Reflection on Our Founders
Author
admincdp
Date
2024-06-28 11:01
Views
212
When we think of our founders and the legacy they left us, we think of being “rooted in the past, reaching toward the future.” Our two founders, Bishop Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler and Marie de la Roche, imbued us with the Providence charism and challenged us to reach toward the future, to make a difference, to be the face of Providence made visible in our world.
We live in a world that needs the virtues imbued by these founders and now through the Sisters of Divine Providence. We are called to co-create such a world where God’s Providence is made visible. The task of co-creating such a world is sometimes difficult and painstaking. It requires wisdom and knowledge, steadfastness and courage. Each of us, in our own unique way, participates in the mystery we call Providence; each of us becomes the face of Providence by our choices and actions. We do it through education and healthcare, in parishes and counseling offices, in hospice facilities and homeless shelters. Whether in protest or prayer, justice, compassion and peace call us to be present in people’s lives, to make a difference. That mission, compels us to proclaim that there is a God, loving us unconditionally and lavishly, a God who challenges us to reach out to the marginalized in our society, a God who desires that we transform our world.
Isn’t that what we are all called to be, bearers of the good news, proclaimers of the Gospel, people of faith right now in the twenty-first century, caring about this world and the people in it? There is work to be done. We must challenge our political leaders so that they work more seriously for peace in a world that is so ravaged by wars and oppression. We are called to challenge those unjust systems so that all can truly live in freedom and peace. As Christians we are called to grapple with the systemic questions of our day and ask what keeps people oppressed, in poverty, homeless, and hungry. The issues are complex and not easily solved, but I believe that as a people living in the twenty-first century, we can reach toward the future, for a new world vision. We might wrestle with the complexities, but we can find ways to empower others for the good of the whole.
The fire for justice is part of our charism. It was seen burning within Bishop Ketteler and Mother Marie and is a part of our charism. They challenged us to take that legacy for justice more deeply into ourselves so that it would become a lived reality within each of us. Their desire for justice can be for anyone, not just Sisters of Divine Providence. It can be for our Associates, coworkers, and anyone reading this reflection. May that fire burn and grow in your heart, too.