“Launch out into the deep…”

We’ve pinned it down for now… both our Mission Statement and our Focus Statement begin with a reference to presence. So why all this emphasis on presence, and what might it mean? A few thoughts…

Our primary of being preaching women and men is by our presence, wherever our feet take us. As part of the Dominican Family we identify with the Word; we keep our eyes on the Word; we immerse ourselves into the Word, both in our prayer and study. Then we try to walk-the-talk.

 

So what kind of presence do we bring as consecrated women wherever we are? And what kind of presence do we bring as associates as we are present to our spouses, to our children and grandkids, and to our dear friends? Maybe it’s time to go back to basics.

 

We are all vowed, folks. We all have affirmed our baptismal vows this last Holy Saturday. That’s where we all start, on the common ground of being signed, sealed, and delivered as followers of this Christ Jesus who has stolen our hearts. He is our primary relationship, our first intimacy. He is the center jewel. All our other relationships surround that central Pearl of great price. This Christic relationship is our oneness, our unity.Then comes our choice of life-style.

 

How will we live out this love? Some of us are present to a spouse to be our companion in loving, and our families are the flowering of this love. So we add marital vows to those of our baptism.

 

Others become so fixed on this Word that they live out their presence by a vow a celibate love to pour themselves out in service to those who are the Word’s disguises in this life. They add religious vows to those of their baptism.

 

Then there are others who in their single life-style, live out their love as free spirits. But don’t be deceived. These dear single ones among us have the greatest challenge, for they do not have a second set of vows to guide them as the rest of us do. They need to be very intentional about choosing the communal support that will call forth their loving presence as their lives unfold. For them there is no given context provided by a marriage or a religious community. We need to reach out to them.

 

For each of us, our presence flows from our very person through our life-style. All of us are lovers. We live out our loving in the life-style we have chosen; it is our unique presence. Now for all of us, sisters and associates, that’s quite a focus.