But I found this lovely quote in Secrets of the Spirit, by Luis Martinez, who wrote the spiritual classic, The Sanctifier. Preparing for Pentecost and in the middle of several creative projects, I decided to read up on the Spirit. And even though it’s well past Pentecost, I thought I’d share it, as prayer to the Spirit is becoming a more significant part of my prayer.

“How wonderful is the work of the artist! By efforts both ardent and gentle he can infuse hard and shapeles materials with the light of his soul… That is the way one may conceive the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, Artist of souls. Is not sanctity the supreme art?… That which the human artist dreams of without every being able to attain, the divine Artist accomplishes because he is perfect and infinite. His action is not exterior nor intermittent, but intimate and constant. He enters into the depths of our souls, penetrates the innermost recesses, and takes up his permanent dwelling there to produce later on his magnificent work….”

I believe that the Holy Spirit’s work takes place not just inside us, but through us, so that we in a small way take part in “renewing the face of the earth.” It is interesting to compare the characteristics of the artistic life with the qualities of the Spirit listed above:

• intimacy
• constancy
• permanence
• dwelling
• gradually (or in time)

So many times we tend to look for inspiration outside of us; how many times is the Spirit really inspiring us from within?

Some of my favorite prayers to the Holy Spirit are hymns–a few from Italian which our sisters have translated into English, and then of course, there is the lovely “Spirit of God” by Marty Haugen (on his album Shepherd Me, O God).

Here is one of my favorite prayers to the Holy Spirit, from Prayers of the Pauline Family, which our Founder, Bl. James Alberione, gave to us. 

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Photo by Sr. M. Emmanuel Alves, fsp

Divine Holy Spirit,

eternal Love of the Father and of the Son,

I adore you, I thank you, I love you,

and I ask you pardon for all the times

I have grieved you in myself

and in my neighbor.

Descend with many graces during

the holy ordination of bishops and priests,

during the consecration of men and women religious

during the reception of Confirmation by all the faithful;

be light, sanctity and zeal.

To you, Spirit of Truth,

I consecrate my mind, imagination and memory;

enlighten me.

May I know Jesus Christ our Master

and understand his Gospel and the teaching of holy Church.

Increase in me the gifts of wisdom,

knowledge, understanding and counsel.

To you, sanctifying Spirit,

I consecrate my will. Guide me in your will,

sustain me in the observance of the commandments

in the fulfillment of my duties.

Grant me the gifts of fortitude and holy fear of God.

To you, life-giving Spirit,

I consecrate my heart.

Guard and increase the divine life in me.

Grant me the gift of piety. Amen

After I shared that story, Sister “got it” and was never late on a deadline again.  Part of a communicator’s and an artist’s craft is to seek to always pay attention to how we say  what we wish to communicate. Can we find ways to describe our experiences as stories?

A friend sent me a link to this youtube video that dramatizes the importance of how we say what we want to say–or, rewriting. It’s a good example of how much easier we “get” another person’s experience when they tell us a piece of their story. Enjoy!

Mary, Queen of Apostles

Today we Pauline sisters celebrate the Feast of Mary, Queen of Apostles, appropriately placed the Saturday before Pentecost, when Mary gathered in prayer with the apostles. It’s a very special feastday for us as communicators of the Gospel, because Mary is the ultimate Communicator of the Word of God.

Our Pauline website has an explanation of what the title means. In the images of Mary, Queen of Apostles, Mary is holding Jesus out–as if to give him away. Blessed James Alberione describes the meaning of this gesture very specifically: “In the ‘Hail, Holy Queen,’ the Church describes her [Mary] to us with very beautiful titles, but the most beautiful is the one we see portrayed in the new painting of the Queen of the Apostles, in which the Madonna does not clasp Jesus to her heart, but holds him out to the Apostles, as her most sweet fruit, in order that they, in turn, will hold him out to humanity.”

What a richly symbolic gesture–holding Jesus out for others to receive! What a great image for all baptized Christians who are called to “communicate Christ” in our lives. And what a profoundly meaningful image for those whose life work is dedicated to communicating the Gospel…always holding out Jesus Christ.

As I was praying the Novena to the Queen of Apostles this week, I was also preparing to start writing a new project. And I started to connect Mary’s motherly journey (once a mother, always a mother) with the creative journey of a new project. A conceiving, nurturing, giving birth, teaching, preparing, accompanying, and letting go (or entrusting to God) are all stages of being a mother and stages of being an artist. I am still pondering how to describe the role of the Holy Spirit in all of this–the Spirit who descends so powerfully on Mary at the Annunciation and again at Pentecost.

