Last night I had the privilege to to be in the presence of the MacDonald Sisters, also known as Four Sisters for Peace. These biological and Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph travel around speaking of their peace activism, their lives on the farm and in the convent, their love of the Earth and humanity. To be in their presence is to find hope….hope in humanity, hope in God, hope in the power of laughter, having fun, doing important work, hope in the possibility of peace.  Each time I am around them I come away filled with a deep knowing of being in the presence of the Holy……..and that the Divine presence is one of open-armed,passion-filled Joy.

Do you have people like that in your life? Are there people who, when in their presence, you know  you are loved unconditionally, wholeheartedly, that what you have to say is really important to them? Are there people whose very presence inspires you to be your true and best self?  Are there people who make you  feel that being with you in the moment is the most important place to be for them? I believe that in these experiences the Holy holds a mirror up and says "Here I am!"

Perhaps the larger question is "Am I one of those people?" Am I truly present to my children, my spouse, my colleagues, the stranger on the bus? Do I walk out of the door each morning prepared to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world? Do I bring joy, hope, love and compassion to the world? I’d like to hope so. Certainly people like the MacDonald sisters inspire me and provide role models.

Today I give thanks for Jane,Kate,Rita and Brigid MacDonald who are God’s reminders to live my life with faith, hope, love, music, art, passion, commitment, rebellion…….and a whole lot of fun!