Sisters continue to serve others
Sister Joyce Lehman • President, Sisters of the Precious Blood
The other day I watched one of our Sisters return from her weekly hour of tutoring. She was alive with energy after working with an adult who was learning to read. This Sister, who is only a few months shy of 90, tucks tutoring into a busy schedule which includes many hours spent before the Blessed Sacrament praying for the world.
She is not alone among our Sisters. We often tease that if we want to visit one of our “retired” Sisters, we have make sure we have an appointment. Otherwise it is hard to find them at home since they insist on staying as active as their circumstances allow.
Each of us is aware that we never really retire from our mission as Sisters of the Precious Blood. We are called by virtue of who we are to “proclaim God’s love by being a life-giving, reconciling presence in our fractured world.” Because of different needs, different circumstances, different times, different gifts, our mission during life takes each of us to diverse places and demands unique and creative responses from us.
Recognizing that we no longer have the numbers or the youth to be in as many places as we once were, we seek to fulfill our mission in new ways. Recently, with assistance from our Communications Office, our Sisters are continuing to proclaim God’s life-giving and reconciling love through our website. The Sisters offer prayer for the needs sent to them, share their stories of commitment and fidelity and reveal God’s gracious presence in their lives and work.
The mission of the Church will not be completed until the Reign of God is fulfilled. As Sisters of the Precious Blood, our mission follows the same timeline. Young or old, able or infirm, we will never be absolved from proclaiming God’s love.