Donors Mass: Post Communion Reflections
April 28, 2009
Sister Miriam Patrick Cummings
“This is a new moment in time – a time for change”
“This is a new moment -- a time to look ahead, not back”
“We embrace a new moment in our history”
Barack Obama, Patrick Quinn and the School Sisters of Notre Dame – all speaking of a new moment. Surely its time must have come!
But is this “new moment” really something different or is it a deeper, more committed realization of what has always been the call to truly live as God’s beloved family.
I like to think of the real new moment as that time when we meet God face to face and hopefully He will say, “Come to me and enjoy what I have prepared for you from all eternity for:
• I was an immigrant, not knowing the language and you helped me at Corazon
• I was trying to get my life back together, just out of jail, a recovering alcoholic with nowhere to go and you gave me a home and skills and friendship at Sisterhouse
• I was a student and you gave me confidence in myself and taught me that I could, and should, make a difference in this world of ours
• I was a sister worn out after so many years of service and you took care of me in comfort and dignity
• I was hungry and you were at the food pantry.
• I was a victim of trafficking, of abuse, of unfair labor practices and you worked for systemic change.
• I was sick and your healing touch comforted me.
And as scripture tells us, and it is such a real response, we will say, with some bewilderment. “When Lord, when did we see you in all these circumstances?”
And smilingly the Lord will reply, “Don’t you remember the donations, the contributions you made to the School Sisters of Notre Dame? Because of your generosity and that of others like you, the Sisters were able to do these things -- were able to provide these services to my children and therefore to me. You were a part of it all. Come, experience my Father’s joy!”
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Tom and Nancy Artz with son, Michael |
For me, that is the real “new moment” Perhaps we can better prepare ourselves for it if we more consciously realize it truly is the Lord we serve when we do for one another. That “doing” takes many forms. First and foremost there is prayer, for without God, nothing is possible. Then there are those who are actually out in the trenches and then there are those who provide for paying the bills and -- if nothing is possible without God, not much is possible without money!
You are so much a part of what we do. Please know that we indeed are grateful for your prayers, your financial support and your continued friendship.
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| S. Carol Brunner (left), and S. Shirley Stockus (right) |
In return we offer you our deep appreciation, our prayers and our blessing. Would the School Sisters of Notre Dame please stand and with outstretched hands we will pray the blessing Mother Theresa gave us to bless the children each day before they went home.
We now offer this blessing to each of you and your loved ones.
In the words of Mother Theresa we pray:
“My dear friends, We commend you to the Holy Spirit through the powerful intersession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and we entrust you forever to her blessed hands."
Amen