Seeing Through Eyes of Faith: A New Look at Beauty and Joy

CLEVELAND - Feb. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- What if religious sisters were associated with radiant joy, youthfulness, and the pursuit of holiness? What if discerning religious life wasn't frightening, stereotyped or unusual?

This is the goal of the movement, Imagine Sisters; to normalize religious vocations by displaying the joy and love shown by these women. Their website proclaims:

"Have you ever met a religious sister? They tend to be the happiest women on Earth. They pray, they sacrifice their lives in love and service to those in need, they live in community-and in many ways they're just like you! Whether you've been taught by sisters or you've never experienced their joy in person, Imagine Sisters has dedicated this site to passionately propose the possibility of becoming a sister in the world today."

In 2013, Imagine Sisters released the hour-long film, "Light of Love", http://lightoflovefilm.com/, which can be viewed online. The compelling film features honest conversations with five sisters from five different religious orders. The Sisters share their vocation stories, and their ministry to the Church: whether it is nursing, running soup kitchens, or ministering on college campuses.

The love of Christ - which is overflowing from these sisters - is apparent in their work and in their words. As one of the sisters from the film - Salesian Sister Mary Jackson - says, "A person with a cheerful heart is one who truly loves God... We are made in God's image, so to be holy is to be cheerful all the time."

The Imagine Sisters website has some great resources such as discernment advice, dealing with a lack of support from family and friends, and a letter of encouragement from a mother whose daughter joined a cloistered order! Can you imagine yourself as a sister? Visit their website, here: http://imaginesisters.org/

* * *

Shadow the Sisters this Spring

Would you like to learn more about the religious life? Is the possibility of becoming a sister tugging at your heart? Come visit us for a day or two, or stay overnight during our open house, which runs April 10-17, 2014.

Young women will have the opportunity to visit our Cleveland home and "shadow us" as we go about our prayer life, community life and apostolate. For more information, and to register, please visit our website, http://mercedariansisters.org/.

Be sure to like our Facebook page,https://www.facebook.com/mercedarians, for more updates and news!

If you think you may be called to become a Mercedarian Sister of the Blessed Sacrament, take our simple Test Your Call survey at http://mercedariansisters.org/Formation/TestYourCall.aspx. I'll write a personal response.

Sr. Jeanette Marie, Vocations Director