Contacting friends in different countries

We are now part of the Philippine Duchesne Region that includes all of North America, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and all of South America. There is also a European Region, an Asian Region, and an African Region. The Philippine Duchesne Region really only began in 2016 with a meeting before the General Chapter of the delegates from the Provinces that make up this new Region.

I had the idea to send a letter to several of my friends in different countries to ask about how they see life in their Province, what it means for them to belong to a Region, and maybe how they are living the calls of the General Chapter of 2016.

If I get interesting answers, I will be sharing with you in this blog.

Right now, I have a short answer from one of my friends in England to share:

So good to hear from you.....you have such lovely ideas....got me thinking about ‘region’.....what happened here was consultation on the topic...we were invited to share ideas of how we saw relating to other provinces. I hope my memory serves me right in saying we value contact, of course, but realise as Eng.Wales we have acknowledged fundamental variants among other provinces so no definitive, defined links were appropriate.  There is a strong emphasis on our internationality and our ‘young’ have met up and experienced life in other provinces. With Ireland/Scotland there are very strong bonds but again, recognition of identity.  The feedback from the chapter allowed each to share..i.e. our delegates and the irish ones together gave days in England and Ireland.  In April there will be a ‘gathering’ of quite a number of us from the two provinces to reflect on the chapter calls.

     We also benefit from welcoming young professed for a time before they go to probation....e.g. we had two Indian YPs....I worked a lot with one.....

How great a gift we have

I have been praying over this passage in our Constitutions:

"The Eucharistic presence in our communities is a constant reminder that Christ is the center of our life, inviting us to adore Him individually and in community. Through the Eucharist we are committed to live united among ourselves, to build communion in a divided and unjust world, and to give ourselves wholeheartedly to others."

That one paragraph contains a whole program for sainthood. I know that I love to sit in front of the Eucharist and I feel that just being there is a way to help build communion. It is a real gift to be able to do this here for an hour every afternoon.

When we send one of our Religious to bring communion to those of our community who are ill, we have beautiful prayers that send her to bring Our Lord's love and healing to them. Here is one:

Our Eucharistic life together in community is one that we cherish and embrace. Mindful of those in our community who are ill we send our sister with the Bread of Life to bring our comfort and prayers. She carries the Eucharist and our heartfelt wishes for healing of body and spirit. Take this Eucharist as a sign of our love and support."

Jesus began to teach them...

This Sunday's Gospel begins with Jesus seeing the crowds and then sitting down with his disciples and teaching them. It is the famous teaching of the Beatitudes.

I am looking over the month of January and find it has been a very good one for me. It was so good to begin the year with the retreat. It also made this month seem so short. I am hoping to see some students next week who are to come from the school and help us if we have any computer questions. I usually have many but think the main one is something they may not be able to help with as it seems we are having trouble with our router or with the Internet connection in Westwood since the last time we lost electrical power. Today, I seem to be back on and just hope it lasts. If you do not see my blog, blame it on lack of internet connection. Sorry that this is not very spiritual. I know I was telling my third graders on Tuesday that if they felt worried or had a problem they should just say "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You." Now I need to do the same.

Silence

A day of Silence

Can be a pilgrimage in itself.

A day of Silence

Can help you listen

To the Soul play

Its marvelous lute and drum.

Is not most talking

A crazed defense of a crumbling fort?

I thought we came here

To surrender in Silence,

To yield to Light and Happiness,

To Dance within

In celebration of Love's Victory!

Again, I know not the author but this was given to me in a Centering Prayer group and I have kept it in my Journal as I love to think that a day of silence can be a pilgrimage in itself. And can help me listen...let us embrace silence at the odd moments today!

What a wonderful universe!

"Start seeing everything as God,

But keep it secret.

Become like one who is Awestruck and Nourished

Listening to a Golden Nightingale

Sing in a beautiful foreign language

While God invisibly nests upon its tongue."

These two verses of a poem that I was given last August have stayed with me. I do not know the author, but I love the first line, and think we are all meant to "start seeing everything as God" for God is in everything. I am both awestruck and nourished!

