SALT LAKE CITY — "God is always speaking, and calls each of us to discipleship," said Dominican Sister Janet Stankowski at the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) Convention April 28-29. The 79th DCCW convention was held at the Sheraton City Centre in Salt Lake City. The theme was "Yes Lord, Your Servant is Listening." Sr. Stankowski was the keynote speaker. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Ind., and is currently in her second year as rector of Walsh Hall at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, and works in the Social Concerns Center on campus. Sr. Janet’s keynote address was titled, "What is God Saying." She said God may call when we often do not feel we have time to really listen, but because God is speaking, we are always in a relationship with Him and His followers. Sometimes his call is hard to hear, and sometimes our responses are unclear or even misdirected. Nevertheless, the relationship continues. "In the drama of our life choices we are often anxious and unsure," said Sr. Janet. "We ask God to assist our needs, ask if we should take another look at what we are thinking about or doing, or about other life choices. "Clear messages are not always available," she said. "So wondering, pondering, praying, and patient waiting are common places in which we find ourselves." Sr. Janet said true listening involves listening with the heart. God’s call can be demanding and confusing, putting us into a deeper relationship of trust, then opening us up to something we never imagined. God’s call often comes in the most unexpected times and places. "My younger sister, Lorraine, awoke at 2 a.m. one morning to her husband saying he was having chest pains and needed to go to the Emergency room," said Sr. Janet. "On the way to the hospital, he died at the age of 36. Lorraine became the single parent of three boys ages 6, 8, and 12 years old. "Lorraine had to learn to live as a single parent and raise her boys working in a financial firm. As her boys were finishing high school and going on to college, she began to feel an unsettling nudge, the voice of God. She started going to daily Mass, spending time in adoration, and taking adult education classes, always asking God, "What do you want from me now?" Lorraine discerned God was calling her to leave her career in the business world and work in the parish as she continued theological studies," said Sr. Janet. "She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Theology and became the administrator of two rural parishes in the Diocese of Saginaw, Mich. "What is God asking of us, and how do we listen to His voice?" asked Sr. Janet. "God speaks to us through prayer, dreams, intuition, meditation, scripture, poetry, art, nature, television and movies, music, silence, conversations, and spiritual direction. Listening to the voice of God in our busy lives is painful, exciting, confusing, challenging, demanding, and exhilarating. We struggle wanting to hear and know God’s words, not merely someone’s opinion. We are not always sure of what voices are driving our choices. Is it God almighty, or almighty consumerism, modernism, or elitism?" Sr. Janet asked what are we hearing God say about war, immigration, gays and lesbians, birth control, capital punishment, Darfur, nuclear proliferation, and human tragedies? She gave many examples of students, women, volunteers, and others in leadership positions who have heard the cries of the poor. They have worked in Katrina recovery, raised money for projects in Africa, and tutored immigrants and their children. They want to make a difference in the world and participate in outreach programs. "In 2000, I found myself asking God to open my mind and heart to a need I could respond to passionately in the 21st century," said Sr. Janet. "I began hearing words I like ecosystem, global warming, eco-spirituality, right relationships, environmental justice, organic farming, land conservancy, and green products. I heard God asking me to take an active role in saving the earth – all creation. "I began with social activism, demonstrating against war, praying at nuclear test sites in Nevada, and marching for racial equality in Detroit," she said. "Over the last seven years, I am beginning to understand that my community needs to be in dialog and prayer about the issues of racism, poverty, women, and the environment." So with her high school friend, Patty, she co-founded the Voices for Earth Justice, an interfaith environmental non-profit organization. They put on workshops and began to develop creation care teams who helped create outreach ministries in various churches. "When speaking about peace, Pope Benedict said, ‘Humanity if it truly desires peace, must be increasingly conscious of the links between natural ecology and human ecology,’ said Sr. Janet. "All things have a purpose and were created to be in balance, and we humans have upset the balance, the harmony through our carelessness seeking our own pleasures, comforts, and conveniences. The root cause is lack of respect for life and placing economic profits for a few ahead of the common good. "I know that choices made by individuals, corporations, and patience have profound global influence," she said. "God is speaking and the challenge is clear, education, action, and changing our ways of consumption are necessary. We come from a long line of remarkable women. They are our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, our ancestors and the saints. We have a lot we can bring to this movement. We need a change of heart to save the planet for our children and generations yet to come. "Let us be about transformation," said Sr. Janet. "Whether reading from scripture or the newspaper, let us be open and listen from the heart. We must be ready to say, ‘Here I am Lord, your servant is listening.’"
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