As religious sisters, our vowed life is distinctly
counter-cultural. We follow Jesus in a public way that others witness. Through
our consecration, we’re set apart to make a difference in this world. As women
of the Church, we’re called to live a radical commitment to the Gospel. We’re a
prophetic voice, speaking what the world needs to hear. It’s a bold,
counter-cultural stance that frees us to reach for what is holy and to have a
true spiritual adventure. In my journey
to living bold Christian joy, I’ve experienced the blessings of a Spousal
relationship with God and the community. I’m pleased to share those graces with
others.
Jesus’
teachings often put Him at odds with the society of His time. He spoke about
the value of the spirit of the law over its letter and included those on the
margins of society. Like Jesus, we have a different perspective than the norm,
but at heart, our way of being counter-cultural is about what we’re for,
not what we’re against. In our vowed life, we bring the Gospel with us
everywhere we go, whether it is welcome or not. We both stand for and stand up
for these virtues.
Like Jesus, we are set apart for others. His
single life of itinerancy allowed him to lead, teach, and heal. He dedicated
his time and energy to doing God’s will. A big part of my call to religious life was a
call to consecration, the pull of God, drawing me away from dating and other
interests. I felt called to come apart for Him. At first, I didn’t realize how
much that was meant for the good of others. Our Spousal relationship with God
brings us closer to His children.
We are
consecrated for others, to help our brothers and sisters in Christ. We dare to
be in relationship with those we serve, companions on the journey. The most
powerful way we do this is through our communal witness. Part of that comes
from the charity and ministry of the sisters as a community. So much of what we
do is at the service of others! When we have advanced degrees, positions of
authority, or receive any public acknowledgment, we use it to make our
ministries more effective. We also dare to have empathy. It’s easy to get
compassion fatigue living in this world; it can be stressful to care when faced
with all of the suffering around us. But religious are committed to journeying
with others as Sister.
We live in community with a variety of
personality types and backgrounds. Our shared mission, our call to serve God
and His people, bring us together. We work to understand and appreciate each
other so we can be interdependent. Our unity and common sense of purpose is a
strong witness to a world that is polarized by its differences. A spirit of
humility and a willingness to make sacrifices helps us to prioritize the needs
of others. Another important aspect of our communal witness is that it’s easier
for people to see how much peace and joy we have in this life of prayer, service,
and simplicity. It’s a clear statement of what really matters.
We can
share the Gospel with the world because we’re anchored in these values. Our
secure stronghold in the Way of Jesus gives us all we need to do this, but that
connection doesn’t just happen. It’s something we work at, by prioritizing our
prayer life. The daily schedule of prayer and Mass helps with this. I also keep
Sunday as a focused Sabbath. It’s a day for prayer and connecting to my local
community and family. In addition, each
year when I go on retreat, I take time to reflect on my vocation, so I can draw
closer to what has nurtured me in my call to religious life. Being anchored
keeps me centered and gives me spiritual joy.
It’s
daring to be joyful in this world. There’s much to be discouraged by, but
Christian joy is founded upon God’s goodness. I once had my spiritual joy
affirmed without realizing it. When I was a younger woman, my manager at work
asked how I could be so steadily peaceful and positive. I told her it was
because of my faith, but didn’t see it as joy at the time. Christian joy isn’t
the same as worldly happiness. It’s deeper, more heartfelt and less
situational. There are many reasons to be grateful, too. God created humanity
in His own image. Society doesn’t always follow Jesus, but the people in it
aren’t inherently bad. There’s always
hope.
The very
possibility of God becomes our sails. We’re not limited by our weakness or sins.
We trust God’s mercy when we try again; our efforts alone are evidence of our
faith. We know that with God’s help we can grow to our full potential and change
the world. The Spirit fills us and carries us to distant shores! When it comes to being human, we take Jesus
as our model. The teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church contain
beautiful ideals for living as He did; I have started to view the Church as a
place to dream. When I go to Mass or visit churches, I can vision an abundance
of possibilities for the world and my own personal growth. This is the most
encouraging part of being a religious sister for me: how I’m becoming who God
intended me to be.
We have
all we need to be radical in our faith. We dare to be bold. The first step is
to let go of secular ideas that hold us back. I learned to seek wisdom, instead
of intellectualism or worldly knowledge. I started to prioritize service to
others and making contributions in community over personal ambition. I clarified
what zeal meant; I used to recognize it by emotions like enthusiasm or excitability.
Like joy, however, zeal goes beyond that. I see zeal in my sincere commitment and
deep faith. Lately, I’ve been growing in a boldness that is more genuine.
Through reflection and prayer, I’ve tried to draw close to God while He draws
close to me, and in that experience of the Indwelling, to hear both His voice
and my own. I’ve begun to share with more authenticity and openness, to say
what I’ve hesitated to say out loud before. It’s brought me an inner freedom
that has taken me in some promising directions.
God’s
call to me has been to spiritual joy and boldness, a life of authenticity and
compassion. When I’m truly sister to others and anchored in the Gospel,
anything is possible! A hope like this is a gift. This is only one part of the
prophetic voice and counter-cultural stance that we as women of the Church
offer to the world.
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