The Horror of Human Trafficking

 

Let Us Eradicate Human Trafficking

One of the issues which the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary have tried to address in the past few years has been that of Human Trafficking.  This summer I read the book: The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today and it is a sad commentary on the amount of human trafficking which has been supported in the United States in this century.  There are three types of human trafficking and slavery in the US today:  Sex trafficking, labor trafficking and domestic house-slave trafficking.  Most of the sex trafficking is trafficking of women and children, and I have been horrified to realize that so many men, frequently wealthy, support this industry - through paying for pornographic videos of trafficked women, through "gentlemen's clubs", through massage parlors, etc.  I am aware that there have been efforts to educate law enforcement personnel to recognize incidents of trafficking in our neighborhoods, and to ensure that trafficked victims are not jailed for crimes such as prostitution, or illegal entry into our country, when, in fact, they have been essentially kidnapped and forced into performing these actions.

The RSHM have had some workshops on Human trafficking and have put some information on our website:

A Workshop: Human Trafficking: the Price We pay with input from trafficked persons

Video: Human Trafficking: the Price We Pay

A Workshop: Human Trafficking: Slavery in the 21st Century with links to resources

I personally cannot imagine what it would be like to be a sex slave, a labor slave or a domestic slave, with no control over my life and living in a constant state of torture with little opportunity to escape.  Yet, this is the state of trafficked persons, whom we often think of as being in other countries, but who live in large numbers in the U.S.  The RSHM belong to a few organizations to help stop the traffickers, such as the New York Anti-Trafficking Coalition on the East Coast and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking on the West Coast.  However, some recent statistics from the U.S. Department of State indicate that there is much work to be done to identify and prosecute traffickers and help those who have been trafficked.  The process is long and hard, and often freed trafficked persons are merely released with no help in order to regain their lives.  However, I was pleased to see anti-trafficking blogs, such as A Heart for Justice which gives some insightful suggestions for those who wish to help.

This trafficking situation is so big, yet so hidden, that I feel almost powerless to fight it.  Yet, I know that conquering this evil can and must be done, even if in baby steps.  It is important to use the power of education to teach young men and women the value of respect for one another and to stop them from relying on naive decisions.  It is not easy, yet we can support one another in the battle.  The main players for the abolition of trafficking may be our politicians to turn their eyes to the problem, our pro-bono lawyers and social workers to help, and ourselves to nag our politicians to help our country be more proactive against traffickers.  And, if we have financial resources, we can help to sponsor those organizations which are trying to help trafficked victims to regain their lives and their dignity.  And all of us can pray.  These are great resources, and all of us can take a part dependent on our skill.  So, let's both use our skill and storm heaven for the conversion of traffickers and the protection of the trafficked persons. 

Ordinary for me is extraordinary for the destitute

I spent a week at Cormaria to enjoy our sisters who were working there, to take some new photographs for the Cormaria website, to help out if needed and to enjoy the beauty of the scenery.

This photo is only one of the beautiful views outside Cormaria, and I found myself thankful to God for this experience of being surrounded by beauty.  There were flowers, wild free-growing flowers in many places around the property, and views of Sag Harbor that were exquisite from sunrise to sunset, as well as on cloudy days and sunny days.  I loved the flowers so much that I did a youtube video.

As I was resetting one of the tables in the dining room at Cormaria, I looked at some simple things as a salt and pepper shaker and a sugar dispenser, and I realized how ordinary these things are for me in my everyday life.  And I thought of some of the destitute in sub-Saharan Africa, or people who are living in the tent cities in Haiti as a result of the earthquake.  The following are "ordinaries" for me, for example...

                         

As I thought about these things, and other things I personally consider a normal, even essential part of my life, I could not imagine what it would be like to live without them - sleeping in a tent on the ground, unable to use electricity, being without shelter.

I am always incredibly grateful for the beauty that I have experienced and the beauty that surrounds me.  It is not so often that I remember gratitude for the ordinary.  So, I take this moment to thank God for these extraordinary things for the destitute which are ordinary for me - towels, a bed, an iron, a toilet, clean dishes and cooking and eating utensils, a wonderful bed and shelter.  And I realize, looking at news reports and documentaries, and hearing the experiences of some missionaries, how far the poor are from the UN millenium goals.  And then I reflect on the other experiences of some of our sisters who work with the poor - they are so often willing to offer a seat on their chairless floor, to greet them with a smile and to share the little they have.

