A reflection by Sr Lynne fcJ from FCJ Centre St Hugh’s, in Liverpool, first appeared in the FCJ Sisters Blog
I am an adventurous and spontaneous person – I like to see a possibility and act on it, I enjoy challenges. Yet one of my close friends tells me that I don’t like change. On some level she is right… when things are working well I like them to continue… and I certainly don’t dismiss things without putting a fair amount of effort in to see if they can flourish. Some of my plants for example are far from healthy, but I always hope that with just another bit of care they can enjoy another few years of living! Some of my clothes might be the same!!
It has to be said though, change is inevitable. A post on my instagram feed today told me that Larry the Cat has seen six Prime Ministers. (If you don’t know Larry then he is worth an ‘ecosia’ – a more ecological approach to search engines!!) Pope Francis talked about ‘Rapidification’ – the rate of change in modern life getting faster and faster.
It seems to me that we have to find contemplative spaces to allow our hearts and minds not to be overtaken by the rush of things, but also to really open ourselves to the value of change and growth. In the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas Pope Leo speaks of the need to ask ourselves:
Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to orient ourselves?What direction should we choose as a people and as a human community?
Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas 6
6. For this reason it is necessary to begin a shared discernment process for identifying the spiritual and cultural roots of ongoing transformations. If we focus only on contingencies, we risk letting the succession of emergencies dictate the direction of our path. We are living through a rapid phase of transition, a “change of era,” in which — while some are vying for the future of new technologies and others dedicate themselves to reflecting on the matter — most people are watching and waiting, observing from afar and merely hoping for the best. For this very reason, crucial questions impose themselves on our conscience and can no longer be avoided: Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to orient ourselves? What direction should we choose as a people and as a human community?
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Photos by Sr Lynne fcJ
