By Sr. Rosa Esperanza Carrasco Espinal, Province of Peru
Belonging to an apostolic congregation as a contemplative I find that it is the mission that impels me to continue walking along paths that are often unknown; it is the fire that burns in my heart that leads me to travel with love because I myself am mission. I carry in my heart the gaze, the face, and the concrete actions of a God who manifests himself and I can marvel at the intimacy and presence of this living God.
Living in this God and from God in the Contemplative life that I have chosen in an apostolic congregation, leads me to be more aware of the value of life, and the impact it has on the universe where I live interconnected with Creation, being part of it to be a ray of light, a ray of hope in the midst of individualism, of violence, of division.
Achieving this is difficult because it is easier to seek personal gain without seeking the well-being of your neighbor, without thinking about the mystery of God that is found in the other.
When I don’t think about the other, that’s when mistakes arise, but being aware of others helps me to realize my own vulnerability and the need for my sisters and brothers.
For this reason, community life is a fundamental element in contemplative life. When I feel supported and listened to, I am motivated to be myself with my gifts and frailties in the hands of the Original Divine.
Walking in that presence of the Good Shepherd, as St. Mary Euphrasia says, is “living by example which impresses much more than words, and by it surprising results are obtained“. This is the evident testimony of my life that will speak for itself, it is my attitudes that will invite others to look towards the Good Shepherd, in my holistic self who is embraced by the love of God.