I have so much to be grateful for, and so much to learn from the poor.

Ordinary Time and a butterfly...

There are times when ordinary time can be extraordinary.  I had the opportunity to make an 8 day retreat at the Jesuit Spiritual Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.  For many years, I have brought my camera with me when I make a retreat because the photographs bring back memories of the time I have spent on "vacation" with my God.  I took this photograph one day when I was walking down a lovely path - and I noticed the thistle flower.  Thistles are not terribly appealing in and of themselves, but I find the flowers very beautiful.  There were several tiny butterflies (or maybe they are moths) quickly flitting from one flower to another of the many wildflowers that were in this particular area.  Then, all of a sudden, this creature gently perched on the lovely purple flower - in fact, it perched long enough for me to look at it with wonder, and focus on it with the long-distance close-up lens.  I had no idea how clear the picture was until I saw it on the computer!

Somehow, the thistle reminds me of myself, as does the butterfly.  I can give the appearance of being prickly, or thinking of myself as unable to be reached by God in my prayer, and yet, the thistle flower reminds me that God has created me in his own image.  Not only that, but God has created all of us in his image.  The thistle flower would not be showing its beauty if it was not attached to its roots and to the rest of the plant.  So, by its flowering, it leaves itself open to a 'visitation'.  I did note that the butterfly landed on the flower and not the catchy part.  The flower left itself open to the freedom of the visitor, not to act as a trap or a nuissance.

The butterfly reminded me of myself. During my retreat I flitted from plant to plant, to trees and tree roots, to wheat fields, to the swimming pool, to a rolling green lawn, to a chapel, to my room, having a grand time with my friend Jesus. But in between the many flittings, I also remained in gentle, quiet, contemplation of Jesus who looked at me as I am, seeing all the beauty and the prickles, challenging me to be open to see myself in His eyes as well as to see those with whom I live and minister with in his eyes as well.  This led me to a big surprise.  What I saw was predominantly beauty; I recognized more gifts than faults.  And when I saw prickles, I also saw Jesus saying "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  And I was included in this!

I wandered with the resurrected Jesus in my prayer.  What a great friend!  But, as the apostles and Thomas, I saw his wounds from which he did not flinch.  And Jesus saw my woundedness and I felt ashamed.  But there was no shame in the eyes of Jesus.  I believe he was reminding me that His wounds are His, and my wounds are mine.  His whole being seemed to proclaim that He loves me with all of my woundedness just as I am - and He loves my trying to know and love him better, as well as to love and know others better just as He does.  The woundedness is not an issue upon which His eyes focus, but rather on my prayer, which stems from our RSHM constitutions and a George Harrison long-ago song..."My sweet Lord, I really want to know you...I really want to go with you" 

And I found Jesus to be a true and faithful friend as I wandered through the mystery of the road to Emmaus and found that I recognized Him in the beauty around me, and the entire spirit of the retreatants at Wernersville.  In fact, I found that rather than walking where I had planned, I got lost on the property and travelled to find more unexpected beauty - wildflowers which popped up around the base of a tree which had been chopped down. What could have appeared to be death or destruction was a promise of life to come!  And it came as I allowed myself to enjoy the loveliness of the road I had not planned to travel.

Somehow, as a result of this retreat, I am more aware of Jesus' friendship than ever before.   I also began to recognize the ways in which Jesus never barged in or intruded into my life, but, rather, He has always approached with freedom, inviting my freedom to welcome Him.  And His main expectations seem to be to call me His friend, to recognize my gifts, and to help me to see with His vision.  Sometimes it is to see the large picture of the beauty around me, and sometimes it is to use the closer lens of the eyes of my heart.  I pray that I may learn more and more to use Jesus' lens to view the world and all of creation.

Reflections on the Feast of Pentecost and the Gift of the Spirit

I have looked forward to the Feast of Pentecost since these tiny white flowers appeared on our lawn a few weeks ago.  I am not sure what they are, or how they grew on the lawn, for none of my community planted them, but they seemed a lovely surprise.  I searched the web and I think they are called Star of Bethlehem.  They evidently grow from a bulb (probably planted by a local squirrel), but our local ravenous deer ate them the next day, so I couldn't check the roots.  If they are Star of Bethlehem, they are evidently a quickly propagating wildflower.  And, isn't that just like the Holy Spirit!  The Spirit comes to me, most frequently, by surprise!  And I hope, the effects of the Spirit with me and with others in the world propagates very rapidly (and doesn't have a fattened deer to whisk away the good effects).

