>>There are many things I love about being here at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. Been involved for over 30 years now. I love this ministry! I love my co-workers. I love the ability to work with others to bring hope and healing to the lives of children. Whose lives have been hurt, damaged, abuse, neglected. I love our TV mass audience, who support this mission. And to all of our donors.

You know, it’s during this time of the year that I think of all the things that I’m grateful for and one of the things we do at both our Walsh Campus on the southside of the city and right here in the West Loop. At our West Loop Campus is, we grow gardens during this time of the year.

I love what happens in a garden. Our children get involved with the gardening. They take the smallest of seeds and they begin to germinate them right inside the home. And then when it’s time for the planting, they take the little plants and they go out into the gardens and they plant them. And then God’s work – the miracle of creation continues as the plants grow.

I heard a story not too long ago and I love it, it’s about bamboo timber. If you take bamboo timber seeds and you plant it into the ground you have to take care of it for three years. But for three years nothing happens! You don’t see anything. And after three years all of a sudden the sprouts start coming through the ground. And they grow at a rate of two feet a day. Two feet a day! Up to 90 feet.

So much happens that is not noticeable to the eye, but the work of creation continues. I look at myself in the mirror and I go, “Oh my god, 30 years and look what’s happened!” You don’t notice it day to day, but boy I’ve put on weight and look how grey my hair is.”

God has a plan. The plan is to continually work of creation that we’re all involved with. God is not done with any of us. God hopefully grows deeper in and through our spiritual lives, as we draw closer to the Lord. One of the wonderful ways in which we’re invited to draw closer to the Lord is by what we’re doing right here, right now.

Praying together. Celebrating the eucharist. Being nourished, so that the work of creation may continue in and through the grace of God and with our help.