This Lent, Loretto Reflects on 50th Anniversary of Vietnam Operation Babylift

The first reading for the fifth Sunday of Lent, April 6, has an important quote from the Prophet Isaiah: “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new.” (Is. 43: 19)

When you have time for a Lenten reflection, read the whole of Chapter 43 in the Book of Isaiah. It is God telling Isaiah’s community how much they are loved. God reminds them, “I am he who will not remember your sins.” God does not remember our sins. Yay! Now don’t we wish we could say that of each other?

“I am doing something new.” And with whom is God doing something new? You and me, everyone, of course. Here is the question we can consider as we move into this week  before Palm Sunday: What “new” do we want God to do with us? Each reader will have her or his own answer, but consider this one: Teach us to love. Let us choose love as if our lives depended on it. 

Loretto Constitutions tell us quite plainly, “Our lives are founded upon a profound act of faith in the enduring love of God and a need to share this love.” (I Am the Way, #16)

We are now into Spring, that wonderful season of growth and new life. It’s a  transformative time, a time to create space for the “new in us.” A time to plant and be close to the sacred earth. How do we do this? Cling to your faith traditions, hold on to the wisdom you learned, be open to the work of the Spirit in your life, find ways to share love, wait with the earth as it slowly reawakens. Be aware.

Let us pray from the Lenten Scriptures:

Blessed are those who know their need for theirs is the grace of heaven. (Matt.5:3)
Blessed are those who seek the will of the one who sent me. (John 5:30)
Behold I am doing something new, do you see it? (Isaiah 43:19)
I will maintain my covenant with you forever. (Gen.17:7)
Wait for God, be strong and let your heart take courage. (Ps.27:14)
Amen

This Lenten week, we invite you to join us on our Facebook page as Loretto we honor the 50th anniversary of Vietnam Operation Babylift and solemnly remember the 78 children, six volunteers, crew members and other passengers who tragically lost their lives on April 4, 1975. On that day, a C-5A military transport aircraft carrying 320 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff from Saigon, leaving a profound legacy of loss and resilience. 

Loretto Sister Susan Carol McDonald was there that horrific day, striving to save as many lives as she could. A nurse, she had traveled to Vietnam in May 1973 to care for war orphans, dedicating herself to their well-being. Soon after, Sister Mary Nelle Gage SL joined her, and the two worked together at the New Haven Nursery in Saigon. Susan Carol died Sept. 23, 2020. Her life was deeply intertwined with the adoptees she cherished from Vietnam, the lifelong friends she made there and the families who shared in her love for these children. Today, Mary Nelle, Loretto Co-member Ruth Routten and others continue to lovingly carry forward this extraordinary Loretto mission.