Thursday at the Latin American Sisters gathering in Mexico City

Orange sisters Elena, Mary Therese and Herlinda are here

Today we have spent our time sharing about mysticism which is in the DNA of every Sister of St Joseph since our earliest beginnings.  Realizing the immediacy of mystery is core to recognizing the transcendent.  One of my favorite lines from today has been "Nothing that is named ultimate is explainable."

Right before lunch, which is the main meal here served around two, Elena, pictured above and I went walking and sharing about our early life experiences of how we had came to know God and that we were Sisters of St Joseph.

In the large group, we talked about mystics from history and those everyday mystics we know and what their characteristics are.  I got some great ideas for prayer services around this topic

Peg Murphy (Carondelet- Peru), Janet Landers- (Concordia)
and Alejandra discuss the process

that I think I will use for the next three months of meetings that I have to plan.

The meeting consists of some lecture but also many activities to experience the concepts that we are addressing.

The Canadian Federation is represented at this event
by their two sisters missioned in Peru

Yesterday we spent some time talking about the context in which the Sisters of St Joseph in Latin America and the Caribean serve.  That context of increasing violence, family break-down, narco-trafficking and human trafficking, along with increasing poverty, helps center us in what is important as discuss our mystical connections with God.  As the speaker said this morning, introspection and stillness that does not lead to outer actions for others is not what we are called to.