When I began thinking about God’s call to religious life, I wasn’t sure what to do next. I reached out to my diocese who sent me information, and then what? I was a bit overwhelmed by all the communities. There were so many, I started looking online for a clue as to where God was calling me. Would a neon arrow appear that says go here? I doubted that.  I wasn’t sure what to do next.

A friend whom I trust who was walking this journey with me suggested I visit a few groups and look for a sense of “home”. So, I visited different communities, taking part in different events, not knowing what I was looking for, until I found it. The first time I walked on our Motherhouse campus here in Adrian I was filled with a sense of peace and was in awe of the joy surrounding me as I visited with the sisters and heard their stories. We prayed together, broke bread together, and yes, played together. It was as I was leaving to return home that I felt it, my inner being filled me with a sense of joy I had not felt before, I knew I had found my sense of home. 

What brings you joy? Where are you looking for your sense of home? Your heart will know when you find it.

Blessings, 
Sister Mary Jones, OP

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¡Alegría! Un Sentido de Hogar

Cuando comencé a pensar en el llamado de Dios a la vida religiosa, no estaba segura en que deberían ser mis próximos pasos.  Me comuniqué con mi diócesis que me envió información, ¿pero ahora qué?  Estaba un poco abrumada por todas las comunidades. Había tantas que comencé a buscar en línea para una señal a dónde me estaba llamando Dios. ¿Aparecería una flecha de neón que diría ve aquí? Lo dudaba. No estaba segura en que hacer. 

Una amiga de confianza que estaba tomando esta jornada conmigo me sugirió que visitara algunos grupos y buscara un sentido de “hogar”.   Así que, visité diferentes comunidades, participé en diferentes eventos, sin saber lo que estaba buscando, hasta que lo encontré. La primera vez que entré en nuestro campus de la Casa Madre aquí en Adrian, me llenó una sensación de paz y me asombró la alegría que me rodeaba mientras visitaba a las hermanas y escuchaba sus historias. Oramos juntas, comimos juntas y sí, jugamos juntas. Fue cuando me iba de regreso a casa que lo sentí, mi ser interior se llenó de una alegría que no había sentido antes, supe que había encontrado mi sentido de hogar.

¿Qué le trae alegría? ¿Dónde está buscando su sentido de hogar? Su corazón sabrá cuando lo encuentre.

Bendiciones,
Hermana Mary Jones, OP

She didn’t have any broken legs or arms, no visible cuts or bruises, but she was clearly in pain. For this young woman it was emotional pain. To anyone who responded to her, this twenty-something young adult poured out her heart and her life story. What she had come to realize was that she longed to belong somewhere and yet could not find out what that place was, her place in the world and her life’s purpose.

Sometimes that deep longing within our hearts does cause us suffering. God’s call to each of us – and we each do have a personal call from God for our lives – can be disturbing until we meet the call with a response that quells the pain of not knowing. The generosity of heart embedded in each of us from birth and strengthened in Baptism longs for a call that matches the abundance of our gifts.

Discernment time allows us to take stock of our personal gifts that the Spirit always gives for use in the community in which we share life. I’ve mentioned before the value of talking with a wise mentor or spiritual director who, in listening to us, can hear what we may not be saying in words but are conveying with the intensity of our feelings. You think you don’t have access to any wise person? You can always ask someone else who they talk to when they need wise advice. 

To paraphrase the wise spiritual writer Frederick Buechner who wrote: when our longing meets the deep needs of our world we have gladly found our calling. May you be blessed in the search for your place.

Peace,
Sister Tarianne

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El Dolor de Buscar

No tenía piernas ni brazos rotos, ni cortes ni contusiones visibles, pero estaba claramente en dolor. Para esta joven era dolor emocional. Para cualquiera que le respondiera, esta joven adulta de veintitantos derramó su corazón y la historia de su vida. Lo que se dió cuenta era de que deseaba pertenecer a algún lugar y, sin embargo, no podía descubrir cuál era ese lugar, su lugar en el mundo y el propósito de su vida.

Algunas veces ese profundo anhelo dentro de nuestros corazones nos causa sufrimiento. El llamado de Dios a cada una de nosotras - y cada una de nosotras tenemos un llamado personal de Dios para nuestras vidas - puede ser inquietante hasta que recibamos el llamado con una respuesta que alivie el dolor de no saber. La generosidad del corazón encajado en cada una de nosotras desde el nacimiento y fortalecida en el bautismo anhela un llamado que iguale con la abundancia de nuestros dones.

