A Great Time to Be a Religious in the USA!

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This is a great time to be a religious in the USA; not an easy time nor even a fun time, but a great time. We have been overwhelmed lately with testimonials about the contributions of Sisters to the church- the past ‘Sheroes’ who, built the hospitals and schools. Now a days that presence is less visible, though some communities are really visible in groups and dress and that's terrific. I just learned about the biblical meaning of yeast-a small amount of fermentation that mixes in the measures of wheat. It is unnoticed until the heat affects it, then it rises! Yeast can be bad-for example-politics of fear, but it can bring good dough life as well. Example-the headlines about the Vatican's assessment at first rose up the faithful to "support our sisters " and that was very inspiring. Now, there is movement rising for the faithful to enter into honest and emotional conversation about faith that really matters and we are at the hub of it and people say that we inspire it! They are not walking away or threatening to hold collections back, but rather claiming their membership as Body Of Christ. RCIA 2.0 = Reclaiming our Catholic Identity as Adults and we were the catalysts, the yeast. I am filled with the amazement of the Holy Spirit, whom we ask to come and renew the face of the church. We will see great changes, will be great changes and be greatly changed. As the Marigold Hotel manager says, 'Everything will be alright in the end. If it's not alright, it's not the end.' Stay strong my sisters.
Mary McNulty, OP
Westchester, Illinois

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