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There can be no outer freedom without some level of inner liberation. This is a universal truth, but a lesson that each of us must learn for ourselves. If we pursue freedom from a reactionary position, out of our own fear or anger, we are working on too small a scale. The path to full liberation always has its source in an Infinite God.
Richard Rohr
In 1997, Pope St. John Paul II instituted “World Day of Consecrated Life” as a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This feast on February 2nd is attached to Candlemas Day, on which candles are blessed symbolizing the light of Christ to all peoples. The Pope wanted to emphasize the gift of consecrated persons to the world and urged them to be, “true experts of communion and to practice the spirituality of communion” (Vita consecrate, n.46).
Today, in “Laudato si” Pope Francis invites us to be “architects of universal brotherhood, custodians of the common home: of the earth and every creature” (cf. Encyclical “Laudato si”). He elaborates in “Fratelli Tutti,” “Be brothers and sisters towards all, regardless of faith, culture and tradition” (FT n. 100). In other words, be ministers to the dear neighbor without distinction as our founder, Fr. Medaille directed in 1650.
Of course, the groundwork for the ability to be what is urged in papal encyclicals begins in the life of every individual religious congregation. In a 2017 video, “Why We Love Our Vocation,” newer members were asked why they love their vocation. Their answers resonated with my own experience. For example, “It’s freedom to be in love with God and available for God’s people.” “It’s an opportunity to show a different way of being in the world.” “You pour your life into God and God pours life back into you.” “It’s living with people who have similar values and support each other.” An enthusiastic young seminarian declared, “Consecrated life is an adventure” and a dancing young Sister enthused, “It’s living in the joy of the Gospel.”
“standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before me.”
As for myself, reflecting on my 54 years in consecrated life, I have been blessed in every way, “standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before me.” I am a part of the valiant women who strive to grow deeper into God every day. Our overflow of God’s steadfast love pours into the world in service to God’s people. Living in community can try my patience but it expands my mind and heart. Loving support surrounds me. If push comes to shove, I can reach out to any Sister and receive unconditional love. If I am healthy, I’m encouraged to develop my talents in service to the dear neighbor. If I am ill, I’m surrounded by healing care.
Father Hardy, Sister Jean, Sister Yvonne and Mary Jo at Sister Jean’s 50th Jubilee
I love how we support each other in happiness and sorrow. At jubilees, we can blow off the chapel roof with joyful song and celebration. In death, we are accompanied with prayer and solemnity.
Consecrated life is an amazing global network of generous vowed women and men leaving their nets and following Christ to minister to others in the joy of the Gospel. Be assured that in the lyrics of Earth Mama, each of us can say, “I will stand a little taller, I will work a little longer and my shoulders will be there to hold the ones who follow me.”
-Sister Jean Moylan, csj
Sisters of St. Joseph, Community Photo, 1993
Leaving the grocery store carrying the few items I had purchased in my half-filled shopping bag, a young man approached me from a parking space between two cars in the parking lot. He wore a small toque, a light gray jacket, no gloves and said quietly, “Can you spare some change?” Whether it was my startled eyes dancing between my mask and my parka, or perhaps, wisps of grey hair poking out from under my hood, or maybe it was because I was starting to put down my groceries, but he quickly added with a smile, “O, forget it” and walked on.
Forget it indeed! How can I forget it? It has become a little bit like purgatory is going to be because I keep reflecting on the incident and remember that my first thought was, “Thank goodness I had decided not to bring my big purse but only a small change purse deep in my pocket.”
Only after that internal sigh of relief did I begin thinking about what I should have done or could have done for the young man. My relief then turned to feelings of guilt because he was probably in his late twenties and his beautiful smile revealed a missing front tooth; I could have offered him the bananas in my bag; I could have given him the Tim Horton’s gift card in my pocket that still had $6.00 on it.
I don’t really know why the young man wanted some “spare change”. He wore no mask and couldn’t have gone into any store around our area to make a purchase. Maybe he needed to buy a mask, not food? I’ll never know but I do know that I pray someone will give him whatever help he needs and when they do maybe I’ll be able to forget it and walk on.