El tiempo de discernimiento nos permite analizr nuestros dones personales que el Espíritu siempre nos da para usar en la comunidad en la que compartimos la vida. En el pasado he mencionado el valor de hablar con una mentora sabia o una directora espiritual que, al escucharnos, puede oir lo que no estamos diciendo en palabras, pero transmitimos con la intensidad de nuestros sentimientos. ¿Cree que no tiene acceso a alguna persona sabia? Siempre puede preguntarle a otra persona con quién ellos hablan cuando necesitan consejos sabios.

Parafraseando al sabio escritor espiritual Frederick Buechner que escribió: cuando nuestro anhelo satisface las profundas necesidades de nuestro mundo, con gusto hemos encontrado nuestro llamado. Que sea bendecida en la búsqueda de su lugar.

Paz,
Hermana Tarianne

A vocation to life in a religious community is a call from God. It is one of several ways to live out God’s purpose for our lives. One of the benefits of being part of this life involves community living in support of the mission of Jesus and also receiving support for what you end up doing as your ministry every day. 

Women’s communities hold a General Chapter every four to six years during which the whole community decides what and who will be their priorities of focus for the next period of time. Every member of the community is consulted about those priorities and most members have to educate themselves afterwards about the issues implied by them. The priorities are meant to stretch the individual members, moving them out of their comfort zones into new growth areas. 

Community life brings to each individual opportunities for continuing growth and deepening both our self-understanding and understanding our relationship with God through ministry experiences, prayer and interactions with other people.

If this kind of growth appeals to you, it may indicate an invitation from the Spirit to explore further what may be a call to religious life.

I invite you to watch these sisters as they share their call from God. Notice what they paid attention to as they discerned (click here). 

Blessings for you every day,
Sister Tarianne

 

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Dios y Tu 

La vocación a la vida en una comunidad religiosa es un llamado de Dios.  Es una de varias maneras de vivir el propósito de Dios para nuestras vidas.  Uno de los beneficios de ser parte de esta vida es vivir en comunidad en apoyo de la misión de Jesús y también recibir apoyo para lo que termina haciendo como su ministerio todos los días.

Las comunidades de mujeres celebran un Capítulo General cada cuatro o seis años durante el cual la comunidad entera decide cuáles y quienes serán sus prioridades de enfoque para el próximo período de tiempo.  Se consulta a cada miembra de la comunidad sobre esas prioridades y despues, la mayoría de las miembras tienen que educarse sobre los problemas que implican.  El propósito de las prioridades es para estirar a las miembras individuales, sacándolas de sus zonas de comodidad hacia nuevas áreas de crecimiento.

La vida en comunidad le da a cada una oportunidades para el continuo crecimiento, y la oportunidad de profundizar nuestra autocomprensión y nuestra relación con Dios a través de experiencias de ministerio, oración e interacciones con otras personas.

Si este tipo de crecimiento le atrae, puede indicar una invitación del Espíritu para explorar más a fondo lo que puede ser un llamado a la vida religiosa.

Las invito a ver a estas hermanas mientras comparten su llamado de Dios.  Observe a lo que prestaron atención al discernir (haga clic aquí).

Bendiciones para usted todos los días,
Hermana Tarianne

One of the ways to help in discernment is to be specific about the choices that are yours by using your imagination. This means literally to picture yourself in the role for which you may be discerning. This is especially helpful once you’ve done research on possible religious communities to which you feel called. 

It’s simple: picture yourself living that life, living daily in community with others in a house or convent, working alongside them in a certain ministry, imagining yourself in a group praying with community members at Mass or during morning and evening prayer or picturing yourself taking classes or doing the required study for a class in your field.

As you see yourself in those situations, pay attention to how you feel doing the activities in which that particular community engages. If you experience a sense of inner peacefulness and calm or even excitement, that’s information you can use in the discernment process as one indicator that this may be your call from God.

It’s a way the Spirit uses our imaginations and invites us closer. As you discern, you remain in our prayer.

Blessings,
Sister Tarianne

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Probándolo 

Una de las formas de ayudar en el discernimiento es ser específica acerca de sus opciones utilizando su imaginación. Esto significa literalmente representarse a sí misma en el papel para el que está discerniendo. Esto es especialmente útil una vez que haya realizado una investigación sobre posibles comunidades religiosas a las que se siente ser llamada.

Es sencillo: imagínese viviendo esa vida, viviendo diariamente en comunidad con otras en una casa o convento, trabajando juntamente con ellas en cierto ministerio, imaginándose en un grupo orando con miembras de la comunidad en la misa o durante la oración de la mañana y de la tarde o imaginándose tomando clases o haciendo el estudio requerido para una clase en su area de estudio. 

