The Catholic Women’s League of Canada
Diocese of Victoria
“Sow Love Generously”
President: Laurel Phyall Spiritual Advisor: To Be Announced
Date: June 23, 2022 Spiritual Communique #3
From: Gerry Heywood, Diocese of Victoria CWL Spiritual Chairperson
Dear Sisters in the CWL and all the brothers who aid us in our work:
This is my third communique as Spiritual Chair, here, in the Diocese of Victoria. I have to apologize for being so slow off the mark in writing to you but I have been sooooo busy with the work of the CWL as well as my family and social life. For example, I spent one and a half days last Friday and Saturday attending (virtually) our Provincial Council’s Annual Members Meeting. I race to keep up with all the “good works” I’m doing and . . . .
Hold it right there. There’s something wrong. There’s something missing. Yep. I hope I finally figured it out; Talking to God. I’m not taking enough time out to chat with my Father and listen to what he has to say to me. I missed the point of our new motto: “Catholic and Living It” with all my busy stuff. I need to set more time aside to be with God.
I did that very thing when we were “locked down” and trying like the plague to avoid the plague. I started “reading” the bible every day and saying my rosary every Friday. I even found a faith community on the internet and attended mass every day. For me, this solitary existence (shared with my husband) took on the look and feel of a spiritual retreat. I was more aware of God in my life and the lives of those most close to me. Plus, I hasten to add, my yard and house were looking pretty good!
Now that life more or less has become more routine, I see the great challenges that change is bringing to us as individuals, our families, our League and our land. In my personal opinion, we need to be closer to our Father more now than ever. Again, personally, I continue to listen to “The Bible in a Year”, Father Mike Schmitz’s pod cast, every night in bed before I go to sleep. I have completed listening to the whole bible once and have started it again. Each time I go over the books of scripture, I understand more and more how the bible fits together culminating in Jesus and the church. I recommend this pod cast to you.
Also, I have an app for saying the rosary. There are many such prayer programs that can be found on the internet for free. I confess that I have not been as faithful in saying the rosary on Fridays as I want to be but I am going to restart doing this. My rosary pod cast is great because it helps me focus on each mystery and not just rush through the prayers. Now, how Catholic is that?
Oh, oh. I have more to say but I hear the buzzer on my dryer and my husband’s going off to pick someone up from the hospital and I want to .. . . . ..
Yes, we all have busy lives but, at least for me, I have found ways to hang out with God.
Many blessings on your day and I hope to see you at our National Convention in August in Kelowna. I’m told I look amazing in shorts.
Gerry Heywood
CWL Spiritual Chair: Diocese of Victoria