Mary, Queen of Apostles, pray for all artists who seek to present God in our creative works and in the most important masterpiece of all–our own lives.

As I’m walking, I’m listening to a newly-discovered free online resource. I’m not sure how I missed it before. The Act One Program (a program that offers courses and support for Christian screenwriters and producers, a program which I cannot recommend highly enough), hosted a Story Symposium in 2008, Socratic-style. They put up all the talks and panels and entitled it:  Storytelling for the 21st Century.  As I wanted some inspiration as I start a new script, I’ve been listening to a few minutes every day as I walk. It gets off to a bit of a slow start, but is absolutely wonderful for any Christian artist wrestling with narrative. If you don’t use iTunes, you can also find it here on podbean.

Word puzzles can be fun writing prompts to get me started writing. This Saturday, I used one of my favorite word puzzles as an icebreaker for our discernment day. In only twenty minutes, the four young women who joined us creatively “solved” the puzzle, although the Scrabble game we were using ran out of letters, so we added our own. Check it out:

Since the morning is disappearing quickly, I better get back to writing!

Discovering God in Other People: Tonight I will be hosting our Faith & Film Night on the theme of the Ninth Commandment. The film that we are showing is a devastating portrayal of the consequences of giving in to lust–of seeing other people solely as things to gratify to our own needs. American Beauty is a disturbing film because of all the moral lines it crosses, but to me, the foundation of all the dysfunction and tragedy is the attitude each character has towards other people. I think we’re in for a profound dialogue tonight.

Viewing each person as a mystery and a gift is the perspective of faith I try to nurture, by: listening to others, seeing beyond the surface, going beyond my own self-centeredness, finding ways to identify with or connect somehow with each person.

Discovering God in Nature: Spring has awakened so quickly that I am still happily surprised when I step out the door to go to Mass and don’t need to take a jacket. The heart-warming colors of spring carpet the grays and browns of winter. I’ve noticed for years now that I make my best retreats when I’m able to spend most of the day out of doors, praying. For me, connecting with God in nature is highly intuitive, and requires little faith. The only nurturing it requires is to make the time to get away from the hubbub of the city.

Discovering God’s Will: This year, Daughters of St. Paul the world over are meditating on our rule of life (Constitutions). I’ve been struck by a fundamental insight of our Founder that I had never really thought much about: that the vows are concrete helps to radically living the theological virtues–obedience leads to faith, poverty to hope, and chastity to love. Religious sisters, brothers, or priests believe that God reveals his will for us not just through the ordinary ways he reveals his will to others (the Word of God, prayer, the Church, the circumstances we find ourselves in, our desires and gifts, etc.), but also specifically through our superiors. (Of course, matters contrary to conscience, or sin, are excepted.)

I’m guessing that not just religious, but most Christians are called at times to radical obedience and radical faith. However, I suspect that religious are called to to this more often.

Because other people–superiors included–are so human, it can be hard to believe that God is actually directing us through them. Obedience to God under the guise of a person in personal matters–such as where I will live or what kind of work I will do–can feel counter-intuitive. This kind of radical obedience requires radical faith–like that of Abraham who left behind everything he knew to go and search for the land God promised him.

Discovering God’s Closeness: The sacraments, in which God tangibly makes his presence felt and shares his very life with us, are tremendous gifts. Yesterday at Mass, I was sitting at a ninety-degree angle to the altar. When Father raised the host at the consecration, all I could see was a thin white sliver. How fragile the sacred sign–and yet how life-giving! Only faith allows us to “see” the omnipotent God in a fragile wafer.

Faith gives us the possibility of seeing God in a world where God can seem invisible and intangible. What a tremendous gift to be prayed for and to nurture, and what a unique perspective that we as Christian artists can bring to our art.

• Developing more online content for See Yourself Through God’s Eyes–a reader’s guide and a podcast. The podcast is my first ever. I’ve got the content planned, but still need to dive into producing. I also need to find a place to post the content that is ready to go up.
• Reorganizing and creating content for the vocational/discernment parts of our community’s website: http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/Vocation/tabid/106/Default.aspx.
• Brainstorming my newest book on the Eucharist
• Outlining a new screenplay about a nun

Blessed James Alberione, Founder of the Pauline Family

These words of Blessed James Alberione have inspired me in these past few days, and I will continue to pray with them as we move towards Pentecost:

For many of my generation, Pope John Paul II is “my Pope.” It was not his rock star kind of status that touched me, but his personal engagement with young people–with me!

