Come Home - excerpt

8/14/2019 Come Home - excerpt

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Com Hom


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A gi t d spiritual dir ct r and t ach r by xa pl , Sr. Mari Schwan

writ s an in ntly practical and r adily acc ssibl b k n livingr n s c nt r. In tru Ignatian styl , sh r inds us that thd r is v rywh r , th way is J sus, and th apsth ugh r t din Christian traditi nar als shap d by n s wn particular p r-s nality, hist ry, and gi ts.

Cynthia Sabathier, C.S.J.Dir ct r, St. J s ph Spirituality C nt r

Mari Schwan, C.S.J., brings t this sli y t p t nt t xt y ars xp ri nc in spiritual dir cti n and r tr at w rk. Enriching and

chall nging,Come Home is a call t liv at th c nt r, rath r than thcircu r nc , ur liv s.

Bishop Robert F. MorneauAuxiliary Bish p Gr n Bay

Mari Schwans vivid and t n p ignant r cti ns synth siz thb st t days spirituality and giv practical advic r handlingli s w und dn ss and c ing h t ur c nt r within. P r ctr ading r Christians s king t abid r ully in G d.

Richard Hauser, S.J.Dir ct r th Mast rs Pr gra in Christian Spirituality

Cr ight n Univ rsity


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Com Hom A Prayer Journey

to the

Center Within

Marie SCHwan, c .s . j.

ave maria press notre dame, indiana


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F r a Child G d and In a Cl ud Ang ls rTe Selected Poetry of JessicaPowers, publishi d by ICS Publicati ns, Washingt n, D.C., Car lit M nas-t ry, P wauk , WI. Us d by p r issi n.

Unl ss th rwis indicat d, th scriptur passag s in this b k ar rTe Jerusa- lem Bible, c pyright 1966 by Dart n, L ng an & dd, Ltd. and D ubl day & C pany, Inc., a divisi n Banta D ubl day D ll Publishing Gr up, Inc.

Part Chapt r 7 is tak n r an articl by th auth r, C nt ring Pray r,Te Cat-echists Connection, January, 1995.____________________________________ 2010 by Av Maria Pr ss, Inc.

All rights r s rv d. N part this b k ay b us d r r pr duc d in any ann r whats v r, xc pt in th cas r prints in th c nt xt r vi ws, with ut writt np r issi n r Av Maria Pr ss, Inc., P.O. B x 428, N tr Da , IN 46556.

F und d in 1865, Av Maria Pr ss is a inistry th Indiana Pr vinc H ly Cr ss.

www.av ariapr ss.c

ISBN-10 1-59471-229-8 ISBN-13 978-1-59471-229-6

C v r i ag c rbis i ag s

Int ri r art Jupit r I ag s

C v r and t xt d sign by Brian C. C nl y

Print d and b und in th Unit d Stat s A rica.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataSchwan, Mari .

C h : a pray r j urn y t th c nt r within / Mari Schwan.p. c .Includ s bibli graphical r r nc s.ISBN-13: 978-1-59471-229-6 (pbk.)ISBN-10: 1-59471-229-8 (pbk.)1. Pray r--Christianity. I. itl .BV210.3.S39 2010248.32--dc22

2009043935


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1

Intr ducti n

T Sunday a t r Katrina d vastat d N w Orl ans, I

und ys l at a id rning Mass in Bat n R ug . Al ng with y sist rs, I had l t N w Orl ans r h urs b r thhurrican was sch dul d t hit land. W had ach l t witha s all suitcas , xp cting, as in th past, t r turn withina w days. A w k lat r, w kn w th d vastati n that hadstruck th city: th ding, th p pl wh d, th p -pl wh w r h l d up in th d und r incr dibly pain ul,

v n gru s c nditi ns.Al ng with y sist rs, I was n th rtunat n s

wh und sh lt r, and was assur d a plac t liv , d, autur . But that rning as I pr par d r Mass, I was sud-

d nly awar h w r ign it all s d. I was in a church,agni c nt in archit ctur , but s h w rbidding, lis-

t ning t a ch ir sing un a iliar hy ns, witn ssing p pl


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2

Come Home

wh I did n t kn w gr ting ach th r lik l ng-l stri nds. And in th idst it all, I xp ri nc d a wav

gri , pain, al n n ss that burst up r y d pths withth th ught, I just want t g h . And th n, th r aliza-ti n that h was n r .

I r pri and d ys l . I a a b r a r ligi us c -unity that assur s that I will always b car d r; I hav

ri nds and a ily b rs. Was I r ly ling s rry rth l ss things that w r asily r plac abl ? T n, it ccurr d t that what I was xp ri ncing was

n t nly y gri , but th gri all th s p pl in thd , th s still strand d n th v rpass s, th s wh didn t kn w wh r a ily b rs ight b , r v n i th y w r still aliv . T gri th p pl wash d v r .

T ll wing rning, during y ti pray r, I b -gan t j urnal ab ut y xp ri nc , and r th tip y p n w d th w rds, O G d, y ur th r na is H .

