Marion Sisters Diocese of Lincoln

Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln

Superior General: Sister Cecilia Ann Rezac, MS

Address: 6765 N 112th, Waverly, NE 68462-9762

Phone: 402-786-2750

Fax: 402-785-7256

Website: http://www.mariansisters.org/

e-mail: marian-vocations@cdolinc.net

Theology of Religious Life

Habit and Veil

“God calls a person whom He sets apart for a particular dedication to Himself. “ #5

“The totality of religious consecration requires that the witness to the Gospel be given publicly by the whole of life…To ensure this public witness, religious willingly accept a pattern of life that is not permissive but largely laid down for them. They wear a religious garb that distinguishes them as consecrated persons…”#34

The above quotes are taken from: Essential Elements in the Church’s Teaching on Religious as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate, May 31, 1983

Habit and Veil

Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska

God our Father created us in His likeness. Man has been given the gifts of free will and intellect to know and love God. As Consecrated Religious, we have the extraordinary opportunity and responsibility to proclaim the Good News of Christ. By wearing our habit and veil, we are announcing our consecration to the world. The Kingdom of God is brought to their minds by our public witness as brides of Christ. The habit and veil, our wedding garments, are outward signs declaring to all mankind we know there is a perfect place of happiness in the world to come in which we will encounter our intimate unveiling with our spouse, Jesus Christ. This belief is worth our total surrender and trust. Our public witness invites mankind to open their hearts and minds to receive the unconditional love of the Trinity.

Our Elderly Sisters

“Of its nature, religious life is a witness that should clearly manifest the primacy of the love of God and do so with the strength coming from the Holy Spirit.” #32

“Consecration inevitably implies mission… The choice of a person by God is for the sake of others: the consecrated person is one who is sent to do the work of God in the power of God.” #23

“A community gathered as a true family in the Lord’s name enjoys His presence through the love of God which is poured out by the Holy Spirit.” #19

The above quotes are taken from: Essential Elements in the Church’s Teaching on Religious as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate, May 31, 1983

Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska

Our world is searching for Truth. The witness of our elderly, religious sisters living the love of Christ is an appealing act of evangelization. St. Francis said to preach always and sometimes use words. In their essence, our elderly sisters have the opportunity to declare the mystery of God’s mercy to those living inside and outside religious community. The sisters who have persevered through many years of religious life are asked to carry the cross of aging. By being a spouse of Christ, we are called to love as spiritual mothers. Then it follows, our elderly sisters develop into spiritual grandmothers. When a religious gives out of love, she encounters the treasure of God’s blazing inferno of love. These women in love with Christ are vessels of His mercy. They illustrate the gift of being in the family of God. Through our elderly sisters being in love with Christ, the world sees the beauty of religious life.

Prayer / Eucharistic Adoration

“Religious life cannot be sustained without a deep life of prayer - individual, communal, and liturgical.” #28

“…the religious is to have contemplative vision of things…This is the contemplative dimension which the Church and the world have the right to expect of religious by the fact of their consecration. It must be strengthened by prolonged moments of time set apart for exclusive adoration of the Father, love of Him and listening in silence before Him.” #29

The above quotes are taken from: Essential Elements in the Church’s Teaching on Religious as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate, May 31, 1983

Prayer / Eucharistic Adoration

Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska

In a holy marriage there must be time and dialogue spent together in order to know one another. The deepest relationship is the intimate sharing of souls. Sharing your innermost thoughts with another who understands what you mean is a rare experience. Even in the best friendships between man, there is some imperfection in communication. In our spousal relationship with Jesus, we do not have to worry about Jesus misunderstanding us. He knows our hearts. As religious sisters, we have the perfect spouse who loves us unconditionally. We need to take the time, in silence, to seek the face of Christ and love Him. We are called to give ourselves totally to Jesus and for Jesus. Pope John Paul II calls this total self-donation. Lifting our minds and hearts to God, especially through the Eucharist, is a daily necessity to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on our spouse and His Will for us. Through our scheduled community prayers and our private prayers, we have the opportunity to choose to adore Him, share with Him, and listen to Him.

Formation

“Religious formation fosters growth in the life of consecration to the Lord from the earliest stages, when a person first becomes seriously interested in undertaking it, to its final consummation, when the religious meets the Lord definitively in death.” #44

“For each religious, formation is the process of becoming more and more a disciple of Christ, growing in union with and in configuration to Him. It is a matter of taking on increasingly the mind of Christ… It is a pursuit which never ends.” #45

“Formation is not achieved all at once. The journey from the first to the final response falls broadly into five phases: the pre-novitiate…, the novitiate…, first profession…, perpetual profession and ongoing formation…, and the definitive meeting with the Lord.” #48

Essential Elements in the Church’s Teaching on Religious as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate, May 31, 1983

Formation

Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska

Finding “yourself” and reaching for the gold are two slogans of our times. The world is searching for the Truth and Love of God. Yet, in our “secularized world” a person striving for sanctity is counter-cultural. So, a person entering a religious community and living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience is making a radical choice. The religious vocation is a gift from God that individuals and communities must pray to accept, develop, and protect. Proper formation is the foundation for religious communities to grow in holiness. The Church, in her wisdom, gives basic guidelines for each community to follow and build upon in the beginning phases of formation. Then she encourages each religious community to use the basics and to add their specific rules and disciplines to help form their members to live the unique charism given to their founders or foundresses. Living the particular charism of a religious order is essential. It must be passed on through the members, the study of the constitution and rule of the community. Knowing and understanding the history and traditions of a religious community develops deep roots which bears fruit. A religious must have depth to her vocation in order to reflect the love of Christ. Formation as a spouse of Christ is a life-long process.