Many older religious Sisters say to younger women discerning a call to vowed life, “You know, back in my day there weren’t as many options available if you wanted to serve in a ministry of the Church. Being a Catholic Sister was a way to offer my service fully and to know that I would be prepared professionally for the works of the congregation.” There is usually an unspoken question hanging in the silence after such a comment. “But why would you choose to do this today?” The answer is as mysterious as it has ever been. There is still an impulse to serve within the context of a greater project than one’s personal career goal and with the support of a common life, a shared spiritual journey within the lineage of a particular charismatic family of the Church.
Those discerning a call to religious life might be surprised to discover that the desire to serve will have manifested itself in myriad ways long before any serious consideration is given to “the BIG questions.” Talking with parents, siblings and friends of women in discernment or formation, it is interesting to hear observations and memories about how these women sought opportunities to be engaged with those in need, to notice injustices and speak up, to live with a generosity of spirit that was somehow distinctive, even at an early age. Seemingly insignificant choices to serve built one on another to provide a structure that now supports a life commitment. But the impulse to serve was there from the beginning and in a particular way.
Freedom to serve in ministries that are demanding, frustrating, heartbreaking and occasionally risky is part of the unusual attraction to religious life. The impulse to go where nobody else wants to go and to do what nobody else wants to do is often the “job description” of a Catholic Sister. It is not a reckless response but a serious commitment to the call to serve the least of our sisters and brothers, discerned in community. What have been the impulses to serve in your life’s journey so far?
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” - Gandhi
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