In every age, O God, you have been our refuge. In every age, O God, you have been our hope.” (Psalm 90 1-4; Janet Sullivan Whitaker).
Uvalde school massacre. Eleven year old Miah smeared herself with the blood of her best friend and played dead. Miah survived. Nineteen classmates and two teachers did not.
Tulsa massacre: Four fatalities. Dr. Phillips shot to death.
Buffalo massacre: Thirteen shot. Ten fatalities.
“In every age, O God, you have been our hope.”
Ukrainians continue to be executed by Russian soldiers.
Covid continues.
“Oh God, you have been our hope.”
On Saturday, June 4th, Cabrini Lay Missionaries of the Guadalupe Province, along with caring Cabrini partners, gathered at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine in New York City for an afternoon of song, prayer, discussion and reflection on the meaning of hope. Our afternoon was facilitated by Lucille Larrivee Naughton, retreat leader, spiritual director and music minister.
Our afternoon began with a lovely buffet lunch followed by song and prayer. We were then ushered into the conference area where Lucille asked us to examine and reflect on the meaning of hope for ourselves, beginning with our personal hope and extending outward to include family, local community and finally the global community and Mother Earth.
We gathered in small groups at discussion tables, shared with one another and then reported to the entire group. All of this took place virtually as well, and included participants from all over the United States and Central America. Simultaneous translation was provided.
There was room for creativity as well. Participants were given the opportunity to express how hope lives in them by designing a patch that will become part of a quilt representing this hope.
We wish to thank Lucille Larrivee Naughton for sharing her passion, creativity and expertise with us.
“In every age, O God, you have been our refuge.
In every age, O God, you have been our hope.”