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Daily Prayers
© Jan Phillips
When our new homeroom teacher entered the room in early September, we did the same thing we’d been doing for years together: we rose and began, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…” ready to begin the day. But Sister Robert Joseph came with her own idea of prayer.
Handing out mimeographed sheets to everyone, she said we’d be starting our class with a new approach. There were five poems, all squeezed onto the page; one for every day. Monday: Consolation, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Tuesday: The Sun, by Christina Rosetti; Wednesday: i thank you god for most this amazing day, by e.e.cummings; Thursday: Had I Not Seen the Sun, by
Jan (on left) plays and sings with novices in the convent
From that day forward, when Sister Robert Joseph came into the room we rose, sheets in hand, and recited those marvelous pieces with the all intensity and fervor of young teenagers. What depths the words revealed in their entirety, we were unsure.
Weeks passed, and we eventually left the printed sheets on our desks, abandoning our reliance on the written word. By November each of us had internalized the poems, devouring their delicious sounds and meanings. We began the day in unison, staring straight ahead: hints of smiles on our faces and hugeness of pride in our hearts, uttering the words of poets who had created the legacy we were now a part of.
Sister Robert Joseph joined the past to our present. Her bridge connected us to the truths that had outlived those who espoused them. I cannot forget the power of that ritual, the words on that sheet, or the power of her presence. How real she was; how authentically she taught; how deeply she loved us! Hers is a handprint that remains on my heart, guiding me in every choice I have made since the early ‘60s.
2 Comments
Hi Jan. I loved your story! It reminded me Sister Donald in the seventh grade who took out her guitar every morning and we started the day with a song prayer instead of a spoken prayer. Each day a different child was allowed to pick the song of the day. Oh how we looked forward to our turn. I am very thankful for the Sister Robert Josephs and the Sister Donalds of the world who used their imagination to help each of us explore our own. Thanks for the lighting the spark of that memory for me.
Annie
Dear Jan,I love your story; a simple yet profound example of one women’s passion and authenticity inspiring another. Having been a participant in many of your workshops, I can say first hand that Sister Robert Joseph’s mentoring lives on through you. Your teaching is always innovative, inspired and motivational. Creativity and authenticity shine through who you are and all that you contribute to the lives of others. Thank You for sharing your story. Much Love and Light, Marlene