When I read through the readings for Mass today, there were some phrases in the psalm that stood out to me: “My heart is steadfast, O God…Awake O my soul, awake….I will give thanks to you among the peoples.” The simple phrases used in the psalms can sometimes strike a chord in us when we have difficulty putting our own feelings and experiences into words.
We have examples of faith from the people we have contact with each day. We have examples of faith from the community of saints, both those saints who have been officially canonized by the Church and by those who are not “official” saint, but those whose faith calls out to us throughout history. In a daily devotional book I use, a person of faith that was mentioned for this week is Jane Addams, a social reformer born in Illinois in 1860. You may remember learning about her back in US history in high school or college. Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, a settlement house that provided different services to immigrants arriving in that city, such as assistance in education, housing, and food. Reading the Bible as a young girl, Addams was struck by how God was leading her to serve the poor. She was not strongly attached to organized religion as an adult, feeling that churches needed to promote social virtues as much as they were promoting the practice of private individual virtues. In 1931, her efforts were recognized as she received of the Nobel Peace Prize. She died in 1935. Hull House actually operated in Chicago for more than 120 years. It ceased operations in 2012 due to a lack of funds.
How do our hearts remain steadfast in the Lord? How do we awaken our souls? Jane Addams answered those questions in the way she devoted her life to her work at Hull House. We need to answer those questions as well in the way we respond to God’s call.
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