Newsletter: February 2023
Dear Friends of Joseph House:
Here’s a fun fact: centuries ago, if you had called a nun “silly,” she would have taken it as a compliment! She probably wouldn’t today (although personally we would smile and nod and say yes, sometimes it’s true), but back in the Middle Ages the word meant pious and devout. It’s fascinating how words can change their meaning. We shouldn’t be too surprised, though: language is alive and like all living things it never stays the same.
Jesus Himself changed the meaning of words, or at least our understanding of them. Case in point, the word “neighbor.” In his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI explained how by unpacking a well-known parable of Christianity:
The parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37) offers two particularly important clarifications. Until that time, the concept of “neighbor” was understood as referring essentially to one’s countrymen and to foreigners who had settled in the land of Israel; in other words, to the closely-knit community of a single country or people. This limit is now abolished. Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbor. The concept of “neighbor” is now universalized, yet it remains concrete. Despite being extended to all mankind, it is not reduced to a generic, abstract and undemanding expression of love, but calls for my own practical commitment here and now. (God is Love, 15)
Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbor. Now that’s a change in meaning that needs to stay. The late pontiff pointed out something really important that every generation needs to hear. It’s a big world, and many people look and live differently than we do, but Jesus is saying that they are still our neighbors. Our active concern for the welfare of others cannot be confined to members of our own “tribe.”
Making the Joseph House a place of welcome for all people has always been our top priority. As we write this Newsletter the figures from 2022 have just been tallied. Every year when we take a moment and look at all the good work that has been done, we feel a deep sense of gratitude. We could never do anything without our volunteers and you, our friends and supporters. Let’s take a look at what we accomplished together last year at the Joseph House Crisis Center:
Our Financial Assistance program issued 1,396 checks and payments to help individuals and families with housing, utilities, health care, transportation, and other critical needs (up 34% from last year).
Our Food Pantry gave out 3,440 bags of groceries. An average of 265 households, representing 690 people, received food each month.
Our Hospitality Room for the Homeless responded to 6,945 requests for help. We provided showers, laundry service, food, coats, blankets, and personal care products.
Our Soup Kitchen served 7,292 bagged lunches to the homeless and other Crisis Center clients.
Among our holiday season activities, 158 new winter coats for children were distributed. A food drive collected 15,420 pounds of canned goods for our Food Pantry. Eighty-seven turkeys and 78 chickens were given to families in need. We also gave out 555 gift bags for children. Each bag included two large toys, a smaller one, a book, a puzzle or activity book, assorted stocking stuffers, plus a hat, scarf, or mittens. Christmas gifts also include approximately 30 bicycles for 14-year-olds that are planned as a surprise when the weather warms up.
Over at the Joseph House Workshop, three men are currently in residence. The Workshop helps men who were homeless to begin new lives. The program is comprehensive and takes a holistic approach, helping men to grow in all aspects of their lives. Two of the men are in Phase 1, which is classroom-based, and the other is in Phase 2 and looking for employment. He has worked on his resume and practiced his interviewing skills. All three have been busy painting the entire building to freshen it up. The Workshop opened in 2005, and to keep it in top condition we have recently installed some new lighting and are about to replace some of the windows. We will have more about the Workshop in an upcoming issue of this Newsletter.
As for the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary, our community is holding steady with seven members. Here is some happy news: On December 5, 2022, we joyfully welcomed Sr. Clare Quinn back to our community! Following a leave of absence to care for family members, Sr. Clare renewed her temporary vows with our community during a ceremony held in our chapel in Princess Anne, MD. Our chaplain, Monsignor Daniel McGlynn, was the presider.
We rejoice in the goodness of God, and thank Him for the gift of Sr. Clare. May God continue to bless our Little Sister and guide her as she seeks to do His will.
Your support helps people you do not know and who can never repay you—but nonetheless we hope you receive something in return. You have our heartfelt gratitude for all the ways you contribute to our mission to love and serve our neighbors.
The state of the world and the sheer magnitude of need can fill us with anxiety. Pope Benedict reminded us that the antidote is humility:
In the end, we are only instruments in the Lord’s hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. (God is Love, 35)
Benedict placed his greatest gifts—his faith and intellect—at the service of the Lord. Each of us can follow his example by offering for the sake of others whatever it is we do best. Great actions aren’t required, only great love.
May our gracious God, who gave Pope Benedict many years of life, now grant him eternal rest in heaven. With our love and prayers,
Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
Do you have a special prayer request? It can be a great consolation to know that someone is praying for you. Let us know how we can help you with our prayers: Contact Form.
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