Blessed John Paul II is a wonderful model for all communicators today in many ways, but especially for how he personally engaged the people he lead. So many of us–millions of us–felt we had a personal relationship with John Paul II. I know I did, even though I only got to actually speak to him once in 2001. (That’s another story for another blog post: what would you have said to John Paul II if you had 10 seconds to speak to him?)  He truly had the heart of a shepherd for every person he met. He didn’t just speak to millions, he touched and in some cases, transformed, hearts.

In the communications culture, there is a temptation for some of us to focus on numbers–how many people we reach with our message–how many “hits” on our websites, how many subscribe to our twitter feeds. But successful communicators are those who touch hearts, who make a real connection with the individuals they interact with. I’m not sure how to describe how he did this, even though I personally witnessed it numerous times. I look forward to reflecting on in here. At the moment, I believe the best way I can sum it up is that Blessed John Paul managed to “be” the face of Christ to the world. He was for me.

I’m going to make a timeline of my life with all the ways Pope John Paul’s life intersected or influenced mine. Someday maybe I’ll share it here. But today, I’ll just share the book-ends.

It all began for me when the Pope came for his first visit to Boston in 1979. I was twelve, and I had witnessed his election on TV and was very curious about this Pope who was so interesting to watch. But as his visit to Boston came closer, I became very angry because I wasn’t allowed to go see him. All of my older brothers and sisters who wanted to were able to join groups from the school or parish to go downtown to see him in person, but my mom told me I was “too young.” She herself couldn’t take me because I had a number of younger sisters and a brother who really were too young to go.

So, for the days of his visit in the U.S., I took over the television (an unheard of phenomenon in my house, since I’m in the middle of a large family). We had one of those old tape recorders with the top-loading lid and the built-in microphone. I put the tape recorder on a chair right next to the TV speaker and taped the Pope’s every word. I must have listened to his homily about the rich young man dozens of times through the next couple of years. What I remember best was not his accent but the passion and joy with which he proclaimed, invited, and encouraged us: “Follow Christ!”

Less than three years later, I entered the Daughters of St. Paul. Are the two events connected? Definitely, although it took me some time to realize it. And that’s just the beginning of how Pope John Paul II’s spiritual leadership has brought me closer to Christ.

The latest development is a couple weeks ago when I heard that the new Blessed’s feast day will be celebrated on my birthday, October 22nd.

I didn’t make it to see Soul Surfer last weekend, but I hope to catch it on Tuesday, and then I’ll post my thoughts.

I am delighted to have finished finish the rough draft of my second half-book on the saints this past week. I will do an immediate revision, but revising is easier for me than writing a rough draft. Now, I’m looking forward to getting back to Script Frenzy, and the readers’ guide for See Yourself Through God’s Eyes. Our digital department is putting together an iPhone app based on the book as well and I’m really looking forward to that coming out.

Saturday, together with five wonderful young women who gathered for our Lenten Discernment Retreat, I was able to delve a little more deeply into my own Lenten journey. I think it was a powerful retreat for all of us.

Tonight at our Pauline Book & Media Center in Toronto, I’m hosting our Faith & Film night on the 8th Commandment with one of my favorite films, Phone Booth. What a great start it will be to this week, as I look to delve deeper into my writing (including blogging!) and into the liturgy, which offers us incredibly powerful moments in the upcoming days.

First, here’s the link to our Sisters’ reflection for the 4th Sunday of Lent–the Light of Faith.

This week’s Gospel from John is beautiful for communicators and artists because it speaks of different ways of seeing. Father Robert Barron highlights the importance and process of coming to spiritual vision in his weekly sermon, which you can listen to or download here.

And, for readers of my book, See Yourself Through God’s Eyes: 52 Meditations To Grow in Self-Esteem, who are eager for more ways to reflect on God’s love for us, Father Raniero Cantalamessa talks about the importance of believing in God’s love for us in his second Lenten homily, God Is Love.

And now, I am getting back to writing!

