(Used with permission ~Copyright Michael O’Neil McGrath, OSFS)
Calm, Steady, Grounded
Our spiritual charism shapes our interior life and the way we show up in the world. Calm, Steady, and Grounded are the words we use to describe this inner position.
The Gospel story of Christ in the Boat (Mark 4:35-41) is at the heart of our particular charism. In this story, Jesus and the disciples are crossing the sea of Galilee in a boat when suddenly a great storm arises. Jesus is asleep while the disciples panic for fear of drowning and going down. They wake Jesus who calms the sea and the waves, and asks “Why are you so afraid?”
This visual image by Br. Mickey McGrath depicting Christ as deeply centered in the Divine can be found hanging on the walls in all our houses, illustrating our commitment to hold vibrational steadiness and interior calm for our world as we navigate these turbulent times.
"With the coming of evening that same day, he said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'"
"And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him."
"Then it began to blow a great gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped."
"But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep."
"They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care? We are lost!' And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and there followed a great calm."
"Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?'"
"They were overcome with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.'" (Mark 4:35 ~41)
