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Vocation Office
Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
February,
2006
Dear
Everyone,
As I read the recent document of
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict I thought about the many
women discerning a call to religious life and how his
words on the Love of
Christ
relate to the LOVE OF THE HEART of
CHRIST that is the heart and depth of our
Apostle charism.
As we have said in previous letters—it is the love that
the world so desperately needs-the
Love of the Heart of Christ.
I have taken a quote from the document and I encourage
you to read the entire letter.
“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God,
and God abides in him” (1
Jn 4:16). These words from
the
First Letter of John
express with remarkable clarity the heart of the
Christian faith: the Christian image of God and the
resulting image of mankind and its destiny. In the same
verse, Saint John also offers a kind of summary of the
Christian life: “We have come to know and to believe in
the love God has for us”. We have come to believe in
God's love: in these words the Christian can express
the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is
not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but
the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life
a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John's
Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so
loved the world that he gave his only Son.” Since God
has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is now
no longer a mere “command”; it is the response to the
gift of love with which God draws near to us. God's love
for us is fundamental for our lives, and it raises
important questions about who God is and who we are.
Anyone who wishes to give love must also receive love as
a gift. Certainly, as the Lord tells us, one can become
a source from which rivers of living water flow (cf.
Jn 7:37-38). Yet to become such a source, one must
constantly drink anew from the original source, which is
Jesus Christ, from whose pierced
Heart flows the love of God
(cf. Jn 19:34). His death on the Cross is the
culmination of that turning of God against himself in
which he gives himself in order to raise man. This is
love in its most radical form. By contemplating the
pierced side of Christ (cf. 19:37), we can understand
the starting-point of this Encyclical Letter: “God is
love” (1 Jn 4:8). It is there that this truth can
be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of
love must begin. In this contemplation the Christian
discovers the path along which his life and love must
move. Only my readiness to encounter my neighbour and to
show him love makes me sensitive to God as well. Only if
I serve my neighbour can my eyes be opened to what God
does for me and how much he loves me. The
saints—consider the example of Blessed Teresa of
Calcutta—constantly renewed their capacity for love of
neighbour from their encounter with the Eucharistic
Lord, and conversely this encounter acquired its real-
ism and depth in their service to others.” Deus
Caritas Est
Perhaps you
would be interested in coming to visit our motherhouse
or make one of our retreats. If there is anything that
we can do to help you in your discernment, please let us
know. In the meantime, know that we continue to pray for
you and hope that you experience the strength and power
of God’s love in your life through the Sacraments,
Prayer and Spiritual reading.
The
following questions I thought that you could ponder and
take to your journal. Even if some of the questions
apply to your life that may be a clear message that you
can consider religious life as an option for your life!
How do you know
if God is calling you to serve as a religious for God’s
people?
Do you recognize any of these characteristics in
yourself?
-
Your relationship with
God gives you strength and direction.
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You love your Catholic
Faith and are faithful to the Eucharist.
-
You enjoy working with
people.
-
You are often found
going out of your way for others in some kind of
service.
-
You are physically,
emotionally and spiritually healthy.
-
Other people have
suggested to you that you may be called to the
religious life.
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You don't feel worthy
of the call; you are somewhat afraid but at the same
time excited about the possibility.
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You are reliable and
responsible. People can count on you to come through
for them.
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Discernment takes a lot
of time, soul searching and prayer. Looking into your
heart and asking yourself these questions is a big
step toward becoming a better Christian!
-
Have I experienced
God's love in my life?
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Do I actively practice
my Catholic faith and participate in my parish?
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Does the Gospel message
excite and challenge me?
-
Am I searching for a
way to share my gifts with others?
-
Do I desire a deeper
relationship with Jesus Christ?
-
Am I willing to offer
my life for the message of Jesus Christ in the Gospel
and his Church?
-
Do I like working with
people and do I get along with men and women from all
walks of life?
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Do I want to make a
positive difference in the lives of others
May the Heart
of Christ and His Blessed Mother Mary continue to be
with you on your journey!
Sr. Christine
Sr. Christine Kiley ASCJ
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