As I’ve been mentally preparing to start writing a new script over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want the scripts and stories I write to stand out from other good–even great–scripts that are already out there. And I’m receiving my “answer” in bits and pieces from all over the place–from Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spes Salvi, from my own reflections on holiness (prompted by my study of the saints in the book that I’m writing), and from some of the speakers at the recent Interchapter meeting of the Daughters of St. Paul. This morning, several ideas came together while I was praying.

In my screenplays, I want to offer the transcendent hope of the Gospel–a hope that trusts in the redeeming power of Christ’s love, especially in darkness and suffering; a hope that not only gives meaning to suffering, but experiences in the mystery of the Cross the joy of Redemption.

There are many great films out there that show the presence of God at work in the beauty of the world, and in the goodness of other people. And these are wonderful films that I celebrate and enjoy sharing. But what I think Pope Benedict (and others) are pointing out is that the hope of this world is fragile; only the hope of the eternal love of God is lasting. And that’s the hope that’s missing in today’s society, and that’s the void I want to speak to. (I’ll leave the “filling” of that void to God–perhaps God can use one of my films to open a person’s heart to receive the hope that only Christ can give.)

My next question is: how do I do that? How do I create a story which becomes a window to God’s everlasting love? Have you seen any films which you would describe as “transcendent” or as witnessing to the transcendent? (My next post will be about films in which I have found transcendent moments, but I’m interested in which films you would propose as well.)

Archbishop Thomas Collins speaking at Pauline Books & Media, Toronto

First, Archbishop Collins honored us with his presence at a talk and booksigning twice in the past two weeks. His new book, Pathway to Our Hearts, is a wonderful introduction to lectio divina. My favorite thing about this book–and the Archbishop’s presentation–is that he really shares from his own experience with the Scriptures, thus opening up the door for his readers and listeners, inviting them to become as familiar with, and as close to, the Scriptures.

Last night the Newman Centre, Faith Connections, and Pauline Books & Media sponsored People, Popcorn & Pondering, a faith and film night featuring the film, Gran Torino through the lens of Sunday’s Gospel: John 4:5-42 (the woman at the well). After the film, we gathered to share our insights about the film, the Scripture passage, and our own journeys of faith, and it was a wonderful evening. Tomorrow night, at PBM we are having our monthly Faith & Film Night on the theme of the Seventh Commandment, featuring Quentin Tarantino’s film, Jackie Brown.

During Lent, Sean McGaughey, a Catholic podcaster is reflecting each Monday about one of the Church’s documents on communications. Here’s a link to his post about Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Communications Day. (His article has some wonderful links as well.)

Finally, our sisters in Rome posted up their newest reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent, which offers many seeds for further reflection.

* * *

Even though I am only midway through my half of the manuscript of the second book I’m editing/writing on the saints, I feel that I am entering a new writing season. Kind of like the crocuses coming up in our garden, who were surprised early out of their winter hibernation by a week of warmer weather (40-50 degrees), and now seem determined to survive the cold onslaught of 14-25 degree weather of the past few days. I hope my writing can be as hardy.

The “crocuses” and “tulips” in my writing garden are not just the saints’ books that I’m currently working on. I’m already talking about my next book with my editor–a book that keeps trying to write itself and floods my mind with ideas while I am praying. (Distraction? Inspiration? I suspect a bit of both. This new book is about Eucharistic adoration, and with so many ideas flowing, I can’t wait to get started on it.)

Another early growth is my next script. I’ve already started my preparations for Script Frenzy: the story idea and main character sketches are done. But I still need to do some preliminary research, and write an outline. (As I mentioned earlier, Script Frenzy is an online contest for crazy writers [like myself] who will try to write an entire script in the month of April.)

In the next two weeks, I will be focusing primarily on the saints’ book, but it’s so exciting to see the early beginnings of each new writing project–whether I’m deliberately cultivating them, or they’re doing it “on their own.” Like the plants in our garden, they are in the hands of the Eternal Gardener, in whose care I trust to help them sprout, grow, and mature in his time.

I haven’t been posting here consistently in part because of a tight deadline for a book (the time factor), but also because the press of the deadline seems to be squelching the edges of my creativity (the inspiration factor). I’m quite behind and not sure I’ll make my deadline, which is the end of this month. I might need a two-week extension, which will be disappointing because then I’ll only be able to do half of Script Frenzy.*

I miss blogging here quite a bit. When I’m away from my computer, though, I’ve found a couple of things to keep the writing flowing. First, I discovered a wonderful podcast on writing, Writing Excuses. The podcast seems primarily directed to would-be fiction writers, especially in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Writing Excuses is a refreshing review of the basics, an insightful analysis of  the craft and inner workings of three professional and proficient writers, and definitely encouraging to all sorts of writers. I’m treating myself to one a day, listening to the podcasts as I exercise. One of my recent favorites is Episode 5.4, The Author’s Responsibility to the Reader.

