A Roman Catholic nun, Sister Virginia Muller, had never heard of a baseball shortstop from another era named Honus Wagner. But she quickly learned the baseball great is a revered figure among collectors, and the most sought-after baseball card in history. And thanks to a gift from her late brother, one of the century-old cards belongs to Muller and her order, the Baltimore-based School Sisters of Notre Dame. The sisters are auctioning off the card, which despite its poor condition is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. The proceeds will go to their ministries in 35 countries around the world.
You might not know (I didn't until this summer) that members of certain religious orders are not allowed to keep inheritances. Instead they become the property of the order. I spoke with a nun this summer who was one of the presenters at a conference I attended in New Mexico. She teaches at a prestigious seminary in New York and probably makes pretty good coin. Not only it she really smart, she is sophisticated and funny.
When I asked her about retirement she told me would like to stay in NYC teaching English to kids in poor neighbourhoods. Her order will decide. Right now she submits a budget every year for living expenses, but everything beyond that goes to the order, so she has no savings. She inherited money last year which would have been a nice nest egg and her brothers suggested they invest it for her on the quiet. She wrestled with that for a while, then stayed true to her vows. She admitted that it was one of the hardest decisions she ever made. I was moved by both her honesty and faithfulness.
What do you think about this sort of commitment, which is downright biblical? Is she crazy or Christian? Could you imagine this scenario for yourself?
3 comments:
I felt a major dagger of shame just now because, frankly?
I'd have just taken the money and ran!
I chuckled when I read your response Ian. Thank you for being so candid. I suspect you are not the only person who was thinking the same thing.
In the personal instance I described I was touched because this very "together" person was so sincere about what she was saying. There was no "aren't I great" nor was there any sense that she was mindlessly doing what she was told. This was the commitment she had made as a person of faith.
I'm still hoping some others will respond, even though this is a tough one.
What a commitment! Imagine if we all only had enough for our living expenses and the rest was shared. It would be a very different world.
I just started up a retirement savings plan. It has been on my mind for a very long time, especially since I have no idea what a United Church pension will look like 30 years from now. I wish I didn't have to worry about it, but it feels very practical and safe to try and accumulate a "nest egg."
It sounds very radical not to save up for retirement. It would take a lot of trust and faith. Wow!
Post a Comment