6 Years Ago Today

Today I spent the day with my friend Chero. We will always have the bond of having gone through the novitiate together. We had lunch, caught up on each other's lives, and went to visit a few of our elderly sisters who are in the nursing home. It was a good day. When I got home I realized that I met Chero -- and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace -- six years ago today!

The occasion? A vocation retreat. My first foray into the world of religious life. My mission? To see if a) people still did this type of thing and b) if I could ever find a community where I'd feel at home. My journal entry from 6 years ago gives you some idea of what happened and why I am where I am today:

This weekend went better than I could have imagined. I felt welcomed and at home. All the sisters I met were amazing, from the retired sisters in the dining room (cute, fiesty ladies) to the younger more active sisters. I could see the possibility, the very real possibility of being a member of that community. Their charism of seeking peace through justice is so ... well ... me! And I sense that from that base and with that support, God and I could do great things. I really can see it, not as reality but as a possibility. On the drive home it struck me that I really must have felt at home, because I was not shy or introverted. Not for me anyway. I felt I was amongst kindred spirits. I laughed. I smiled - both on my face and in my heart. My face even hurts a bit from smiling.

Chero was there too that day, also drawn by God (and the internet!) to this amazing community of women. And here were are now, temporary professed Sisters, navigating the life of prayer, ministry and community that is religious life! We've had our ups and downs, but I can honestly say it is a joy to be in religious life with Chero and all of the CSJP Sisters and Associates. This picture is an old one - I think from the first Jubilee celebration I attended. You can see how happy we are in the picture. A good day then, a good day today, and many more to come.