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Jesuit Volunteer Reflects: Advent – Called to Something Simple

Last Christmas brought perspective, providing me with a crash course to my JV experience. It asked me to be present to it all—the awkwardness of something new, the season, the budding relationships. As I enter Advent with a year of JVC under my belt, I understand that Christmas and Advent calls me into something simple: time spent with those I love, those I call my community. It invites me into what simplicity has meant for me this year, an attentive presence.

Jesuit Volunteer Reflects: Feeling God’s Presents

I felt my heart accept what my mind already knew: that God is in all things, including the people who cause me stress and provoke conflict in my life; that myself and my reactions are the only parts of my community that I can or should try to change; that I feel closer to God when I am listening to people rather than judging them.

Jesuit Volunteer Reflects: When AAA Roadside Assistance isn’t Available…

Written by Jacqueline Shrader | Before I came here, a mentor of mine had told me to be open—to change, to the adventure, to the stories, to everything. I find consistently that being open requires a holistic effort. Often, I am challenged in my experiences physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Despite the sometimes arduous task of being present, my most joy-filled moments thus far in Peru have been when I have been most opened, or to re-state Sr. Peggy O’Neill, most willing to be grasped. Whether that is jumping in a driver’s seat or sitting in a kitchen with women learning about their lives while peeling potatoes, these are the moments I will walk away from this experience remembering with fondness and fullness.