The Los Angeles Province Fall DESIGNS magazine will be in the mail soon! The theme this season is “The Power of the Present Moment.”
Many of our sisters and associates sent in beautiful reflections of their experience with how to get into the present moment. We were not able to fit all these pearls of wisdom in the magazine, so we are highlighting them here.
This one is from Sister Teresa Lynch, CSJ:
My father gave me two incredible gifts in my early teens: his passion for photography and his 35mm Minolta camera. On my 12th birthday he also gave me a photo processing kit so that I could develop my photos.Photography has always been a part of my life ever since.
A camera always followed me through life as an inner practice, transforming me in subtle ways: helping mebecome more whole and attentive, giving me a way to creative expression, insight, and a better understanding of my world. Photos penetrated my heart helping me to have a quiet mind, learning not to overthink, and stay focused only on the moment. This quiet mind allowed space for clear and present seeingthrough the different lenses on the camera. This is what some have called the ‘state of grace.’
Every photo has the potential to be filled with soul, spirit, wonder, and a connection to humanity. A photo can move others and has a universal language and thus is an amazing means of communication. It has real power to spark imagination, preserve memories, and engage the hearts of others in justice issues. Photos have humanity, vision, and even poetry for others to share. Photography became another form of ministry for me, a tool for the service of the dear neighbor, and in the photos I could see a true reflection of myself.
Photography is my art form and has helped me live artfully, keeping me sane amongst the busyness of working in an elementary school and has allowed me to center myself in the present moment in nature and service of others outside the school setting. Thus each time I pick up my camera, my father’s gentle image is the first image I see in the viewfinder, and then I can give myself to the present moment where I find myself.
What creative practice do you engage with that helps you stay connected to the moment?
~Sister Teresa Lynch, CSJ
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