Time to return Home - March 16, 2016

The time has been amazing! It will take me a long time to unpack and savor the richness of the last seven weeks.  I am grateful to those of you who have journeyed with me through this blog. I leave Hungary at 3 AM and get to Minnesota around 2 PM. The time difference is 6 hours. The journey will be long but I am ready to be home. I am reminded of T. S. Eliot's words,

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." 

T. S. Eliot 

Hungary by Night

Last night S. Judit and I took a beautiful cruise on the Danube River. The Danube, of course, reminds us of Blessed Theresa, Caroline, and her own love of the river which runs through Germany.

Budapest is a gorgeous city by day and magical by night. Join me on the cruise.

Poet Sandor Petofi. He recited a poem to the crowds urging them to rise up and fight for freedom from Austria.  The refrain of the poem, " We vow, we vow, that we will be slaves no longer."  Every year schools perform a play about the Independance War on March 15.  The children in the school here, did so last Friday.  The refrain is repeated with great pride. The entire poem is called the National Poem.

The city has 6 bridges which span the Danube connecting what used to be two cities Obuda and Pest.

(the s has the sh found).

Elizabeth Bridge

The Liberty Bridge

The Chain Bridge

The Castle

The Parliament - used today.

Parliament

All the water is, of course, The Danube!

The evening ended as we walked by home through Budapest.  

While seeing the historical sites and the beauty of the city was marvelous,the best experience of this time was meeting the Living stones of Budapest, our sisters.

Visconta'ta'sra!

Living Stones - Hungary

As all the Living Stones of this journey have blessed me, the same has happened through my time in Hungary.

I have been staying with our Hungarian SSND's since last Thursday. My experience with the sisters has shown me once again, that wherever we are from and whatever language we speak there is a deep connection with one another that seems mysterious.  I have never been here before and I only knew two of the sisters. Yet when I sat with them at prayer, meals and their weekend meeting I felt the bond of Blessed Theresa, our founder, flowing between us.  As one of the sisters here said, "there is a type of SSND blood flowing in our veins."

 

The sisters came from their places of ministry to spend the weekend together discussing affairs of the province and of the congregation.  While I did not understand the words, I knew some of the topics because all School Sisters of Notre Dame throughout the congregation are discussing the same topics: our commitment to peace, the earth, our ministry with women and children, our concern for the present refugee reality, which is very real of Hungary. All of this comes from the vision of Blessed Theresa. Here, as at every meeting all over the world, we have her presence before us.

 As our constitution You Are Sent says: "As members of an International congregation, we recognize our obligation and opportunities to develop a world vision and a sense of global responsibility."

Sister Dominica sharing about the International Shalom meeting last July.

Our General Directory says: "The internationality of our congregation affects all we are and do.

...it broadens the scope of our concern and fosters in us a readiness to be with and to serve people of various cultural backgrounds....."

You Are Sent again says: "Our internationality challenges us to witness to unity in a divided world..."

So much could be said but for now I share with you some of the SSND's from Hungary, who work in Serbia, Transylvania and  besides Hungary.

S.Paulina and S. Alix

S. Renata and S. Monika

S. Csilla and S. Ildiko 

S. Julianna

S. Adrien

S. Ladiszla

Connections to Israel continue

Today Zsofi, communications co-ordinator, for the Hungarian province took me to see the magnificent Parliament building of Hungary. We walk along the Danube for a time talking about all things Hungarian.

As we walked we came upon a memorial to the Jews and others considered dissidents

who were rounded up in Budapest during 1944-45. Some were sent to the camps, others were brought to the river, shot and tossed in. 

The Community decided to place shoes along the banks of the river in memory of these people, rather than building something in stone or brass. It is extremely moving to walk the river path and see all of these shoes.

Plaques are placed long the way inviting all to remember.

This one is in Hebrew. Actions such as these that took place throughout Europe were the reason so many Jews went to Israel to the land they believed would give them freedom and peace.

Indeed we must not forget nor repeat in any way, with any people.

