Jessie Marinucci
Day 17: December 15
Reflector: Jessie Marinucci
Image Title: Refuge
I believe God hears the cry of the poor – not because they are poor, but because it is a holy act to acknowledge our need for another. An attempt to make it in this world alone, is an attempt to deny the grace of community, the holiness of stretching out both hands and saying “Be in this with me.” We are creations made in an image and likeness of a God that is vast and plural. Our nature is to be constantly in need of renewal and guidance – and that admittance of our interdependence with one another and with creation is the door to the Kingdom. God feels most near when I am made poor in spirit or in material because it is then that I am humbled enough to ask for help. Whether it be the sun, the rain, the friend picking up the other end of the phone or the rest in between, we are made one in our reaching beyond our lack. God feels nearest when I am gathered around a table with my dearest kin, breaking bread, being one.
Jessie is a teacher of Government and Philosophy at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High school; her passions include breaking bread, sharing dancefloors and coming closer to God’s most humble and exquisite creations. This journey has taken her across continents where she has most often been astounded by the common humanity we all share in our daily ordinary – the joy of community, the sanctity of humility and the holy resilience that sees us through.
Jessie is connected with our Center as a former retreatant and participant in the Spiritual Exercises; pre-Covid past times included joining for dinner with the Handmaids in Havertown and Wyncote.