Cabrini Time!

We spent that Wed. I arrived through our commissioning mass on Saturday morning in Philadelphia. The time there was revelatory in two ways. In my own effort to express who I am with the other women who would be in my community, I found myself coming to understand many of the ways that God has been working on my heart throughout my life. I think that my faith carried me a lot of the way, but the connection to God and understanding of the heart was missing. I truly believe that it was only in the months before I came to Philly that God was beginning to reveal Himself to me.

I learned that even as I was doing my Cabrini Mission Corps application, that I was struggling because I was still searching for some of the answers. Thankfully, “God is always on time.” My application came together just in time, that I might have the chance to be united in community with Crystal and Michelle, living in community with Sr. Dianne and the other sisters.

I also saw how incredibly lovely Crystal and Michelle are. Two incredible women of the Lord! Too great! During our time in Philly, we had a chance to pray over our journey to Cabrini. After doing so, we took turns explaining how our life led us to choose Cabrini Mission Corps. As I listened to Michelle, shared my own story, and listened to Crystal tell hers, I felt waves of grace and peace come over our experience. To see our similarities and our differences, our strengths and struggles, it became evident that this experience is one that God wants us to have and, more importantly, to share with one another.

Mother Cabrini’s disponibilitá, or openness to the Spirit is alive today in our modern ‘flexibilitá.’ We have all come together guided down paths that could have only been divinely inspired. These paths were not easy. They involved hardship and loss. Fortunately they also involved joy, peace, and understanding. No matter the journey, our paths have met, and we are commissioned to spend this year united in being bearers of the love of Christ in the world. We are confident in doing so because through Him, we can do all things (Phil 4:13-Mother Cabrini's fave).

We spent a lot of time together in prayer, socializing, eating, laughing, singing (Mary Fest, ask for more details!), and reflecting.

Our time together in Philadelphia was very life-giving. Through prayer we began our spiritual community. Through learning we developed an understanding of the life and mission of Frances Xavier Cabrini as well as of one another. Through the celebration of the Mass, we were commissioned, sent on our way to more orientation time on Staten Island with the Good Shepherd Volunteers....we barely fit in the car!