radical way. While much is gained
through this lifestyle, the initial
“yes” to it comes from some deeply
felt call to abandon everything and
“follow me.” When i was 22 and
graduating from college, i felt this
call and so i entered the Marianite
congregation before i could rationalize or talk my way out of it!
i believe most people, when they
think of the vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience, tend to see them
in terms of what we who profess
them either give up or can’t do. simply put, we have no money of our
own, we can’t get married or date,
and someone else tells us what we
can and cannot do. While i suppose
that’s technically true, if that were all
it is about, who in their right mind
would say yes to such a life? The
vows are meant to free us rather than
constrict us so that we can spend our
energy and time more in building up
the kingdom of God.
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bringing a
RECONCILING
PRESENCE
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vocation@ssj-tosf.org
Sisters of St. Joseph
of the Third Order of St. Francis
Vocation Minister
PO Box 305
Stevens Point, WI 54481-0305
The vow of poverty:
When enough is enough
Poverty to me means developing a
healthy practice of using the word
enough. our society tells us we constantly need more, bigger, the latest,
and the best to be happy. The vow
of poverty calls me to live simply, to
be satisfied with what i have, and
to share with others. The vow of
poverty is not about being materially poor but about striving not to be
caught up in accruing things or status, to use in moderation the natural
resources of the world, and to follow
the example of Jesus and his first
disciples. While i have everything i
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VISION 2013
