Is God Calling You to Be a Sister?
By Fr. Adam Laski
“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Luke 10:2
I. Where Have All the Religious Sisters Gone?
I ask myself the question often: Where are the vocations to religious life? Many of us have witnessed the decline of vocations to religious life in the United States, along with the quiet closing of many convents and ministries that sisters have historically dedicated themselves to. But God has never stopped calling young women to this essential vocation. He is calling—yet many women may not know how to listen or recognize his voice.
First, let’s fall in love with the idea of a religious sister—or a religious vocation. We should be in awe of the possibility that some of the daughters in our families may be called to life as a religious sister. It should inspire us, make our hearts burn within us, to consider a woman responding to the Lord Jesus so wholeheartedly that she desires to consecrate her entire life to Him.
Religious life, when lived fruitfully as a sister or nun, can take as many external forms of ministry in the Church as we can imagine. But at its heart, it is made up of a vow to Jesus as spouse, professing poverty, chastity, and obedience.
These evangelical counsels are a unique way of responding to Jesus’ invitation in the Gospel. Throughout the Church’s history, men and women religious—like St. Dominic, St. Francis, and St. Mother Teresa—have heard the words of today’s Gospel and responded with total generosity: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals…”
St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony Abbot heard this invitation and sold what they had, giving it to the poor without delay. They found that the only way to belong exclusively to God in their vocation was to bind themselves to Him in betrothal—to let go of the goods of the world, a particular spouse, and even their own will—depending instead on Christ the Lord’s providence and seeking first the Kingdom of God in their religious community.
II. Awareness
Many joyful and vibrant religious sisters and communities are out there! If you have never seen them, check out the publications and websites of just a few:
Missionaries of the Word – Green Bay, Wisconsin
Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus – New Ulm & Duluth, Minnesota
Sisters of Life – New York, New York
Hawthorne Dominicans – Hawthorne, New York
III. Is God Calling Me to Be a Sister?
Only God knows. You don’t have to make up your mind now. But the first step is to commit more fully to a life of prayer and discipleship. Vocations are always discerned in the context of a good and supportive church community and family. Talk about discerning religious life with a priest, mentor, or trusted family member.
Come to a Bethany Brunch to meet real religious sisters and ask them how they heard God calling them to be a sister.
St. Joseph’s Parish in Rice Lake is hosting a Bethany Brunch on July 19th, beginning at 9:00 AM with Mass, followed by a meal and a Q&A session for any young woman (ages 18+) who wants to learn more about religious life. Please see the flyer in the bulletin for registration information.
IV. How to Pray for Vocations to Religious Life
It is clear that God has never stopped calling people to religious vocations. Each of us has a natural vocation to motherhood or fatherhood—either as a parent in a family or as a spiritual father or bride of Christ in religious life. In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us to “…ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Take God up on His promise, and ask Him boldly to give His Church many beautiful religious vocations. Here are a few ways to pray:
Say the Angelus daily at 6 AM, noon, or 6 PM—or before meals.
Offer an extra decade of the Rosary each day.
Fast on Wednesdays or Fridays.
Attend the Vocations Holy Hour, Mondays at 6 PM at Our Lady of Lourdes.
Have Masses offered for the increase of religious vocations.
Choose a religious congregation from the list above to “adopt” in prayer.