Do what God desires of you!
Just as you ought to be courageous
in undertaking all that God desires of you
for his glory and the good of others,
so also, must you be constant
in your undertakings
and never give up,
no matter what opposition you meet,
unless there is nothing more you can do.
Maxim of Love 11:5
Jean-Pierre Medaille, SJ
Sharing our stories...
This week, with great joy and deep, personal satisfaction, we mailed out our invitations for the 30th anniversary celebration of The Upper Room Home of Prayer ministry. Yes, perseverance and constancy for thirty years in the same ministry! Thanks be to God. Thanks be to the People of God! When we gather as an Upper Room community on Pentecost Sunday – June 8th - to welcome our many guests, we will be resonating with this particular wisdom saying of Jean-Pierre Medaille. Our zeal in this ministry is an overflow of the love that God has continuously poured into our hearts. ‘The glory of God and the good of others’ has been our mission focus throughout the 30 years.
It is of critical importance in our spiritual journeys that we discern and embrace with courage and confidence “the undertaking of all that God desires of us.” My call to live a more contemplative lifestyle was discerned over three years living at Lebh Shomea (Listening Heart) House of Prayer in South Texas back in the early 80’s. As time went on, the interior promptings became increasingly stronger, and I might even say, urgent within me, that God was asking me to return to Canada and open a place of prayer and solitude in the city for any spiritual seeker to come and be nourished by either a time of retreat or personal spiritual direction. So, with the approval of my leadership council, I joyously said ‘yes’ to embarking upon the beginnings of a small Upper Room Home of Prayer ministry within the third floor of a convent home in Centertown Ottawa in the fall of 1984. Today, our ministry spreads out over four neighbouring dioceses and many companions share the ministry with us.
While it has not always been easy for others to comprehend or accept my/our choice of this way of life and ministry, the grace of God in the present moment sustained me/us and we kept moving forward. Sometimes, the opposition brought forth a deeply purifying-transforming love …and the gift of new programs, teachings, retreats, CD’s... seemed to just happen. We are overflowing with gratitude to God for the abundance of good fruits that are manifesting in the lives of so many others.
This week, let our prayer for each other be a strengthening of that courage - ‘Go do it!’ - when God calls you to a particular ministry. From my experience, you will not be disappointed! You will have joy! And the world is waiting for your 'Yes'!!
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Shalom!
Mark Dickinson