…what God promised to our ancestors God has fulfilled for us… (Acts 13: 32-33)
A student preparing for Confirmation asked who were the saints in the church. The reference was to the statues and tapestries that adorned the walls of the building. The expected answer was a litany of all the saintly images in fabric and plaster of Paris visible along the walls. However, the answer that a young OMI novice from India gave was quite profound. He talked about St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and other holy men and women who formed the “walls” of the Church.
Like the people Luke addresses in the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, we too have special ancestors. Our ancestors are the founders and foundresses of our congregations and the many men and women who have followed them since our earliest 19th century origins. Think of it. Our “walls” are sturdy, faithful and Spirit-filled. The presence of our ancestors surrounds us as we carry forward the charism once entrusted to them. Now we are the witnesses to God’s people of a profound love expressed each day in many reconciling ways.
…what God promised to our ancestors God has fulfilled for us…
Sr. Barbara Jean Franklin, ASC