Radical Acceptance

Imperfection gets a seat at our Thanksgiving table, same as everyone else.”
Sam Sifton
Dear Members, Companions, Volunteers, and Friends,
In early November, the New York Times published a special section in its Sunday edition on “How to Plan and Cook Thanksgiving.” Normally I would toss the food section to the side since I haven’t copied a recipe since Brother Carl’s cinnamon rolls when I was in college. Although I did copy the Sweet Potato Casserole I make (with a little help from my friends) for our annual Thanksgiving celebration with local members and province staff—which this year included our volunteers serving in the Kansas City area—from my Mom. Cooking in college revealed to me that being a chef was not my career path. Besides, tasting meals prepared by Brother Carl or my Mom or Lucia taught me there is more to making a meal than following a recipe. It has everything to do with passion—the passion to set a table for the communion of souls.
That’s why the opening paragraph in the New York Times’ special section caught my eye and stirred my imagination. “The first rule of Thanksgiving,” Sam Sifton, food editor at the Times writes, “and the best route to happiness in the coming days and weeks: radical acceptance.” Sifton notes how the family feast of Thanksgiving reflects “deliciousness and stress in equal measure, happiness and fear, the possibility of a perfect meal and the reality that…it will always fall a little short. Embrace that. It is all right. It is a fact to be celebrated. Imperfection is an American tradition, too, a hallmark of our democracy.”
Imperfection is also on the menu of what it means to be Precious Blood missionary disciple. So, set a place at the table this Thanksgiving for our imperfect self. Practice “radical acceptance.” Whether it’s on the highway or at the airport in the rush and crush of people, practice radical acceptance. In the kitchen or the family room, practice radical acceptance. Waiting in line at the supermarket or around the table with the relative whose political views clash with your own, practice radical acceptance.
In my family, one of the traditional desserts that was the symbol of imperfection was mincemeat pie, definitely an acquired taste. Mincemeat pie was a staple during the Great Depression because it was made with the scraps of other foods prepared for the feast so that nothing would be wasted. Since my Uncle Red and my Dad died a few years ago, there is always leftover mincemeat pie.
Thanksgiving celebrates our imperfect families, our imperfect meals, our imperfect relationships, our imperfect community, our imperfect selves. So, raise a glass to imperfection and make a toast to the love that has brought us together around the table. Celebrate the perfect love of God that casts out all fear and allows us to see how God draws us near to be in communion with one another. May God continue to bless you, your family and all those you serve each day. I am profoundly grateful for being in your great and gracious company! Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
With peace and gratitude,
Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.
Provincial Director
 
 
 
 
 
 

Bursting Bubbles

2017-2018 Volunteer Hector Avitia


By Hector AvitiaPrecious Blood Volunteer 
“Oh man, I can’t wait to see their bubbles burst,” I said with a chuckle as I sipped my chicory coffee. It was a nice April afternoon in the Back of Yards Mexican restaurant La Cecina. Tim Deveney and I were discussing how the culture shock of working with marginalized populations was a “bubble” buster for many volunteers who just graduated college. The bubble symbolizes our world view based on our experiences. A lot of folks who have been fortunate enough to have had most of their needs met and only known about suffering through books and film, have their world view, or bubble, broken open when they meet suffering head on. As someone who had already been in the workforce for seven years and personally experienced poverty, discrimination, and fear of authorities as a child, I believed I was better equipped to handle the problems that the families of south side Chicago were going through. I was going to be the wise old man that guided the other volunteers through the landscape of suffering and sit back with a bag of popcorn as their bubbles burst into a million pieces.

