Sister Anne Shepard shared these thoughts with the community on Christmas Eve. We thought youd enjoy them as well. Christmas Reflection, 2014 Anne Shepard, OSB Tonight we celebrate the amazing story of how a simple woman responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit gave birth to the Savior of the World. We have God Incarnate, God as a human being, entitled Prince of Peace, Holy Counselor, Emmanuel, God with us. Yes, it all started when a woman said YES. On Dec. 16, the Vatican released a document applauding the efforts of the American Catholic sisters for giving birth in the United States to the Catholic school system, Catholic hospitals, parish ministries, and many other programs for the disenfranchised and poor. We Catholic women have said yes to sharing the catechetical and evangelizing ministry of the church as we have tended to the physical, moral, educational, spiritual and social needs of the people of God. This Christmas we continue to give birth to new ideas and actions on behalf of the gospel by our lives as Benedictine women in the Church. We nourish ourselves and the people of God by our fidelity to the monastic way of life, by perpetuating the hospitality of women so valiantly shown in the story of Elizabeth and Mary, by our stability in our monastery, neighborhood and the Church, by our obedience to God through one another. Our daily yes gives birth to Christ repeatedly. Together with other women religious in the Church, our oblates, volunteers and friends, we will continue to give birth to new ways for our Church to reach those in need. God bless each of you as you continue to give birth, as you say yes to vibrant new possibilities of promoting the gospel in the New Year. Merry Christmas.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 00:30:00 +0000