Today has been one of the hardest. (more…)
by Eilín Teeling, AMMM Ireland 07.05.2022
My colleague was very clear when she said she could not pray or practise meditation or contemplation. She was not sure about mindfulness either. Sit still under a tree for twenty minutes, with no obvious task? No, this was not for her.
I needed some volunteers for my research dissertation, as part of a M.A. in Applied Spirituality. Many have forgotten or rejected the habits of prayer and traditional worship and become lost in a society focused on advertising, spending, and non-stop social media. How can we find a way to hear God’s whisper, bubbling up through our ego, busy thoughts, and self-doubts?
I wanted to explore what happened when we are quiet and still on a regular basis, in the presence of a tree, part of God’s creation, and allow our soul catch up.
My idea came from the Celtic tradition – to use all our senses, to give space to listen to our inner rhythm, and pause the outer busyness of life.
by Sr. Ese Idogen MMM Nigeria 05.05.2022
As I got more involved in the work in Tourgbene, Bomadi region in Delta State, Nigeria, I realized that the water here is ‘everything”. Everything is done in the water, drinking, bathing, fishing, excreting and it is the main source of waste disposal. Malaria, diarrhea and other skin infections are still quite prevalent. I thought of showing them how to dig a pit latrine, but ‘how’? Everywhere is water. I saw women struggling to feed their children. The majority are fisher women. The majority of the men were either so busy playing the local chess in the jetty or drinking the local gin “ogogoro”.
by Sr. Ese Idogen MMM Nigeria 03.05.2022
I received my letter that evening after a special evening missioning prayer. I was filled with feelings of excitement and at the same time, anxiety. I was going to Torugbene? Alone? As I laid on my bed, I could hardly sleep. I thought of all the stories I have heard. I thought of the water, the life in the creeks, the isolation, the floods and I remembered I heard someone say in amusement, “you will get to attend Mass only once in a month”. I burst out laughing, it was a joke! Oh, so I thought!
by Sr. Jo Anne Kelly MMM Ireland 01.05.2022
Every morning I take an early walk. Many people are out at that time, staff hurrying for duty in the hospital and others like me just taking a walk- One especially, he is an elderly man with a little brown and white dog. That little dog is so inquisitive. He has to investigate everything on the way- everything- corners, stones, gateways, cracks in the pavement, litter. He hops up unto the grassy patch and investigates the tufts of grass, sniffs every dandelion and daisy. What I admire is the patience of the owner. Though he has him on a lead, he never pulls him back. I said to him one day “Your little dog is very inquisitive” “O yes” he said “He has to check out everything for himself before he decides if it is worth going after”
When I returned to Ireland after many years in East Africa, I joined a local hill-walking group. Apart from pandemic lock-downs, we meet every second Sunday, from September to June. For me, it has opened up a whole new world of challenges, new vistas and awesome beauty.by Unknown MMM Author undated Ireland 26.04.2022
There is a story told of a spider. Above all creatures the spider knows what ‘depending’ means. Its whole life depends on the fragile threads that laced together make home. The spider could weave the most intricate webs. The web was a real piece of artistic skill and technical know-how, an ideal combination of form and pattern. Spiders from all over came to view the web, unsuspecting insects and flies found themselves meshed.
by Sr. Noeleen Mooney MMM Ireland 24.04..2022
Have you ever wondered about birds’ nests? No, I don’t mean the size, shape or colour of them. What really amazes me is how they stay together. I mean how does the builder get the first few twigs to form a sturdy foundation if it is perched precariously on the sometimes-slender branches of a tall tree? Does it ever fall down and have to be rebuilt? I’m not sure, since I have never really watched the early stages closely enough, and nests are usually inconspicuous until almost completed.
I’d like to speak of how the collaboration between the Franciscans and the Medical Missionary of Mary began. I am Sister Joyce, a Franciscan from Clinton, Iowa. After teaching junior high for 42 years, I realized that I needed something a bit easier to do with my life. So, I retired from formal education and started looking for a new means of service. I found it in a diocesan newsletter sent to all religious in the Chicago area. Each month there is a column which lists any opportunities for employment.(more…)
By Nadia Ramoutar MMM Communications Coordinator Ireland 21.04.2022
Isn’t it a pity every day is not considered Earth Day, not just tomorrow?
When issues of climate change are limited to scientific arguments we often miss the bigger picture for our Earth. The impacts are not only physical but have emotional, spiritual, economic and gender contexts. For the MMMs, we are actively working in many environmental issues to help improve the quality of life for some of the world’s most vulnerable people in Brazil and Africa. We see healing in broad strokes and realise that helping have access to clean water, healthy food and ways to overcome hunger are very important. This Spring we have been celebrating “The Seeds of Hope.” Our appeal has been to share our skills and resources with the most vulnerable people to sowing seeds – literally and metaphorically.
