Reflection on Religious Life

A religious community takes time to form, it takes time for barriers to drop, for mutual confidences to grow. It becomes a religious faith community when most of the members have passed from "the community for me" to "we for the community". The passage from egoism to love is bound to be painful. A member of the community who lives in love tries to understand and appreciate the sense of community living - a life of love allows for imperfections.

We accept our sinful members, because we are sinful. Christ did not promise us joy and contentment in this world but persecution, tribulation for His sake. However, admist all these trials, He promised us His peace, a peace of heart that no one can take away from us. We diud not come together just to be happy, but because God called us.

It is incumbent upon each of us to work with others in building community, for it is in community that our salvation as religious will reach its clear manifestation. An apostolic, religious community must integrate these three elements, a life of prayer, of service, and an atmosphere where all its members can grow in their gifts.

We are drawn closer together in love through the experience of living off one another's faith and strength. We become saints together. The greatest joy that we can present to God is that of presenting ourselves to Him, as united religious family. It is only with deep conviction of what constitutes us as community and with fidelity to the demands of our vocation that our apostolic community will be able to be in the world a light that is not hidden and salt which keeps its flavor.

A faith community is made up of people who love, who forgive, who endure, who rejoice, who celebrate the gift of one another. In community we reveal who we are to one another. This interaction is the spiritual vehicle for a deepening and purifying formation of people.

This meditation was written by Sr. Dominica Slawuta, SSMI and is taken from the book "With All My Heart" A reflection on the Charism, Spirituality and Community Life of Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska the foundress of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. I feel that it can very well be applicable to religius life in various religious congregations and orders.