by Sister Gail Lambert
Pope Francis invites us to live the Joy of the Gospel by being people of celebration. The special year of celebrating the Consecrated Life began November 30, 2014 and concluded on February 2, 2016. Then Pope Francis declared a Jubilee year of Mercy that began on December 8, 2015 and will be celebrated through November 20, 2016, the feast of Christ the King of the Universe. The convergence of celebrating the consecrated and mission of mercy definitely relates to my life at a personal level.
On Trinity Sunday, May 22,2016, I will join nine other Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity in celebrating our Jubilee. ..for me it will be celebrating sixty years on the Journey of Faith as an MSBT. (We have two sisters celebrating 75 years; one celebrating 70 years; five celebrating 60 years and two celebrating 50 years.) To celebrate the consecrated life recognizes God’s call to live the vowed life commitment in a spirit of abandonment to the love and mercy of God found in the Providence of God each day.
As a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity, one who has said “yes” to the Lord’s invitation to be His person and person for others and praying to have the heart and spirit of a missionary, I find that this Jubilee Year is an invitation to rejoice and to be aware that God’s tomorrow beckons. Pope Francis’ challenge to all consecrated men and women throughout the world speaks to my heart-
“LOOK TO THE PAST WITH GRATITUDE
LIVE THE PRESENT WITH PASSION
EMBRACE THE FUTURE WITH HOPE.”
A vow is a Baptism of Love that provides the grace-energy to embrace missionary life in a spirit of living faith, radical trust and unconditional love. I thank God for my vocation and the grace to serve Him as a Missionary Servant of the Blessed Trinity. Do pray for all Jubiliarians throughout the world that we live our vocation in faithful love.
During this Year of Mercy, let us embrace a life of mercy and compassion. “Mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope.”(THE FACE OF MERCY [10] ) by Pope Francis.
How encouraging it is to live this promise of a future full of hope found in Jeremiah 29:11.
“I know the plans I have in mind for you
Plans for peace, not disaster reserving a
Future full of hope for you”
