection, returned missioner Valerie Ellis shares how during her experiences on mission in Bolivia as well as her transition back to the US, she’s had to let go of what she thinks everyday life should look like. [su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbMnhpTwcjA&feature=youtu.be”] Reading this in an email? Watch the video here. Reflection Question: What opportunities are…

Letting Go of the Race

Editor’s Note: Franciscan Friar Fr. Jason Welle, OFM, reflects on the idea of Lent as a race in which God is running towards us and we must not lose sight of God in the midst of all the other factors that we often focus on. I run as a hobby. Eleven years ago, my brother…

Letting Go of Material Possessions

Editor’s Note: Programs associate Katie Rotterman shares how a commitment to pass along unused possessions led to a deeper sense of simplicity and intentionality in all areas of her life. I’ve been on a mission to simplify my life for about a year and a half now. A key factor of simplifying my life has been the challenge…

Letting Go of the Past

Editor’s Note: President of the FMS Board of Directors Fr. Tom Washburn, OFM, reflects on the temptation to become so fixated and caught up in the past that we lose sight of the present and cannot move forward in our lives. Every now and then, you come across a quotation, a thought, or a statement that…

Letting Go of Biases and Assumptions

Editor’s Note: Missioner Jeff Sved shares how his views of the penal system have drastically changed since he first arrived in Bolivia and during his time involved with prison ministry. When I first entered a prison in the fall of 2011, I could not imagine the effect it would have on the next few (and…

Letting Go or Giving Up

Editor’s Note: Board member Sister Cathy Cahill, OSF, reflects on the comparison of letting go” during Lent versus “giving up” and the connotations that each phrase carries. My dear Aunt Marie, a 93 year old Sister of Mercy, loves to remind me of my announcement at the beginning of my eighth Lent that I was…

Letting Go Of The Black And White

Editor’s Note: Returned missioner Claire McGarry reflects on how her time on mission with FMS taught her to shift her perspective and have a better appreciation for experiences outside her comfort zone. “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14 I was raised…

Letting Go: Lent and Larry II

Editor’s Note: Missioner Brandon Newland reflects on letting go of feeling responsible to help others who do not yet want to be helped and learning how to meet people where they’re at instead of where we want them to be. It has been almost a year since we arrived here in Savannah la Mar and…

Letting Go of Indifference

Editor’s Note: Animal protection attorney Akisha Townsend Eaton, OFS, reflects on Pope Francis’ proposed Lenten practice of giving up indifference and how she has witnessed this practice being lived out by two of her friends. I sometimes find it challenging to know what I’m being called to do during Lent. That’s why I was very excited…

Letting Go For Lent

Editor’s Note: Franciscan priest Fr. Greg Friedman reflects on approaching Lent without pride in order to allow God to direct us towards the most beneficial practice during these 40 days. “Doing something” for Lent? Even though we are midway through Lent, it’s a valid question. Some years ago I marched in to see my spiritual…

Letting Go: The Freedom to Dare

Editor’s Note: FMS returned missioner and board member Lee Lechtenberg reflects on how a time of great trust while on mission in Bolivia led to a time of great freedom. I lay in bed – falling. In a few days we would be boarding an 11 pm Miami flight south into the darkness. We had sold the house, stored our…

Letting Go of Taking Life Too Seriously

Editor’s Note: Development Associate Sarah Sokora shares how the precarious walk to work after a recent snowstorm led to some deeper realizations and a reminder not to take herself so seriously. The Lord often shows Himself to me in little ways: an unexpected breeze, a warm sign of peace from the little old lady at mass…

Letting Go and Expanding Your Capacity for Love

Editor’s Note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan shares how she’s had to shift her concepts of family life during her transition from her home in the United States to her new home in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I have always been very close with my family. They were my first prayers upon waking, my last prayers before sleeping, and a…

Letting Go of the Future to Embrace the Present

Editor’s Note: Missioner Tom Little shares how for him, Lent has been a time to let go of worries about the future and instead focus on the people and places of the present. There are a lot of things that you have to let go when you go on mission in rural Bolivia: friends, family, hockey, decent…

Letting Go: The Power of Just Being There

Editor’s Note: Returned missioner Claire McGarry reflects on letting go of the desire to “fix” problems and instead using that energy to focus on the importance of accompanying others and presenting them with hope. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galations 6:2 As long as I…