My star for the year

When we drew stars on December 31, I received the one to "Create silence" which means to embrace silence to deepen our interior life. I am really drawn to follow this star this year. I have a great help in a new setting on my hearing aids that knocks out all sound. The exterior silence is absolute, but I need to work at the interior silence! I actually have found myself for some weeks now getting up at 5:00 which gives me plenty of time to pray before 7:15 when we gather here in Westwood for breakfast. Then I return to my room to keep silence until the 9:00 Mass. I am loving this time in the morning with God. The thing that most surprises me is that I am up at 5:00. As a young nun that was the hardest thing for me and, since I always had a dormitory to care for, I usually was called at 4:45. Now that I could sleep longer, I am getting up. I think it is my Guardian Angel who wakes me so early, but it is a precious time to pray and start the day embracing the deep silence at that hour.

Be still before God

Today I am borrowing thoughts about stillness and even an exercise to help us be still and enter into prayer from the Jesuit "Pray as you go" - I agree that we all need ways to quiet down so we can be still and listen to God. These suggestions are excellent:

Begin by noticing your breath, the sound of it, and the rhythm. No need to change the rate.

Notice the air as it enters your body, fills your lungs, sustains your life, and then departs.

As you inhale, breathe in God’s love for you...as you exhale, breathe out anything you want to share with God, or let go of, and hand over to God...take three deeper breaths doing this...

St Ignatius suggests that before beginning a time of prayer, we should stand for about a minute and let God gaze at us. This is the God who made you and loves you.

So take a minute now. Stand up if you can, or remain sitting if that makes more sense. Be still, and let God look at you, or be with you, in any way that God wants.

Conversion of St. Paul

Today is the feast of The Conversion of St. Paul. Since I began a Pauline group here, I am taking a renewed interest in Paul. When I re-read his Epistles, I am struck by how much he shares of his own inner life. I suspect that we have grown too careful about our own sharing. If something is too intimate, you cannot find words for it, but we should try to share our experiences of God. I guess I really owe these thoughts to Father John Futrell, S.J. who repeatedly told us in the Institute for Religious Formation years ago that we needed to be in touch with our peak experiences and share them.

I am procrastinating about trying to write up my own inner experiences. I began making a list of "signposts" to map my own inner journey and then started a new Journal in Advent and seem to have forgotten the inner work still awaiting me. It may be Lent before I get to it as we have so much going on around here.

Maybe St. Paul will help me. I know St. Madeleine Sophie will and I am recalling many of her experiences and her advice on how we must cultivate our interior life.

Sit is silence

I have often felt the Presence of Jesus, but not seen Him. During my Guided Imagery Retreat I did see Jesus. He came to my room and sat in my comfortable chair and smiled at me. I sat on my desk chair and we enjoyed a comfortable silence. I felt comforted by His Presence and felt that He was happy to have me here and wants me to give His love to all.

In one way, this blog does try to reach out to all and the main message I have to give is that Jesus loves each of us unconditionally and just wants us to let Him love us. Remember, prayer is the expression of a relationship so just be yourself and sit in silence with Jesus. When we learn to do this, we are full of peace, gratitude, joy, and love that gives us energy to go out and love others!

Jesus calls each of us

There are many kinds of vocations. The important thing is to heed God's voice. Jesus is still calling us to follow Him. We may just be called to be good wives, mothers, or be called to teach, nurse, be a good business person, etc. If we listen, we will hear God's calling us as I am convinced that we all have a vocation within our vocation. Mine is to give joy to Jesus and to others. Take time to pray and you will find yours.

Jesus calls

Jesus said, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

Let us pray for vocations today. The Society of the Sacred Heart is having the Profession Ceremony of Final Vows in Rome today and we just heard that by March our international novitiate just this year established in Chicago for those who know English will have four novices. One is for our Province, two for Japan, and one for the Korean Province. We have several houses that receive novices in different places, but we are beginning to combine novices from different countries so they have a peer group and experience the internationality of the Society from the beginning.
Jesus continues to call all of us and I believe that the Associates and the Alumni as well as all our colleagues are helping us to reveal God's love in our world today.

