“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

A friend recently introduced me to The Merton Prayer. I can’t believe that I’m just learning about this now—it really resonates with my experience. The first line: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.” Yep, that’s me. A few lines later: “But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.” Again, that’s me.

I don’t believe in a God who is remote, hanging around heaven wherever that is. I believe in a loving creator who reveals herself/himself to me in you my fellow travelers; in nature: the sea, the sky, the trees and yes, all the many and varied beautiful animals I encounter.

I say I love this God, but those are just words. Love takes on the cloak of reality for me when I serve those I encounter. I think the Sikh’s perspective in the above YouTube video, Nishkam – Life, Love and Service: A Sikh perspective, expresses very well, what my Catholic Faith in general and my Passionist experience in particular, have given me. It’s so great to learn that others have come to the same understanding of life from different and varied paths.

Dan O’Donnell, a layman has covenanted with the Chicago Community. In addition to the standard covenant, Dan promises to work at connecting all partners known and unknown, to a conscious following the the way of Jesus, the way of the cross which Dan believes transforms all failure, democratizing the human journey

CPP

We are a community of laymen and laywomen who, with vowed Passionists, seek to share in the charism of St. Paul of the Cross through prayer, ongoing spiritual formation, and proclamation of the message of Christ Crucified.