Secondly, I’m starting to research and outline a new feature script that I want to write for Script Frenzy* in April. I finally feel ready to delve into a script that has a nun (actually a religious sister, but I won’t get technical here) as one of the main characters. The research I’m doing is about the human tragedy that the sister stumbles upon and decides to confront. This is a movie that I’ve dreamed about writing for years, and I finally feel ready to attempt it.

*Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants take on the challenge of writing 100 pages of scripted material in the month of April. It’s crazy, it’s awesome, and it’s a lot of fun. And it really helps if you outline your script ahead of time.

In today’s readings and in the Church’s Lenten tradition, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the recommended practices for Lent. In these days, I’ve realized there is a surprisingly direct connection between these practices and a communications spirituality, or an “asceticism” for Catholic media artists.

Communication spirituality encourages us to look at communication in all its aspects, on all levels, and with everyone with whom we communicate. Our first, most basic communication happens with ourselves, being self-aware and “in tune with” what is happening inside of us. When we are in harmony with ourselves, we are connected to our own thoughts and emotions and our own experiences. This foundational communication or connection with ourselves is strengthened when we eliminate the ways we distract ourselves from the bigger questions in our lives. Fasting–whether from food or something else that we enjoy–helps us to focus our attention on what’s going on inside of us, whether it’s comfortable or not. When we fast, we aren’t filling ourselves with superficialities, and so we discover the inner “holes,” the empty spaces, the neediness inside of ourselves. For me, fasting is a bit like going into the desert and allowing the discomfort or silence to uncover my inner illusions, the ways I “cover up” the empty places in my life and heart. This awareness is important for living a holy and integrated life. We can only accept or address the emptiness in ourselves when we are aware of it.

The second, and most important, communication is with God, who is always seeking to bring us into communion with himself. Taking time for prayer allows us to deepen our communication with God, focusing on the important relationship in our life–with our very Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. When we have been fasting and mindful of our inner life, our Lenten prayer allows us to bring our inner emptiness to God and allow him to fill us in his own time and way. Every Lent I choose to give more importance to my times of prayer. Whether it’s adding a few extra minutes, or simply paying more attention to God (rather than talking to myself), real prayer connects us directly to the God who loves us and wishes to save us and to save through us.

Thirdly, communicating with others is probably the aspect of communication that we usually do the most and think of first. Whether it’s direct (face to face), or mediated, using technology such as the telephone or a TV broadcast, this is the aspect of communication that often takes the most effort to do well. Almsgiving can help us with this, because it shifts our focus from our own needs to those of others. Just to discover what the needs of others are requires that we become better listeners.

So, the question I’m raising for myself this Lent is really threefold:

1) What can I fast from to become more mindful and aware of what’s going on inside of me (and thus become more aware of what’s going on between God and me, and others and me)?

2) What creative step can I take in prayer so that I deepen my relationship and communion with God?

3) How can I deepen my communication with other people, especially how can I listen better to their needs, and respond more generously? What kind of “alms” am I being invited to give this Lent?

On Image’s website, which is always worth a browse, I ran across this lovely entry about the struggle to write by Sara Zarr. Not only is Sara’s reflection honest and inspiring for struggling writers, but some of the comments of the readers are very well thought out, too. Enjoy! (P.S. While I don’t have a MacBook Air, I think the MacBook Pro I use to write adds quite a bit to my writing routine.)

On The Other Journal, I also found this interesting interview with Ron Hansen, who speaks about writing as a sacramental act. I love his quote from Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Finally, as the movie awards season picks up, here is a thoughtful listing of some of the best and disappointing films of 2010, by Jeffrey Overstreet.

• Other urgent tasks and a busy schedule
• Too-busy attitude (not making space for creative thinking)
• Lack of organization
• Interruptions
• Others’ criticism
• Inner resistance: doubts, fears, difficulty slowing down, etc.
• Complications in shaping material
• Lack of skill

Up till now, I have used this blog to address mostly the inner struggles: the doubts and fears that make us hesitant to pick up the pen (or in my case, the automatic pencil), or to create that new document and start typing away the blankness. Today, I’d like to shift gears and reflect on an external obstacle: criticism.