The Spirit, of course, entered my life through the gift of the sacraments and through the gift of my religious profession.  I am aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our community room when we pray together each morning.  As we share our prayer and reflections, it is so clear that each person receives the gifts she needs in a different way as we reflect on the liturgy of the day together.  And this is a source of great nourishment for each of us in community together.

I certainly know this Person of the Trinity through Scripture and Liturgy, but also through the wonder and awe I experience in creation.  When I took this photograph I had not seen a rainbow for very man years.  I was on an 8 day silent retreat, and was filled with cosmic wonder and awe at the beauty of the sky, the inner reverence I experienced, and the reality that I was not alone in the enjoyment of this silent exquisite sky event. It was a delightful way to know and feel the presence of the Spirit in the "great outdoors" as all was transformed for a few minutes.

Another quiet Spirit experience for me is having the time to look at the the utter simplicity of a daisy.  When I looked closely at my picture for the first time, I noticed that there was a small insect on one of the left petals, and that the petals were not "perfectly spaced".  Yet I experienced it as beautiful.  Somehow, I realized I was being reminded that simplicity in this very complex world is very important, that neither I nor anyone else is perfect, and that all of us can be beautiful just as we are.  But to recognized that on an every day basis really requires the gifts of the Spirit in great abundance.  It is so easy to become annoyed with petty things, to criticize the imperfect in others and to lose compassion for all.  How different the world would be if all of us remembered the simple daisy.

When I was collecting my thoughts to write this blog entry, I looked at some photographs I had taken at our General Chapter in Rome a few years ago.  I had entitled this photograph: :Active Listening:"  I have experienced Active Listening and have attempted it.  This type of listening means listening to the other person without thinking about what I want to say while she is talking - i.e. not interrupting her communication by focussing on my thoughts, but rather giving my total attention to her.  It is far simpler than agreeing or disagreeing.  It is non-judgmental listening.  I believe that is how the Holy Spirit listens to each one of us - really listens.  The Spirit hears our delight, our groaning, our intercessions, our hopes.  I have been listened to in this way in some personal relationships, and it is a very life-giving experience.  And, I believe that is the way the Spirit is with each of us.  Of course, it helps if we take time to listen actively to the Spirit as well.

This experience can take the form of gratitude for great joy, comfort in the time of great trial, hope for the future, compassion for the marginalized, being fascinated with God.  It can be sudden with a big Ah-Ah; or it can be as silent as the flutter of a butterfly's wings.  For the Spirit knows when we need a WOW! or a pervasive gentle silence.

This is what I celebrate today.  HAPPY PENTECOST!

I put together a video of my reflections on the gift of the Spirit on our RSHM web site at:

http://www.rshm.org/prayer3/pentecost/index.html

If you have 4 minutes, find a quiet spot and view it with or without the accompanying music.  May the Spirit speak to you in whatever way you need God's presence!

Account of the faith of St. Stephen

This week, I have been fascinated with St. Stephen.  He was appointed as one of the first deacons, and he is revered as the first martyr of the early Church; yet little else is known about him.  Articles have been written suggesting he was a convert from Judaism, or, perhaps, a convert from Hellenism.  Nevertheless, what is very clear to me is that his faith in Jesus was powerful!

I wonder if Stephen knew Jesus personally, or, if Stephen, like myself, came to know Jesus the way in which any of us born in the 20th century have come to know Jesus - through the faith of others, and through our personal relationship with Jesus as a result of that faith.  I know that I seek to know Jesus and live the way Jesus lived, yet I certainly don't have the incredible enthusiasm and zeal that Stephen had.

Somehow, Stephen, in the very early Church, before Christology became a formal study, and while people were still talking about their personal experiences of meeting Jesus and witnessing His healings and His teachings, somehow Stephen got to know Jesus.  This personal knowledge really seemed to fill him with a personal 'fire' for proclaiming the wonder of Jesus' resurrection and the fact that Jesus is our Savior.  He did this before all sorts of people, and, when proclaiming Jesus in front of the 'wrong people' angered them to the point of being stoned to death for his belief.  And, as he was dying, he was able to proclaim that he was commending his spirit to Jesus and forgiving those who stoned him.

