10 August 2025 #newbeginnings
Fr. Michael Joncas and I once had offices around the corner from each other. I would occasionally knock on his open door wanting to discuss a theological conundrum or a pastoral sticky-wicket - usually the two went hand-in-hand. One day I saw him packing up and asked where he was off to. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “I’m off to close a convent.” It seems a once-vibrant community of nuns were getting on in years and their numbers dwindling. They discerned that their mission in that little corner of the world was now complete, and the Lord was asking them to move on to something different. So the land and buildings were sold and a new space conducive to their eldercare needs was procured. Fr. Joncas would pray the final Mass in their chapel and shepherd the women forward.
My first respnse was, “The nuns must be devastated!” He said that the women were actually joy-filled and content, and that’s why he was smiling about the upcoming journey. You see, they understood that all things come and go in God’s timing. Their work was much-needed in the time they had been allotted, but now God was calling them to ‘something else.’ And that ‘something else’ was going to be exciting, mysterious, and perhaps more contemplative in nature. They didn’t know exactly what life would be like, but it was what the Lord wanted, so they wanted it too.
Our intrepid Israelites from the Wisdom reading today must have felt the same way. Their time of slavery had served its purpose and come to an end. God was going to lead them into ‘something else’… they just need to have courage, faith, and trust in God’s process. St. Paul reminded the Hebrews of that same fact: We might not always know exactly where-or-why God calls us, but like Abraham, we go in faith. And when God does call, like the servants in the Gospel today, we ought to be prepared.
We must all be prepared for the endings and new beginnings the Lord sets before us, whether they are found in the cycle of birth-and-death, the changing of a profession or workplace, or even small things like taking a course that deepens your faith and expands your horizon.
With all this said, the Women at the Well leadership team has discerned that its end-time is at hand. Our attendance numbers were stagnant or dwindling over the years; in a post-Covid era we women want meaningful friendships which are best nurtured in small group settings. Large surface-friendship gatherings are nice but we do not clear our calendars to attend them.
As it turned out, Chris, Maria, Lisa, and I had all individually come to similar conclusions before our leadership meeting. We each felt the Lord calling us to ‘something else.’ As we spoke about ending the event, we all had a sense of peace, gratitude, and accomplishment. We’re excited about where the Lord is leading each of us… much like Abraham, the Israelites, the Hebrews, the disciples, and Fr. Joncas’ nuns. We’re in excellent company.
#newbeginnings