When I first started writing my latest book of meditations on self-esteem in the light of Scripture, I was deeply surprised to face opposition from some mature, spiritual-minded Catholics whom I respected. They expressed the concern that, in light of our culture’s preoccupation with selfishness, self-esteem is no longer a relevant topic for true followers of Christ, if it ever was. The opposition surprised me, and, for a couple of weeks, stopped me cold.

After much reflection and prayer, I decided I radically disagreed. However, I also realized that our disagreement could depend on what was meant by the word “self-esteem.” I was using it in the typical sense that most dictionaries give as a first definition: self-respect, or a healthy regard for oneself. Those who disapproved of the idea of my book referenced a second definition some dictionaries add, in which self-esteem is equated with pride, or a conceited view of oneself.

When I use the word “self-esteem” now, I do so with that first sense of self-respect, but with an added nuance that I developed in light of the comments I received. Self-esteem is a healthy, truthful view of oneself in the light of the reality that we are created by God in his image, and that we are precious in God’s sight (cf. Isaiah 43). The negative comments forced me to clarify the focus of the book: less about psychology and more about our relationship with God.

While the criticism stopped me from writing for a few weeks, it helped me hone the book and enabled me to address some common misconceptions. I am sure that on some levels those who criticized my idea won’t agree with the book as it stands now. But in the end, I think the book is the better for the criticism I received.

In Matthew 5:27-29, Jesus says how important our way of seeing is. Specifically, he says that how we look at someone is an important choice. Are we looking at someone for how we can use them for our own purposes or our own pleasure, or are we looking at them with genuinely loving eyes? The “sight” that Jesus is talking about is not just physical sight, but also our perspective.

Our viewpoint is important for our spiritual lives, our relationships, but also for our creativity. Father Burghardt’s inspiring article on contemplation is too good for me to quote–if you are a writer or creative artist or interested in contemplation at all, this is a fantastic article well worth reading in its entirety. The title actually gives his definition of contemplation–”a long, loving look at the real” — which he actually borrows from a Carmelite, William McNamara. It’s a beautiful definition, and also very true. To contemplate means, in a very real sense, to love what we are gazing upon; to see the true, the beautiful, the good, the One in everything and everyone around us. Even when we gaze on suffering, a gaze of love is compassionate.

How can we as writers and artists develop this loving, compassionate way of seeing?

Focus on the details, the specifics.

There is a saying, “God is in the details.” I also think that it is just as true to say, “Love is in the details.” As writers, we are told over and over again to be specific. Being specific makes us universal. Even God does it, and not just through creating the universe. God’s love is most astoundingly revealed in the Incarnation. Think of it: God taking on flesh–that particular human body; becoming the child of a particular woman–Mary, who was married to Joseph; living in the first century in that particular place–born in Bethlehem, growing up in Nazareth, preaching in Capernaum; saying those particular words (“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”); suffering that particular, gruesome death for each of us, particular human beings…

Focusing on the details helps us to notice, to pay attention to what is really happening. Often, the details are revealed as a microcosm of the bigger picture.

Seek a new perspective.

Step away from the daily bustle, but also from the daily utilitarianism that focuses only on efficiency and getting things done. How can we step away? We can read the great contemplatives–ancient and contemporary. We can take in an art form that we love, that can transport us to somewhere else for a timeless moment. We can take an unexpected break in our routine, or try something new. Use our imaginations to stand in someone else’s shoes, or to imagine “what if?” The goal here is to step away from our own familiar thought patterns–especially the negative ones–so that we can be freed of their influence.

Create some inner space for yourself.

Do whatever it is that allows you to “hear” your own experience. For many writers who can’t write, it’s not that we don’t have any ideas. It’s that we have too many. So much is going on in our lives that we can’t process them all, we can’t even sort through our own reactions and feelings. Some concrete ways to do this? Turn off the phone for an hour or two; limit our media intake for a couple days; spend some time alone doing something we love; give ourselves the gift of silence; take a walk in the woods.At first, this inner space can be uncomfortable. The emptiness we feel can be hard to tolerate. But most likely, we aren’t really empty. We are simply removing the clutter and noise that prevent us from taking in and owning our own experiences. Even when it’s painful, it’s important to know what we are feeling and thinking. This is one moment when our faith can be so helpful to our writing and to our art. We can “stay” in the discomfort and naked honesty because we know that we are held and we are loved. Our gentle, compassionate gaze is simply mirroring God’s compassionate gaze upon us.