This is, to me, incredible faith.  I pray for an increase of faith so that I may live in the way of Jesus.  I don't have the gifts of powerful oration or of healing, but rather, I have the gifts of trying each day to be faithful to the way of life that Jesus lived.  It is an ordinary life, a good life and I am grateful for it.  And, I'm also grateful that no one has wished to physically stone me as they stoned Stephen.

I pray for those who have the courage to stand up for their faith in spite of some of the terrible adversity they experience.

The Easter Season

The Easter Season is very special to me, and I put together a photo video, Easter Video Reflection using some Creative Commons music written by Maya Filipic in the album Between Two Worlds. as background music.  In addition, I collected some Easter reflections from some of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and added them to our RSHM webste.

I am so happy to live in the Northeastern United States, for the lighting of the Easter candle and the singing of "Christ our Light" really fills me with a heartfelt "Thanks be to God"!  All of nature reminds me that Christ, our Light, has come to transform us into His light for the world.  Sunrise is earlier, days are longer, and all of nature is bursting forth with new life.

I helped with the music for the Easter Triduum retreat at Cormaria in Sag Harbor. Somehow, this year, the words of the Morning Prayer and the singing of parts of the Gospel of John really moved me to a deeper understanding of the Paschal Mystery.  The theme of the retreat was KINDNESS.  Somehow, this word seems like such a simple word.  Doesn't everyone want to be treated with kindness? I certainly know that I do.  But when one looks at Jesus, and sees how he treats others, kindness somehow becomes a challenge.

• Remember how Jesus eats with the unloved...sinners, tax collectors...
• Remember how Jesus heals the untouchables - lepers, the woman with the hemmorrhage...
• Remember how Jesus washes the (perhaps not just filthy, but also odoriferous) feet of the disciples.
• See how Jesus treats the crucified thief who asks to be remembered,  "This day you will be with me in Paradise."  Wow! 

The kindness of Jesus somehow extends into an openness to all persons, male and female, no matter how they treat him.  Occasionally he needs a bit of challenge (e.g. from the Syrophonecian woman), but he lets his love extend to all.  That kind of kindness is really hard as I look at those I would rather tolerate than respect; those I would rather avoid than respond to.  Somehow I want to choose more and more each day to let myself be transformed by the love of Christ so that I really really try to love all people with full respect for who they are.  This type of kindness seems to be the message that Easter is giving to me this year.  Perhaps each day, this can be my gift to the world - a little more love freely given from an open heart. My negative side of myself wants to say "Impossible".  However, I have met people, especially some in my own RSHM community, who really have made a habit of living this way as they let themselves be transformed.  So, I KNOW it is possible.

May the LIGHT OF CHRIST live in us that

ALL MAY HAVE LIFE!

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Feast of the Annunciation - "Yes" Day

I think of today, the Feast of the Annunciation as a "Yes" day - a day of renewal and recommitment to God.  The Gospel for the day reminds us of Mary's "Yes", in spite of initially needing to ponder why an angel visited her, and how her "yes" would be fleshed out.  And that "Yes" was absolutely wholehearted and to be carried out for her entire life.  She certainly did not know what her life would bring.  And, I am convinced, that when Jesus was two years old, she needed to help him change his two-year-old "No" which must have been part of his growing self-identity, into the "Yes" he had always said to his Father, his Abba.  And, the more both Mary and Jesus said "Yes", the deeper their faith and trust and hope in God's promise of fidelity grew.

I was thinking today of Sr. Letizia Pappalardo, my friend, who returned to her God on March 6th.  I am sure that when she first said "Yes" to being an RSHM, she did not really know that she would be a teacher, a principal, a person who helped persons with drug addictions to return to productive lives, a provincial, a person who helped to empower trafficked women, etc.  From living with her, I suspect that her initial "yes" evolved from the love of her family, and her personal desire to love and respect all people.  This was, I believe, a great gift that she shared with many as they desired to say their own "Yes" to what they slowly or quickly perceived to be the call of God.  And, in her last days, I know she said "Yes" to returning to the Lord.

I pray that more and more people, especially myself, spend this special day and time renewing their "Yes".  It might have started with becoming a religious, or falling in love with another wonderful person, or spending a single life in service to others.  There are so many calls and so many gifts, and our "Yes" grows as we grow in our gifts and respond to the needs we see around us.  No one ever said the "Yes" is easy to continue after the 'honeymoon' stage.  However, reflecting on my own "Yeses", I am so grateful for the calls to which I have responded, as well as the hope to be faithful to those that come as my life evolves.

P.S. it is a photo of me at the top of this posting.