Jubilees: Celebrating the call to grow in charity,in serving others and in intimacy with the Lord

Yesterday, in the U.S./Caribbean Province of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, we celebrated our Sisters’ jubilees, that is, in lay terms, the anniversaries of the day they vowed to consecrate their lives to the Lord and live a life of poverty, chastity and obedience and, in the words of our vow formula:  “Through the grace of the Holy Spirit and with the help of Mary, Mother of Sorrows,…seek perfect charity, placing.. [themselves] in the service of God and of the Church…”   Three of our sisters celebrated 75 years of living religious life, yes, of seeking “perfect charity…in the service of God and of the Church.”  Imagine, those of you who have been called to seek perfect charity in marriage or in the single life and who have grown in love  and in loving over the years, deeply committed to one another and to serving others!  In religious life that means growing in the virtue of loving as Jesus loved and in developing a profound relationship with the Lord.  Some of our sisters succeed in that goal in ways that lead many of us to look upon their saintly lives in admiration of what God has accomplished in them, through them and with them.  I say to anyone whom God is calling to consecrate their lives to Him as women religious, what God has in store for you is astoundingly beautiful as you resolve to allow Christ to increase in your life, as John the Baptist did, as the Foundresses and Founders of religious life have done, including the Foundress of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, who is a candidate for beatification and sanctification.

Serving, being blessed, witnessing God's delight in His children

What a privilege to be a staff member of the 2011 Summer Bible School at St. Rose Modern Secondary School in Grenada.  Several incidents stand out that communicated God’s caring, compassionate love at work among the participants. First of all were the volunteer young people and Sisters  who  orchestrated the daily schedule as well as helped organize the breakout sessions: bible study, banner-making, Tai Chi Chih, Karate, Arts-and-Crafts, sport events, and dance.   A support staff provided meals for the students and the staff as well. The chefs went out of their way to provide delicious lunches.  Throughout the two-weeks, teachers were completing and/or preparing for next year’s regular classes.  The children participating in the summer school experience were eager to learn and excited about being a part of this experience.  I was deeply touched by being able to help students learn ways of dealing with anger that would not add fuel to volatile emotional atmospheres and that would bring them increased self-confidence in their ability to defuse anger. It was a delight to witness students take pride in learning songs that expressed their desire to deepen their God-experiences, in discovering their artistic creations and proudly sharing the Scriptures their group was given to memorize.  I certainly would say that the challenges/difficulties and disappointments we staff members encountered along the way in planning this event were overshadowed by the results of seeing children’s delight in the service provided. As a friend recently reminded me, God did not say it would be easy but God did say it would be worth it! I am proud of everyone who made this experience an memorable one!  I am proud to be a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother and to have joined my companion Sisters in the Caribbean  in their efforts to reach out in love to those in need.