It’s difficult to live as a contemplative all the time. But as writers and artists, it is part of who we are and who we are called to be: to develop a contemplative gaze that helps us to understand and communicate the meaning of our experiences and ultimately, of the human experience.

The letter includes a couple of short paragraphs about how chastity can be lived in each state in life. Perspectives, Salt and Light TV’s weekly discussion show, had a panel last week talking about chastity from the single person’s perspective. This week, they are doing a show on chastity from the perspective of marriage and consecrated life. I’m a guest on the show, so I hope you get a chance to tune in, either on TV when it airs live on Friday, February 11 at 7 pm, or online. You can also watch the show after it airs on the show’s archive page. I’d enjoy hearing your comments after you see it–one of the most difficult things about a discussion show like Perspectives is feeling that we only scratch the surface of such a huge topic. What would you have liked us to discuss?

As a result of the show, I’ve been reflecting on chastity all week, even trying to come up with some mainstream movies that either present chastity as a virtue or that include a chaste lifestyle as a viable option in its worldview. (For the moment, I’m excluding films that focus on priesthood and religious life–that’s another list for another time.) The best example I can come up with is Walk To Remember, which is still a favorite movie of many young teenage girls.

Sexuality is so misunderstood today that for many films, it is an accomplishment if a couple waits to have sex within the context of real love. The understanding of sexuality as sacred, as the ultimate expression of love between husband and wife, is scarce in popular media today. I’m going to continue looking and thinking for films that explore chastity… I appreciate any recommendations that you have, and if I come up with a good list, I’ll post it here.

I am not a Scripture scholar, and do not know Greek, so I don’t understand all of the analysis. But what I like is the depth that this well-written volume by Jan Lambrecht, SJ, takes me to in reflecting on 2 Corinthians. I find two aspects of the book extremely helpful:

1) the way the Letter is divided into short, themed passages that allow me to take my time with each, going into it very deeply

2) the unique, fresh translation, whose choices are explained right in the analysis

Many people consider Second Corinthians one of Saint Paul’s most personal letters. For me, it’s a revealing look at Paul’s sense of his own identity, experiences and attitudes as an apostle. Because it’s a very personal letter, it also gives us a sense of Paul’s relationship with those to whom he proclaimed Christ.

I think 2 Corinthians might be a great place to reflect more deeply on Paul as a communicator for Christ. What strikes me immediately is the richness and variety of the ways Paul describes his ministry. More on that coming soon…

Part of the challenge is that I’m writing and editing “flat out,” on a tight deadline that stretches over the next two months. And another part of my challenge is staying focused, as I have a multitude of non-related, smaller deadlines trying to intrude on my writing time. It’s at times like this that I probably most need to take a break and clear my head, but it’s just at times like these when it’s hardest to step away.

Is my resistance coming from fatigue, too much pressure, or simply from my renewed recognition of the impossibility of capturing in words the mystery of Christ which I am trying to write about today? I suspect a bit of all three. The fine line between daily commitment and knowing when to take a much-needed break is something I am still learning how to discern. To have the courage to write about imposing topics, it helps to feel the inner flow of creativity.  Yet, my creativity comes in hiccups. Most of the time I don’t “feel” creativity flowing. Instead, it rushes upon me once I’ve gotten started.

For example, last evening while I was praying, I received a rush of ideas about a new book I want to write, and after trying to push them aside, I finally put down my Bible and took notes. How much was inspiration? How much was my prayer “unlocking” my deeper desire to write this book? I have no idea. But, it’s all grace.

And that’s the approach I will take this morning as I turn back to the current book. This “rough draft” stage feels more like heavy lifting than inspiration. But I will trust that, as long as I am listening, God will guide my mind, heart, and tapping fingers.

I attribute this change mostly to God’s grace, but also to the way that I’m paying more attention to what I need as a writer, and balancing out the other aspects of my life. My understanding community has allowed me to make some adjustments in the community schedule so I have one really strong, uninterrupted writing day (Thursday). Other things that seem to be helping is that my free moments are taken up with research for the writing that I’m doing, so I’m really immersed in the project. (I actually dreamed about it the past couple of nights…which is unusual for me.) It probably hasn’t hurt that the weather is so cold that I don’t really feel tempted to go out a whole lot.

