Daily Reflection Guides
Welcome to Mission Week 2023 – Sunday, May 14
Generosity in Action, Value of Service of the Poor – Monday, May 15
Blessing Our Hands, Value of Reverence – Tuesday, May 16
Expressing Ascension’s ministry identity through ABIDE, Value of Integrity – Wednesday, May 17
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus, Value of Wisdom – Thursday, May 18, 2023
Embracing Vulnerability, Value of Creativity – Friday, May 19
Practicing Gratitude, Value of Dedication – Saturday, May 20
Welcome to Mission Week 2023 – Sunday, May 14
Ascension’s Mission
Leader: Today, we begin the Ministry-wide observance of Mission Week! With various celebrations dating back decades and longer, Ascension launched the first shared Mission Week during our 20th Anniversary celebrations in 2019. Then and now, the focus of Mission Week remains on our Values and the meaningful expressions of those core commitments we each make through our service each day.
As you begin your personal, team and Ministry-wide celebrations, consider these excerpts from Ascension’s founding story:
In 1999, the Daughters of Charity National Health System and the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System came together to form Ascension Health, a new, national Catholic healthcare system, in order to extend into the future a shared healing Mission — caring for those persons who are poor and most in need — as well as a common Vision and set of core Values.
In 2002, Carondelet Health System joined Ascension, with the Alexian Brothers joining in 2012 and Marian Health System joining in 2013. A few years later, in 2016, the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters transferred sponsorship of their Wisconsin ministries to Ascension.
Ascension Health formed Ascension in 2012 to further its Mission of serving all persons especially those living in poverty and who are struggling the most, and to deliver compassionate, personalized care and lead healthcare transformation in the United States. We are positioned to meet the evolving needs of the people and communities we serve in the rapidly changing healthcare environment. Today, we continue an 800-year legacy and promise set forth by our original sponsor organizations to provide faith-based, mission-inspired health services to those in need.
Reflection: What do you know about the history of your local ministry? How does that connect with the Ministry-wide Ascension history? How are your contributions today shaping the story Ascension is writing into the future?
Action: Today, commit to making one moment of delight for a patient, family member, resident, or colleague.
Participate in today’s All-Associate Event [INSERT NAME AND LINK] and those being planned by your team and ministry market. Your engagement is essential Mission Week!
Prayer: Holy One, be with us as we begin our annual observance of Mission Week. As we reflect and act on the many ways we bring our Ascension Mission to life, animate through us Your love, compassion, and peace. Help us to engage with one another, and all those we meet, as we make moments of delight for those we serve so that we are known by the experiences we create. We ask for your this and all the prayers held quietly in our hearts through Your good and holy name. Amen.
Generosity in Action – Monday, May 15
Value of Service of the Poor
Generosity of spirit, especially for persons most in need
This can be led by any person for a team, unit, or clinic either in-person or virtually.
Leader: Catholic priest and author Henri Nouwen (now-en) wrote “to [serve] our neighbors means to stop judging them, to stop evaluating them, and thus to become free to be compassionate. Compassion can never coexist with judgment because judgment creates the distance, the distinction, which prevents us from really being with the other.”
Scripture:
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. -Isaiah 25:4, NAB
Reflection: In a 1986 pastoral letter entitled Economic Justice For All, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote “we are challenged to make a fundamental ‘option for the poor’ — to speak for the voiceless, to defend the defenseless, to assess life styles, policies, and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor. ...poverty is not merely the lack of adequate financial resources. It entails a more profound kind of deprivation, a denial of full participation in the economic, social, and political life of society and an inability to influence decisions that affect one’s life… .”
Reflection Question: Today’s reflection invites us to connect with the Value of Service of the Poor: generosity of spirit, especially for persons most in need. For whom will I be a refuge today? Whose voice am I being called to hear today? How will I respond with generosity?
Action: Participate in today’s All-Associate Event on our Making Moments of Delight Kudoboard [INSERT NAME AND LINK] by uploading an example of how you are practicing our theme. Be sure to participate in initiatives being planned by your team and ministry market. Your participation is essential to Mission Week!
Prayer: O God of love: Help me to open my eyes to the needs of my neighbors. Create in me a pure heart free from judgment and fear of the other. Give me a spirit of understanding and compassion for my coworkers and for all those we serve. Amen.
Blessing Our Hands - Tuesday, May 16
Value of Reverence
Respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life
This can be led by any person for a team, unit, or clinic either in-person or virtually.
Leader: Let us pray.
O God, Today we honor all of our associates who have answered the call to be instruments of Your healing, who continue a ministry of healing passed on by the many faithful generations who came before us. May they know the sacredness of the work of their hands as we bless them.
