Daring to Wake Up

One of my favorite songs lately is “God of Day and God of Darkness.”  Not only is the tune beautiful, but behind the lilting Celtic melody are some pretty powerful words:

“Come and wake us from our sleeping

so our hearts cannot ignore

all your people lost and broken

all your children at our door.”

I love the inclusivity of these lines: “ALL your people,” the song proclaims.  We’re all lost and broken, and there’s a beautiful kinship in that.  I also love the image of being awoken: all of us, no matter how socially conscious we might consider ourselves, are “asleep” in some ways.  But asking God to wake us up is both bold and risky; once we’re aware of a need or an injustice, we can no longer ignore it. 

Our congregation’s founder, Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, took a great risk when he joined the dwindling Dominican order in Italy, then moved to the “new frontier” at age 22.  He took risks in the form of ministering to and learning from Native Americans (arguably the most oppressed people of his day), opening top-notch schools for girls, and building friendships across barriers of race, culture, and faith.  Since then, countless Sisters have taken similar risks; they’ve woken up and answered the call to live in friendship and work for justice.  Their example challenges and inspires me, and I find myself asking:

Do I REALLY want to wake up?  Do I have the courage to answer the call?

Christin Tomy, Candidate

Jacksonville, FL