Our G d is a G d wh calls us h t that plac withinus that is at nc ur wn h art and G ds wn dw lling. OurG d y arns r us. W h ar this in th st ry th pr digal

s n wh r J sus t lls us ab ut th ath r wh wait d r thr turn his s n (Luk 15). W s this y arning sp ll d utin th way that th ath r rush s ut t t th s n wh n hs s hi n th r ad. W s it in th way h brac s ths n, ragg d, dirty, s lling lik th pigp n in which h hasb n w rking. T ath r invit s hi t c h , drawshi back int th h us h ld, r st ring hi t s nship.


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3

Introduction

T parabl ca t li r in th st ry a w anI kn w wh s s n disapp ar d r any nths, str tching

v n int a y ar r r . Sh gri v d r hi , pray d, andtrust d that n day sh w uld h ar r hi . Finally n

v ning, th ph n rang. Sh answ r d it. Sh h ard a t nta-tiv , M . Wh r ar y u? sh cri d, C h .

M , I in Cali rnia.

D y u n d a tick t? Ill s nd y u n y. Just ch .M , I gay.Tats k. C h .But , I HIV p sitiv . T w an said that just r a racti n a nt sh

h sitat d. Tis was in th arly 90s wh n th ar th c n-tagi n AIDS was ra pant, and h spitals w r s ti sh sitant t tak pati nts with AIDS. T n, sh said, Y uc h ; w l v y u and w ll tak car y u.

Lik th ath r in th parabl , lik this caring th r,G d says t ach us, C h .

Tis is a b k ab ut c ing h t that d p plac

within us wh r G d dw lls. I lik t think it as a guid tbracing th w nd r G ds pr s nc within us, and as ah lp t aintain and r turn t that c nt r.

Whil it is n t pri arily a b k n c nt ring pray r, itd s brac th c nc pts that und rli c nt ring pray r.Lik s any th rs, I t w a d bt gratitud t Frs.


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7

n

T C nt r Within

Martha, Martha, you worry and fret

about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one.

Luke 10:41

What is th n thing n d d? T n thing n c ssary? What is it that k ps y u g ing? What is it that giv s y urli aning?

In th idst this busy, driv n w rld, ll d with br k npr is s, h w d y u k p y ur balanc ? What h lps y u walk with int grity in th idst th cha s?

What v r it isthis n thingit a cts n t nly y urund rstanding y urs l , but als y ur und rstanding


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Come Home

and r lati nship with G d, with ach th r p rs n in y urli , and v n with y ur r lati nship with at rial things.

In th g sp l, Mary was c nd d by J sus b caussh had ch s n th n thing n c ssary. Sh sat at th t J sus, in th p s and plac th discipl , and list n d. W ,t , ar invit d t b still and t list n d ply.

W nt r int a stilln ss within s that w can c

h t that d p plac within us wh r ur G d dw lls, tthat plac wh r w n t nly t G d, but ar c nn ct d tv ry th r cr at d r ality.

S , w ar invit d t c nsid r that ach us has a d pplac wh r w ar st wh w ar . In that plac w kn w

urs lv s as tru , g d, and b auti ul. Tat truth and g d-n ss and b auty w r afr d by th s wh hav l v d us.Y u ar my pr ci us littl b y/girl. I a s pr ud y u.Y u ar s gi t d. Y u ar always s caring. W rds likth s v n th ry th c ntinu t afr thatc ntral plac .

And apart r s n ls s w rds, th r ar nts wh n w tap int this c nt r. It ay b in th pr s nc a

agni c nt suns t, r th ar r ach s a starry sky n a dark night. It ay b in th ar s s n wh l v s us, r inth nt h lding a n wb rn child. It ay b an un-

xp ct d xp ri nc pr und pray r, r an insight thatc s unbidd n.

In that nt, w knowth n thing n c ssary.


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Te Center Within

In th xp ri nc , wh n w ar in t uch with that c nt r truth and g dn ss and b auty, w r lat t G d, t s l ,

t th rs, t things with what can b call d har ny, wh l -n ss, cl ann ss, s r nity. Fr that plac th Spirit cri s utAbba (R 8:15).

Exp ri nc s c nt r dn ss such as th s b c an in-d libl part th s ul. T y r ain, t b r call d at will.

T s xp ri nc s b c r us what th burning bush andth Ex dus ar r th P pl G d nts and -ri s in which G d is s h w always acc ssibl t us, and

w t G d.

For your consideration and prayer ul refection:

Pray r ully r ad and r r ad Luk 10:3842. I agin y urs l sitting at th t J sus. Ent r int apr und qui t. Si ply b th r . B awar y ur

lings and any i ag s that aris t y ur ry ri aginati n.R call and list ti s wh n y ur hav xp ri nc d b ingc nt r d. A t r y u hav list d th , pray r ully nt rint and r cr at n th : th p pl inv lv d,th sc n , kind day, tc. C nsid r h w it has shap d y ur li . In that nt, what was y ur r lati nshipt y urs l , t G d, t th rs, t things?Mak th ll wing y ur wn:

In r turning and r st y u shall b sav d; inqui tn ss and in trust shall b y ur str ngth.(Is 30:15 NRSV)

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Come Home - excerpt