By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL
A Discernment Retreat weekend was offered by the Maronite
Servants of Christ the Light at the Mother of Light Convent on April 6 – 8. The
theme, Speak Lord, Your servant is Listening, guided the young women to
break down the process of vocational discernment whether to marriage or
religious life, equipping them with tools to guide a discernment journey.
Through a series of presentations, reflections, group sharing,
and prayer the sisters explained how to be attuned to God’s voice. As one of
the retreatants remarked, “thank you sisters for a beautiful and peaceful
retreat. I’m so blessed and thankful to be able to spend this weekend in your
presence.”
A guest speaker,
Debbie Perry, shared her witness as a married woman, including the moments of
joy and difficulty, insisting with the women that God must be number one in any
marriage. The Maronite Servants shared on their own experiences as consecrated
religious and what helped them in making their vocational decision.
Specifically, Mother Marla Marie, who celebrates her 35th
anniversary of religious life, explained how God is more than enough and has
deeply fulfilled her.
The Divine Liturgy was offered each day in our Chapel,
celebrated by our chaplain Father Nichols, in addition to Eucharistic
Adoration. On the last day, the retreatants participated in the Mystery of
Penance, receiving God’s mercy on the Feast of New Sunday/Divine Mercy.
The retreatants were given the space they needed to
de-compress from their busy lives and just “be” for the Lord. They each
commented that they enjoyed getting to know each other and spending time with
like-minded young women who are seeking fulfillment and happiness in God’s will
for their lives.
If you are
seeking resources for discernment, contact the Sisters at sister@maroniteservants.org. For more information about the mission of the Maronite
Servants visit their website: maroniteservants.org.
