Deus Providebit. God Will Provide. This is the motto of my religious congregation. It was often said by our foundress, M. Magdalen Damen (1787−1858). At the beginning of this year, I was in Tanzania, visiting my African sisters at St. Clare Mission. I used this phrase, God will provide. What more could be said. To my surprise, a reply in chorus. “All the time!” YES! God will provide. ALL THE TIME. What joy! And, coming out of Africa!
I am thinking of this as I read today’s scripture. First, the apostles, after being questioned by the Sanhedrin and flogged, were warned and set free—God Provides! Also, as it says, they… “All day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming Christ, Jesus.” They continued doing all this at the risk of being arrested or maybe even killed.
Then we read in the Gospel of John the story of the loaves and fishes. There was food aplenty when it seemed so dire. Jesus did provide, while Andrew was in awe, as well as the people, proclaiming This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.
In God’s providence, Providence is revealed—Jesus, the Christ. Here was another sign of God’s promise being fulfilled. Surely there have been times you simply said, “Thank God” for something.
Two weeks ago, we walked with Jesus to the Cross, perhaps stood by his tomb, experiencing loss and reflecting on the violence and death we encounter in our world, in our time. Then, Jesus lives. Hope is renewed. The Resurrection! It’s Easter.
Three weeks before Easter I fervently prayed my nephew would be returned safely from Iraq after the embassy was bombed. Together with my family, although very worried, and with many others praying for his safety, we did not lose hope. He finally returned safely home to his family.
So many people find themselves in harm’s way for many reasons. Life is precious. We rely on HOPE, seek peace, and the end to violence.
The Resurrection of Jesus reminds us of our provident God, who wishes only life, and that life may be continued on earth and afterwards in the loving embrace of God.
As the apostles were flogged, there was pain. While there were many hungry people, and still are, we are fed by Jesus, the Bread of Life. Consider the many people who work to feed the hungry in Ukraine or Gaza. Good people provide in our neighborhoods, providing food pantries and kitchens, as well as tending to the food deserts of our country--world. God never leaves us. God is always Emmanuel; God is with us as we live in Jesus. The Cross tells us He is with us in our sufferings. The Resurrection reveals to us that there is Hope and Love in Christ, who is Life Everlasting.
Theologian Elizabeth Johnson says it this way from her book, The Cross and Creation:
“…the living God, gracious and merciful, always was, is and will be accompanying the world with saving grace, including humans in their sinfulness, and humans and all creatures in their unique beauty, evolutionary struggle, and inevitable dying…”.
…“The cross of Jesus is a revelation of the depth of God’s love, entering into the suffering of the world… not to satisfy a debt, but to accompany and redeem.”
God provides all the time. We need to do our part. Challenge the “Sanhedrin” and never stop being, doing, teaching, witnessing, and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus, no matter what the cost.
Song: Canticle of Turning, Canticle of Turning -- Rory Cooney
Let us pray from Psalm 27:
The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear?…
…I believe I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.
Candice Tucci, OSF
Born in Buffalo, NY, I grew up in a cultural and ethnic diverse environment. My life as a Franciscan Sister has been a profound spiritual journey. Like Francis of Assisi who called himself, “pilgrim and stranger,” this too is a metaphor for my own life.
A trained spiritual director, with a BFA, and MA degree in Religious Studies/Spirituality focusing on the integration of the arts, spirituality and social justice, prepared me to live this Gospel life of prayer and service. First on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and eventually in Tanzania, East Africa. My journey led me to ministry in higher education at various universities. February 2025, I retired from Creighton University after 10 years as Chaplain for the College of Nursing.
Prior to retirement, I was elected to serve on the General Council of my Congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. March, 2025, I moved to Rome, IT where I currently reside. Serving in this leadership role provides incredible opportunities to serve as a woman religious in the Catholic Church at this time in history. Settled in Rome, I am happy and ready to contribute again to Daily Reflections. May we hold each other reverently in this Sacred Space.
