Today Sr. Heather Jean shares her response to God's call in her life. You are invited to reflect on yours as we move closer to the holy Feast of Easter!
Through the Waters of
Baptism
Sr. Heather Jean Foltz
Spring is a time of new
beginnings.; creation comes to life after remaining dormant for months, we
celebrate Christ’s resurrection and welcome new members into our church. It is also a time when we are reminded
of God’s calling in our life that began on the day of our own baptism. April 15, 1984 was the day that I was
baptized in the name of the trinity into the Christian community of faith and
the day that God began calling me to a new way of being. I have come to realize that God does
not call once, but continues to call us throughout our life. The first piece of our calling begins
at baptism and as we enter more fully into our baptismal promise we begin to
realize the personalized call that God has for us. This personalized call has two dimensions. The first is a more intimate
relationship with God and the second is a mission that will help extend God’s
love to the world. God has
invited me to my calling as a Benedictine Monastic.
Monastic life is centered on
seeking God. Prayer is central and
all other aspects of life flow from our life of prayer. It is within those intimate
moments of prayer both privately and communally that I am filled with God’s
love, which, through grace, helps me to love others in a more substantial
way. Living monastic life
involves living as a part of a larger group. I am one of many called to live out the Rule of Saint
Benedict at Our Lady of Grace Monastery. It is within the context of community that I am
able to see both the strengths of the body of Christ and also the division that
can be created as a result of our humanity. Living in community calls me to embrace the beautiful and
the broken aspects of human nature found within my sisters and myself. It is through embracing the human parts
of ourselves and others that we learn to love.
Monastic
life has an impact on the greater community and its presence is needed in the
world today. A life centered on
prayer, work, and hospitality is different than the values of our world. Our
Monastic presence in our world offers others the opportunity to pray with us,
to be prayed for and provides a space for respite for those seeking God. Our ministries within the
greater community also help bring a glimpse of our Benedictine values into the
work place. We are teachers,
administrators, nurses, librarians, musicians, and social service
providers. Through each of these
ministries we share our values with those we come into contact. Our co-workers watch to see how we
respond to different situations and rely on our prayers for strength and
support in their own journey. God
touches others through our acceptance of God’s invitation to live the monastic
life.
On
June 9, 2012, deepened my commitment to following God When I made my First
Monastic Profession. On the day of
my profession, I stood before God, my community, friends and family to profess
to live a life of stability, fidelity to the monastic way of life and
obedience. These vows are unique
to Benedictines. Stability is a
commitment to live out our monastic vocation in a specific community. It is a stability of place and heart. This stability is allows us to be
known by those who we live with in a deeper way and calls us to conversion. Obedience is a commitment to listen to
and remain faithful to God, our superiors, one another and to the monastic way
of life. We do not journey alone
in monastic life, but together. It
is through a life of mutual obedience that we learn to listen to how God is calling
us to grow in love . Monastic obedience
is the process of cultivating a listening heart. Fidelity to the monastic way of life is a commitment to live
faithfully our monastic practices and values as well as to remain open to
conversion within our hearts.
Our
calling is not stagnant. It does
not happen at one moment, but it is a continual turning back to God. We are each called to a specific
community and a specific ministry, but the call to continue to love God and
others in deeper ways continues throughout our life on earth. We are called to continue through grace
to heal the wounds that keep us from loving God, others, and ourselves. We are continually called back to the
waters of our baptism to enter more deeply into a loving relationship with our
Triune God.
Reflection
Reflect on how God is calling you to follow at this time in
your life. Is there something you
need to be about to respond to God’s call ? As we journey toward Easter, we remember our baptismal call
and once again commit ourselves to
God.
Prayer
Gracious God,
Through our baptism you call each of us to holiness.
Help me to respond to this call by living each day centered
in you.
May all I do and say bring me closer to you. Amen.
