April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.

Signs of God's love abound in 1900s

The Evangelist recently invited readers to tell us what, for them, was the surest sign of God's love during the 20th century. Here is a sampling of the responses:

To me, the surest sign of God's love in the 20th century was the inspiration that He gave to Bill Wilson to reach out to another alcoholic, Dr. Bob Smith, which culminated in the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. Reading the history of the development of the 12-step program of recovery that the original members of the groups formulated, through trial and error and the suggestions of interested non-alcoholics (including some priests and nuns), one is in awe of how God works to create victory out of defeat and spiritual success out of human failure. The 12-step program, which has been adopted by numerous other groups which seek to overcome various other addictions, is a practical means of achieving a spiritual life in the midst of the turmoil of daily life, and the program is recommended to anyone who is seeking true spirituality in this day and age. Alcoholics Anonymous again demonstrated how God often uses broken vessels for His purposes and can speak to us through other human beings.

Tom Johnson

Albany

***

I really believe in God, His love, His patience with me, His forgiveness upon request for every time I step out of line. I've turned away, slipped many, many times, yet come back, apologize and I know God still loves me. The surest sign of God's love is my faith.

Judy Hart

Green Island

***

The surest signs of God's love are the dogma of the Assumption and the Second Vatican Council.

Mary Caiola

Frankfort

***

Despite the godlessness and sinfulness of His children, God still loves us.

Barbara Conklin

Albany

***

For me, the surest sign of God's love is His people. I have a chronic illness that periodically hospitalizes and/or incapacitates me. Each time, I have been strengthened and renewed by hundreds of people -- family, friends, co-workers and many I do not know reaching out to support me. Many, whom I know through work or means other than Church, have shared that they kept me in their prayers during these difficult times. There are also prayer groups all up and down the East Coast who regularly seek God's intercession when advised I am in trouble. Surely, the love of family, friends and even strangers is the surest sign of

God's love.

Ann DeBarbieri

Wilton

***

God's love shines through our children and especially teens. I belong to St. Catherine of Siena parish in Albany, and our youth group keeps God's spirit bright to those in nursing homes, and remembers the homeless and needy.

Laura Dalton

Albany

***

A year ago, I started falling into a depression. I've been hospitalized twice and felt myself slipping again. We had just purchased a house; no matter how I did the math, I couldn't figure out how we would get by. My faith pulled me through, along with appropriate counseling and medication. I don't look at numbers anymore; I put my faith in God. My life is the surest sign of God's love.

Karen O'Neil-Trickey

Stamford

***

As a priest of 37 years, it has been seeing people return to the Church, especially after many years -- a sign of God's patient love.

Rev. Charles Gaffigan

Lake Luzerne

***

I was deeply touched and spellbound by a great religious man: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He touched many people through radio and TV. His converts numbered in the hundreds.

Beverly-Jean Labier-Silvernail

Latham

***

The surest sign of God's love was that He saved us from Hitler. He did this in a roundabout way, reminiscent of ending the Babylonian captivity via Cyrus of Persia. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hitler responded by declaring war against America. He strangely felt obliged to do so per terms of the pact he had made with Japan and Mussolini. This ended American isolationism, which was so strong that, in 1937, the House voted 209-188 in favor of a resolution that the Congress could not declare war unless there was a popular majority in a nationwide referendum. It failed for lack of a two-thirds majority.

If the attack on Pearl Harbor had occurred even a few months later, Hitler might have had enough momentum to prevail.

Tim Giles

Glenmont

***

The great miracle of the sun at Fatima was a sign in the rainy sky over Portugal that was unmistakably from Heaven that His human creatures should listen and rededicate themselves to His call to repentance, holiness and redemption.

Paul A. Kennedy

Mount Vision

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