Providence is profound
Post author Chuck Fisher participates in the Providence Associates spring retreat on Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.
For me, Providence is God’s unconditional and interdependent love for each and every creation, given freely to be shared with, by and for every creation. God is present and acting. I may not recognize or sense God’s Providence, especially in times of struggle or pain.
Providence is also a partnership – the Providence of God is who I am with others. And others are the Providence of God to me, a dynamic and intrinsic relationship. God’s presence is within me and within all creation. Paying attention, being present to creation and to others is reflecting God’s presence.
Providence is also a profound interdependence with God and God’s trust in me and my trust in God. As best I can, I share my experiences of God’s Providence through practicing acts of love, mercy and justice. These acts initiate from compassion. We do, we act, we love.
From teaching, advocating, empowering those who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in distress, to the promotion of social justice and change through the stories and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities, I believe that my personal and professional life reflect the values expressed in Jesus’ metaphor of the last judgment in the Gospel of Matthew (25. 31-46, the Sheep and the Goats.)
I have come to realize that my life, my soul/spirit, my head and heart are tied intrinsically to and in Providence. More than any time or moment in my life, I have a profound sense of belonging, a rootedness here among the Sisters of Providence, their Holy Ground and the presence of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.
Post author Chuck Fisher is currently participating in a year of formation and discernment toward becoming a Providence Associate of the Sisters of Providence this fall. During this process, candidates meet regularly with a Sister of Providence or Providence Associate companion to explore more deeply the life, mission and spirituality of the Sisters of Providence. This reflection is part of Chuck’s letter of intent that he and all candidate-associates who wish to continue onward to becoming a Providence Associate submit leading up to first commitments.
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Wow! As I look through the pictures from that first day marking of what would become an embarking of a most fabulous journey as a Providence Associate Candidate, I see a woman surrendered to the possibilities that lie in the journey to come. The precious Providence found on this sacred ground. I see a woman unsure of what was to come in the months ahead, but willing to be molded, to be sculpted, and refined. As I look inward to the special intimate place, that which only God sees, it is with great amazement I see the transformation within me, one of love, mercy, and justice replacing self-centeredness, vanity, and narrow mindedness. I sought answers, I found truth. I looked for understanding, I found discernment. I pleaded for knowledge, I found Charism. I asked for light, I found peace. I prayed for a blessing, I received Love, Mercy, and Justice. May I share these gifts with others in a manor pleasing to Blessed Saint Mother Theodore .