Oh, the Places ‘Yes’ Will Take You

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Saying ‘yes’ to religious life has resulted in additional opportunities to say ‘yes’ in a variety of other situations and circumstances.  I think that’s probably true for each of us, whatever our life’s call. Several months ago, one of my sisters asked if I would ride along when she drove Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP from the Mound to Chicago. Saying ‘no’ would not have been the end of the world for anyone involved. Saying ‘yes’, though, resulted in an unexpected gift, the chance to meet another sister from a different branch of the Dominican family tree. Sister Pauline Quinn started the prison dog-training program in 1981, a program now being used in prisons across the United States and around the world.  You can read more about her ministry, which includes aiding victims of trauma through her Pathways to Hope program, at http://www.bpofcourage.org.  Tonight, with the sisters with whom I live, I watched “Within These Walls”, a movie based on the inspirational and deeply moving story of Sr. Pauline and the beginning of the prison dog program.  If I had not said ‘yes’ to religious life, I would not have met the Sinsinawa Dominicans or been asked to make that trip to Chicago during which Fr. Timothy introduced me to Sr. Pauline and her ministry. I would not have met Sr. Pauline, and my life would have been poorer for it.  ‘Yes’ opens doors and presents unexpected opportunities.  I am grateful for each and every one of them.

Kathy Flynn, OP
Whitefish Bay, WI

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