In October I was invited, for a second time, to be a retreat director for an eight-day retreat held in the Guest House of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine, an Anglican religious community of women. The days were spent dwelling in a combination of Ignatian, Benedictine and Anglican traditions.
As I attended Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours in the Sisters’ Chapel, I was struck by the similarities and differences in the Anglican and Roman Catholic traditions. There was much that was similar, giving me a sense of comfort and home. And, there were also enough differences that I had to keep on my toes! (Including literally since I wasn’t always sure when to stand and when to sit!)
One example is that the words to The Lord’s Prayer were slightly different, so I needed to read them from the book rather than recite them by heart. I felt quite foolish… imagine, at my age, being unable to recite The Lord’s Prayer without reading it out of a book! And yet, by doing so, I also found myself paying closer attention to what I was saying.
And then, there was the experience of having a woman presiding at Eucharist. It was truly a balm for my heart and soul! The Sisterhood has a rotation of presiders, both women and men. One woman was particularly personable… she obviously loved what she was doing and drew us into the Eucharist with that love. She was also a very good homilist. On one of the days that she was the presider, when I went up to receive Communion, I accidentally blurted out “Thank you!” instead of “Amen”
It strikes me that this experience is a good reminder of the way I would like to live my life: by paying attention, keeping on my toes, and always expressing my gratitude.
Photo Credits: Images courtesy of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine: www.ssjd.ca
Originally from Winnipeg, Christine is a Sister of Our Lady’s Missionaries. She always feels complimented when people mistakenly believe that she is a Sister of Our Lady of the Missions! She spent a little over a year in Nigeria as a pre-novitiate mission experience and then was sent to the Philippines after making her first profession of vows. At various times, Christine’s ministries in the Philippines included parish work, ecological work, Base Ecclesial Community, an educational program for out-of-school children and Muslim-Christian dialogue.
She returned to Toronto, Canada after being elected to the OLM Leadership Team. Currently her involvements include Spiritual Direction and Retreat Direction as well as various volunteer activities – the most enjoyable of which is leading sing-alongs in Memory Care at Presentation Manor for Seniors.
Welcome Christine! It’s great to have you on the blog! =)