Sisters of St.Joseph New Year Prayer

Happy New Year! The Sisters of St. Joseph have a long tradition of welcoming in the New Year with a Prayer of Consecration to The Two Trinities. By that we mean the "uncreated Trinity" of Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the "created Trinity" of Jesus, Mary, Joseph. In  The Règlements, Jean-Pierre associates a virtue with each person of The Two Trinities. A few years ago I wrote a prayer for our congregation based on this part of The Règlements. It's been adapted here as a greeting for the New Year.

God of inclusive Love,
Christ of Outpouring Love,
Spirit of Communal Love,
breathe in us and among us,
Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates
during the year ahead.

May we move into this new year
with the zeal of Jesus,
a zeal marked by generous courage
and humble self-emptying love,
the fidelity of Mary
who was filled to overflowing with every kind of grace,
and the cordial charity of Joseph
whose service was grounded in relationship with God
and neighbor without distinction.

Rooted in the rich heritage of the women who are our past,
seized by the same Love
that impelled them to be in relationship
with the reality of their changing world and changing times,
inspired by their vision, integrity, and fidelity,
we enter into this year with courage and hope.

Our God, the people of our world, our Earth, and all creation,
call us to embrace ever-widening circles of communion.
May this call impel us to action,
action that stirs up Love,
is connective and inclusive,
and deepens our commitment
to be and become Your people.

                                    By Joanne Gallagher, CSJ, © 2005, updated  1/1/2011