Today is the World Day for Consecrated Life. It was initiated by the Vatican in 1997 and is an opportunity to celebrate the life and work of women and men religious and to pray for vocations to consecrated life.
In a recent news release, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap., chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, noted that “We Americans owe a huge debt of gratitude to the religious in our nation. Their loyal service to our church and country are unparalleled…. The presence of both apostolic and cloistered religious in our nation has been a source of spiritual comfort to many people, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. I don’t know of any other country that can make such a boast.”
A Nun’s Life is participating in today’s celebration by hosting a “social hour” with people discerning God’s call and with a guest blog post at From the Pews in the Back.
- The social hour is on the Vocation Forum at 8 p.m. EST tonight. All are welcome. To participate in the discussion, you have to be a member of the forum (free and easy to register). Once you are a member, look for the topic “February 8 Social Hour” in the discussion area. Also, I put together some Suggestions for a “Live” Discussion.
- On the blog From the Pews in the Back I wrote a post today called For the Sake of the Gospel. It’s based on the Sunday readings and talks about my own experience of being called to consecrated life. Stop by and offer your comments.
Have a blessed day!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Sister Julie – Thanks for the link to “From the Pews in the Back” and for your piece there and for you. Happy WDCL!
Thanks, Jean! Sorry I haven’t been able to respond yet to your reflections on the previous post. I’ve been thinking on everything that was written. Am trying to get a deadline finished and then will return to the post. Blessings!
Thanks, Sister Julie. It is my sincere hope that my posts did not offend anyone. The anxieties and issues that have arisen in the discussions of the Apostolic Visitation clearly hit upon some very powerful and salient questions for me; and the writer in me is sometimes overly-exercised (literally and figuratively) by blogs and e-mails. I am looking forward to others’ thoughts and questions. Hope you made your deadline.
Thank you and God’s Blessings to all who choose to live a Consecrated Life.
I have just discovered your site and am looking forward to becoming a frequent visitor.
I would like to contribute one comment about the way people see us today. Our constitutions describe our habit as consisting of a cross, ring and appropriate dress. A serge habit like the one I wore for years after entering would today make me stand out as “eccentric” and against the ideals of poverty …….. cream serge is not cheap to purchase.
So, although I don’t look like the Sisters of old I am not unhabited. I believe that until we change the way we describe ourselves we will not change the way people think of us. When someone asks me why I am not wearing my habit, there are very few occasions when I cannot say with truth “I am”.
Joan – Your comments about your habit are very interesting to me. Years ago, an older priest (a Dominican, actually) I met while working said within my hearing, “She wears a lovely habit’. Needless to say, I “beat feet” out of there so fast that that old priest’s cassock is probably *still* blowing in the wind I left in my wake. Now, I wish so much that I could find him and ask what he meant, especially in the context of all the discussions of habits. (I was in pants and a t-shirt and may not have been able to brush my hair yet that day because of the assignment I was on). Thank you for that invitation to pull apart the language, Joan.