Full of Ideas

Over the weekend my community had our first retreat. It was held at the Voluntown Peace Trust in Voluntown, CT. For years it has been a meeting place for people working for peace including the likes of Dorothy Day. It has served as the starting point for many grassroots peace movements and an experimentation site for measureable change. Architect Bob Swann, developed & built a model for affordable housing on the grounds which now serves as a dormitory for visitors of the Peace Trust. Being amongst all this history and positive social change was inspiring. It got me to thinking about my experience as a Jesuit Volunteer so far...
Mass was held on Saturday and the readings struck a chord with me, and for the first time I got a glimpse of what this year is truely supposed to be about. Ever since I got to NY I've been slightly disheartened at the fact that this experience has not been exactly what I expected. I felt like I was living too lavish a lifestyle, and serving a population that was already being served. I struggled with this slightly but on Saturday I recognized that there's no need to struggle, and that my experience although different from what I expected it to be is still fruitful. Also, I can do more, I can get involved with opportunities outside of work, and do my part to go the extra mile at work. If I do this, I am confident that at the end of this year I will be satisfied with the contribution I have made during my JVC year and will hopefully have come to a point where I can continue on with many of this things that were started this year (for example: living simply, volunteering, etc..).