On December 31, the monastic community participated in LCWR’s 100 Days of Prayer, Fasting, and Advocacy. As our community’s advocacy, during the month of December individual sisters wrote letters to our senators and representative to advocate for issues related the needs around us in light of Catholic Social Teaching. As prayer and fasting, we had a day of silence on December 31st, interrupted only for our liturgical prayer. Each sister chose the focus of her prayer that day, and was provided with a reading from papal documents or related Church teaching on her particular area of focus. The areas chosen are depicted on the board pictured at right. A simple lunch of soup and sandwiches was in solidarity with those who hunger.
LCWR’s description of this “100 Days” effort states, “We believe that prayer matters. We know that prayer leads us to respond to the needs of the people of God. For generations, we have fasted from what distracts us from keeping God as our center point. From May 29 thru September 5, more than 140 congregations of women religious, along with our friends at CLINIC, made commitments to one or more days of Prayer, Fasting and Advocacy. Many of us experience the desire to respond to ever-increasing division with a call to love with hearts of contemplation and action. LCWR invites you to join this initiative from October 1 (the Feast of Therese of Lisieux) to January 11 (Baptism of Jesus). Together, may we be light for the world and be witness of peace in the midst of harm.”
Our community was grateful to be able to participate in this effort, trusting in the power of prayer.