The consecrated are called to be messengers of joy

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

Just as Anna and Simeon presented Jesus to the world and prophesied about the salvation his public ministry would bring to all of humanity, so do special people in our own lives “present” us to God and send us forth to do his earthly work – most visibly, in the form of our parents and godparents at baptism, and our sponsors at confirmation.

Likewise, men and women religious have special people who presented them to the Lord at their vow ceremonies and sent them forth in their own calling to present Jesus to others, said Archbishop Gregory Aymond, addressing men and women religious gathered Feb. 12 at St. Rita Church in New Orleans for a Mass celebrating the World Day for Consecrated Life.

For the consecrated, that special circle of “presenters” might include relatives, friends and members of their religious community, the archbishop noted.

“From its very beginning, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has been dependent upon and enriched by religious women and men. We thank you for who you are, we thank you for what you do and continue to do,” Archbishop Aymond said. “Today you present yourself, and those whom you remember in prayer, and those whom you serve – you present them to the Lord.”

Joyful witnesses needed

The Mass, sponsored annually by the archdiocesan Office of Religious on a Saturday near the Feb. 2 Feast of the Presentation, honors men and women religious for their work in building God’s kingdom and offers prayers for their continued resilience in the ministries they undertake, often in the margins alongside the poor, the sick, the lonely and the spiritually bereft.

During her reflection after Communion, Daughter of St. Paul Sister Jacqueline Jean-Marie Gitonga spoke eloquently about the beautiful “gift” of consecration she had in common with the religious sisters, brothers and priests sitting in the pews before her. Each one of them, she said, had been given the awesome honor of presenting Jesus to others and the responsibility to tell people that “there is much more to this life than what we can see.”

“We need to keep putting forth that joy, that hope that our world is so much in need of,” Sister Jacqueline said. “There’s hope, there’s mercy, there’s fullness of life in the midst of the sorrow, the division, the strife. There’s a new life in Christ that is worth giving our all!”

Sometimes the religious – while serving in ministry or even inside their own communities – forget the happy reality of their calling because of the busyness of life, Sister Jacqueline said. They must continually remind themselves to embody just how beautiful and needed the gift of consecration is.

“How grateful are we for this treasure? How radiantly do we share that joy with those we encounter today? How palpable is Jesus encountered through us by all those that we meet on the road and in person?” she asked them. “We can rejoice in that sense of being called. (God has) loved us just as we are!”

However, Sister Jacqueline noted, it is not enough for men and women religious to simply “know” that he or she has been called to consecrated life; Jesus sends them out into the world to help others know they, too, are loved. To sum up the world’s thirst for God, Sister Jacqueline sang the refrain from the song, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” by the band U-2.

“Some of us are still roaming this earth trying to find meaning,” Sister Jacqueline said. “But guess what? As religious, we are not searching – we have found (what we’re looking for), or rather, we’ve been found by a love that is much greater than us!”

To help others live the spiritual life in today’s world, she suggested the religious must exude joy and be willing to enthusiastically share their stories of what God has done in their own lives.

To help tell those stories to the world, Sister Jacqueline co-authored the 2021 book “Millennial Nuns: Reflections on Living a Spiritual Life in a World of Social Media.” She said Pope Francis himself once described every person as “a love story that God writes on this earth,” and reminded the people of God that they are loved by a heavenly Father who “calls each of us by name, looks at us, waits for us, forgives us and is patient with us.”

“They need to touch this joy, they need to hear this joy,” Sister Jacqueline said. “Use whatever means there is (to spread that joy) – go on TikTok, go on Twitter, go on Facebook, spread the good news.”

“Let’s joyfully share our love story – it is God’s love story,” she said. “The world is waiting for that sign of hope.”

After the Mass, the religious were treated to a special luncheon prepared and served by the East Jefferson Serra Club.

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