Joy: The Surprise Gifts and Fruits of the H.S.

 Today at school, I felt off somehow. I'm sure it was a mixture of an irregular sleeping pattern this week, a heavy heart from something a student had shared with me, the anxious attitude of the juniors and seniors, and a schedule of an assembly and faculty meetings. Then there was a misunderstanding and lack of communication where I was at fault. Needless to say, it wasn't the best day at the mission site. Feeling defeated and needing some serious physical and emotional sunshine, I left school to sit in Central Park to absorb the sun for a while.  I read a book that my spiritual director recommended, Living Creatively by Fr. Adrian Van Kaam (some may recognize his name from Spirituality/Psychology circles and from his mission to smuggle food to Jews during the Nazi occupation in Europe). I also read the first few chapters from a book that Jenny passed on to me, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacob. It's a story about women who form a community of knitters on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and how they come to share in the lives of one another every Friday night. Then I headed back home, made a run by Goodwill, and ate dinner with the community, Sr. Pat (who moved out to the Shrine in Colorado earlier in the year and is visiting for the next few weeks), and Andrea (a close friend of Mary's and a wonderful person!).

Tonight at prayer, Sr. Toni introduced us to a tradition from her former community.  The week before Pentecost, her community would give out cards with the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit to think about, pray about, and focus on in the upcoming weeks. After a prayer service that focused on the invocation and presence of the Holy Spirit, she shared some cards that were made by Sr. Catherine. Each card had a Gift of the Holy Spirit, description of that gift, and a Fruit of the HS.

My card reads:

GIFT: UNDERSTANDING            FRUIT: PEACE

 "Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes have a hard time understanding (no pun intended) how it differs from wisdom.  While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, understanding allows us to grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith.  Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that move beyond faith."

So Surprise! I definitely need PEACE, so I appreciate that, but I must say that I am one of those people who has a hard time distinguishing the difference between understanding and wisdom.  I look forward to witnessing how understanding is a conviction beyond faith. Stay tuned!


In other news of the spreading of Joy, I found this online, and absolutely love it! It's a performance of University of Oregon's "On The Rocks" acappella group when they spread the love on NYC's A-TRAIN (how Crystal and I get to our mission up in the Heights)! Enjoy! 

UO's Acappella Group on NYC Subway!