I often think of "community" as this security blanket, that no matter where you go or what you do, it will always make you feel safe and warm. We collect communities throughout our lifetimes, some we feel more “settled” in than others, even if only in a figurative sense. However, while pieces of these communities often physically disperse and spread, we each take with us a thread from the knot that held us together, that knot being our collective purpose.
This summer I had the great privilege of working, traveling, reflecting, singing, dancing and laughing with an extraordinary group of people who I have witnessed encourage, energize and enlighten each other and all the wonderful teens and adults that spent a week of their summer serving communities away from their own.
The month I spent working with Catholic Heart has been a blessing, and I am beyond grateful for the unbelievable experience it has been. I have witnessed God’s love through the energy, patience and passion that my teammates, our managers, directors, teens and adults showed each hour of the day, even in the face of challenges, fatigue, and discomforts. And as always at Catholic Heart, we were able to witness the contagious joy that results from these efforts of love and service, reassured by the reactions of the residents we served and the energy that the teens showed through the last minute of each camp. This joy constantly reminded me why I was meant to be there, and reaffirmed my work and its purpose. One of my favorite quotes illustrates how discovering what you love has a direct impact on the rest of your life:
“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” -Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
Ultimately, if you work for what you love, there’s nothing to inhibit you from loving what you do. And that in itself is a blessing. If anything is certain, I loved working for Catholic Heart and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could. I am hoping that this flame that has ignited won’t fade, I hope that this particular community of Team 1A and the whole community that is Catholic Heart and its participants doesn’t ever really disappear from our hearts where it holds shelter, and that it will always help serve as a reminder of who we are and why we do the things we do. And as we each return to the bookmarks we placed in our hectic bullet train lives, I pray that we can maintain the same spirit, attitude, energy, heart and drive that we each put into the work we did together for Catholic Heart this summer.
When you find yourself sheltered by love, hold that shelter in your heart, for the times that you need it most. Don’t forget the laughter, the struggles, but most importantly, don’t forget the purpose, the seed, the knot that holds that community together.
Aaaand one of my favorite videos that were selected by Catholic Heart for pre-program, because it's awesome and relevant. To living with a soul uncovered.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8cAU475dQo]