Stories of Our Call

Abandonment to Divine Providence means living with God in the depths of our hearts, attentive to God's constant presence in the interior calls of grace and the external happenings of life. It is our trusting response to God, who leads us to live in justice, peace, freedom, and love within ourselves and with all of creation.
(CDP Constitution, #12)

Jean Eiserle, CDP Associate
Fort Wayne, Indiana

As people of Providential living, growing daily in charitable action will more easily assist us in developing the other remaining virtues of poverty, simplicity and abandonment to Providence; charity is the foundation upon which all other virtues are built.

Blessed John Moye beautifully depicts charity by declaring, "Charity runs, flies; nothing stops it. It is ingenious; when it finds obstacles on one side, it turns to the other. It makes itself all things to all people and agrees with everything; it suffers everything."

To me, there is no greater summary about charity – one of the four virtues that those of us who are part of the Congregation of Divine Providence community display in our daily lives. At this point in time, charity is probably the most significant virtue to me, as I am preparing for a lifetime journey with my future husband, Ben.

Because Ben lives 1400 miles away from me, we have indeed endured many challenges and obstacles; we have suffered long work days trying to financially prepare for our sacramental union and also to get everything in place for the wedding day and for our life thereafter. It's a lot of work, but charity is the virtue that quietly soothes us every day when we connect in communication. Charity is what enables us to so easily forgive each other when we are tired and cranky due to physical and mental exhaustion. It is the virtue that most specifically and clearly allows us to grow both individually and as a couple.

Ultimately charity is unconditional love; it is greater than all other types of love, because its source and reservoir is Love Incarnate. If God is love, then perfect love -- charity, is nothing less than God himself. It's love in action, completion, a total giving of self to another.

Sister Denise Billeaud, CDP
San Antonio, Texas

If we have truly given our lives over to God to use as his Providence chooses, then we have made the gift and are free to grow in trust and love; we are free to let him direct all the events of our lives; we are free to be used by him for service to our brothers and sisters.

However, as we all know, the gift is never given “once and for all;” only Jesus gives that way, perfectly. We learn to give more and more truly, more and more fully, more and more trustingly.

Ever since the initial gift in my profession of vows, Providence has led, guided, directed my every move. God is faithful always “once and for all;” it is I who must learn gradually, yet even in my gradual learning, God’s faithfulness is clear: it is he who teaches me to confirm my initial gift, living more and more truly, more and more fully, more and more trustingly. My part is to trust and to know that he is faithful and leads me unfailingly to himself.

Sister Gloria Ann Fiedler
God's Call: How do you show God's love?

“I love working with young adults. I am present to and with them in parishes, homes, restaurants and party rooms. I am available to them during retreats, days of reflection, spiritual pilgrimages, mission trips, World Youth Day events, camping trips, picnics, cookouts, holiday parties and many other spiritual, communal and service events. I have traveled with them in cars, vans, busses, trains and airplanes.”

But that’s not the only way Sister Gloria Ann stays in touch. She is also present to the young people she encounters in campus ministry, and with the CDP young adult Associates, with help from the electronic media. In between personal visits and group gatherings, the Internet has offered another way for them to share how their relationship with God is going, “God bless you for spreading the freedom of TRUSTING GOD in all things to those of us who are enslaved by worries and anxieties. This is definitely a refreshing message in our society and for our generation," Jeannie Eiserle, recently wrote in an e-mail to Sister Gloria Ann.

Sister Gloria Ann’s message to the young is wrapped in love and the belief that the young people she meets are gifted, talented and so very capable of loving and responding when they are given the opportunity to serve. “I believe I can best be a sign of Providence to them by concretely showing that I love and care about them. I consider it a privilege to be present with them as they journey the pilgrimage of life. I consider young adults a very special gift and blessing to me and to the Church. I thank our Provident God for them.”