Shall We Dance? A Color Meditation on Letting Go

Editor’s Note: Returned missioner Rosanna Ferraro-Jensen uses color and creative expression to reflect on the idea of our relationship with God as a continuous invitation to dance. “Every Child Has known God” (Hafiz, 1320-1389) Every child has known God, Not the God of names, Not the God of don’ts, Not the God who ever does anything weird,…

Letting Go and Being Remade

Editor’s Note: Programs Associate Katie Rotterman reflects on how her experience as a crafter challenges her to let go of her ideas for her life and instead let God form her in Christ. “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should…

Letting Go of Our Insecurities

Editor’s Note: Nonprofit Servant Leadership Coordinator Mercedes Matthews reflects on the truth that all too often, we get caught up in our own insecurities and can’t manage to see ourselves the way God sees us. In Spring 2015 I was part of a parish mission trip to visit orphanages in Nicaragua. Most simply, our mission was…

Letting Go: All We Can Do

Editor’s Note: Missioner Maeve Gallagher reflects on the deeply rooted violence in Guatemala and how it has challenged her to let go of frustration and instead focus on being an example of love for her students at Valley of the Angels school. I spend a lot of time on mission feeling helpless. Living and working…

Letting Go of What Doesn’t Belong to You

Editor’s Note: Vocations director Sr. Sheila Lehmkuhle, FMM reflects on the idea of letting go of our burdens and offering them up to God. Sometimes, in work and life I feel inadequate and anxious. I don’t know what to do. When I was in the novitiate, I remember my novice directress telling me to take…

Letting Go and Healing My Brokenness

Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the gifts of Lent and the opportunity that it offers for healing of our broken human nature. Is it possible to love Lent? To love 40 days of fast, reflection, soul searching and acts of mercy? We spend a lot of time during Lent reading and contemplating Christ’s recognition of suffering…

Letting Go and Choosing the Adventure

Editor’s Note: Missioner Allison Dethlefs reflects on the journey of being at peace with the people and things she had to say goodbye to at home in order to embrace the new phase of life as an FMS missioner in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Every new beginning is an ending of sorts. Every time you set out…

Letting Go Of Preconceived Notions

Editor’s Note: Returned missioner Claire McGarry reflects on learning to embrace life for what it actually is instead of getting caught up in what she thought it would be. “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” Matthew 11:13-14…

Letting Go: Let Your Old Life Fade

Editor’s Note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects on the truth that sometimes, you have to let go of your old life in order to fully enter the life that God has intended for you. Although this realization is never easy, this act of letting go ultimately allows us to be our authentic selves. “Let Go and…

Letting Go of Being Thought Good

Editor’s Note: Missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on how her views of lay mission have changed since she first arrived in Bolivia and how the friendships she’s formed there have challenged and inspired her. Francis of Assisi was known to say, “We must bear patiently not being good and not being thought good.” The first time…

Letting Go of Expectations

Editor’s Note: Missioner Patrick Montine shares a story from mission that stresses the fact that no matter how much we plan and prepare ahead of time, life often does not follow these plans. In these moments, it is important to realize that we can’t do it all by ourselves. A couple of months ago we…

Letting Go of the Things We Can’t Control

Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi shares how she’s been challenged to let go of cultural problems outside of her control while serving on mission at Valley of the Angels school in Guatemala. It seems like every other day one of my students shares a tragedy they’ve experienced in their lives with me. These tragedies range…

Letting Go of Anxiety

Editor’s Note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble shares how the beginning of her time on mission in Bolivia has challenged her to let go of anxieties and the desire to be in control. Through this process, she is discovering great freedom. Lent is one of my favorite times of the year. Even though it is often a…

Letting Go of the Need to Feel Joy in Prayer

Editor’s Note: Former FMS development associate Christine Landau shares her reflections on genuine prayer, especially during times of great struggle. For my entire adult life, from the age of seventeen on, personal prayer has been very special and important to me. I have joined prayer groups, spent time in monasteries, involved myself in liturgy, gone on…

Letting Go: Daily Surrender

Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Julie Bauerle reflects on her journey before she arrived at Franciscan Mission Service and the realization that striving to follow God’s will applies to daily life as well as the extended future. In my life, I have always tried to do the will of God. A few months ago…

Lent 2016: Letting Go

“You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” -C.S. Lewis What happens when we release something we were holding on to so tightly? What happens when we step back and release our expectations? During Lent, there can be a lot of pressure to “fix” ourselves. There can be pressure to…

Letting Go

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