‘Let Jesus lighten the load’
Sisters Catherine Joy, Joseph Mary Nazareth and Monica Faustina visited the Diocese of Charlotte for a series of talks on spiritual joy. Sisters of Life provide pregnancy and spiritual support to pregnant mothers. They accompany women healing from the wounds of abortion with retreats and days of prayer at their locations across the country. (Georgianna Penn | Catholic News Herald) CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte received a special visit from the Sisters of Life on Feb. 15 as they spread their messages of joy and love during visits to Belmont Abbey College, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and St. Peter Parish in Greenville, N.C., as part of a series of speaking engagements in North Carolina on the sanctity of life.
The sisters’ visit was providential. In the month of February, the office of Student Life at Belmont Abbey has a particular focus on fostering healthy relationships, said Wesley Nelson, director of campus ministry at Belmont Abbey College.
“The sisters presented on the gift of every human person, which is fundamental to healthy relationships and fits perfectly with the theme this month,” Nelson said.
The sisters’ spoke with students, faculty and other visitors at the college, challenging them to open up to God’s love.
“What if this Lent, we let Jesus lighten the load,” said Sister Catherine Joy Marie. “Jesus’s love is indomitable. Nothing is too big for Jesus.”
Three truths of God’s love
During her talk, Sister Catherine shared three truths to help students as they began their Lenten journey: "You are awaited and protected," "You are above good," and "You are loved."
“God loves us so much that He goes ahead of us and has our best interest in life,” she said. “You are so precious to God that before He made you, He made someone to protect you, a spiritual friend, form fitted to your unique hearts. God entrusts us to our guardian angels. His entire mission is you.”
Lent might seem like a funny time to be reflecting on our goodness, but it’s actually essential to living Lent well, she noted.
“When God says you are above good, He is not just describing you. God’s words are performative; they are actually bringing about who He is in you,” explained Sister Catherine.
“You are good, not because you do good. You are good because God is our origin and our destiny.”
Sister Catherine shared a story of accompanying a young mother to her first ultrasound. She was abortion vulnerable and had so much fear, she said.
“When the flickering ultrasound appeared, all you could see was a tiny beating heart,” Sister Catherine said. “‘Look, your little one is all heart,’ exclaimed someone in the room.
Now, that’s life! God comes to take residence in our hearts. He imprints His image and His likeness on our hearts. There’s nothing too big or too small for Jesus.”
The sisters and Belmont Abbey students ended the evening in Eucharistic Adoration at St. Joseph’s Adoration chapel with music and meditation.
Founded on joy
The mission of the Sisters of Life is truly all about life. Founded in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor, the sisters are dedicated to protecting and nurturing life through their outreach of serving pregnant mothers throughout the United States and Canada, bringing God’s joy and goodness to everyone they encounter and serve.
“We are made for love, we are made to love, we are made from love,” said Sister Joseph Mary Nazareth, who presented on the gift of spiritual maternity at St. Peter’s Parish in Greenville.
“You each have love to give that only you can give,” she said. “The gift of spiritual maternity teaches us to delight in the other, God delights in us, and love is the only adequate response to the human person.”
It is just this concept that drives the spirit of the sisters’ work.
“When we accompany women, we first receive her and spend time with her. When she is affirmed, she feels she is loved and appreciated and can do anything,” Sister Joseph Mary said. “If I begin with the doing, she is an object of my charity. But let the nurturing of my heart to receive her then be matched by actions. She needs to believe she has the internal strength to do for her and her baby.”
‘Trust in the love of God’
The sisters led a Lenten reflection on Feb. 16 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Sister Catherine spoke to attendees about the deep proofs of God’s love for us and how reflecting on
His deep love for us is essential as we journey through Lent.
“She spoke about our guardian angels as one amazing proof of God’s love for us, having created a guardian for us even before He created the world,” said Tim Flynn, director of parish operations.
The sisters also led Parish Catechist Training on Feb. 17, centered on the theme of “Sharing the Gift of Vocation.”