Hungary - Circle Dancing for Peace

Yesterday I arrived in Budapest, Hungary. After supper Sister Esther "Kinga" invited me to join a group of women who meet every two weeks to do prayer circle dancing for peace. The steps of the dances are very simple and are done to different folk and religious songs. No words are spoken and at the end of each dance all stand in silence offering a prayer for our world. It was extremely poignant for me having just left Israel that morning, when the first dance was done to music from Israel and called Shalom. How do such things happen -  God's energy and grace.

 

Leaving Israel and Palesstine

I leave Israel and Palestine today.  The six weeks have blessed me abundantly.

Below is a blessing I wrote for our groups's closing prayer. (I still have a few places I want to share but this is a time to close my time here formally.)

A Threshold Blessing before you Leave

This blessing is for you as you stand on the threshold – the space between arriving  and leaving – a space to honor and hold sacred.

This space is for memory to be visited and anticipation to be tamed, so that you do not leave before it is time to go.

Pause now and let your memories bless you so that you will become a blessing.

Ancient rocks, you visited, spoke of the longing of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rachael, David, Solomon, Mohammad to meet God,  to honor and live in God’s name..

May their desire fire your’s to do the same.

Majestic mountain tops, hectares of sand, rivers, Seas, lands and trees, existing for              generations before you-

May their glory and expanse urge you to love the earth.

Drivers, guides, staff gave of their skills so you could learn, be amazed, ponder and question.

May you share your skills to help others travel, learn and grow, as they did you.

Cities, towns, villages filled with people who dream and long for a future, people who hope people who know how to live in the presence of each day.

May their courage and hope inspire you to have dreams, to move in hope and to invite others to do the same.

Speakers, panels, leaders shared wisdom, passion and conviction..

May their spirit of dedication ignite your desire to live and to serve each day with conviction.

Borders, green lines, walls separate what once was whole.

May having seen and experienced them send you forth to never exclude, but to make one.

Living stones, people seeking safety, people seeking freedom, people seeking life,people who suffer, people who care.

May their lives bless you and lead you to always question what happens,ask  what is needed, consider what  you can say and do as you return to your own space and reality.

Participants, sojourners together, on the bus, off the bus, telling stories, praying, laughing, lending an arm in care and help.

May you remember to honor them by blessing  others as they blessed you.

You stand on the threshold,  blessed abundantly.

As you take leave, walk  in the steps of the God who walked this land  years and years ago,the God who walked with you these weeks, the God you heard and saw and touched and to whom you prayed.

Now it is time to leave, remembering your blessings Go forth and be a blessing!

Pilgrim Walk at Bethany Beyond Jordan

This week was full of so many different places and people: The Dead Sea, Kibbutz living, meeting with Bedouins,  traveling to Jordan, seeing Madaba the city of Mosaics and on and on. In this blog I want to share our Pilgrim walk.

Reverend Rolf, a Lutheran pastor, and his wife are living near the Jordan River In Jordan. Their ministry is to be a presence in the desert to the people thee especially the Christians. This is the place where John baptized and Jesus went to meet him and be baptized. 

Years ago King Husssein of Jordan gave free land, near the River Jordan to all the Christian churches.

We had a huge discussion about the meaning or lack there of that each church was building a huge church here. In the end there will be 10 Christian churches with nothing to bind them together except the fact that they are Christian.  It seems an anomaly when unity is so needed in this area of the world.

Our pilgrim walk began -

St. John the Baptist Spring

We prayed," Lord, you are like a pilgrim staff in my hands, show me the way."

Baptism pool.

Platform by the Jordan River. We are sitting on the Jordaian side, looking at Israel.

Soldiers watch guard on both sides.

The Cross and Thorns

We read 1John 3:13-18 Then prayed, "Jesus, standing here before the cross we realize the cost of your love to the world. Let us not forget that suffering is a consequence of love in action. Walk with us O Lord."

We all stood on a step going into the Jordan River while Rev. Rolf blessed us with water from the river and we renewed our Baptism.

We prayed....may we bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives, new sight to the blind and free the oppressed."

On the Road

I am in Jordan as I write.  The wifi is not readily available where we are so tune in Sunday for my shavings.  We have been to Qumran, Masada, visited the Bedoins of Israel, stopped at the Port of Eilat and now are in Jordan for two and a half days.

Your People shall be my people!

