Today’s world enjoys unprecedented technology and opportunities to grow in knowledge. However, globalization, liberalization, technology, and media have distanced people from God, eroding the sense of the sacred and leaving little interior space for spirituality. Our fast-paced lives risk turning us into machines, ignoring important priorities. Faith is often marginal and moral conscience weak. There is an unhealthy trend towards competition and the pursuit of recognition and titles. Religious life is not spared from this influence. We find ourselves at the crossroads. This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is,
and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
(Jeremiah 6:16)

When we reflect on the lives of Mary, Mother of Carmel, and our beloved Foundress, Mother Veronica, we see that they too encountered crossroads in their journeys. When Mother Mary received the message, she was confused and distressed. We see her perplexed, surprised, filled with fear and anxiety. In the face of God at work in our lives, before we understand what kind of message we are being given, before we know how to understand what is happening, we too are bewildered and shocked. When God begins to create something new in our lives, we are as confused as Mary was.

No matter how much we may complain about life as we know it when God comes to us with an invitation, it is surprising how often our fear keeps us holding on to the old, even if we are burdened by it, even if we are bound, too often we give in to our fear and hold on. But not Mary. After the initial storm had passed, she heard God whispering, “Don’t be afraid.” And Mary said, Yes! God saw the grace in Mary’s very being, grace that gave her the capacity to receive this strange message.

It was painful for our beloved Foundress Mother Veronica to leave the congregation of St. Joseph and once again it broke her heart to leave Carmel; further she experienced, indifference, loneliness, and even suspicion during a search for a place for the new foundation. She felt abandoned and directionless. She experienced a lot misunderstanding from Bishop Marie Ephrem with regard to the new foundation, its set up and its functioning in India . She had to cope with utter poverty at Bayonne and finally the events led to the closure of the house at Bayonne. Mother Veronica writes: “I could see this community which had cost me so much, being destroyed. Those who were leaving were desolate. My heart suffered so much that it seemed insensate. One had to have a very special grace not to succumb under it, and God gave that grace to me” (Autobiography, p. 129). But today we have two Congregations at the service of the church because of her journey.

When faced with a divine call to leave familiar paths and venture into the unknown, several key steps and considerations can guide the process. From Mother Mary and Mother Veronica, we learn to trust that God has a plan for us, even if it is not immediately clear. They remind us that faith often involves stepping into the unknown with the confidence that God is guiding our steps. We are invited to seek God’s guidance through prayer and take time to discern His will. Moving into the unknown requires courage, but we believe this journey will lead to personal and spiritual growth.

Sr Maria Diksha A C

[ Provincial Superior ]