Sister Catherine shared how the focus on joy and the value and dignity of each person can be very helpful in opening up young people to the idea of a vocation, whether to the consecrated life, priesthood or married life.
“Without an abiding sense of trust in the love of God, it is difficult to embrace any vocation, and so it is vital for parents and catechists to instill this in young people,” she said.
Flynn noted how special the sisters’ visit was.
“It was truly a blessing to have the Sisters of Life here at St. Thomas Aquinas,” Flynn said. “They were able to share not only practical wisdom, but who they are. It was a powerful witness to the great need we have in the Church for this visible witness to the beauty and attractiveness of giving one’s life totally for God as a consecrated religious sister.”
Sister Joseph Mary closed the day with prayer.
“Sometimes we go at life grasping, but let’s turn our hands over and let’s listen and receive,” she said. “Let us find where we can share the joy, love and resurrection with others in our lives.”
— Georgianna Penn
Young people from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish’s youth group Fruto de Fe (Fruit of Faith) reflect on Jesus’ dying words as He hung on the cross. These phrases, recorded in the Gospels, are often called “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” A devotion to the Seven Last Words began with a Peruvian priest in the 17th century, and has become a popular source of contemplation on Good Friday – the darkest day before the light of Easter dawns.
1. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”
Shortly before His death, it can be said that He was already dying and Jesus asked His Father to forgive His executioners because they did not know what they were doing. These words make me stop and reflect as a privileged child of God, who enjoys his love and forgiveness. Shortly before His death, Jesus stops for a moment and sees my reality and feels sorry for me and asks His Father God to forgive me because I do not know what I am doing. “Father, he is your son, look at him how he is, how much you have done for him. You have given him love and you gave him life. You gave him a family, exemplary parents worthy of admiration, and he does not recognize them, not even my suffering and my passion are enough for them. Father, forgive them because every time they do this, it hurts me to the core. This makes my strength more exhausted, the pain increases more, these nails torture me and the pain is unbearable. My body is bleeding more and more, my strength is running out little by little. Slowly death approaches, the darkness of death draws closer and closer, but my love for humanity is much stronger.”
— Darbin Marquez
2. “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Imagine that all your life you lead a life of crime, and you don’t take into account all the suffering you have caused. You are guilty to the point where your punishment is now crucifixion. You deserve it. And at your side you have someone who doesn’t deserve it, someone who has dedicated Himself to healing and doing God’s will. In your heart you recognize Him as the Messiah, the one your parents told you about. Seeing how they cursed Him and whipped Him. And with His suffering, you confess to Him and recognize Him as the Savior. He rewards you with entry to paradise and with the joy of being next to Him. Now, how beautiful it is to know that with all the bad things you have done in your life, just by confessing your sins and completing penance He purifies us and He admits us to paradise. By receiving the Holy Eucharist all this is fulfilled. “He who eats this bread and drinks this wine has eternal life.” We live this every time we go to Mass. Offer Him your joys and suffering, accept your failures and repent. The Lord is waiting with joy and pure love for His dear children who were lost and have returned.
— Asly Medina
3. “Woman, behold, your son…”
Did God create the perfect mother? Yes. On history’s darkest day, Christ hangs like a wounded eagle on the cross. Christ died to sanctify us. With His dying breaths, He tells the holiest woman, “Here is your son.” Christ made no exceptions: His Mother was given to us all, comforting those in suffering and feeling abandoned. Are you feeling like this? Go to Mary. Mary understands such pains, having experienced life without Jesus for three days. Are you a sinner? Recall Christ on the cross telling you, “Here is your mother.” Feel unworthy of Mary’s love? Our Lady of Guadalupe reassured Juan Diego saying, “‘Because truly I am honored to be your compassionate mother. Those who love me, those who seek me, truly will I hear their cry.” A young man ran to Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Or better yet, “What must I do to be happy?” We gain eternal life and happiness by obeying the Ten Commandments. Honor Mary by praying the rosary, observing the fourth commandment: “Honor your father and mother.” With every bead we say, “I love you,” and with every prayer she smiles and tells Christ, “See how they adore you.”
