Day 1092: Monday. March 13, 2023

Jesus was irresistibly drawn to your openness, genuineness, and spunk. Well, so am I! And so I say again: thank you, sister, thank you!

From Jacqueline: An Open Letter to the Woman at the Well

Dear Sister,

Thank you! Thank you for coming to the well that day to

perform a routine boring chore: drawing water. Woman’s work.

You remind me that I too can encounter Divinity in the ordinary

tasks of daily life.

Thank you for not running away that day. For daring to

speak with this stranger - a man and a Jew, no less! Your gutsiness

encourages me to risk speaking with individuals very different

from myself.

Thank you for giving in to your curiosity. I sometimes think only

the big virtues matter in life: faith, hope, and love. But even little

curiosities can sneak into my life and set me up for an encounter with God.

Thank you for your messy life. Out of shame (I’m guessing) you

tried to hide your five husbands (plus your current lover) from Jesus. But Jesus’ response to you tells me that I don’t need a perfectly ordered life to engage with him.

Thank you for leaving your water jar at the well and running into town to share the news of this stranger. That left-behind jar is a sure sign that your encounter with Jesus has altered your priorities.

Thank you for your enthusiasm. The fact that so many townspeople came to meet Jesus - simply because of your witness - underscores the importance of enthusiasm in my own life of faith.

And finally, I sense that Jesus was irresistibly drawn to your openness, genuineness, and spunk. Well, so am I! And so I say again: thank you, sister, thank you!

Sr. Melanie Svoboda

From: Give us This Day March 2023 p. 130-131

Subject: Happy International WOMENS Day

We are love, we are care, we are nurture.

We are encouragement, we are strength, we are kindness.

We are inclusive, captivating, patient and able.

We are sacrifice, endurance and hard work, all to provide for not only our offspring., but for the good of the many underserved, the unseen.

We are wiping away tears from our own unfulfilled yearnings, as we look after our parents are siblings and our spouses

We are capable of loving our own children and other people‘s children.

We have that capacity to love Beyond surnames

We are capable of caring relationships beyond family ties.

We are able to join beyond bloodlines and unite beyond differences.

We are time givers, hug givers, love givers, caregivers, advice giver, and so important we are listeners.

We smile with strength through our sorrows.

Showing our scars, because these war wounds are badges of courage

We are amazing beings of comfort of skill of achievements in many different ways that aren’t even seen or honored.

Because of us the world is evolving still.

We are those things and these things and the whole world more.

WE are Women

- with love from Pat O'Connor