Precious Blood Volunteers Hector and Leah on the International Day of Peace


Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR) is a place of hope, healing, and radical hospitality. In order to achieve these goals, we must establish strong, meaningful relationships with those we serve. It is a long road filled with tons of bumps and detours because the folks of these communities have been living through ongoing trauma almost all of their lives. Trust is a commodity in this place where even friends and family have turned on each other, sometimes culminating into gun violence. The natural response from the human mind when these things happen is to be cautious of whom to trust. When anyone new comes into their lives, even when their intent is to help, their automatic response is to be careful and put up walls to protect themselves. Because of my background, I believed I had a shortcut to this process of fostering relationships with the young men that I was to be case managing. I think PBMR should have a warning sign outside of the door that reads “This is a place of hope, healing, and radical hospitality… Please leave your ego at the door.”
After only a few weeks into the volunteer experience, I had to come to the harsh reality that my own “tough” upbringing is nothing compared to the struggles of the people to whom we are ministering. One of my firsts tasks at PBMR involved helping a young family get on the road to stability. In order to protect their privacy, I cannot say much more, but I can say that I was completely overwhelmed by the obstacles they were facing. I imagined myself in their situation and what I would do to get ahead. Surely, I could give them great advice by putting myself in their shoes-but immediately I realized how their and my own scenarios were so very different. Even though financial resources were not always there, I always had around me a consistent group of people that loved me and who would do anything for me if I was in trouble. I never had to use their help because I didn’t have an emergency, and I became blind to the treasure that was my network of family and friends.
So, there I am, sitting in a room with a young family that was relying on my help and guidance to avoid homelessness with their young daughter. I was like a deer caught in headlights, stunned and unable to act. And this was supposed to be the “easy” case, something simple that would help ease me into dealing with tougher cases. If I was no good for them now, how was I supposed to be helpful to the rest of the guys I was case managing? How was I going to develop relationships with these young men if my only “Ace up my sleeve” was my not-so-harsh upbringing? I was too concerned with other people’s bubbles to see that my own bubble didn’t stand a chance.

Hector and Leah with a Peace Circle Group


While things seemed dark in this extremely young journey of service, God’s grace found a way to shine through. Fr. David Kelly gave a lecture to a group of students and faculty at the University of Notre Dame. In his talk he mentioned how, despite his many years of leading PBMR and being involved in the lives of those he serves, he has only stories to share. They are stories, because he was not the one going through the suffering. He recognizes that he can be empathetic, but there is no real way to completely suffer the same pain as those he serves. It became clear that having a similar past to those we help is not a qualification to build a positive and long-lasting relationship with them. What matters is to recognize this limitation and to still be willing to give your time and effort to help those in need. I like to think that when we encounter new people with different perspectives, then it is up to us to decide if these experiences burst our bubble, or if they help us grow that world view to encompass more people.
Hector is a current Precious Blood Volunteer serving at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago. 
To learn more about becoming a Precious Blood Volunteer go to www.preciousbloodvolunteers.org

Peace & Justice Committee

Mission Statement

Inspired by the gospel message and our Precious Blood Spirituality, we try to fully live our faith, wherever we are. We understand that we are called to be Christ in our workplace, the marketplace, and the voting booth. We seek to find ways to apply our faith to the many issues that face us today.

Who We Are & What We Do

We are priests, brothers, lay associates, and Precious Blood Volunteer alumni who study peace & justice issues in relation to our Precious Blood Spirituality. We offer workshops, featured speakers, and opportunities for work on social justice issues.

How to Get Involved

Contact the provincial office for more information on the Peace & Justice Committee: 816-781-4344

LGBT Ministry

Mission Statement

Motivated by the Gospel’s call to justice and rooted in a spirituality of reconciliation, we follow Jesus’ example of inclusion by ensuring that all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender have a place at the table.

Who We Are

The Precious Blood LGBT Ministry is a collaboration of lay associates, members and friends of the various Precious Blood communities in the US. Founded by a long line of prophetic voices, our religious communities are devoted to the Precious Blood of Christ and called to be compassionate healers and a life-giving presence to an alienated and broken world. We bring a radical love to the world through service. The Precious Blood LGBT Ministry was developed to foster dialogue and build relationships with our brothers and sisters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

We Strive:

  1. To increase the awareness and understanding within our Precious Blood congregations, families, associates, co-workers and those we serve about the needs of those who identify as LGBT.
  2. To provide educational opportunities that will encourage dialogue and an increased understanding of the gift of human sexuality.
  3. To create safe spaces that invite and encourage dialogue that fosters relationship in order to decrease fear and increase compassionate understanding regarding the gifts of human sexuality.
  4. To continue to reach to the margins in our ministry, particularly to LGBT persons, affirming the dignity of all.
  5. Precious Blood spirituality seeks to stand in the breach with those most in need, offer hospitality and hope, restore relationship, and call for reconciliation and renewal in a broken and wounded world. We inform, enhance and expand this spirituality through experiences, perspectives and listening to the voices of the vulnerable, including LGBT persons.

We Offer:

  • Workshops for Precious Blood communities and other organizations regarding issues that impact LGBT persons
  • Articles for publication
  • Educational resources for parishes and other religious communities
  • Liturgical resources
  • Consultations regarding program development
  • Spiritual support and guidance
  • Spirituality programs that can be utilized at parishes, schools or other organizations

How to Get Involved

Contact the provincial office to learn more about the LGBT Ministry: 816-781-4344.