Go, Make a Difference!

By Sr. Andrea Koverman

In preparation for taking first vows in June 2015, I meet with the other novice and the sisters in my house community, as well as another small group of sisters of my choosing, to reflect on the vows. One of the pieces we used for reflection is a talk by Sandra Schneiders entitled, “Religious Poverty: A Prophetic Challenge to First World Economics”  In this talk, she states that religious are not only trying to live differently in the world, but that we try to create an alternate world in which to live. We are called to wake up to the ways that society’s focus on individualism, materialism, sense of entitlement, fear of scarcity, and self-absorption has moved us further away from being a community of loving people in which all are valued and cared for.

In waking up to the disordered way the world around us operates, we create an alternative life-style by putting things in the right order and being in right-relationship with our creator and all of creation. This is what makes living in simplicity, humility, and charity meaningful for me, and I hope it will make a difference in the world around me. It gives me hope and fills me with enthusiasm to do what I can to wake up the people around me by what I do, how I live, and who I am.

On the way out the door for work one recent morning, the other novice, Tracy, and I broke out in song, singing, “Go make a difference, you can make a difference, go make a difference in the world!”

Sing along,everybody!

MEET THE BLOGGER 

Name:  Sr. Andrea Koverman

Congregation:  Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
Stage of formation:  Second Year/Apostolic Novice
Hometown:   Born in south Texas, but grew up in Bellbrook, OH
Current Ministry:  Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center in Cincinnati, OH