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Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - January 18-January 25, 2025

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As children we were invited to learn what it meant to be Christian: who we believe in and why. As a young Catholic I didn’t know we were Christians! We generally learned about our religion for marks or holy cards in school, stars in Sunday School or pats on the back at home. Memory work is a wonderful skill but when did we start really believing in what we have learned?

The theme this year for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity invites us to answer the same question Jesus asked both Martha and Mary as they grieved their brother Lazarus “Do you believe this?” (John 11:11-26) He was of course asking if they believed that HE IS the Resurrection and the Life. They did.

As children, our knowledge of that phrase was rote memory. As an adult, what is the deeper meaning for me today? What did I learn in the past that made sense or didn’t make sense. What do I truly believe in my heart of hearts about Jesus, unity, resurrection and life now? Do those beliefs guide my daily interaction with all God’s creation?

To start the week of Christian Unity this year I will be joining many others at a Sing, Sing, Sing event at a local United Church; after all, those who sing pray twice! 😊 For the rest of the week I will rest with Jesus and answer, Yes Jesus I believe, help my unbelief; there is still so much room for growth.

-Maureen Condon, Associate with the Sisters of St. Joseph

Image: Amaury Gutierrez @amaury_guti/Unsplash

Crafting the Ultimate Divine Tagline

In a thoughtful, yet not-too-serious moment, I found myself pondering an unconventional question: If God were to hire a marketing agent to design His sacred tagline, what might it look like? Sure, God’s brand is timeless, after all, He's been around forever. Yet, even the Creator wishes to make sure His message resonates with today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving world.

Surely, the astute Creator would understand the core principles of effective taglines: memorable, customer-centric, emotionally engaging, and evoking a positive feeling. So, what tagline would Almighty’s innovative marketing agent, ChatGPT, create? Here are suggestions for Divine consideration:

  • "God: The Original Influencer"

  • "Join the Divine Club – Everyone’s Welcome"

  • "Faith: The Ultimate Power-Up"

  • "God: Turning Chaos into Creation Since the Beginning"

  • "God: Where Miracles Happen"

And then, of course, there is the simple elegance of Sacred One's existing tagline: "I AM." Concise, meaningful, and timeless, there is really nothing more memorable than that!

 -Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

Image: Wojtek Witkowski @wojtek/Unsplash

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The Power of Prayer

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A Reflection on the Power of Prayer from Sister Mary Raphael

I was in the hospital from October 14 – 25 with a bowel obstruction. Upon returning home I was placed in our Care Center. Being weak, I knew I needed to be there.  After a short time, I had a conversation with our Director of Care. Since I could see how things improved a bit each day I felt that remaining in the Care Center was a good option. However, I did not want to move there prematurely. It was suggested that I take a month to make my final decision. I answered, “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve made my decision.”

Many people – my Sisters, my family, and friends had prayed for me that things could be resolved without a second surgery. Their prayers were answered, and miraculously a second operation was not required. The prayers not only prevented further surgery but enlightened me to see that the best insurance I had against further hospitalizations was to remain in the Care Center. Now I could see that things could be monitored more closely in the Care Center. 

During and following my stay in the hospital, I was restless and unable to pray.  However, there is one prayer from a novena which I repeated frequently – “O God, I surrender myself to you. You take care of everything.” And God did take care of everything!

While regaining my strength, I began my move from my 3rd floor room to the east wing of our Care Center.  I filled the basket on my rollator daily which meant I would not have boxes to unpack once I moved permanently.

Now, for meals I sit with three Sisters, one of whom is Sister Olga.  At 101 years of age, she has taught me by her example the power and benefits of maintaining a positive attitude.  She frequently comments on the blessings we have, and her ministry is one of presence and example.

Looking back over these last few months, I too, am moved by the power of prayer and the blessings of community life.

-Sister Mary Raphael, CSJ

Image: wallace Henry @ghostdogg187 / Unsplash