Jun 29, 2018
We asked the seven 2017-2018 Precious Blood Volunteers to answer three questions:
- What is/are some relationship(s) that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
- What are some of the experiences that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
- How have you grown during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
Below is the answer from former Precious Blood Volunteer Marijo Gabriel.
2017-2018 Volunteer Marijo Gabriel
Some relationships that stand out to me are the ones with the adolescents and younger children. They are the ones that bring me the most joy and at times the most worry. With them I realize, the best gift I can give them is the attention and support they seek and a time to really be a kid. I think we can forget or dismiss children or just want to keep them occupied but this is when they need someone the most. They are at such an import developmental stage where they are absorbing the world around them faster than they can understand it, and where it’s easier to not take the time to critically think about consequences and situations. We have to meet them where they are.
Experiences that have stood out to me during my service year, are where I’ve been able to witness and be apart of building community and restoring dignity and worth. For example, when people say you never know the significance of a moment until it’s past is definitely true. The moment I’m remembering specifically is when we were celebrating one of the mayor’s mentoring initiative mentees birthdays. We were singing, eating cake, having a good time. Then the following weekend the birthday celebrant and his friend who was sitting next to him during the party were involved in a gun incident sending both to the hospital and one briefly to the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. They both could have died.
Marijo at a Cubs game with some of her friends from PBMR
This year I’ve been able to grow more by experiencing God as Agape and connecting that with our human experience. Our understanding of what God is and what love is, is limited to our human capacity. Through interacting, witnessing and being able to encounter and be vulnerable to the joys and pains of realities of many people in our Back of the Yards community family I was able to catch the glimpses of God which are the moments, and emotions that makes us truly human. Its appreciating life, time and people through an Agape lens because it is more than a noun and a verb it’s a guideline on how to be truly human and being our authentic self.
Marijo is currently serving as a Precious Blood Volunteer at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago and will finish her term of service at the end of July 2018. She is a graduate of Creighton University.
To learn more about becoming a Precious Blood Volunteer go to www.preciousbloodvolunteers.org.
Jun 29, 2018
Wow it has been very busy time here at the Center! On May 5th we hosted World Labyrinth Day. The day started off with a Fair-Trade sale, that is merchandise from Ten Thousand Villages. These items are hand crafted in many countries all over the world. All sales help lift families out of poverty in those countries. At lunch we celebrated with an international feast that featured flavors from all around the world. Lastly, everyone joined for prayer around the labyrinth. St. James 8th graders spent the day outside for their retreat with Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.P.P.S., as the leader for the day. Many meetings scheduled here at the Center included, the New Creation Commission Meeting, Finance Committee of the New Creation Meeting and the Peace & Justice Committee to name a few.
Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton group meet here regularly on the second and fourth Thursdays of the Month. The Bridges program is about people being led on a journey toward spiritual transformation and a more contemplative and peace filled life. We hosted a “Fourth Thursday Dinner” for the KC/ST JOE diocesan priest that was well received. Prayer for Life group meet here for their Saturday day of peace in May.
June 1st, we hosted our first annual Ramadan dinner. We were joined with our Muslim friends from the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest and our community with a meal that was provided by the Institute. Prior to the meal we sat through a short program informing us about the Islamic traditions. Muslims around the world fast during daylight hours. The daily fast is ended with Iftar, an evening meal often shared in the community.
Our “Into the Light” series hosted a presentation on “Feeling Left Behind-Facing Life after a Loved One’s Suicide” by Mary Kay Whitacre, PhD in June. That evening gave guests an opportunity to process their grief and share in the experience and wisdom of others. The Center offered a Five-Day Directed Retreat to individuals to participate in, this is supported by daily spiritual direction. The retreat was lead by Fr. Ron Will, C.P.P.S. and Kathy Keary.
This weekend St. Antony’s Parish in Northeast, Kansas City, will be bringing their confirmation candidates here for a day retreat. The day is planned to reflect upon their involvement in service to the church and the community and what it means to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Lastly, this Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Precious Blood hosted by the Liberty & Kearney Companions here at the Center. Prayer in the Chapel and dinner afterwards was a tremendous success!! Be Blessed and Safe on this Fourth of July.
Jun 29, 2018
July 1, 2018
“Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
Have become near by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2, 13
Dear Friends,
As we celebrate the feast that give us our name, a story told by a man I’ll call Larry comes to mind about the evening he was playing Scrabble with his 83-year-old father. His Dad had terminal cancer and knew he did not have much time left. But this particular evening, his father was especially restless, as if there was something on his mind that he needed to say. Finally, his father said to Larry, “You probably know the story about your mother.”
Larry said his parents had been divorced for forty years and she had passed away about two years before. “I’ve heard the rumors,” Larry said.
“You knew she had an affair?” his Dad asked. Larry said he had heard that his Mom had an affair, but he wasn’t sure how much he should admit knowing about it.
His father then told him about the day in 1961 he had come home from work early and found his brother pretending to be asleep in the recliner while Larry’s mother emerged from the bedroom straightening her apron. Larry said his father didn’t want to believe that his wife had been unfaithful to him with his own brother, but he suspected something.
Nine months later, Larry was born.
“So,” his father said after a long pause. “If you want to have a blood test to see if I am really you father, it’d would be okay with me.”
Larry said that his father rarely showed emotion and he knew how difficult it was for him to have this conversation. Though he was stunned by the possibility that his uncle could be his biological father, he said to his Dad, “You have always been my father. I don’t need a blood test to prove that.”
His Dad smiled slightly and they returned playing Scrabble.
We don’t need a blood test to know that every person is a child of God—no exceptions—and that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are the body of Christ and our relationship in this new covenant is symbolized most eloquently and eternally in the blood of Christ.
When we gather at the table of Eucharist, we celebrate our belonging to one another. “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” A body broken and bruised but beautiful to behold and to hold. A body wounded and scarred but whose heart is still beating and breathing with life. A body betrayed but still believing in the best that is in each one of us.
“And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.’” The contents of this cup hold the truth of our being and the meaning of our belonging. This is the cup of the new covenant. This is the wine of compassion. This cup holds the forgiveness of our sins: drink it up!
The only blood test we need is to believe that true reconciliation in the blood of Christ is found in this simple and enduring proposition: we are all children of God, blood brothers and sisters who are in relationship with one another and with God. The true test is to embrace the challenge to live as blood brothers and sisters in Christ in a world that is so often divided and polarized, believing that the power of the Blood of Christ will give us the courage and compassion to stand with those “who once were far off” but “have become near by the blood of Christ.”
I will be traveling to Fort Wayne, Indiana this Sunday to celebrate with Fathers Joe Uecker and Dennis Schaab their 50th Anniversary of Ordination at their home parish, Precious Blood Church. Their classmate, Father Mike Volkmer, and Father Bill Walter will also concelebrate. Then we will travel to Carthagena for the Feast Day celebration with our Jubilarians on July 2. On behalf of the Leadership Team, may the blood of Christ give us all good courage to recognize each person as brother and sister, and to be ministers of hope and healing in our broken world. A Blessed Feast Day!
With peace in the blood of Christ,
Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.
Provincial Director