What does it mean to live as a sign of God’s love? I find myself pondering this question as three of my FSPA sisters celebrate golden jubilee (50 years of vowed religious life), and two others, silver (25 years of fulfilling those same vows). Days, months and years all string together and suddenly such milestones appear.
Golden jubilarians: Sisters Jean Michael Treba, Lisa Zmuda, Rose Elsbernd
Silver jubilarians Sisters Eileen Shaw and Marcia Baumert celebrate at a jubilee pizza party (photo by Sister Charlene Smith)
I saw joy and tenderness in their eyes as they took in the monumental experience and wondered if they remember the moments that led them to it: entrance into novitiate, first and final vows, years of abundant ministry. And like many women, they may also have recollected times of hesitance to answer the call to religious life they heard all those years ago.
Sister Jean Michael Treba bears the cross into the celebration of Jubilee Mass at Mary of the Angels Chapel in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Life is full of ups and downs, but it can ultimately be jubilee everyday if we are open to living as a sign of God’s love.
Sisters Marcia and Lisa "embrace" jubilee!
How are you embracing the jubilee of your life? Is discernment leading you to enjoy it rather than endure it?
To see all 2016 jubilarians, click here and scroll to page 5 of FSPA's Perspectives magazine.
