By Stephanie Lennon
If you are a fan of the band The Grateful Dead, you will recognize that phrase as both the title and the refrain of one of its most well-known tunes. And, although the song itself has nothing to do with religion, it’s catchy and reveals a truth about real life. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is comprised of real people who need miracles every day. Catholic Charities employees, donors, volunteers or clients — we all need miracles.
That’s a tall order to fill! So, how do we even begin to tackle that one?
My mind continually turns to Jesus’ pivotal miracle of the loaves and fishes. From the meager contents held in the food basket of a young boy, Jesus was able to feed thousands of people. A beautiful aspect of this story is found when you realize that Jesus did not choose to perform this feat alone. Instead, he chose the boy to help him and then he engaged his followers and each person there to pass the miraculous food onward to others until it was dispersed throughout the crowd and everyone had their fill.
Jesus knew that Our Father in Heaven would provide for his people. He actually KNEW this. Everyone else just had to obey Jesus’ command to sit and be ready to receive, to take the loaves from him and give them to each other. The miracle took place at the hands of Jesus and through the loving obedience and faith of the people.
Therein lies our blueprint for creating miracles! If you can give something to others in need, give it. Once it is given, God will then ensure that the miracle will follow. It doesn’t matter if the gift is meager. What matters is faith — faith that follows from obedience and love.
Here at Catholic Charities, we put our trust in God’s miraculous transformations, and we have faith that his love will impel all of us to give what we can so as to create miracles every day. We see it happen all the time.
Please consider including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., in your estate plans. A little can go a long way!
Thank you.
Join members of our Good Samaritan Society at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21, for an interactive virtual session “Leaving a Legacy and Paying It Forward: Creating a Lasting Impact at Catholic Charities” with CEO Msgr. John J. Enzler and Charles Abell of Furey, Doolan, and Abell LLP to learn more about estate planning. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/3prEEM8.
Stephanie Lennon is a member of Catholic Charities’ Development and Communications Committee.