Mientras se vea en esas situaciones, presta atención a cómo se siente haciendo las actividades en las que participa esa comunidad en particular. Si experimenta una sensación de paz interior y calma o incluso emoción, esa es la información que puede usar en el proceso de discernimiento como una indicación de que este puede ser su llamado de Dios.

Es una forma en que el Espíritu usa nuestra imaginación y nos invita a estar más cerca. Al discernir, permanece en nuestras oraciónes.

Bendiciones,
Hermana Tarianne

Last weekend I attended the local Adrian Symphony for a most enjoyable performance of four extraordinary works of music. As all stellar musical renditions transport us into different realms where our imaginations and memories flow, so did this one. During more than one piece my thoughts went to the orchestra itself. A variety of instrumentalists assembled across the stage, each playing his or her part and contributing to the melodious sound of the whole orchestra.

Our life together here on this Earth is like this. Each one of us has gifts given abundantly by God not only for our own use, but as ways to contribute to one another and to the whole of us. 

Discerning how best to use our gifts to make these valuable contributions is worth investing our time in prayer and reflection. Just as there could be many different ways the musicians in the orchestra could use their talents, they chose to play together. And together their music is more powerful than just one single instrument alone.

In a special way in religious life we promise to contribute our gifts and talents to the whole community, making them radically available for service, in all the ways we are invited to use them. The impact of our service is stronger together than any one of us could offer alone. As you reflect this week, consider whether God is calling you to offer your unique gifts in this way of life. A whole community of Sisters is waiting to support you!

Blessings,
Sister Tarianne

For more about life as an Adrian Dominican Sister, click here.

“Nottingham Cemetery” by Dun.can is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Without a healthy self-love, there can be no love of God and neighbor. According to the Desert Fathers and Mothers of early Christian times, we cannot begin to learn how to love God and others without first learning how to claim for ourselves a self to do that loving. To many contemporary Christians, loving means that as Jesus sacrificed himself for others, so Christians must also in their everyday lives sacrifice their very selves for the sake of others. 

While it is true that love requires self-giving and discipline to respond to the needs of family, friends, community and those we serve, it is misguided to think that love is of such a self-sacrificing nature that Christians ought not have a self at all. One sign that we lack a self is the feeling that our worth is determined by others’ approval or liking of us. If we are captive to the need for approval, we may well refuse to make the right decision we know is true to our convictions out of anxiety over what others may think of us. As Christians, we need to realize our intrinsic value as created in the image of God. Our true identity rests in God and our primary relationship is with God.

For this reason, the Desert Fathers and Mothers told their disciples to be like the dead when it comes to other people’s opinion:

A brother came to see Abba Macarius the Egyptian, and said to him, “Abba, give me a word, that I may be saved.” So the old man said, “Go to the cemetery and abuse the dead.” The brother went there, abused them and threw stones at them; then he returned and told the old man about it. The latter said to him, “Didn’t they say anything to you?” He replied, “No.” The old man said, “Go back tomorrow and praise them.” So the brother went away and praised them, calling them, “Apostles, saints, and righteous men.” He returned to the old man and said to him, “I have complimented them.” And the old man said to him, “Did they not answer you?” The brother said no. The old man said to him, “You know how you insulted them and they did not reply, and how you praised them and they did not speak; so you too if you wish to be saved must do the same and become a dead man. Like the dead, take no account of either the scorn of human beings or their praises, and you will be saved.”

The clear message in Macarius’ teaching is that if we are able to understand that our authentic identity is not linked to others’ evaluations of us, we are free to be our true self. Only then will we be able to respond to the call of Christ to love God and neighbor as self.

Blessings,

Sister Sara

"Green & Yellow Wool Blanket" by moon angel is licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0

If four strong people were each holding the corner of a blanket, would you let yourself fall back into it with confidence? Probably. If one person dropped their side, what would happen? You would tumble out on to the floor. Or, if another person decided to suddenly raise their side, what would happen? You would slide right out. 

I just saw this demonstrated literally at the Dominican College Preaching Conference. The point was: to live well and discern well, we need to have a balanced life. As Dominicans we talk about the four key pillars that keep our lives in balance: prayer, study, community and preaching (ministry or service). While sometimes we might focus on one area more than another, if we completely drop one or over-stress one, we lose our stability. Being in balance helps us to live well and to choose well. 

Is your life in balance?

Blessings,

Sister Lorraine