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Edition No. 192—November 23, 2021 
VILLA ZOOM—What Would Jesus Do?

by Julie Gabell, SSJ Associate
In the past months several Villa Zoom articles have focused on factors that impact our environment and interrupt the smooth functioning of the natural world. We have been overwhelmed with news of fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanic eruptions. When we digest that information, and look to human disruptions, we can always rely on COVID, crime, politics, poverty, gun violence, immigration, migration and a myriad of other national and international problems. Is there nothing we can do about them?
  
Most likely, those who seriously considered the Zoom articles in question were overwhelmed with a sense that there is little a retired Sister of Saint Joseph can contribute. Walking may have become difficult, aches and pains abound, vision is often a problem, and life in general has slowed down. But consider: What would Jesus have done? Would He have thrown in the towel and done nothing? 

If Jesus were alive today, He would respond wholeheartedly to the demands of the 21st century. He would scope out the territory, discover areas of the greatest need and then lay out a creative plan to address both the plight of His people and the restoration of the environment. He would surround Himself with a diverse group of followers encouraging them to contribute in whatever way they felt comfortable. To the curious and adventuresome, He would hand an iPad and say, “This valuable tool will unlock many ways to benefit the world. Use it wisely.” He would then ask others to phone their Congressional Representatives, write or email their Senators, and sign petitions in support of humanitarian efforts. He would want us to tune in to those world events that keep us aware of our suffering neighbors. 

But Jesus would not have let anyone off the hook. He would have commissioned us to pray for one another and for our faltering world. He would have underscored the importance of our personal commitment to the environment.

Just as Mother St John responded to the people of 1650 with unquestioning trust in God, so too must we respond to our changing times in 2021 and beyond. Age and infirmity do not divorce us from this responsibility. Our early roots are a precious legacy—part of who we are.
Volunteer at the SSJ Neighborhood Center
November 17, 2021
Associates in Mission Louise Kesty and Brenda Wardle, from Saint Mary of the Lakes, Medford, New Jersey, and Associate in Mission Director Kerry Rusak volunteered on Food Pantry Day at the SSJ Neighborhood Center in Camden, NJ. Serving the Dear Neighbor—GREAT DAY!
Pictured from left: SSJ Associates in Mission Louise Kesty and Brenda Wardle
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"With the help of God's grace and in fidelity to our founder's expressed wish, we live and work lovingly among all persons with a special preference for those who are poor, which calls us wherever we are to be in union with them."
                         — SSJ Constitutions #21
Editor, Sister Carole Pollock SSJ | 215.248.7269 | [email protected] |http://ssjphila.org/home/