First Post

Well, here is my first post. The title of my blog is a quote from Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Alphonsus is a close and dear friend of my heart because of his radical love for God, his intense care for the poor and marginalized, his deep desire to see the mission of the Church spread, and his spirituality of the Cross, Crib, Incarnation, and the Blessed Mother. As a woman in formation with an apostolic community the will of God, that love of God which Alphonsus speaks so eloquently about, is the focus of my life.

I decided to start this blog to share some of my thoughts especially on religious life. I find that this time is an exciting one to be a religious in the history of the Church. There are so many temptations to disregard God but in His grace they become opportunities for His glory to be made known in the world. God is so good to give us this free will to love Him. My vision for the future of the Church and of religious life in the Church is one of great hope and light.

I think that in religious life we are at a pivotal time, especially in apostolic communities. There is such a need for apostolic work of all kinds but there is such a shortage of vocations being answered. The apostolic visitation that is occurring now in America is a blessing to the sisters who desire to root out whatever harmful secular concepts have crept into our religious houses and to answer anew the call to the will of God. My vision for this apostolic religious life is one of fervor for mission, radical dedication to prayer, and deep desire for authentic community life, one in mind and heart with the Church.

In my short experience as a religious the joy of my life comes most especially at the end of the day when I realize for the first time that I have been awake for seventeen hours. In those seventeen hours God has touched me and I have touched Him. I have tirelessly prayed, worked, served, loved, comforted, laughed, studied, cleaned, and talked all for His glory. From my waking moment when I thank Him for His physical presence in the Blessed Sacrament right beneath my room, to prayer with my sisters, to Mass with the parish, to welcoming students to school, to teaching them reading and writing, math and science, to planning lessons, to prayer again, to charges, to recreation, and to late night studying and preparation for school, to that last moment when I pray, "May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen," I am continually offering the Lord a sacrifice of love and praise. He touches me in every moment and I touch Him. It is a beautiful life.