“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Lk 11:28
I returned from Navotas to hear that Sr Peg, a saint in my life, has gone to God – to the other side of hope. Sr Peg is a remarkable woman of faith, of love, and of justice. She embodied the compassion of Jesus in very fruitful ways. She helped my sister and her family decisively at a crucial time in their lives and she has helped many California Jesuits for years, serving as a spiritual director on our Province Retreats and keeping us LMU Jesuits “honest” in our witness of Gospel and Ignatian values. She lived such values with a wholeness and contagious joy that inspires me!
“Each of us is a word of God spoken only once.” This is one of Sr Peg Dolan’s favorite phrases. She would often add: “And we have a word to speak with our lives, that if we do not speak it, it may never be heard.” Again and again I have seen this key grace flowing through her life of service: helping people, like myself, embrace and live out this truth that we are God’s unrepeatable masterpieces; that God has blessed each of us with gifts and talents to live life to the full, and to fulfill God’s dream for our lives. Her constant smile, peaceful presence, lively spirit, generous heart, and firm resilience were her unique gifts on her special mission.
Like Pope John Paul II, Sr Peg also showed me how to die with grace. That is, how to live the latter phase of one’s life with poise and integrity. She fought cancer for the last six years of her life with such peace and trust. She was able to integrate her illness into her active life of ministry. Throughout the last few months, she ministered at home, through her sickness. A novice Sister who lived with her remarked: “She was the most popular Sister here and had so many visitors! I hardly ever see her going a day without having somebody visiting her.”
Sister Peg, in prayer I saw you smile with Mary and Jesus in the presence of the angels. You are home now. Thank you for letting God’s word speak clearly, eloquently, and compassionately through your 75 years of life. You are dearly missed! Albeit on the other side of hope, you continue to be a living channel of grace to me and many others whose lives you’ve touched in your 35 years at LMU!
Welcome back Cha! Cam on Chua Cha ve binh an! Hopefully you had a wonderful, God-blessed experience! It is inspiring to hear about people's live, how they are transformed by Christ's love through their sufferings, and became His channel of grace for others, like Thuy, like Sr Peg... It inspires me to listen more deeply to that word that God wants to share with me everyday and let that word by heard with my actions...
ReplyDeleteXin tiep tuc cau nguyen cho nhau nhe Cha.
United in Love,
-TS/HD/TD/Bb-
P.S. Cuoi tuan vua roi tui con co dip gap Cha Chi Ngo. Cha giup retreat cho cac ac nhom Nguon Song. Nhi will go to the Holy Land for 2 weeks!! And Thai Duong will have a little bro to play with next year!!
Oh Cha...I remember her from Unfolding Passion retreat as my spiritual director. Even to this day, i recalled my experience with her. She said that I am God's precious pearl just like my name and her name. I will pray to her.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Fr. Tri...I have been crying a lot, not for Sr. Peg, but for all those of us who won't be able to hear that gentle voice again. She was one of the many instrumental people who helped guide me back into the church and into a life-affirming relationship with our Creator. I will miss her dearly.
ReplyDeleteI also miss you...I hope you're doing okay. I was at Claudine's wedding on Saturday and wore the ao dai so you could be there in a way, too.
Prayers for you,
Stacia
Thanks Cha for your continual blogs for it has been helping me tremendously through out my day. It has been serving as a constant reminder to live Tinh Chua Qua Tinh Nguoi. Keep up the good works Cha.
ReplyDeleteGodSpeed