It Starts with a Seed

In the spring, Sister Gardener launched into a fun endeavor: growing sunflowers! A basic rule of gardening is to plant a few more seeds than desired in the case that not all of them sprout. Much to Sister's surprise (and our enjoyment), all the seeds decided to sprout and blossom this summer! 

A beautiful fact about sunflowers is they always point towards the sun. Regardless of the time of day or weather, the flower always knows the direction of the sun, and orients itself in the appropriate direction. 

The consecrated religious is to have this same orientation: at all times, the soul is turned towards the Lord. She rises with the morning offering upon her lips, immediately giving the day to Him Who gifts her the day. Beholding His Sacred Countenance in adoration and Holy Mass, she basks in His Divine Radiance. Throughout the day in her apostolate or daily duties, she makes acts of faith, hope, and charity - re-orientating herself to God's will in the present moment. 

At night, she places her heart in the tabernacle to dwell with Him Whom her soul loves. The orientation remains, despite the "weather" of her life. Clouds may seem to mask her view of God, storms flood her mind, darkness passes over her in times of prayer. But in all this, the religious knows to Whom she must always face: her Lord, her God, her Spouse.

Like the sunflower, she rises above the world and points to God who causes her soul to grow. He helps her soar above the spirit of the world to heights beyond what she could ever imagine. He takes her by the hand and helps her climb to new heights, where she no longer resembles herself, but the Transfigured Christ. 

The Feast of the Transfiguration (of which we celebrate today) is the mystery which Pope St. John Paul II calls the religious to embody.  

"Called to contemplate and bear witness to the transfigured face of Christ, consecrated men and women are also called to a "transfigured" existence," through the profession of the evangelical counsels. "(Vita Consecrata, #35)

"But the religious' transfiguration is not just for herself; it is for others, just as Christ's Transfiguration was both for the glory of the Father and for the sanctification of the apostles.

​"When consecrated persons live consistently and fully their freely assumed commitments, they are able to offer a response to the longings of their contemporaries ... by practicing a personal and communal asceticism which purifies and transfigures their entire existence, they bear witness, against the temptation to self-centeredness and sensuality, to the true nature of the search for God."
​(Vita Consecrata, #103)

On this glorious feast, we will accept new aspirants into our community. Please pray for these new Sisters as they embark on the journey of God's holy will and seek to become transfigured into only Him. 

Sunflower Slideshow