We citizens and residents of the United States and the world seek to recover from a highly contentious election. We seek to restore the gaps of a highly divided society. Perhaps the experience of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and the early Sisters of Providence can provide some guidance in this effort.
In the midst of her own pain and struggles, Mother Theodore still considered the most painful sight to be that of the injustice of owning other human beings. She looked upon her fellow human beings with compassion, saw clearly the results of an unjust structure, and yearned to end the suffering.
To foster the types of relationships I grew to value in college, I moved into the Catholic Worker community. It accepted people at various stages of their faith journeys and from all backgrounds to work together to provide hospitality and seek justice. When I met Tracey, I wasn’t excited about a future sister joining the community. I didn’t understand what that meant. Then Tracey and I started running together. During one morning run she shared her vocation story. When I continued asking questions in the days that followed, she began to sense something was up and invited me to a discernment retreat.