{"id":49396,"date":"2014-07-08T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2014-07-08T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=49396"},"modified":"2014-07-07T23:02:56","modified_gmt":"2014-07-08T04:02:56","slug":"hope-and-joy-review-light-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/07\/hope-and-joy-review-light-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Hope and Joy (Review: “Light of Love”)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love sisters. I have one actual, biological sister, and I love her. I also have an ever-growing number of female friends who have entered consecrated religious life, though, and I love them, too. For the record, I also love my friends who have become priests. I tend to hang out with people who follow Jesus pretty seriously, sometimes even into vows with him and his Church.<\/p>\n

One of my nun* friends, Sr. Dede (who I knew first as a nun, but who became a friend) said once, in a reflection on her vocation, that she sought to “be the stained glass window through which the light of Christ may shine<\/strong>.” I took that to heart, and I offer that phrase in my prayers to this day. It is in that spirit of shining with the light of Christ that I approached Light of Love<\/em><\/a>, a hour-long film by Imagine Sisters<\/a>. The organization is dedicated to making Jesus loved “by introducing the world to religious sisters in love with Christ through media.” In the film, I got a lamp-lit view of what it means to follow Christ with your whole heart and your whole life. Sisters are a great example of how to love Jesus.<\/p>\n

\"acnm_imaginesisters\"<\/p>\n

Light of Love<\/em> features the stories of five vowed female religious, told in their own words to the camera, who have lived in their communities for up to (and over) twenty years. In their apostolic work, they are a teacher, a doctor, and a thrift store shopkeeper. In their communities, they are a superior or just another sister. They live across the United States and abroad. They share the joy, peace, and hope that comes from giving their lives entirely to Christ.<\/p>\n

Before I watched the film, as directed, I reflected<\/a> on what I was expecting to see. Personally, I wanted to hear about the sisters’ sense of certainty in their discernment. I wonder all the time whether I am really doing what God wants from me. I could easily do what I want, be happy, and decide that my happiness is confirmation of the will of God, but that’s not necessarily true<\/strong>. I also expected to get a sense of the joy and peace of religious life and the thoughtfulness that spending so much time with the Lord must bring.<\/p>\n

What I saw was joy and peace, yes, but also hope. One of the sisters recalls her encounter with a woman who was an atheist whose mother had recently died. Not believing in God meant that she didn’t believe in heaven, either. The sister saw that conversation as an opportunity to show kindness and generosity to this woman and to rejoice herself in the hope that comes from being a Christian. Without the hope of eternal life, death is depressing.<\/strong> Our role as Christians is to share that message of hope with the world because we<\/em> believe it, not because others do.<\/p>\n

If I could ask for anything more from films such as Light of Love<\/em>, it would be a focus on community. More than one sister spoke about or showed her community life, but I wanted to see even more of it. Having lived in an intentional Christian community, I have experienced its incredible value and distinct challenges. It is definitely a “good source of purification,” but it is also an opportunity for grace and listening to the Spirit speaking through those who know you so well.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the best part of a film such as this is giving people who do not see sisters in their everyday lives a glimpse into the world behind the walls, so to speak. Not everyone gets to have nun friends.<\/strong> Even finding examples of holy marriages these days can be tough! If the idea of sisters is just an unseen concept to you, Light of Love<\/em> invites you to imagine something different. I think even men can find something of value here: the example of a life that hinges around prayer, an outreach that is not sacramental, an openness to the voice of God.<\/p>\n

Set aside some time to reflect<\/a>, to watch<\/a>, and to imagine<\/a> a life devoted completely to Christ.<\/p>\n

