2011 Magis Award Event: Reflections

Nov 12, 2011

We have just finished the third of our annual Magis Award events. We began with the celebration of the Eucharist at St. Patrick’s Church. Even though I have been celebrating mass for 44 years, I am still a neophyte as regards Eucharists with deacons and diocesan protocols. A whole level of complexity is added. Reminds me of the old saying that a successful Jesuit liturgy is one in which no one gets hurt... My biggest mistake was connected with my usual hesitation at the time of the greeting of peace. I tend to barge in and invite the congregation to share the sign of peace when there is a deacon present, so I prepare myself ahead of time, telling myself to be silent and let the deacon do his thing. I had a moment of confusion at that point in the mass, and turned to the deacon inviting him to say “The Peace of Christ be with you always.”. With a chuckle shared by the congregation, he put the ball back in my court. You do your part and then I will do mine. I am sure the Lord enjoys these moments which add human fallibility and humour to the solemnity and seriousness of our worship. We must keep reminding ourselves that we are only humans, unprofitable servants at best.

I normally obsess about timing, and had planned an event that would begin at 11 and end at 2.15, with 15 minutes left to meet the agreed upon deadline of 2.30 pm. And I hectored people about respecting the schedule. Lo and behold, we finished at 2 pm. Once the event began I had to turn the event over to the Lord, who does much better than I anticipate. This was demonstrated in the prayerful eucharist, a beautiful sunny walk from the Church to the Hotel, an enjoyable lunch, and the warm companionship of the twelve tables, which seated 115 guests.

I was grateful not only for guests who are faithful to us year by year, but also for the new people who came for the first time because of their friendship and/or gratitude for Donna Legere our honoree. We knew from the nominations that she was an fine choice for the award, but in the weeks before the lunch and during the lunch itself I became more aware of her significance as a pioneer in lay ministry within the Archdiocese of Halifax. She and others like her have had to deal not only with glass ceilings but with unexpected and seemingly arbitrary transitions in their life of serving within the Church. Donna was among the many who regrouped time and time again, their basic loyalty undiminished.

This luncheon is not a fund-raiser per se. Its main impact is spreading the news of who we are and what we do. Given the claim on the time and energy of priests, pastoral workers, and parishioners, our centre and our readiness to be of service can easily be overlooked. But little by little a solid foundation for our ministry is being laid. By being flexible, we find new avenues and new forms of service. We will try to be led not by ourselves and our limited horizons but by the Lord of surprises. And knowing that we have a cadre of generous staff associates well-prepared in the ways of Ignatian spirituality makes our journey even more enjoyable.

Now to get ready for Magis 2012.