Or Lady of Sorrows...

The Society of the Sacred Heart has great devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. I think Our Lady has been watching over us and yes, she does merit the title of Our Lady of Sorrows. However, I think, especially at this time of the year, that Mary is also Our Lady of Joys! Think of the joy the Infant Jesus is giving her as he begins to open his eyes more and look around. They say that babies really do not smile until about three months old, but I would swear that my brothers smiled before then and I am sure the Infant Jesus tried to smile as soon as he recognized his mother. I used to make a list of all the joys of Mary, but I will let each reflect and do this for yourself as it will mean more to you if you, as Reverend Mother Bodkin would say, "think it through".

We need to pray

Today we say good-by to President Obama and President Trump will now try to govern our country for the next four years. I am praying that he will really want to help all, especially those most in need. If he and Congress really try to make a difference for all in the United States and think of the common good, America will be great. I hope we also are humble and work for peace. I think we need to pray much for all our elected officials and forget about party politics. It is a disgrace that our rich country cannot help the poor, the homeless, the children who need help, etc.

Here is a quote to think about from St. Madeleine Sophie:

"Interior life is the first need of our heart and only God's glory and the zeal for souls should distract us from it; even in the midst of external work, we should be attracted to union with him. Thus whatever we do will be sealed by his grace and we will be able to communicate to others the Spirit of God that we possess."

We have set sail...

Thursday always seems to be a special day for me. I look forward to Thursdays; we do not have reunion and there seems to be more time for seeing people, writing letters, and prayer, too. There is a class given on videos, but I decided not to go to that and so have a long afternoon. Nothing seems long here and often I am also seeing my senior student. They had their retreat last week and he said he was eager to talk with me.
I am thinking about the next Sunday's Liturgy. I read that the Jews in the time of Jesus only rested on the Sabbath; it was not a day of worship. I guess that is true but was a new thought for me. I love the Gospel where Jesus calls his disciples to make them fishers of men. I am sure that He is still calling all of us to follow Him and
image from our General Chapter 2016 that says:
'The Society is like a family that decides to set sail in search of new life, a new land. The family brings what is essential from its heritage and wants to share its treasure with all who might read it. To undertake this journey, they must part with what had been essential on land and replace it with what is going to be needed during the crossing. This family is aware that they must be ever more united in order to come face to face with what is yet unknown and to share the Love that is their way of life. They will learn to confront new storms. Each day they and others with them will look together toward the horizon with the hope of finding a new land where the little ones can grow in the atmosphere of trust and safety."
That image needs quite a bit of reflection. What do we bring that is essential and what must we part with and what do we need for the crossing?

Let us Pray for our Country

We keep hearing about the ice storms that have been moving through the Midwest going East, but I have had very little information except what I have heard from others who watch the television programs. I feel for the people who may be suffering; just coming back after retreat and finding that we were without heat and hot water made me so grateful for California weather and I have the gift of a small heater in my room now. They take such good care of us. The gas leak was fixed the day after I came home so that was a blessing.

This week we are all counting our blessings and realizing how much Obama has done during these past eight years. We are also praying much for the transition that will be taking place this week. If all would work for the common good, America would be great!

We need to pray for all our elected officials. I have signed many of the petitions that are asking us to take part in the whole confirmation process of a new cabinet, etc. I mostly am praying as God can make America great by changing hearts.

Interior spirit

Since my star for the year was "Embrace silence" as a way to help deepen our interior life, I have been thinking about this and I am also preparing a talk to our religion teachers on the spirituality of St. Madeleine Sophie. I know that she was so strong on having us deepen our interior life. She often talked about interior spirit and defined it as the intimate union of our souls with God. She also said that interior persons are the most joyful, and that appeals to me.

Here is a quote from St. Madeleine Sophie:

"Interior spirit compels the soul not to breathe, live or move but in God. Life, breath, action, that the whole person; but let our living, breathing, and doing be only in God, through Jesus Christ."

She also said: "An interior person is like a sunflower, always turning towards the Sun of Justice to receive its radiance."