We invite you, wherever you are, to hold your hands open in front of you, observe their appearance, and think of all you do with your hands each day that contributes to the needs of all those you serve, guide and lead. You have chosen to bless others with your hands and your hearts in the work you do. As you continue to hold out your hands, bring your attention to those from whom you receive blessings each day with their hands.
With your hands outstretched before you, receive this blessing in recognition of the sacredness of the work you do every day: Sacred work, Sacred hands.
Loving God, Bless these hands that touch life and offer respect and dignity.
Bless these hands that provide leadership and direction to carry out our Mission.
Bless these hands that reach out to assist a co-worker in need.
Bless these hands that live and express our Values in action and words.
Bless these hands that lift up and encourage the spirit of another person.
Bless these hands and hearts that pray to You for guidance and wisdom.
Bless these hands that have given, and continue to give, unselfish and courageous service.
Bless these hands that respond generously when asked to help, to guide, to organize, to plan
and assist in collaborative efforts, and when challenging and uncertain situations come to us.
Bless these hands as we offer each other, and all those we serve among, the care, concern,
and support that will sustain us and ground us in this healing ministry into the future.
Faithful and Loving God, we ask that you bless these hands so that they may continue to be a blessing of hope and comfort to all those we serve and work among. Amen
Reflection: Today’s reflection invites us to connect with our Value of Reverence: respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life. Consider the role that dignity plays in your life. How can you be an agent for that same respect as you interact with others?
Action: Participate in today’s All-Associate Event [INSERT NAME AND LINK]. Be sure to participate in initiatives being planned by your team and ministry market. Your participation is essential Mission Week!
Expressing Ascension’s ministry identity through ABIDE - Wednesday, May 17
Value of Integrity
Inspiring trust through personal leadership
This can be led by any person for a team, unit, or clinic either in-person or virtually.
Leader: At the heart of our work at Ascension is a commitment to the inherent dignity of each person, recognizing the incomparable worth of every individual created in the image and likeness of God. Our commitments to justice and the common good start from this fundamental perspective.
Justice means giving all persons, without exception, what is due to them as beloved children of God. Social justice in particular focuses on the social structures and conditions that either support or deny justice for individuals who belong to groups that have, historically, experienced discrimination. Grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, our vision of the common good - the sum of conditions that allow all individuals and communities to flourish - leads us to understand that no one can fully flourish until all persons can fully flourish, freely and without fear.
The issues being confronted within the ABIDE (Appreciation - Belongingness - Inclusivity - Diversity - Equity) framework are life issues. Ascension created the ABIDE framework to help advance our Mission and advocate for justice. Our commitment to be “advocates for a more compassionate and just society through our actions and our words” is at the heart of the Gospel and what it means to be “rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer.”
We promote health equity, and work with our community partners to eliminate health disparities and address the social determinants of health because our Catholic tradition calls us to recognize the inherent dignity of every person, stand in solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, promote the common good, and act on behalf of justice.
In the words of Pope Francis, “we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.” Our mission statement alone is enough to justify this work: “We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.” Racism, sexism, and every form of exclusion are specifically healthcare issues as well. Their residual effects have been shown, empirically, to be toxic for bodies, minds, and spirits.
Reflection: Recall a time where you felt appreciated at work. What do you remember about that moment? How can you generate those same moments for others?
Action: Visit Ascension’s ABIDE Microsite. Choose one of the resources to read, reflect, pray and act. Participate in today’s All-Associate Event [INSERT NAME AND LINK]. Be sure to participate in initiatives being planned by your team and ministry market. Your participation is essential Mission Week!
Prayer: God of inclusion and justice, open our hearts to see Your face in all people. Help us to recognize the ways in which we are called to respond to both personal and systemic issues of injustice so that we might be better “advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.” Amen.
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus – Thursday, May 18, 2023
Value of Wisdom
Integrating excellence and stewardship
This can be led by any person for a team, unit, or clinic either in-person or virtually.
Leader: Today, as we continue Mission Week and recognize and honor all who serve, we reflect on the meaning of our name, Ascension. This day is significant in the life of the church, marking the day Jesus ascended into heaven after his resurrection and entrusted his disciples with continuing his healing ministry. This is the inspiration for our name as a healing ministry. In the midst of uncertainty and fear, Christians recognize God’s presence with us, “to the end of the age”, giving us courage to live out our Mission and hope for a future full of new life.