-Sister Elaine Cole, csj
“CELEBRATING THE EVER ANCIENT – EVER NEW”
I’ve just watched a short video clip, sent to me by a friend, of a TV interview with two young nuns who are members of the community of Poor Clares in Arundel, England. The interview was as a result of their “chart-hitting” recording, “Light for the World”, music from their enclosed convent. Their singing has touched thousands of people across the globe and especially so in these days of pandemic struggle. Who would have thought that such an impact could be made from this hidden life of a small community of contemplative women in a secluded place? Clearly, the two TV interviewers on a popular morning show were surprised and deeply moved. They were touched by the sisters’ profound joy that they had been invited into this musical initiative. It was for them a means to reach out to a world in need of great light at this time. The interviewers were impressed by the sisters’ expression of having made a life choice “of freedom to love”; to share God’s love beyond their physical walls but from an all-embracing and open heart in tune with the pulse of the world. The Sister’s commitment to consecrated life enabled them to do this.
The consecrated life, whatever its form, cloistered or ministerial, is celebrated on the World Day for Consecrated Life held on January 2 each year (observed in parishes on the following Sunday) since its inception by Pope John Paul 11 in 1997. The celebration is held on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord also known as Candlemas Day; a day on which candles are blessed symbolizing the Light of Christ.
All Christians and indeed everyone, whatever our call in life are to be light in our world. We were poignantly reminded of this during the recent U.S. Presidential Inauguration by a young poet, Amanda Gorman in her stunning poem, “The Hill we Climb” which ends with the following words: “There is always light if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.” This call is universal but those who are called to consecrated/religious life express it through particular vows made to God, within the Church, and for the light and life of the world. God continues to call women and men today to this way of life through the vows of poverty, celibate chastity, and obedience. These are vows of total self-giving to God who first gives love to us. They are vows for service to the other, all others, human, and in all of creation. Understood in more contemporary expressions these vows call women and men who commit to them for life as Sisters, Brothers, Priests to the simplicity of lifestyle, a spirituality of “enoughness” in the world as it is today, to a freedom to love inclusively and to a life of “listening”, of discerning God’s evolving Design for an ever new day. It is a radical, counter-cultural lifestyle that stands as witness to hope in today’s broken world and church. A central characteristic of consecrated life is its “ever ancient, ever new” nature. Rooted in the unchanging richness of contemplation, Gospel living and service it is also ever-evolving in response to the joys and sufferings of the world in which it is deeply immersed.
This was depicted clearly in the video clip mentioned above in which Sisters living a life of contemplation in a religious order, almost unchanged from its inception in 1212 embraced very modern means of communication to share the gifts of their daily prayer with a world of darkness and struggle now. And… how much that has meant to the lives of so many! Similarly, religious men and women who belong to communities that are ministerial, working in the world, constantly discern new ways of service. As the world “turns” a new day, so do they! From their traditional services in schools, hospitals, and parishes, we now find them in new ministries also including environmental work, justice initiatives, standing with the poor, vulnerable and disenfranchised, finding ever new ways to be the Light of Christ expressed in a contemporary form.
It is this life that is celebrated and affirmed on the World Day for Consecrated Life. For those of us who are members of communities of consecrated life, we give thanks for the joy and privilege of this vocation, God’s gift, and on this day too we ask the prayers of all peoples for fidelity, integrity, and complete love in our life. We commit anew!
As Pope Francis reminded us in his 2019 celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life: “This then is the consecrated life: praise which gives joy to God’s people, prophetic vision that reveals what counts. … It is a living encounter with the Lord in his people. It is a call to faithful obedience of daily life and to the unexpected surprises from the Spirit. It is a vision of what we need to embrace in order to experience joy.”
So, Let’s celebrate this life, and perhaps if a reader “out there” has felt a call, however, quietly to such life, let’s talk!
Sister Mary Rowell, CSJ, Vocation Coordinator, Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada
mrowell@csjcanada.org |Telephone: 905-372-2741
The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present, and when you’re worrying about whether you’re hopeful or hopeless or pessimistic or optimistic, who cares? The main thing is that you’re showing up, that you’re here and that you’re finding ever more capacity to love this world because it will not be healed without that. That is what is going to unleash our intelligence and our ingenuity and our solidarity for the healing of our world.
-Joanna Macy
