Several Sisters of Providence share their Christmas wishes

Sisters of Providence may not sit on Santa’s plush lap or bended knee, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a wish or two to share with you for the Christmas season. By reading through some of their thoughts, you’ll notice their comments are very much in line with their mission of serving God by devoting themselves to works of love, mercy and justice in service among God’s people.

As we continue through Advent in anticipation of the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus, may we put down our iPads, Kindles and cell phones. Let’s Google our own stream of consciousness. Maybe we ought to wish and hope for those gifts that are most important, that bring true happiness to others, and in turn, to ourselves.

What do you think? What’s on your list of wishes for the Christmas season? Care to share some of your thoughts? Read on to see what some of the sisters had to say … along with Merry Christmas to each of you.

Sister Anne Therese Falkenstein, associate professor, assistant to the president, Providence University, Taichung City, Taiwan.

This Christmas, I wish for: a universal tranquility that has not yet been known in our lifetime; a familial realm of calmness and joy where every living being is loved, and safe from alienation, fear, hunger, illness, oppression, poverty, and war; a pre-evil Garden of Eden that beckons us to rise from our beds in the morning and jubilantly proclaim, Emmanuel – God is with all of creation and we are one!

Sister Cathy White, director, Diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection, Diocese of San Bernardino, Calif.

My Christmas wish is for each of us to remember to remember the Covenant – Love one another as I (God) have loved you. If we could do that, the Christmas season will make more sense and true peace can fill our hearts.

Sister Barbara Sheehan, executive director, Urban CPE Consortium, Inc., Community Renewal Society, Chicago.

My Christmas wish is for SHALOM, that is, that all may have what they need to live fully. In this “wish” is the desire for us to act and to live in ways that perpetuate this and that each of us feels our particular responsibility to shalom-building.

Sister Rosemary Borntrager, volunteer, Health Care Ministries, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

As I have pondered this question I keep coming back to the same answer. I sincerely wish that Christ’s desire for us would come true and peace may be with us. May anger and hatred be turned into love and concern. May we do unto others as we would have them do unto us! And may it begin with me.

Sister Mary Mundy, pastoral associate, Holy Rosary Church, Evansville, Ind.

My Christmas wish is that we each experience Jesus’ healing presence in our personal lives, in our families, in our church and in our world. I also hope that we can be a healing presence for others, and finally, that we can be open to receive that same gift so often generously and freely given in nature, in scripture, in sacrament, and in the word made flesh again and again!

Sister Jane Iannaccone, pastoral associate, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Winthrop, Mass.

My Christmas wish is that more people will sign up to be organ donors so others may have the gift of life. On a personal note I hope that they are able to find a suitable match for my brother who is awaiting a kidney transplant.

Sister Ann Paula Pohlman, tutor, St. Joseph School, Bradenton, Fla.

My wish for Chistmas is that all people will become personally closer to their Savior and spread that love to others they meet.

Sister Connie Kramer, on sabbatical, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

This Christmas I ask God to empower all persons of good will with the grace to bow in reverence before the Divine born in the stable of every heart and in the stable of the whole universe. I pray that all persons of faith might choose to birth Love in each other and bring more peace into our world. I pray that those who so desire might be given the grace needed to let their lives become a source of Light and Hope leading others to the place in their hearts and in the world where Christ is always being born anew.