By Sister Genevieve Sache, OSB

The magnificence of the trees budding forth into all the pastel promise of spring provides much thought for mediation for me as I drive to work each morning. There are so many themes through Scripture which build on this aspect of nature and its promise.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (Jn. 12:24) Sometimes with all the poetry of spring, the reality of the seedling is forgotten or ignored.

It is so much more satisfying to focus on the fragrant blossoms than the struggle of the seed to transform itself and achieve its destiny.

The single seed is obscure, minute, and often blends so completely into the surrounding soil as to be unnoticeable to most eyes. In this obscurity, surrounded by darkness and the cold, damp earth, it must be split open and burst out of itself if it is to become that which it was meant to be.

This metaphor of our Lord’s strikes me as particularly appropriate for application to religious life. At this time of year each young woman in our community who has not yet made perpetual vows is requested to fill out an evaluation; her advisor does likewise.

This evaluation, while it is extremely difficult to concretize perceptions, aspirations, and convictions into concise paragraphs, forces those involved to do just that which is so difficult to do.

The mystery of religious vocation, of God calling us within ourselves and out of ourselves to a particular dimension within the Church, necessarily takes shape like the seedling. Developing a spirituality based on a faith that sees value in the transcendent symbols which are at the heart of religious life is not easy. Growth—whether to adult maturity or to religious depth – can be painful as well as joyous.

It would seem to be so much easier if God came and spoke audibly and visibly to each one of us (regardless of which vocation one had chose) to let us know exactly what we should do at each step in our lives. Then we would KNOW! It would be so nice to be a beautiful bud without having seen a grubby seed!

Some of life’s choices can be measured and weighed in terms of the tangible results—increased income, less tension, greater freedom for self-development, etc., but most choices which are really crucial to our lives cannot be measured in advance.

For those of us who must assist these women in making their decisions, it is an awesome task, for a call within the Church does not depend totally on the wishes of the person who comes to the novitiate; it is also the Church who invites the person to fulfill that specific relationship within the Church.

Paradoxically, it is often the women who might have the greatest difficulty in seeing just that fact. Many people have commented on the “tragedy” that so many have left religious life.

As I reflect on some of the women who have been a part of our community for a time, I am impressed by the fact that it is not a “tragedy” that so many have left religious life.

As I reflect on some of the women who have been a part of our community for a time, I am impressed by the fact that it is not a “tragedy” that they came or that they left. While they were with us they grew in knowledge and understanding of themselves and the role they were to fulfill in life. We were able to share something of our faith life and assist them in their life choice and development.

No less important is the contribution each of them has given to our community by their time with us, not so much the work they did, despite the value of the work, but by the unique gift that each person is, the challenge they brought to us in trying to meet their needs and in examining ourselves where there were mutual problems.

On the other hand, it is a great gift to see a woman with whom one has prayed, agonized and struggled with come joyfully and confidently to full bloom in the profession of her vows.

Life goes on…Each spring those who have known the beauty of May and June can give hope to those still buried in the chill of early spring.