October is a lovely time in many parts of our country. Last week I had the chance to see fall in South Carolina: a still green landscape. In North Carolina’s mountains, reds, yellows and browns were appearing. In Boston more colors are displayed along our roadsides. A side street was covered with dry oak leaves—a sure sign of change in the air.
Recently an on-line reader commented on an article I wrote. He recalled having met me in our Toronto bookstore about five years ago. To help himself through the difficulties he was experiencing, he purchased my book, Tender Mercies, Prayers for Healing and Coping and became a frequent visitor to our Book & Media Center. I am grateful to know that prayer and reading helped him so that now he is fully recovered. October, the season of the harvest, is a perfect time to also celebrate the many ways in which the Pauline Mission experiences it’s own “harvest,” as the seeds of the Gospel planted in people’s lives bring forth abundant fruit.
I have been privileged to carry out this mission as a Daughter of St. Paul for over 54 years, and the most humbling and blessed moments are those in which someone you may not even remember tells you how much something you did or said or wrote or sang meant to them in their relationship with God and others. These people we've met we carry in our hearts long after we may have forgotten their names. They become part of our lives in profound ways and we bring them with us in prayer each day before Jesus in the Eucharist. 24/7 someone around the world is engaging with media produced by a Daughter of St. Paul.
St. John Paul, whose feast day we just celebrated, said to the Daughters of St. Paul:
“In this epoch of global communication,
you must make
the message of salvation be heard.
To fulfill this mission,
the Church needs, more than ever,
skilled laborers who are also
convinced and credible
witnesses of Christ.
This is your vocation.”
To announce the joy of the Gospel in today’s complex world we need to work with others, joining hands with people like yourselves who also live the call of the Gospel as a sign of hope for the world today. Only your partnering with us by your contributions will allow the Gospel to continue to be present in people’s lives through the media.
With last October’s webathon donations you made it possible for us to purchase new design equipment, print our St. Paul Weekday and Sunday Missals, and expand outreach of our Pauline Kids sector aimed at middle grade students with Christian fiction for kids.
We are hoping this year to raise another $50,000 to keep our Pauline Publishing House going through 2014-2015. A financial gift will be a big help in reaching our goal. New books, recordings, equipment and digital outreach will be made possible with your donation...
...But we know it's not about the media, it's about the people, people like my friend in the Toronto Bookstore, who in a moment of need found through the grace of God and something I wrote the gift of mercy and healing. Sharing the joy of the Gospel with these people and the world is what keeps us going!
Learn about projects for 2014-2015.
In 1915, almost 100 years ago, Blessed Alberione started our Pauline mission with hardly any money. He assured donors that they would be rewarded in this life and in the next. People gave with faith and their faith was rewarded. The Pauline Mission has always been built on faith.
Our Senior Sisters, who have dedicated 50, 60 and even 75 years of their lives to our Pauline prayer life and mission, are praying for the success of this on-line fundraiser and for each of you.
Before snow flurries replace autumn leaves, may our voices and writings “give wings and feet to the Gospel,” as our co-foundress, Mother Thecla Merlo once said.
We are confident that you, our friends, will help us reach our goal of $50,000. Thank you in advance for investing in the Pauline Mission to bring hope to our world.
May Jesus, our Divine Master, repay your generosity with the hundredfold. God bless you!
Sister Mary Peter Martin, fsp
