Introduction by Sr. June Fitzgerald, OP

Last Friday, in the context of Evening Prayer, Sister Annie Killian, OP renewed her vows.  After the scripture reading, and sharing her personal reflection on it, she stood up, squared her shoulders, and proclaimed, “I, Sister Ann Elizabeth Killian, profess the vows of obedience, celibacy and poverty to God . . . to be lived in the light of the Gospel and according to the Rule of St. Augustine and the Constitutions of this Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, for one year.”  Wait, you may ask, isn’t she professing her perpetual vows on August 3^rd?  Why does she have to renew her vows now?  Can’t she just wait to profess her forever vows at that time?  Well, no, it’s not that easy.  You see, in July of 2022, Sr. Annie made her first profession of vows for a period of three years.  So, technically, her vows would have expired before she had the opportunity to profess her perpetual vows on August 3, 2025.  Thus, she had to renew her vows to close that gap.  When she professes her perpetual vows, she will change the ending of the formula to “for my whole life.” 

It is a courageous thing to profess or vow anything “for my whole life.”  Today, some would categorize it as an isolated minor miracle, and perhaps it is.  I, however, would propose that it is one of many such miracles that God does every day.  Just like the people of Jesus’ day, we must unlearn our customary ways of thinking (that alone may be a minor miracle) and believe in the expansiveness of our God who feeds thousands with a small basket of food.  In the reflection that follows, Sister Annie challenges us to see with God's eyes what is possible.   

Reflection by Sr. Annie Killian, OP

In the Gospel of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus not only tells the crowds about the Kingdom of God; he shows them what the Reign of God is like: All will be fed. No one will be sent away or dismissed. This inclusive mandate contradicts the logic of Empire, which maintains its power by separating us from one another—by means of borders, prison walls, and red-lining. Jesus, however, imagines the world otherwise than it is and invites people to live into God’s inclusive Reign.

To follow Jesus, the disciples must unlearn their customary ways of thinking. Notice, in the Gospel, how familiar their logic seems to our modern sensibilities: It’s the end of a long day. They’re in the middle of nowhere. The disciples look out at the crowds and see overwhelming need. How can a dozen disciples provide for thousands upon thousands? They assess their resources: limited. They hardly brought enough food for themselves. Practical and tired, they urge Jesus “to dismiss the crowds,” to send people away. The disciples don’t want to be held responsible for the hunger of so many. They can’t buy enough to meet the need, so they conclude: Let the crowds fend for themselves!

The disciples are trapped in a scarcity mindset. We recognize this kind of scarcity-thinking. It’s the basis of our global economy, which tries to convince us that we can never have enough and always need to buy more. Even in religious life, we can fall into a scarcity mindset: our congregations are becoming smaller. Fewer of us serve in active ministry. We worry whether our resources will be enough to provide for sisters who need care.

                But in the Gospel, Jesus rejects this economic calculus. When he tells the disciples to feed the crowds themselves, he is insisting on their co-responsibility for the common good. That responsibility is unconditional: it doesn’t matter how little the disciples brought with them.
All who are gathered must be fed. Jesus could just feed the crowds himself, turning stones into bread, but instead he invites the disciples to work with him. He asks them to risk giving over everything that they have, even knowing it will be insufficient to meet the need. Maybe the disciples were embarrassed, setting out a paltry five loaves and two fish before the crowds. Maybe they felt anxious risking their own comfort and security. What if they ended up hungry with nothing to eat?

                Whatever doubts they held, though, the disciples ultimately accepted co-responsibility. They turned all their resources over to Jesus for his blessing. Somehow, “All ate and were satisfied.” The Gospel doesn’t say exactly what happened. Maybe folks in the crowd shared the food they had brought, too. Maybe everyone was satisfied with a little so there would be enough to go around. After all, “one does not live by bread alone.”

Following Jesus, we learn to resist the logic of scarcity and the illusion of separation.
We relinquish the desire to put self-interest before the common good. By practicing co-responsibility for the common good, we walk the synodal path that Pope Francis envisioned for the church. At our recent Community Days, Prioress Sister Pat Twohill called us “to be the purveyors of synodality, so that the ‘Conversations in the Spirit’—true dialogue—may continue and bear practical fruit. This is one of the great gifts of Pope Francis’ papacy, part of his living legacy in which we now share.”

                As I prepare to profess perpetual vows, I give thanks for the ways that we as Dominican Sisters of Peace and Associates in Mission are choosing to act responsibly for the common good. In a world intent on separation, we opt for community. Even when our resources are insufficient to meet the world’s needs, we ask: What risks is Spirit moving us to take that we may bear witness to God’s Reign of justice, peace, and joy.

What risks indeed?  What risks are you willing to take to follow the call of God?  If you feel that God is calling you to religious life, don’t just wonder, give us a call to start the conversation.  Who knows, maybe God needs your little basket of food to feed a few thousand hungry souls. 

Sister Annie Killian will profess her perpetual vows as a Dominican Sister of Peace on August 3^rd in the chapel of our Motherhouse in Columbus, Ohio. Watch our website and social media feed for the link to this livestreamed Mass and ceremony. In the meantime, please pray for Sister Annie, the other women in formation, and for anyone discerning God’s call in their lives.