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The workplace is as good a school for spirituality as a monastery. Our work, our homes, our neighborhoods, our public meeting places, our voting booths, our classrooms - all are conducive to the practice of spirituality. Our turf, our stuff, however cluttered and discombobulated, are holy ground. The ordinary hassles of daily living are rich soil in which to grow and bloom.

~ from Adventures in Simple Living by Rich Heffern

The above quote is taken from this month's issue of "Friends of Silence" Maybe it is enough to reflect upon today.

And I an reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr. and President Obama and what both have done for us.

Behold the Lamb of God

This Sunday's Gospel has John the Baptist pointing out Jesus to two of his disciples. John calls Jesus, "The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel."

I am always struck by the humility of John the Baptist who lets his disciples follow Jesus. John saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon Jesus. Then John said that he has testified that Jesus is the Son of God.

I think that Jesus only began to realize his mission at the moment of his baptism. Yet, God had revealed to John the Baptist that this was the Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There is much here to reflect upon today.

Overwhelmed

My last guided imagery was the best yet. It began in Chile with the sheep that used to be around the little house where I gave one of my first workshops to the community. Margarita Hurtado had given all of the sheep biblical names and they did come when you called them by name. My guide suggested that I call one of them as I had just been contemplating these rather dumb sheep. I called out: "Ezchial" and that sheep came to me! However, most of this morning's imagery did not concern sheep (but there is a connection with the Good Shepherd made later), but was again an experience of the Blessed Trinity. This time, I felt that God was in me. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, were all united to me and I felt their presence and just wanted to remain there. My prayer has been influenced these days by this experience; we are united to God as He is in us, but this was a felt experience that has remained with me and it very powerful. I guess I felt overwhelmed by God's love pouring into me. This love is now to be given to others!

The Blessed Trinity

The next guided imagery I named "A Taste of Heaven". It began on the Island of Iona and perhaps I thought of that time of pilgrimage there because I was wearing my Scottish sweater given to me by one of my students when I visited Scotland; she arranged for another of my students to take me to Iona and that was such a great experience. One drives for miles and miles on a single lane road which means often stopping in the little pull over places to let cars coming the other direction pass as there is only room for one car on the road. Then one takes a ferry to the Isle of Mull and then you park your car and wait for another ferry to take you over to Iona where there is one taxi and I believe a few residents are the only ones who have cars. One walks everywhere. It was mostly raining and cold while we were there but the little house of prayer where we stayed was warm and inviting. One of our nuns ran it for the Diocese and she even baked bread for the guests. She cooked dinner and gave us breakfast but did not provide lunch.

None of this was in my imagery but I found myself standing on the hill above the monastery and looking to see if I could see Ireland. My guardian angel came and took me to heaven. There were many people there but I was looking for God. I found God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but it was a bright light that surrounded me and held me. I really felt as if I were in the Trinity and it was such a wonderful feeling that I named the image later "A Taste of Heaven." Enough for tonight.

Our Lady and the Infant Jesus

My first guided imagery session with my guide was at 8:30 on Wednesday morning. One is quite relaxed lying under a blanket on a bed before the music begins. My imagination had me out walking in a rural area; there were hills and a path that I was following but only some wild flowers, no people and no animals in sight. The path took me around one of the hills to a wooded area and there was an inviting large log there. I was alone but asked Our Lady to come join me. She came at once and handed me the Infant Jesus to hold. He was fast asleep and never woke up and was just so small and easy to hold. I think I thanked Our Lady for always coming to me when I needed her. She said, "That is what a mother does." She confirmed me in my desire to live in joy and give joy to Jesus and to others. The music changed then and it seemed as if a whole heavenly choir was in the sky praising God and adoring the Infant Jesus who never even opened his eyes. After that, Our Lady took back her baby and left with the heavenly beings, but St. Philippine Duchesne appeared and sat down next to me. She said that she had come because I had been thinking so much about her and writing about her and she wanted to tell me that she thought I should continue to write this blog with the help of the Holy Spirit. I had been wondering about keeping it going every day as I have been doing this for years, but she gave me courage to continue. And that is enough for today.

