Message to our Readers:
mustard seeds for reflection
Dear Friends,
This Thanksgiving, we join you in thanking God for an abundance of graces and blessings. For the Sisters of Notre Dame, many of these graces come through the exercise of our mission--in our efforts to incarnate or embody the love of our good and provident God.
Some ministry is "direct" service--teaching, healing, guiding, consoling, encouraging, praying... Another form of ministry is advocacy--perhaps an "indirect" service--giving a voice for the voiceless and marginalized. Through advocacy, we can hear the call to personal transformation and to the communal, systemic change that will bring about greater justice and peace in our world.
I have recently been privileged to hear the gratitude of several people who have benefitted from advocacy...
- Two young adults from Syria, who have lived in San Diego for 18 months, expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to begin a new life within the freedom and peace that the USA offers. When I asked for a message that I could share with my colleagues and friends, they just kept repeating "thank you."
- The mother of a schizophrenic man (homeless for 8 years) expressed her gratitude for the advocacy that has enabled him to have a safe and supportive place to live since 2011.
And so to each of our readers, please know that the Sisters of Notre Dame cherish you as our partners in mission--as relatives, friends, colleagues, volunteers and donors. We are deeply grateful to have the opportunity to journey with you and to be blessed with your encouragement and support. We look forward to our future ventures together!
Blessings always,
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