|
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Since our foundation in 1891, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament have been called to fidelity in Mission. We consecrate ourselves to God through our congregation in a free and total gift of self. The Eucharist, God's free and total gift to us, is the heart of our community and service. We believe we are called to address the hungers of the world and to share the bread of our lives generously, joyfully and gratefully. We choose to live simply, in a manner that is counter-cultural and reflective of our interdependence with all creation. Out of our desire to effect unity and community among all peoples we actively oppose all forms of prejudice, racism and oppression. We are confident in our God. We are enriched by the spiritualities and the cultures of the Black and Native American peoples who have shared their life and love with us in mutual blessing. We are strengthened by our partnerships with others, and live in a spirit of hope, openness and discernment. In the words of St. Katharine Drexel, " I looked up in wonder at God's wonderful ways and thought how little we imagine what may be the result of listening and acting on a desire He puts into the heart." A call to religious life is an invitation to freely "come and see" who God is calling us to be. Each vocation story is unique and the journey is different for each Sister, but the common ground is the "yes" to God's call. Sister Odessa Standford, SBS Novice, did just that, she freely chose to "come and see" - here is her story. Odessa was born in Bay City, Texas. In a family of five girls and five boys, she was next-to-last. The family lived with the grandparents in a house which was built by the grandfather. The Standfords were practicing Protestants and were very involved in the church. In 1967 Odessa was baptized in the Baptist church. Odessa pursued a higher level of education after high school received a bachelor degree in education. After one year of teaching in the public school system, Odessa became disillusioned with teaching. She vowed never to enter the classroom again. During the time that Odessa was holding another job, some friends informed her about a teaching position that had opened at Duchesne Academy in Houston, Texas staffed by the Religious of the Sacred Heart. Odessa's friends encouraged her to apply. Odessa was not Catholic, and could not understand why her friends insisted she apply for the position. Ultimately, Odessa applied for the teaching position. While at Duchesne Academy, Odessa was assigned to teach grades five to eight. She taught social justice as part of the religious education program as well as instructed physical education and coached sports. As part of the daily activities at Duchesne, Odessa attended Mass with the girls. It was during this time that she developed a curiosity about the Catholic faith. Between 1990 and 1991 Odessa found herself forming a deeper relationship with Jesus through the sacraments of the Church. In 1995 there was a spiritual turning point in her life. She entered the RCIA program and was confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1995. As Odessa interacted with the Sisters at Duchesne Academy and the school community, she began to feel drawn to religious life. She was not sure if this was how God was calling her to serve. In the meantime, Odessa attended a workshop, Why Black School Educators Should Become Administrators, given by Sister Norbert Moline, SBS. Sr. Norbert's talk encouraged Odessa to earn her master's degree in education administration. In 1997, Odessa was certified as a secondary school principal. However, she continued to feel called to religious life. In 2004, while attending the National Black Sisters Conference, Odessa met Sr. Norbert once again. During the second meeting Sr. Norbert asked, "Has anyone ever told you - you may have a religious vocation? You need to discern about it and think about the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament."  In 2005 Odessa made a discernment retreat at the SBS Motherhouse in Bensalem, PA and at last felt peace with the direction her life's journey was taking. The rest of Odessa's journey continued to unfold. In 2006, she asked permission to enter the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as a Candidate and on September 8, 2008 Odessa confirmed her call to be a Sister of the Blessed Sacrament. She was accepted into the Congregation as a Novice. Discerning a call to religious life is about praying and waiting. It is about listening to God and trusting your heart. It is about a process where God's invitation to "come and see" will be a time full of grace. It is about allowing God to nurture you as you are transformed and committed to serving God's people. Submitted by: |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Pope Benedict XVI has declared this year the 2000th
anniversary of St. Paul the Apostle's birth. Perhaps more than any other
biblical figure in the early church, St. Paul exemplified profound conversion
and transformation for the sake of the Gospel. The life of St. Paul has much to
teach us about listening to God's call. In essence, St. Paul teaches us how to
be open to the process of conversion and to how to be faithful to the process of
transformation and commitment.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
 |
||
|