My Guided Imagery Retreat

Tonight I will give you an idea of my week of this special kind of retreat. I found this week even more powerful than last year's retreat. Last year was the first time I had done a guided imagery retreat and I wanted to see what it was like. It stayed with me and I am happy to have been able to make another one this year with the same guide and almost the same group of women. The week began at 3:00 on Monday, January 2, and ended the next Monday after lunch. It was a time of silence and intense prayer. We each had 3 Guided Imagery sessions of about an hour and a half with our guide every other day, and we also saw our guide for a half hour each afternoon. In between, we worked with our images, recorded feelings and were asked to dialog with some of our images and see what the central message was for each of us and, of course, we took time to pray over all of this. We had community prayer each evening at 5:15; after supper from 7:30 to about 8:45 we were again together for prayerful sharing. As I now have one of those "Roger Pens" that put the sound directly into my hearing aids, I was able to hear the sharing this year. That was a real grace. Each person held the pen while she was sharing. Some also drew and painted pictures and passed these around as a way of sharing their images. The days passed so rapidly that I did not seem to have time for artwork, but I had lovely hours of prayer both in my room looking at the ocean and in the little Chapel in Villa Maria del Mar across the street.
Most days we had a very stormy ocean and it was cold enough for me to see frost on my windows in the mornings. It did rain much of the week, but that seemed to help me pray. The other help which I think is unique is having a "morning paper" to read when we went to breakfast with the theme for the day and excellent quotes. I am sure I will be sharing some of those in this blog. I also am willing to share some of my images with all of you.

Be Thou My Vision

One of my favorites from my high school days:

English version by Eleanor Hull, 1912

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Feast of the Epiphany

We celebrate the coming of the Magi to find the new-born king in Bethlehem. What faith they had to follow a star! They came, or so the story goes, bearing gifts. The star led them and they found the Child and then an angel told them to go back another way. I suspect that all who find Jesus are not able to return the same way. They had come from far away and they had to put their faith in the star!
Have I enough faith to follow a star?
Here is part of a poem that I thought I recognized but this one is signed by Jeanne Houlihan, MM:
What I'd really like to give you for Christmas is a star...

Brilliance in a package, something you could keep in the pocket of your being.
Something you could take out in times of darkness
something that would never snuff out or tarnish,
something you could hold in your hand,
something for wonderment,
something for pondering,
something that would remind you of what Christmas has always meant: God's Advent Light in the darkness of this world.

But stars are only God's for giving, and I must be content to give you words and wishes and packages without stars.
But I can wish you life as radiant as the star that announced the Christ Child's coming, and as filled with awe as the shepherds who stood beneath its light.
And I can pass on to you the love that has been given to me,
ignited countless times by others who have knelt in Bethlehem's light.
Perhaps, if you ask, God will give you a star.

I suspect that I did copy this before, but I am hurrying to try to leave my blogs scheduled for the entire week I am at the retreat. Please do not forget to pray!

Fantasy

Use your imagination and put yourself into the picture above - be sure to wrap up warmly. Now, where are you going? Are you just out to follow a star? Perhaps you know your destination and are full of anticipation and joy. Let whatever happens, happen today as I am still in retreat and not about to write a blog today. However, I have written one for the Feast of the Epiphany tomorrow.

St.Andrre Bessette

St. Andre Bessette was canonized in 2010 but I have heard of his holiness for years. My Holy Cross cousin, Brother John McLaughlin (my grandfather was also named John McLaughlin), loved him and often spoke of him. He was orphaned at the age of twelve and had to support himself but his pastor sent him to the Holy Cross Order where he was accepted as a lay brother. After his acceptance, he became the doorman at Notre Dame college near Montreal and stayed there for forty years. He was credited with many healing miracles which he always attributed to St. Joseph; he became so well-known that he needed a team to help answer the 80,000 letters he received each year. He died at the age of 91 and a million people filed by his coffin. I remember that my grandmother and one of my aunts went to see him when I was a child.  Anyway, he died on January 6 so that is his feast day. Epiphany was changed to be celebrated on the Sunday after New Year's.

