FROM THE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Resilience and Perseverance To begin talking about resilience and perseverance despite obstacles or setbacks, I need to tell you that these words express a lot of depth in what they represent in our lives. I wonder who of us has not lived each of these words in our daily lives: they are verbs, nouns, sensations and feelings that challenge us every day of our lives. In my experience, resilience invites me to always stand up, despite adversities and obstacles. It’s that inner strength that tells me: “Everything will be all right, everything will be all right.” And we find it in this Bible passage: “And he took the girl by the hand and said to her: ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up.’” Mk 4:41 In these times, resilience can be found in families, at work, in the social culture in which we live, in politics and in our relationships. The pandemic and climate change have affected every human, as we have all suffered losses, including isolation, lack of work, violence, food and housing shortages, and worst of all, loss of life. In the face of every obstacle that we have experienced or are experiencing, we demonstrate the ability to continue fighting for life, to not stop, to keep going, to encourage each other by saying: “You can! You can!” By living in solidarity with each other and raising the voice of justice, we can continue to cultivate hope in the middle of the desert. The resilience that is being lived out in many countries and the world is inspiring when millions of people who have lost their loved ones to the coronavirus continue to say, “Here, we are!” As Saint Angela Merici advises us: “Do not be discouraged, do not lose confidence, put your hope in God.” This is a resilient message
since it invites us to face all obstacles and setbacks just as Angela lived through in her own time. Resilience and fortitude have taught us to be more in solidarity with each other and to enlarge our hearts with God’s favored ones—those on the margins: immigrants, those who have suffered through racism, environmental catastrophes, and the LGBT community. When made aware of this suffering, people of faith gather together to reconcile with their brothers and sisters who are the face of the living God. An example of resilience is what the people of Honduras suffered when a group of environmental activists who were defending their river, Rio Guapinol, against mining were arrested as criminals. They had organized to defend their rights peacefully and seek justice for their Honduran brothers and sisters. Numerous charges were brought against them, including charges of violence. All charges have since been dismissed. The defense of water began in the ’90s with the death of the activist Berta Cáceres, and until now they continued to fight in defense of our common home, which is our land, “la Pachamama.” I can say, then, that resilience and perseverance can be cultivated; they can be found and brought together to face adverse conditions. In conclusion, I share this message from the Bible: “I will be with you until the end of time.” Mt 28:20 It expresses and reminds us that God will always be with us in the difficult moments of our lives.
We row, knowing what the price is Remamos, sabiendo cuál es el precio with clenched fists Con los puños apretados Without thinking of stopping Sin pensar en detenernos We row, with our faces against the wind Remamos, con la cara contra el viento with courage ahead Con la valentía delante With a town between the fingers Con un pueblo entre los dedos We row, with a knot, here, in the chest Remamos, con un nudo, aquí, en el pecho Dreaming that on the other side Soñando que al otro lado Another start is coming Se avecina otro comienzo — From Remamos, a song by Kany García and Natalia Lafourcade
Sister Yuli Oncihuay, OSU Councilor, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville DOME | SPRING 2022
3