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Reflection: The Call of Our Name--And You Were with Them! - an excerpt
“A totally new name was needed to reflect “oneness” of the ministry. The new entity is more than a combination of two strong systems. In the truest sense the result is an organization that is greater than the sum of its parts. The guiding principles of the naming process were that it must reflect and support our new Mission, Vision and Values, be sustained over time and be inviting for others to partner with us. The name should convey a faith based healthcare organization dedicated to the healing mission of Jesus.” Over time we would find this to be true and today our historic sponsors include the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, The Congregation of St. Joseph, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul, Province of St. Louise, The Alexian Brothers and the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother. And God was with them. Their commitment and Vision in 1999 laid a strong foundation for the Ministry we are today just as our faithfulness today, especially in these challenging and uncertain times, lays the foundation for our future.
Reflection Question: What are some examples of the foundations we are laying today through our decisions and actions that reflect our healing mission?
Action: Join today’s virtual Ascension Prayer Service [INSERT NAME AND LINK]]. Make note of how your actions and decisions today make a difference in the lives of others and are laying a foundation for our future.
Closing Prayer: We pray in gratitude for the vision of our historic founders that allowed us to be a strong vibrant ministry, a ministry able to respond to the needs of our times in ways that would not have been possible without our unity. May those who come behind us find us faithful. Amen.
Embracing Vulnerability – Friday, May 19
Value of Creativity
Courageous innovation
This can be led by any person for a team, unit, or clinic either in-person or virtually.
Leader: Author Brené (bre-NAY) Brown writes in her book Dare to Lead that “so many [people] fail to realize that without vulnerability, without courage, there is no creativity or innovation. Why? Because there is nothing more uncertain than the creative process, and there is absolutely no innovation without failure. Show me a culture in which vulnerability is framed as weakness and I’ll show you a culture struggling to come up with fresh ideas and new perspectives. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
Reflection: Being vulnerable with ourselves and others takes a lot of courage. Brené Brown defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure” and names it as a crucial part of innovation and creativity.
What comes to mind when you hear the word vulnerability?
When was the last time you allowed yourself to be vulnerable and participate in a creative process? Reflect on a time when you/your team were vulnerable enough to courageously innovate together.
How might you be called to take a risk to bring about more courageous innovation?
Reflection Question: Today’s reflection invites us to connect with our Value of Creativity: courageous innovation. What practices help us to embrace vulnerability so that true innovation can emerge in our service? Share a practice with a colleague.
Action: Look at an existing problem with a fresh perspective, open mind, and open heart. Suggest a new, creative, and innovative way to do something/solve a problem.
Participate in today’s All-Associate Event [INSERT NAME AND LINK]. Be sure to participate in initiatives being planned by your team and ministry market. Your participation is essential Mission Week!
Closing Prayer: Creative God, you call us to share of ourselves in community, to co-create with You. Give us the courage we need to face challenges without fear; embolden us to take risks in order to transform our ministries and all of healthcare. May our vulnerability lead us to creative and courageous innovation as we “serve all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable”. Amen.
Practicing Gratitude - Saturday, May 20
Value of Dedication
Affirming the hope and joy of our ministry
This can be led by any person for a team, unit, or clinic either in-person or virtually.
Leader: Brother David Steindl-Rast (sten-del raast), a Catholic brother and author, shares this view on gratitude: “The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is [the practice of] gratitude that makes us joyful.”
Scripture: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11, NAB
Reflection: Gratitude is the appreciation for the things that bring us meaning, purpose and connection in life. Robert Emmons, a leading expert on the study of gratitude, writes that it is “an affirmation of goodness [whereby] we affirm that there are good things in the world” all around us, each and every moment. Practicing gratitude can be very simple and have profound effects on our own happiness. They include things like:
Noticing good things we might otherwise take for granted: hot water, electricity, warm food.
Savor, absorb and really pay attention to those good things: sip your morning coffee slowly, notice the texture of an object in your hand, realize the beauty of clouds rolling by.
Express gratitude: say “thank you” and “your welcome” as much as you can.
Our Mission Week theme “Making Moments of Delight” is animated in large part by our own ability to slow down just enough to notice the opportunity to do some small, unexpected, good deed.
Reflection Question: Today’s reflection invites us to connect to our Value of Dedication: affirming the hope and joy of our ministry. What role does authentic hope play in your service at Ascension? How do the practices of gratitude generate connection, resilience and generosity?
Action: Take a moment to recall one person, place or thing for which you are grateful. Breathe into that encounter. Carry this feeling with you for as long as you can today.
Participate in today’s All-Associate Event [INSERT NAME AND LINK]. Be sure to participate in initiatives being planned by your team and ministry market. Your participation is essential Mission Week!
Closing Prayer: God of Joy and Compassion, You are present to us each day in the people around us and in the beauty of creation. Open our hearts and our eyes to find gratitude for the big and small moments of our day. May this gratitude overflow in us, spreading joy and hope in our communities and in our Ministry. Amen.