The other thing I’ve done is focus my writing time on just this one writing project. Usually I have two going, and usually that works well for me. But when I’m writing against a tight deadline, this “immersion” in the one project seems to be really helping.

I’m hoping to keep this up for the next four to five weeks, so some of my next posts may be short, or pointing you to other good resources. The first resource I wanted to share with you is a new blog, Pauline Faithways, developed by a Daughter of St. Paul, Sr. Margaret Obrovac. It has lots of cool stuff about the latest happenings, and what’s up with our efforts to develop our media mission in these rapidly changing times. Plus, Sr. Margaret’s writing is a pleasure to read. I hope you take the opportunity to visit it.

However, the reason I’m enjoying Communicating in Ministry and Mission so much is
its treatment of communication theology and spirituality, especially how Father Eilers puts them in context, and how they relate to the various Church documents, especially those on communication.

One all-too-short section starts to develop something that I’ve been praying with for years: how is Christ the Perfect Communicator, as he is called in Comunio et progressio, paragraph #11? This dense paragraph deserves further reflection. Obviously for followers of Christ, Jesus is our Model in everything, but while so much has been written about imitating Christ in virtue, in family life, in suffering, etc., not so much has been written about imitating the way Christ communicates.

That’s why I was happy to find a section on that in Eilers’ book. Eilers offers some sources that we can use to “unpack” this idea of Christ as the perfect communicator. Some of them I am very familiar with, such as Cardinal Martini’s pastoral letters about media. One was quite unexpected:

Eilers highlights Pope John Paul II’s Holy Thursday Letter to Priests from 2002, especially a particular section where Pope John Paul II meditates on Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus, from a pastoral perspective. Although I’m sure the whole letter is excellent, the passage I’m talking about starts at paragraph #4. And while Pope John Paul II is specifically talking to priests in the context of being ministers of mercy, it’s a profound reflection on how Jesus chose to communicate and engage with Zacchaeus.

This will be the topic for reflection during my prayer for the next few days. When you reflect on the phrase, Christ the Perfect Communicator, what does it mean to you?

A whitebreasted nuthatch playing hide-and-seek with me on a day that I was paying attention

As I walked home, I realized how much I miss birdwatching. In the chill of winter, especially with that piercing cold wind, my walks are more about exercise and getting places, and not really about enjoying my surroundings. The discomfort of the icy winds blowing through me trick me into rushing.

A question rose in my mind. What are the “winter winds” in my life that distract me or hustle me away from paying attention? As a writer, as a contemplative, but also as a human being, it’s important to me to pay attention. Sometimes the details in my life–or the significance that I give to them–can be the key to understanding the bigger picture. Deadlines, a New Year resolution to “accomplish” more, the satisfaction of completing my own agenda–these can become my “winter winds” that hustle me through the day and prevent me from paying attention–to the people I live with, to the invitations of God in my day, or even to the movement of the Spirit within me.

As I walked the rest of the way home, I deliberately stopped a couple of times to observe the neighborhood and to try to find a cheeping hidden sparrow. The winter sights may not always be as pretty as spring or fall, but they offer stark contrasts, which can be just as beautiful.

Particular enlightenment came from the Host and a greater understanding of that invitation of Jesus, “come to me, all of you” (Mt. 11:28). He seemed to fathom the heart of the great Pope, the Church’s call [for help], and the Priest’s true mission… He felt deeply obliged to prepare himself to do something for the Lord and for the women and men of the new century with whom he would spend his life.

This time of prayer and the inspirations he received from Jesus in the Eucharist was the beginning of the Pauline Family. So we celebrate this anniversary by ushering in the new year with a retreat, beginning with an evening hour of adoration, with each sister free to continue her adoration till midnight. (It’s an awesome way to start the New Year: if you don’t believe me, you should try it!)

Last night, my prayer was very much focused on the fast-developing digital and social media–both for our own sisters’ efforts in this field, and also that the many applications of this new technology will be used in ways that build up the human community. I am sure that Blessed James Alberione is looking down on us, happy to see us delving in to the new media (with our apps, digital ebooks, and facebook pages), but I’m guessing that he is also urging us on, so that we can reach millions with the hope of the Gospel! (By the way, this link takes you to a short biography of Blessed James Alberione, which includes a timeline of his life, excerpts from his writings, and video clips of him and of his beatification.)

I think he also would be encouraging me to post on my blog more frequently, so that is a New Year’s resolution that I’m making here and now!