Dear Parents,
When a woman is discerning the possibility of a religious vocation, it often brings with it many questions for her family, as well. We wish to acknowledge the journey of faith for a family of a woman discerning and to walk with you along this path.
The Lord’s gift of a religious vocation is for the sake of His glory, for the joy of the person called, and for the salvation of the world (Essential Elements, 5). It is Jesus who calls and speaks to the heart, He who ascended Body and Soul into heaven, whose Sacred Heart still beats for mankind; it is He who calls each of us to the vocation and great plan He has in mind for our fulfillment and our joy. Heeding and following Jesus’ call means allowing the Lord to shape one’s life and allowing Him to alter one’s plans, which requires great acts of faith— even the willingness to create time and space to allow His Word to engage the question of a religious vocation entails a great deal of trust. Following the Lord’s call means allowing Him to step into the driver’s seat; it means handing over the keys and trusting that He desires our joy and happiness more than anyone else—more than we do ourselves. This adventure in trust will at times be arduous for the discerner; and, at times, it will also be arduous for her family.
To parents of a woman discerning a vocation to religious life, be not afraid (Inaugural Address of Pope John Paul II, n.5)! The beautiful hopes and dreams you have for your daughter, and the gifts you see in her, will still be fulfilled though, now, in a new and magnificent way, as she entrusts her life to the Lord and seeks to follow His call. Jesus promised His disciples that “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29). Jesus’ promise of a hundredfold blessing is a reality, which is the Lord’s plan for your daughter, for you and for your family. Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception is the preeminent promise of this grace to a parent through the child’s vocation, as she preveniently received this grace through the graces Her Son merited for her on the Cross. We also see other promises of these vocational graces to parents in Scripture: Jesus heals Saint Peter’s mother-in-law, who in turn waits on Him; and in the Old Testament, all of Joseph’s family is saved and honored because of Joseph’s obedience to the Lord’s call (Matthew 8:14; Genesis 45). The key to unlock these blessings the Lord wishes to give you and your family now, even while your daughter is discerning, is trusting in God’s plan for you and for your daughter and trusting in His plan (which is full of Mercy and Love) for whatever her vocation will mean in your family. If the Lord is asking you for your daughter’s hand as His Spouse, He is asking this of you because He wants to impart to you, in particular, a special intimacy with Him in this vulnerability. Let His love for you embrace and comfort you; dive into His Heart through prayer in scripture, Mass, adoration; be vocal with Him, ask Him your questions, seek Him with all your heart, knowing firmly that in your daughter’s vocation, the Lord will bountifully fulfill His commandment that you be honored.
If your daughter is called to Religious Life, this is a great leap of faith on your part as parents: your relationship with your daughter will look different than it did before. While your relationship with your daughter will change, it will not be ended but deepened in a new way. As with a seed that is buried or a caterpillar in a cocoon, it might be difficult to see the goodness in this difference at first. But the seed will blossom, the caterpillar will break forth into flight; the different relationship will be something miraculously magnificent. What you may not anticipate, as well, is that it is not just one seed that is planted or one caterpillar that is transformed in your sacrifice; for, in offering your daughter, you will receive a hundredfold more daughters and become a part of her community’s religious family. You will be loved and supported in prayer, in service, in whatever way the community can best love you and your family.
Our Lord promises peace to those who trust in him; He invites us to not let our hearts be troubled or afraid, but to place all our confidence in Him (John 14:27). Please know of our love and prayers for you as you await the unfolding of your daughter’s vocation and response to the Lord’s Love and Life in her life.
Yours warmly in Christ Jesus,
The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan
