This 2012 Christmas ‘wish list’ hasn’t changed

“This Christmas let us, like Jesus, be the incarnation of a loving God who ‘became flesh’ and counts on us to incarnate God’s love. Merry Christmas!” – Sister Denise Wilkinson

“Be gay and cheerful with your Sisters, even when you do not feel like it. The Divine Infant will be pleased at your efforts and will give you a great many graces. With fidelity to this grace you will pass a happy Christmas and commence a happy new year.” – Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

I didn’t know my predecessor as the Sisters of Providence Media Relations Manager, Dave Cox. I had corresponded with him many times regarding emails he would send me while I was working at a newspaper, but I never formally met him.

Still, by all accounts, he appeared to be a wonderful person and I would have liked to have met him.

Recently, I searched the word Christmas on our website and came across an old story Dave had written in 2012.

The story was titled “Several Sisters of Providence share their Christmas wishes.” One of the sentences in the first paragraph has stuck with me:

“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.”

Dave received Christmas wishes from nine Sisters of Providence, including current General Councilor Sister Anne Therese Falkenstein, Sister Martha Rojo, the late Sister Cathy White, Sister Barbara Sheehan, the late Sister Rosemary Borntrager, Sister Mary Mundy, Sister Jane Iannaccone, Sister Ann Paula Pohlman and Sister Connie Kramer.

And even though the story is 11 years old this day, many of the responses he received for his story fall in line with what the Sisters of Providence still resonate today.

Here are some of the responses:

“This Christmas, I wish for: a universal tranquility that has not yet been known in our lifetime …”

“My wish is that undocumented immigrants be treated with respect and dignity and that they not be separated from their families.”

“My Christmas wish is for each of us to remember the Covenant – Love one another as I (God) have loved you.”

“My Christmas wish is for SHALOM …”

“I sincerely wish that Christ’s desire for us would come true and peace may be with us.”

“My Christmas wish is that we each experience Jesus’ healing presence in our personal lives, in our families.”

“My Christmas wish I that more people will sign up to be organ donors so others may have the gift of life.”

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

“I pray that all persons of faith might choose to birth Love in each other and bring more peace into our world.”

The days have been counting down and now there are only 11 days left until Christmas. And on that joyful day this year, let’s remember what Dave wrote:

“… 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.”

May you all have a blessed Christmas this year!

Read Dave’s original post from 2012 here.