Laden with Grace
Going to our roots, being radical, not liberal or conservative, marks Catholic Workers as a unique blend of old and new.
While many people fret about the future, I tend to see the twists and turns in life as adventures of wide variety requiring creativity that is energizing. Since I am convinced of God’s promise to wipe every tear away at the end of time, I do not despair when things appear to be going to hell on a racehorse.
As a Catholic Worker, though, I do have one yardstick that seems to work for me—simultaneously looking forward and backwards. Like a roller coaster rider, I love seeing new things around each corner and being challenged by them. I often believe life is a movie, sometimes comedy, sometimes adventure, and sometimes tragedy.
What pulls things into a cohesive whole is finding meaning in each scene via my religious, political, and personal roots. Awareness of the before makes sense of the new.
What I love about Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day is their freshness grounded in almost ancient spiritual values, a philosophy so old that it looks new. Going to our roots, being radical, not liberal or conservative, marks Catholic Workers as a unique blend of old and new. By standing on the shoulders of saints throughout our history, I am more confident that whatever path we take in the future will be laden with grace.
