Novice Reflections
 
 
 
Our Monday ministry day at the Gift of Love enlarges our scopes, broadens our views and embroiders our Dominican religious novitiate lives with beautiful experiences, colourful interaction, and intricate flavours. Gift of Love, what a beautiful name for the AIDS hospice, which is run by the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity in Pacifica, California. The name of the hospice vividly portrays and clearly expresses everyone’s presence at this loving environment. First of all, it is a gift of love given to us Novices, for we are most welcomed and received by the sisters to participate and to have a little taste of their charitable works through the active services to the poor who are chronically ill and often forgotten by our society. Secondly, for these patients, it is the gift of love. They are received and well taken care of physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is the gift of love simply because it is the last place where they are treated with dignity as a human person, a being made in the image of God. Thirdly, for the volunteers, it is a gift of love. I have learned that they are most happy and joyful when they give their time and talents, their concern and care together with the sisters in many different ways of service.
 
What is it that everyone seems to offer to such a place, if it is not the gift, the gift of love? The patients themselves are gifts of love to the sisters, the volunteers and us. Through them we have the chance to serve and love the One who sends them to us. The patients, in one way or another offer themselves, open up to us, and ask for a little mercy from us. We treat these patients with love, giving our best service and, in return, they become gifts to us. Here, gifts are both given and received, and we participate in the more perfect offering; the gift that pleases God whom we serve. In giving we have received abundantly from Him joy, peace and love. His love is greater than any other gift.
 
The Gift
Br. Joseph Mary Do
Thursday, October 26, 2006
“The patients themselves are gifts of love to the Sisters, the volunteers and us.”