Roses and tea
I have been in Hawaii 30 years, and it took me 20 years to get here. Ever since I met the Hawaii Sisters early on in religious formation, there was a great desire to come to the islands. When I was ready for mission and each year given a form to fill out, I put a check in the box “yes” for Hawaii. “Ohio”? Forget that. The route was long in getting here. From the rural areas of Central New York, to the inner city of Camden, N.J., to the ultimate suburbia of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. But, as a rose takes time to bloom, I said to myself, “At least California is halfway to Hawaii.”
Wherever I went, it was always a “Yes.” In high school and early formation I was drawn to the book “Markings” by Dag Hammarskjöld. There were two quotes I adopted that became a resonant theme for my life. The first: “at some moment I said ‘Yes,’ and that has made all the difference.” And the second: “For all that has been, ‘Thanks’; for all that will be, ‘Yes!’” In a parallel way, my personal prayer has been: “That I be the conduit. It’s not about me, Lord. Just use me as you will. I don’t even have to know that you are using me. Just use me.”
It has been a real pleasure to have been called here to Hawaii. I enjoyed teaching at St. Joseph School in Hilo and at Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina. That was followed by work with the diocese in the Department of Religious Education. The past 14 years I have spent with St. Francis Healthcare System helping employees understand the Franciscan mission and values while empowering them to carry on our legacy. The call now is to take my experiences here and bring them to the Sisters of St. Francis community as a whole, as Director of Mission and Values Integration.
In the ongoing struggle for balance in life, trying to keep my spiritual, community, creative, personal and professional life in equilibrium, I find myself needing to call myself back to take time to rejuvenate. One of my creative outlets is baking. I love working with the ingredients, kneading the bread, placing the almond on each cookie, or face on each gingerbread person. In the process I know that I am doing something that will give another pleasure. And with each item formed I lift up a prayer for the recipients. It is like sharing my mana (Hawaiian for spiritual energy), the essence of who I am, with others. This is my play and prayer, another way of, in the solitude of the kitchen, personally sharing time with the Lord.
As I go forth, now like a full-bloomed scented rose of my religious namesake, I hope to continue to unfold in the new environment unto which I am being led, with the same “Yes.” This time perhaps going around offering and sharing a cup of tea with the new people I meet, a teacup ministry of fragrant and creative welcoming.
Sister Norise Kaiser is a Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. She celebrated her golden anniversary of religious profession this year. She will be departing her residence at Marianne Cope Convent in Liliha for her new ministry in Syracuse, N.Y., near the end of the month.
