The following is written by Linda Miller, a member of the Central Region, describing one of the speakers at our General Assembly 2002


Sister Mary Jose Hobday OSF: July 2, 2002

The ACS assembly was privileged to enjoy the superb presentation of Jose Hobday for several hours on July 2, 2002. Jose's presentation was on Contemplation and Prayer.

Jose Hobday is a Franciscan sister. She is a native American of Seneca Iroquois and Seminole decent. She did a marvelous job of weaving together the wisdom from the Native American and Christian traditions in a way to deepen our relationship with the living God.

The blend of her Native American and Christian wisdom came at a time when the world events weigh heavy on our hearts. She shared with us her sense of humor and playfulness. We laughed a lot! Her ability to notice the lighter side of life, to sing and dance, to "smell the flowers," to be grateful and to count our blessings are ways that will help us maintain balance when our personal lives as well as world events weigh us down.

She told us there are many ways to pray. Praying is not merely speaking words. Praying is also the effort we make to surround ourselves with the holy, to notice the presence of the touch of God in the everydayness of our lives. Once her mother said, "Joe, when you stir the oatmeal, stir slow, so you don't forget that the oatmeal is a gift and that you don't take it for granted."

Discovering our own stories and telling them, binds us to one another and to God as we discover the common thread that runs through all stories which challenge us to recover our own life's values.

Jose stressed the importance of storytelling, teachings, silence, singing, drumming, chanting, resting, and remembering all of the things for which we need to be thankful. Above all we must relate to the earth as our Mother, who supports all, even our very feet. The gifts we have that are most important are indeed the gifts we have received from the earth, from each other, and, when all is said and done, from God.