Silent snowy scene

I do not really miss snow, but there is something about awakening to find all the world quiet and not a sound to be heard. Of course, that silence will not last as the snowplows will be out early to clear roads and you may be out there also trying to clear the snow and ice from your car. I am glad I remember beautiful days with the new-fallen snow, but I am quite happy to be in California.

What has this to do with prayer? I was thinking of the hush that seems to exist when one wakes up and looks out on a real winter scene. When nature is silent, one is drawn into deeper interior silence just contemplating the beauty. The first time I was home for Christmas after at least twenty-three years (and 13 of those years I was far away in Chile), I was praying for a white Christmas. We came home from Midnight Mass and all was clear. I woke up to find that it had snowed some and all the trees were so beautiful. It did not last until night, but it seemed a special gift from God to me!

Sit in silence..listen and love.

Sometimes in prayer we just sit in silence and listen to Jesus.

At this time of year, I like to ask Mary to let me hold the Infant Jesus. Jesus did not experience old age, but He came so helpless, so needy, just as any baby is; he was dependent on others for all his needs. I just go to prayer to let Jesus love me, but hopefully I am also consoling Him by my love.
My best prayer is in the Heart of Jesus; it is a grace to ask for...

The way you pray best...

One thing I am convinced of about prayer is that the way you pray best is the best way for you to pray. I have found this to be confirmed by experience - mine and many others. Reverend Mother Bodkin was very strong on prayer. She said: "We should pray any way that we find easiest, easiest and most reasonable, that is based on faith and a realization of our nothingness before God. The way we want to pray, the way we like to pray, is the way we should pray."

Pray as you can, not as you can't - prayer is contact with God; pray any way that puts you in contact with God . Remember, if you desire to pray, you are praying! Prayer is simple! Trust God and set sail this New Year to be a soul of prayer.

Please pray for me in this Guided Imagery Retreat. It is such a grace to be able to begin the New Year  in retreat and on the ocean!

Sitting in Silence

I have been sitting in silence with St. Philippine Duchesne as I ask her what she wants of me this year and what she wants of our new "Philippine Region" that consists of all the Provinces of the Society of the Sacred Heart in North and South America and includes Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. I have been thinking of Philippine's great desire to go to the Indians, but at the same time, how obedient she was. Her ardent zeal for souls, her intense desire to go work with the Indians, all fueled her prayer, but she kept fidelity to the Constitutions at the heart of all she did. She kept us united to the Society so that we would be one heart and one soul - this union of all the members of the Society is now being expressed in our desire to organize ourselves in this one body in regions. The term is a bit confusing for some as in the United States/Canada Province we have just begun using the term to organize the Eastern, the Central South, and the Western "regions" of the Province. Smaller numbers call us to create new structures but we know that Philippine will watch over this new and vast region named for her and keep us united to the center.

I did not intend to write any of the above so hope it was the Holy Spirit moving my fingers today!

New Year's Day

2017 has arrived!

2017 has arrived! After a very tumultuous year with war, natural disasters, our own political battles, and so much suffering in so many parts of the world plus the unsolved problems of hunger, the millions of refugees seeking shelter, the homeless in our own land, etc., I think we are all ready to look for the good, to concentrate on what is working, the people who are sharing and caring.

We must face this new year with courage, but also joy. We are alive and able to thank God for the gifts we have been given.

In fact, one of my suggestions for prayer is going back over your entire life to recall the graces God has given you and how He has been leading you. I firmly believe that our interior life is just as interesting and far more important than our exterior lives. Yet, how many of us write with ease an autobiography telling about family, education, places we have lived, work we have done, etc. Are you able to do this with your interior life? When did you start to know God? How has your relationship developed over the years? What might He be asking of you now? Take time to listen to God before thinking of a resolution for the New Year. And remember, if you do make a good resolution, you will break it. Reverend Mother Zurstrassen told us as we left Rome that when we quickly broke a resolution, it was the sign that it was a good one, a needed one.

Happy New Year!