SR MELISSA DWYER

DON’T WAIT TO BE PERFECT!

SEARCH FOR A SENSE OF PEACE

The Courage to Say “Yes”

One thing is certain, discerning God’s will for your life is not an easy task! There are so many great ways we can serve God, but discovering the vocational path that God calls us on, and having the courage to take the step to explore it, isn’t easy! God doesn’t send us a text message to tell us what to do, but I believe that the radical journey of becoming who God calls us to be is an exciting adventure.

The most important element of discernment is prayer. We need to ground ourselves in our personal relationship with God, and dare to ask God the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Any vocational path, whether its married life, priesthood, religious life or single life, is about finding the ways we can fully express our love for God in daily life. The more we invest in growing in our love for God through giving time to prayer, the more clarity we discover around how we are called to live out this fullness of life in Christ.

It can be beneficial to have someone who is trusted and can help us to listen to what the Spirit is saying. This might be a Spiritual Director, a mentor or a trusted friend. It can often be wise to not talk to too many different people about your vocational discernment, as sometimes the more opinions we hear, the more confused we become!

Stepping out in faith is also important in our discernment journey. When I first considered Religious Life, I had no idea what it really meant to be a consecrated woman. In my journey of discernment, I was waiting for God to send me a sign. I’ve since discovered that God reveals Himself along the way. We don’t need to wait to have absolute 100% clarity before we begin to explore a possible vocational pathway, especially if it’s priesthood or religious life. We need the courage within to put out into the deep and trust that God is with us. Don’t wait to be perfect! Yet search for a sense of peace in the discernment space, for where you find peace is possibly where God is calling you.

Having God in your life, and seriously discerning God’s dream for you, is an ongoing process. When we say “yes” to God, it’s not only once. Living our vocation is about a daily response to God’s loving invitations in our lives. It helps me to remember that God doesn’t need our capacity, He needs our availability. The challenge is to trust God and have the courage to dare to be different.

At this moment in history, our Church and our world are so desperately in need of committed men and women who are willing to have God at the centre of their lives. Let us dare to be extraordinary in living out our love for God in daily life. And let us pray for the grace of open hearts to allow God to fulfil His dream for our lives – whatever that might look like!

SR MEL WILLIAMS

“THERE IS JOY WHEN THAT TRUTH IS FOUND.”

Abide in my Love
John 15:10

After sixty years of consecrated life as an Ursuline, there is a long way to look back but it is a look that brings great joy. Long before convent life the joy began with my parents, brother, sister and extended family. I believe that is where I learnt how God could love. Then boarding school with the Ursulines drew me into the world of intentional meditation as each morning before mass the sister in charge shared with us her contemplation of the day’s gospel. In class we were introduced to the Ignatian pattern of prayer as we assembled our own ‘little meditation books’ where we learnt to pray with the constant desire to ‘know, love and serve Him’.

I was drawn to the Ursulines because they were an attractive group of individual women and they were respectful and loving towards their students. To join a religious Order at this time was considered quite a wonderful thing to do because it was seen then as a valued way of life. In our more secular society today, I don’t think it is viewed the same way.

In the early years, I felt great fulfilment and satisfaction as a teacher of young women. Imparting knowledge is exciting but drawing out the individual possibilities and seeing how each young one can flourish is more so.

Much of my life has been in formation roles within the Order, firstly as directress in the Novitiate where young women came to see if they were called to religious consecration or not. Central to my role at this time was the close accompaniment of each one in order to help discern if this desire was from God. This close accompaniment demanded constant attentiveness, a deep respect for the person in formation, knowledge of the ways of God and among other things an ability to wait.

An accompanier, as the word indicates, is not one of the main players. This business is between God and the person and it is the role of the one accompanying to walk beside the novice, instructing her in prayer and practices which develop closeness to God. And to help her interpret what is happening. The one accompanying also has to observe the signs in the life and actions of the one in formation to see if this is where she is happy and fulfilled. Discernment is seeking the truth and there is joy when that truth is found. Joy at one remaining who goes on to take vows and joy when one leaves. No way of life is greater than another. Just different.

In my role as formator it has been necessary at every stage to have my own spiritual director to see more clearly where God is in my life. Supervision was most important for me when I became director of our International Tertianship. This is a seven-month time in Rome for Ursulines from various countries and it takes place for them about ten years after first profession. With a multicultural group of women from different backgrounds, ministries and experiences I had to constantly stop and reflect on my practice with a qualified person as supervisor so as to enable the best outcomes for the sisters. Both spiritual direction and supervision keep us from deluding ourselves and help us to be true!

FINAL PROFESSIONS

Remain in My Love…

On the day of our baptism we are brought into the love of God that knows no limits. It is the call of every baptised person to discover and live love.

Recently, the Archdiocese of Brisbane has been blessed to witness the final profession of vows of four young women who have chosen to respond to God’s call, devoting their lives to love as consecrated religious. Whilst they have done this through embracing different charisms, they share a common desire to lay down their lives for the service of their brothers and sisters.

Whilst there are many ways that one can serve the Church, the life-commitment of Srs Monique Singh, Theresia Maria, Teresa Monica and Teresa Francis bears witness to the truth that Religious Life is still a viable option for young people. Through embracing vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, they have availed themselves to witness to the God who draws them to himself.

Let us continue to pray that young women and men throughout the Australian Church will listen deeply to the invitation of God, and be open to a vocation to Religious Life.

SISTER CATHERINE ANN THÉRÈSE OF THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST OCD

A BEAUTIFUL GIFT FROM GOD

My vocation as a Carmelite Nun is a wonderful gift, in which God continues to reveal new depths and surprises. You may think a life in an enclosed contemplative Order would be dull and boring, but I can honestly say the last 13 years within the monastery have flown by.

I never imagined I would serve God in a life of prayer. I always thought I would be in an active or missionary Order, as I love helping people. In High School, I knew I wanted to be a religious, but when I shared my desire, I only encountered mockery and discouragement. As a young adult while working as a preschool teacher, I kept praying, waiting and looking. I was very involved in my parish and did courses to deepen my understanding of the Catholic faith.

When the relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux came to Australia, I went to pray and received a special grace: a stillness with an overwhelming sense that God was with me, my vocation was not lost, and that St. Thérèse was an important link on my journey. Through this grace I regained confidence in the search for my vocation. I read Saint Thérèse’s book: ‘Story of a Soul’, and I longed to have the same intensity of love for God as she had. I discovered she was a Carmelite. I had never heard of that Order, so I made contact with the Carmelite Sisters.

Over the next three years I went on retreats run by the Carmelite Friars, I joined the Young Carmelite Group and kept in contact with the Carmelite Sisters. Gradually something resonated in my heart and I fell in love with Carmelite spirituality and the Carmelite saints. I discovered that prayer was Apostolic and Missionary, reaching out in love, to help the whole world.

I have been a fully professed Carmelite Sister for six years. As I become more aware of the indwelling presence of God, I encounter a peace and joy the world cannot give. I love the contrast in our life of solitude, silence and prayer, but also time together with the sisters in community. I am privileged to be in a community of supportive, joyful sisters, who strive to be beacons of faith and hope, and “Love in the heart of the Church”.