“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:35
By 5 MSOLA temporary professed sisters
Sr. Anosiata Keneema in mission in Kinshasa, DRC, Sr. Eliane Nzoyisaba in Bunamwaya, Uganda, Sr. Eunice Kyohairwe in Tikondane, Malawi, Sr. Sylviane Rouamba in mission in Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania and Sr. Xaverine Mukatabaza in Malindi, Kenya
Dear sisters and friends, greetings of peace to all of you.
We are glad to share with you our joys, discoveries, insights gained during the session that we had online for three days. Indeed, it was a very rich experience. This session was given by Fr. Joseph Baru, O.C.D. We were more than 100 sisters among whom 5 MSOLA Temporary Professed sisters who actively participated in this session.
The topic was: “The vowed life lived in contemporary society”.
As religious, we need to have the values that guide us and help us to live our life as consecrated persons. These are some of the values: there is a call to Holiness, living community life and evangelical councils. How do we relate to one another either in the community or outside? and how is our life an example to those whom we encounter? How do we help or support those who come to us?
Holiness is the call for all Christians but in a special way, we as religious are called to a life of holiness. Holiness is reflected through our fidelity and commitment and in the daily choices we make. There are three values that help us on our journey to holiness: prayer, community life and self-discipline. These values are key elements in our life as consecrated men and women and that is what differentiates us from other people in the world. Yes, everyone is called to holiness but we religious/consecrated people have a special call and the church expects all of us to respond to this call of holiness. Holiness is a journey to happiness.
Holiness requires discernment and the strength of conviction in how we make our daily choices – to involve God in our daily choices and also to share with those whom we trust, those who are discreet and confidential. It is advised to share whatever we go through in order to facilitate our discernment. The conviction helps us to know our true identity and not to be afraid to stand for truth either in the community or in our apostolate.
Evangelical councils (vows) – poverty, obedience and chastity: these are the vows which help us do the will of God. God loves us and calls us. There is an invitation for us to respond to this love.
By embracing the vow of obedience, we acknowledge our human limitations and entrust our lives to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, trusting that God’s wisdom surpasses our own understanding. Living the vow of obedience in contemporary society requires a profound sense of faith and trust. It is a daily exercise in surrendering one’s ego, letting go of the need for control, and embracing a spirit of docility and openness to the promptings of the Spirit.
Obedience invites the religious to develop the sense of listening and belonging. This needs to be taken seriously because where there is no sense of listening nor a sense of belonging then fraternal dialogue becomes a very big challenge. The vow of obedience favors the growth of communion as it facilitates discernment in the community.
In the spirit of obedience, the authority is to be at the service of communion and at the service of others whereby everyone is understood and supported in her daily growth.
To live religious obedience means that one needs to create a time of silence which is not to close our mouth or stop talking to our sisters/brothers but it is a time to listen to our inner voice. There is always a message that we get when we listen well. This silence is done in prayer in order to be in touch with our God and ourselves.
What touched us in the vow of poverty is the way we live freedom towards material or world attractions. There are always temptations in us of possession, consumerism etc. There is a call for us as religious to create in us a poor heart which possesses nothing but gives everything and also to be satisfied with what we have because there is a temptation of comparison among sisters in the community as if we are in competition.
Following this, we discussed the vow of chastity. The facilitator reminded us that as religious we are called to shine in the world, to love unconditionally, to contribute to the change that we wish in the world. We can rejoice about who we are because we are working in God’s field and God has called us and consecrated us through Jesus Christ. This is an invitation or a call for each one of us to be more attentive to our relationships in the community, with our sisters, with people in our apostolate and with all those whom we encounter. We discovered that some sisters are suffering in the communities as it was shared during our session. Let us be true sisters to one another and create space for the others and for their growth.
What we discovered and we feel is most important for all of us who are pilgrims here on the earth is the invitation to create in us the sense of belonging, listening, faith, trust, letting go, silence, mutual dialogue especially among superiors, leaders with those whom they lead, etc.
Let us pray that our communities may be the place where love, support, unity reign and let us always remember the words of Mother Marie Salome
“Love one another and support one another”.
