Unity in Service,
Charity in Leadership

As my time as Regent is quickly coming to an end, I find myself reflecting deeply on the mission of the Catholic Daughters: Unity and Charity. I am reminded of the guidance our Lord and Savior has given us—to love God and to love one another as God asks us to love ourselves. Jesus taught us to pray the Our Father, seeking forgiveness that is conditional upon our willingness to forgive those who have offended us. For a long time, I wondered why this was of such importance—until I was called to live it out.

I experienced a tragic event in my life that required me to forgive someone who had truly hurt me. I have also had to ask forgiveness for having offended someone I deeply care about. In both instances, the experience changed me. It opened my heart to loving others more fully and to being more open to receiving love in return. I believe we are one body, yet we cannot be who God has called us to be if division exists—within our court, and even more so in our world. Love is the answer, and God is our source. It seems that division is increasingly present, no matter which group of people I am with. At times, it feels as though we have given the “enemy” a seat at our table, when instead we should be following God’s example and telling the enemy to leave.

I can attest that this is not easy. No one enjoys confronting harsh words, uncomfortable feelings, misunderstandings, or judgments. Nevertheless, we must have the courage to do so lovingly—for the sake of sanity and serenity in our lives and in our world. I believe we must be charitable in both word and deed, because one is not sincere without the other. I remind myself that I must do the right thing—in thought, word, and deed—even when no one is watching. God is watching. It is difficult to do the right thing when you feel misunderstood or criticized. It is difficult to remain charitable when that charity is not returned. I also believe it is important to be honest and to admit when I have done something wrong. I recognize that we all have defects of character. What is vital is having the faith to move forward in God’s will—changed by the lessons we have learned—and asking God to remove those character defects. It is equally important to understand that we all grow at different paces and in different ways. If I am who I say I am, I must remember that unity becomes visible only when charity becomes real. As St. Paul reminds us:

“Charity is patient and kind…it does not insist on its own way…it is not irritable or resentful… it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

—Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1825