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Interview with Rachal Thomassie
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When you were initially considering a volunteer experience what drew you to Cabrini Mission Corps and the Missionary Sisters? The name Cabrini caught my eye because my niece goes to Cabrini High School in New Orleans. However, I did not know any more about Mother Cabrini or the order. I also had a late start in my search, so I first called the CMC Director to ask if the program would accept late applicants. Gina Scarpello answered and was very warm and welcoming. She was open to dialogue with me and helping me on my journey, whether it continued with CMC or another group. Her generous and loving spirit had an impact on me, and was unique from the other programs I contacted. I was also attracted to the importance placed on the spiritual experience in addition to the service experience. Living in community with religious was important to me, and after looking at the open positions, I felt drawn to helping the Senior Sisters and being in a more intimate environment.
What have you learned about community, prayer and mission as a result of your time with the MSCs? The very first thing I learned is that mission occurs everywhere. It is something inside of us we share and give to others - an attitude, a way of being. Over the past 18 months God has been slowly revealing to me what prayer is and the various shapes it may take. Seeing examples of how the Sisters pray has shown me even more. The word “relationship” is key, relationship with God and the person of Jesus. Living in a larger community has been a wonderful experience. Such great variety in personality and interests provides rich learning opportunities. I’ve learned the value of compromise, letting go, apology and not taking things personally. We are all human and imperfect, but through God’s love and mercy strive to be the best we can be - who He created us to be. How have your Cabrini experiences deepened your relationship with God and God's people? Being a Cabrini Missioner has opened my world to so many new thoughts, ideas and people. I’ve seen God’s work in new and diverse ways and what can be done out of love for Him. I have had many opportunities for group prayer, learning new styles of prayer and practicing them in my own prayer time. I have fruitful conversations with the Sisters and feel their love for me and for each other. My relationship with God is growing through these experiences as I get to know Him in different ways. My image of the poor and non-Christians is being challenged as well. The love and service the Cabrini Sisters have given to the poorest in Africa and the neglected immigrants in America has opened my eyes to who God’s people really are: truly all of us.
How do you discern the call of God in your life? I have heard several talks on discernment and various steps to take in the process. I am still practicing these, but in short I identify my options and evaluate them. This is done through a pros and cons list. I identify my goals and what I’m looking for….the result I hope to achieve through my choice. I bring it all to prayer, asking God to lead me in the right direction. I talk to friends and family about my options to get an outside opinion on which choice may fit best with my personality and feedback on things I may be overlooking. I also try to think about one choice for a few days and then the other, observing how I feel about it. I have only done this a few times and each one had a difference experience. In the end, I’ve chosen what stays on my mind the most, the logical choice, based on pros/cons, and still another based on circumstances. What advice would you have for others who are seeking their particular path in life? Trust that God has the answer and ask Him for it. Be patient as He reveals it to you. A discernment guideline (or steps) is helpful since it walks you through questions to reflect on and helps you connect with the various facets of your being (i.e. logic, emotions, etc). A short summary of what I have seen is to identify the options (both GOOD), make a list of advantages and disadvantages of saying yes and no to each, reflect on the list and bring it to prayer, make a decision, and look for confirmation on your decision.
Read past "Companions on the Journey" stories... Learn more about Mother Cabrini Read more about the Missionary Sisters |
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