Relationships: the gift of the First Four Months

Blog by Margaret Uche

As this semester ends and we prepare to leave for our motherhouses for Christmas break, we have been reflecting on what we have been about since arriving at the collaborative Dominican Novitiate in mid-August.

In the past 4 months, we have undertaken several different activities where we had the opportunity to meet and experience our Dominican family life. These gatherings

have allowed us to share special moments with them such as stories, meals or just having deep conversations. In our discussions, there were always laughter, warmth and love expressed to each other.

A good part of our novitiate has been building relationships through encounters with others, through our class at Aquinas, the ICN, the Colloquium, our panel discussions, and other social gatherings.

We have also received some of our Dominican Sisters passing through St. Louis who stayed with us for short time and shared their love, wisdom and support with us.

I am very aware what a gift these 4 months have been so far and that God’s great love has been with us through it all. These experiences have helped me go deeper in my call to religious life and in building relationship with God and others.  

I am grateful to God and all who have prayed and supported us these past months.

I am looking forward to spending Christmas at our motherhouses and enjoying the warmth, welcome, hospitality, and love of our Sisters and family.

I wish everyone a blessed Advent. May we recognize the gifts that God has given us and share them with others and extend the care and concern to others that have been extended to us.