— Vicente Capistrano
4. “My God,My God, why have you forsaken me”
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? How many times has God heard this plea, which we cry out from the depths of our stress and anguish. God has given us the gift of freedom to choose, and we choose from our own weaknesses, which harms us. He, like a patient father, listens to our complaints and sits next to us suffering in silence. God lets us learn from our mistakes and allows us to find our way to Him, and like the Prodigal Son, we return to our Father, who we know for a fact only wants the best for us. How many times as young people have we fallen into the errors of vices, alcohol, drugs, lust, and we fall to the lowest point of our lives and we blame God. But these words that Jesus says on the cross are not an expression of discouragement but a great expression of trust in the Lord. We must have confidence in the Lord, who awaits us at the lowest point ready to lift us up. Let us use our suffering to draw closer to God and learn to surrender completely to His divine will. We can surrender more to His will by reading the Bible, attending Mass, receiving the Eucharist, going to confession and living our faith fervently.
— Juan Pablo Venagas
5. “I thirst”
How many of us thirst for success, appreciation, money or even love? And we fill that thirst with bad influences, drugs, alcohol, parties, pornography, and we even delve into social media in order to satisfy that thirst. The only thing we achieve with all this is to become emptier. Jesus said on the cross, “I thirst,” and perhaps we say, “Lord, you who can do everything, why don’t you do something?” But God loves us so much that He gives us the freedom to choose Him. On that cross He shows us that He thirsts for us. He wants to love us as we deserve despite our sins, and longs to save our souls. And why do we keep denying Him? What are we afraid of? Instead of giving Jesus our sincere and humble heart, we keep giving Him the hyssop full of vinegar. We say, “I am already in the church serving and going to Mass every Sunday. Lord, you see that I am following your path.” I ask you, are you really going for Jesus or just to be seen and receive approval from the world? Despite everything, Jesus looks at you with eyes of love and wants to love you in a beautiful way. Just open your heart and say “Lord, I am thirsty.”
— Angela Acosta
6. “It is finished”
6. “It is finished”Moments before breathing His last, Jesus says is “It is finished.” All the chaos from the disgruntled crowds had finished. All the torture they put Jesus through had finished. The scourging, the crowning of thorns on His head, the many times He fell to the ground, the thirst He felt, the agony He endured - it was all finished. Imagine how Jesus felt in these moments - the pain He felt. Being both divine and human, He felt the physical and emotional pain of each fall, of the insults, and of all the torture He underwent. But His love for us allowed Him to endure all of this. It is finished. At this point, He handed over His spirit. This, in a way, calls to mind the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is hope in this moment. The Holy Spirit continues to be with us from the moment of our baptism, thanks to the infinite love and generosity of God.
Jesus did everything He could for our salvation. He gave up His life for us. The sacrifice was complete - it was finished.
— Jennifer Hernandez
7. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”
We find these words in the Gospel of St. Luke. Jesus sees that everything that the Father has entrusted to Him is fulfilled, and just like Jesus Christ, we will deliver everything that God entrusts to us into His hands. Our life, our heart, our work, everything. How beautiful to hear from His voice those sweet words spoken all with love, “Father into your hands I entrust my spirit.” It is a way of saying, “My God, I trust in you, I give myself to you.” How beautiful to see that great love that unites the Father with the Son, the obedience of Jesus to the Father. In these words, humanity is reflected – no matter how great the suffering is, it manifests the obedience and humility that we owe the Father. And how great is His love that does not challenge the will of the Father because love is humility and obedience. He places His trust eternally in God. With these words, He ends His mission on earth and returns to His Father. With these words He reaffirms our faith, fully entrusting in the hands of God our life, our family, our lives, and everything that God tells us to do. Our entire being belongs to Him. Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.
— Javier Varela