Some of our brothers and sisters in Israel and Palestine.

A young Palestinian who lives in a refugee camp in Jericho.

An Arab boy selling on the roadside of Jericho.

Two fishermen in Tiberias.

This woman is an Eritrean migrant who cares for chldren of migrants in Tel Aviv.

Philippine migrants who come to work for the Israelis.  They are Catholic and we celebrated liturgy with them Tel Aviv.

Coffee at the Sea of Galilee Reflection Day

This morning I sat looking out at the Sea of Galilee. I had a cup of Americano coffee and a small pastry.  The sea was quiet today.  Small ripples disturbed the water on occasion, while the gulls floated without any movement. 

As I sat I recalled the many times Jesus was in a boat on this sea, walked along it, invited people to listen, to change, to follow. 

As well I imagined the many people who gathered to listen, who were amazed, who were able to drop everything and follow.  Somehow the breeze that drifted off of the lake touched more than my skin. It seemed an invitation to listen, be amazed again with Jesus and to cast my  net into the deep. 

You walked and sailed here.

Your presence still permeates.

Lord that I may see.

They followed amazed.

Desiring the gift offered.

Lord that I may yearn.

Instructions for life.

Peace, love generosity,

Lord that I may live.

Shabbat Meal

After prayers we walked to the home of our host family.  Driving is not allowed on the sabbath, so most of the congregation live near the synagogue.

After greeting everyone we began the meal with the blessing of Wine, "Blessed are you Lord God for the fruit of our land....."The father of the home did this.

We passed the cup. 

The mother prayed, "Blessed are you Lord God for the grain of this land....."

She salted the bread and we broke and shared.

It is very clear how connected we are to our Jewish brothers and sisters through this ritual meal.

After this the parents and grandparents blessed all the children, toddlers, teens and those inbetween.

It was very touching to see them lean toward the children, embrace them while praying 

(For boys, the introductory line is:) 

May you be like Efraim and Menashe.

(For girls, the introductory line is:)

May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

For both boys and girls, the rest of the blessing is:

May God bless you and guard you.

May God show you favor and be gracious to you.

May God show you kindness and grant you peace.

Most parents give each child a kiss after they are blessed.

In traditional homes, a husband may sing Eshet Chayil to his wife. Eshet Chayil is a poem from the book of proverbs extolling the virtues of a good wife and mother.

Then we ritually washed out hands and the meal began.

Below are two pictures of the family. Father, his son and parents.

Wife, sister and husband.  The little kids were dwonstairs by the time I took this and the teen-ager had gone on to another event.  It was a lovely evening.

Shabbat Shalom!

Last Friday evening our group went to Synagogue for Shabbat prayer. As many of you know, Shabbat prayer begins with sundown Friday ,ending at sundown Saturday night.

We went to Kihillet Yedidya synagogue, a reformed Jewish congregation.  This group keeps kosher and the regulations required by Jewish law. The are however, very open to sharing the roles between women and men.  This would be unique to this synagogue.

    The Book we were giving to flowing along in the Hebrew service. Notice it opens on the left.

One of our instructors belongs to this synagogue. When we arrived she took us to a gathering room and gave us instructions to prepare us for service. Women sit on one side men on the other, a curtain divides the room. Pictures were not allowed in the synagogue proper because by the time we went in it was Shabbat and no pictures are allowed.  I took the one below as I had three minutes before Shabbat began.

    The Kingdom of God - mixed medium art.

The service is comprised of singing psalms, reading some parts out loud, but not in unison and a reflection on the law, as the Torah is only read on the Saturday of Shabbat.  

The music was acappella, with the melodies reminding me of The Fiddler on the Roof.  We were invited to hmm, Lye,lyela or deedle deedle along. ( these descriptions were of our teacher when she invited us to sing.)

Bowing and weaving was done at random but as a way of keeping focused on the prayer.  I thought the movement was very reasonable, as it reminded me of Kenya and the movement in liturgy there.  A number of our group found it "too much" or distracting.  I think our experiences of church were revealed in our responses and comments about this.

After service we met our guest family and walked, no driving on Shabbat, to their home for the meal.

I will share about that next time.

Shalom