*Although nuns live in cloistered, closed communities and sisters in the outside world, I use the terms interchangeably here and when I’m speaking with non-Catholics. I love precision of language, but sometimes it gets in the way of the message.<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love sisters. I have one actual, biological sister, and I love her. I also have an ever-growing number of female friends who have entered consecrated religious life, though, and I love them, too. For the record, I also love my friends who have become priests. I tend to hang out with people who follow… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-49396","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"entry","8":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":72536,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/12\/what-do-nuns-do-for-christmas-christmas-among-the-consecrated\/","url_meta":{"origin":49396,"position":0},"title":"“What do nuns do for Christmas?” Learning about Consecrated Life","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"December 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 During Advent, I asked the Friars, Priests and Sisters what they do for Christmas in their communities. I called a cloistered Carmelite convent and asked what the nuns do for Christmas. I read accounts in articles and on web sites of Christmas at monasteries. I didn\u2019t really know why\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_8023","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/IMG_8023-e1419883703693-127x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":186756,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/sunrise-dark-faith-advent-brightness-christmas\/","url_meta":{"origin":49396,"position":1},"title":"Sunrise: through the dark faith of Advent to the brightness of Christmas","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"December 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Traveling through Advent with grief this year has led to me to soul search about what Christmas is, and, in the process, to notice similarities between the journey of Advent into Christmas and the stages of the soul's progression into the heart of God. \u00a0According to Carmelite spirituality, \u00a0the soul\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo by Renee Bork","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12016594_10205918857824426_849206572_n-550x413.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12016594_10205918857824426_849206572_n-550x413.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12016594_10205918857824426_849206572_n-550x413.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":577215,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/12\/spiritual-nourishment-for-the-last-week-of-advent\/","url_meta":{"origin":49396,"position":2},"title":"Spiritual Nourishment for the Last Week of Advent","author":"Rachel","date":"December 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"On the last leg of this Advent journey, I'd like to share with you two little bits of spiritual nourishment that I have found really helpful along the way. We are getting closer and closer to Bethlehem now, just one week away in this shortened Advent season. Can you feel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/800px-Meister_der_Kahriye-Cami-Kirche_in_Istanbul_004-550x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/800px-Meister_der_Kahriye-Cami-Kirche_in_Istanbul_004-550x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/800px-Meister_der_Kahriye-Cami-Kirche_in_Istanbul_004-550x400.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":181178,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/in-the-spirit-of-advent\/","url_meta":{"origin":49396,"position":3},"title":"In the Spirit of Advent","author":"Ablaze Ministries","date":"December 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Every year during Advent, the Johnson clan leads a church-wide food drive.\u00a0 We ask our church community to draw a family from our sister parish in downtown Houston and pray for them, give them boxes of food, and maybe get them a present or two.\u00a0 Then two Uhauls get filled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Advent-CCFM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Advent-CCFM-550x366.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Advent-CCFM-550x366.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Advent-CCFM-550x366.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":243792,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/05\/my-testimony-of-reversion\/","url_meta":{"origin":49396,"position":4},"title":"My Testimony of Reversion","author":"Zachery Algaze\u200b","date":"May 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The world today has forgotten so much about the mercy and passion and power of our true Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland in a small town called Damascus. I was 6 years old when I was first in Damascus, and our governor at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Youth"","block_context":{"text":"Youth","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/youth\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"lightstock_70471_medium_cris_a","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/lightstock_70471_medium_cris_a-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/lightstock_70471_medium_cris_a-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/lightstock_70471_medium_cris_a-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":261187,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/06\/gazing-image-icon-divine-mercy\/","url_meta":{"origin":49396,"position":5},"title":"Gazing at the Image or Icon of Divine Mercy","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"June 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 What does gazing at an image or icon of Divine Mercy do for my mind, body, and soul? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, \u201cThe beauty of images moves me [us] to contemplation...\u201d (1162) So what is contemplation? \u201cContemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus, \u2018I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Gazing at the Icon of Divine Mercy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/GazingAttheIconofDivineMercy-550x289.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/GazingAttheIconofDivineMercy-550x289.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/GazingAttheIconofDivineMercy-550x289.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49396\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}