To love and work for Love
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God."
As anyone who knows me knows, I have a deep and abiding love for the Church.
The Catholic faith that has been lovingly passed down to me from my ancestors;
the wisdom & traditions of the Church;
the profound stance of welcome and love for ALL people (and especially those who have been excluded from full access to the the richness of the tradition) as communicated by Jesus Christ
have become THE guiding principles of my life, leading me towards the communities of which I am a part, the ways I have chosen to live as a professional woman, and how I have tried (both personally and professionally) to pass these truths down to the next generation.
Being a faithful Catholic is manifest in every sphere of my life.
And yet, there have been some things happening in my local Catholic community that have been profoundly distressing. Specifically, there is a new document on the Catechesis and Policy of Gender Theory that has caused a disruption to my soul's equilibrium. As I read the document, it seems to communicate a rigid exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals from their ability to express their sense of identity, as they experience it, as being beloved by God, as God has created them. This is deeply troubling to me.
As I continue to find my way in this unsettling time, I am returning, daily, to the practices that support and sustain the care of my soul: morning prayer with God's word and sitting in the presence of Jesus; tracking my experience in my journal as often as energy allows; silence; and connecting with a community that knows me and loves me.
One of my core values is authenticity, so it's important for me to share my journey with you. It is my intention to write and post Ponderings updates more frequently, with as much authenticity as I can withstand. I know I'm not alone in this struggle and I want to serve this community that I love, and help us all move towards spiritual care and wellness.
And so I return, yet again, to God's word which tells us, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God." (1 John 4:7)
I'm going to continue to love and to work for Love.
If you’re reading this, you are likely already following my journey and the ministry of Soulcare MKE LLC. If you haven’t yet subscribed, please do so. You’ll receive occasional emails and updates. If you know of others who would be interested in this path of caring for our individual and collective souls, please send them this Ponderings post so that they, too, can become a part of the Soulcare MKE community.
Thank you for walking with me. I look forward to walking with you.
Gratefully,
Laura
