The IHM Virtue of the Month of February is HOPE. The word hope holds so much. I hear myself using it all day: I hope you feel better. I hope the Eagles win the Super Bowl! I hope we have just one snow day! I hope I find my keys soon! I hope . . .

Christian hope is not just a wish. It is a steadfast assurance rooted in the love of God and His promises. It is the unwavering belief that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has come to fulfill the ultimate act of love offering us salvation and eternal life. This hope is alive, vibrant, and anchored in the resurrection, as beautifully highlighted in St. Paul's letters.

When we place our trust in God, we tap into a wellspring of hope that is not dependent on our own faithfulness, but rather on His steadfast commitment to us. This living hope can transform our lives, knowing that God's promises are as certain as the dawn.

May we have deep confidence in this virtue that sustains us with strength as we await the promises that are to come. The prayer after the Our Father invites us to wait with this blessed hope:

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,

graciously grant peace in our days,

that, by the help of your mercy,

we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,

as we await the blessed hope

and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May hope fill your hearts with promise and strength.

Blessings,

Sister Mary Sue

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope

for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within

both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee

reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

Pope Francis

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Let us join Pope Francis in prayer for his

February Intention:

Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

Let us pray for those who possess the desires of those

who feel a call to serve Christ's mission

in the priesthood and religious life.

Black History Month has its roots in the establishment of Negro History Week by historian Carter G. Woodson in February 1926. This initiative aimed to educate the public about the significant contributions of African Americans throughout history. Woodson's founding of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 further solidified this commitment to recognition and education. Each year, the ASALH announces a theme, with this year's focus being on "African Americans and Labor," emphasizing the critical role of Black labor in the development of the nation. As communities and families engage in their own explorations of genealogy and heritage during this month, it serves as a reminder that Black history is a shared narrative for all, enriching our collective understanding of the past.

Global Sisters Report

Global Sisters Report is an independent, nonprofit source of news and information about Catholic sisters and the critical issues facing the people they serve. Our network of journalists report about their lives and works, and sisters write commentary from their perspective.

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IHM Charism Connection

As we continue to explore the IHM Charism, and the spirituality of the IHM Congregation, we recall that it is built on the spirituality of St. Alphonsus that influenced Father Louis Florent Gillet and Mother Theresa Maxis, the founders of the IHM Congregation. When we speak of spirituality, we mean the living expression of a particular prayer tradition.

This month of February holds a special holiday, Valentine's Day. On this day we recall and thank those who have shown us love. In the card section of any store one can find a Valentine's Day card suited for just about anyone and everyone. This does not diminish the sincerity of the gratitude expressed. After all, what a delight to be remembered for sharing love with someone that obviously brought joy.

God's great Valentine Day's gift to us came on Christmas day in the form of a little baby. And who does not love a baby? Christmas, for St. Alphonsus, was the revelation of the true face of God, the unexpected God who surprised humanity by appearing as a small, defenseless child. To contemplate this wondrous mystery of the Incarnation is to experience God’s mercy in a new way. Taking on human flesh and becoming one with us reveals God’s tender affection for us. This God, on fire with love for us, comes to enkindle in our hearts that same love for the entire human family.

Alphonsus is fascinated with the affection of a God who dis-placed Himself, who stooped down to become one with us. By drawing us to contemplate the mystery of the nativity in its totality, Alphonsian spirituality rids us of the narrow notion that the crib represents only the Infant, appealing and lovely as that may be during the Christmas season. Alphonsus calls us to recognize that the mystery of the Incarnation embraces human life in its entirety.

Through the Incarnation, God comes to penetrate and inhabit our ordinariness. God draws near to us in all the real and ordinary situations of our lives. Jesus, the Word-made-flesh, points to the dignity of all human persons, and invites us to commit ourselves to the love and service of our brothers and sisters.

Our faith in the mystery of the Incarnation enables us to see God in the people we meet, to really see them so as to enter their world, to look into their eyes, and to see the face of God anew.



Adapted: IHM Office of Mission Effectiveness

Dates to Remember