 |
| Image source: Google Images |
declaration through this article on Consecrated Lives. It is an account of my honest personal experiences with consecrated people. This account won the Best Essay award in the student's category in the entire North-western province in the Provincial Consecrated Life Essay competition.
The Consecrated Life
“That’s my chocolate”, yelled the 4 year old tyke, and
her brother rushed behind her. Do we humans know what could be called as “mine”
in our life. We all are the children of God, then how can we tag anything as
“our” when we ourselves aren’t “our’s”? Did that infant know of the spiritual world
and the essence of life? So her words
could be excused. But the baffling point is that with growing knowledge of life
that we gain with age, our “mine”s become even more dominant. The chocolates
are replaced with other possessions. And in the murk of the greed for tagging
more of elements made by the Creator as “mine”, we gradually forget our Creator
himself.
In such a scenario,
presence of consecrated lives is quite flabbergasting. These serene and
composed humans are the true idol of chastity and purity. In a world where
people cannot sacrifice chocolates, there are people who devote their entire
lives in service of God.
Being a Convent
student, in every walk of school life, I have been with the consecrated people.
Their abnegation of worldly life has always been appealing to me since
childhood.
The archives section
of my brain reminds me of my very first day at school in India. The sight of my
principal- a nun, was more tranquilizing than anything else. I wondered why she
wore that white cloak-like dress. But the glow of chastity and divine knowledge
on her face attracted my attention. And so was the case with other sisters from
our Convent. The way they walked, the way they conveyed knowledge and the way
they spoke had created an ambience of peace at school. Being an innocent
infant, I didn’t understand what made me gaze at those people, but today I
understand its secret.
My interaction with
the sacred people was soon not bound to one country alone. I met a father at a
church abutting my house in Britain. Being new to the country, I used to have a
feeling of insecurity within me. I talked my heart out to him when I met him. I
never used to participate in any school events. But the next day Bramley Church
of England Infant School had a mere demonstration or something, and for that it
was to conduct some act by the students. The priest of that church was
coincidently organizing it and so he came into the hall in our school and chose
me for the main role. From that day itself, I earned a new confidence. I was
encouraged by a consecrated person to show up my talent among strangers.
It is said that the
consecrated people help in the uplifting the poor. They serve God by serving
the humans- his Creation. For me, that priest was a blessing of God. So, the
consecrated people not only help the poor and the needy, but they sow a seed of
confidence in every frightful heart, a seed of hope in every melancholic being
and a seed of religiousness and spirituality in every soul.
So, when I returned
back to India, I compelled my father to get me an admission in the same Convent
School I studied, before going to Britain.
Every person has a gloomy part just like I had, in shifting
of countries rapidly. Though we didn’t settle in England after the immigration,
but I brought back to India, a changed myself, affected by the culture of
Europe. And so I had become the reason for everyone’s merriment at school. My
attitude, accent and behavior seemed strange to my Indian mates. And so being
bantered was obvious. I used to cry every night underneath my blanket. I had as
though become a victim of mental abuse. But luckily, I had a sister as our
class teacher. She soon understood the situation and held my hand, lifted me
up, and gave me a new attitude of settling issues of life. She didn’t stop the
mischievous students, but her words and her presence gave me the strength to
tackle the depressed condition.
How can I ever forget
the help of these two consecrated people? They have contributed to making me
what I am today- A confident student, ready to fight against all odds. All
words of gratitude fall short of their effect.
This is about me, a
sixteen year old, than what of those who are elder and have ever been in
contact with these consecrated people? Their lives must have been inspired
deeply by these sacred humans.
Even today, at one
point or the other, I am inspired by the chastity and composure of these
people. The way they organize everything and tackle situations has always
taught me great lessons. The control over their desires and their temper has
always been a point to learn from. Their lives are a true example of dedicating
oneself to God. They live such a life that they can become closer to Jesus.
Their solemn prayers invoke in us a feeling of closeness to God.
Secularism exists in
every society. So, the most important part is respecting each other’s faith.
And these consecrated lives have always respected the religion of the students.
This point heightens my level of respect for them.
From Sciences to Morals, they have been the
best of teachers of the subjects. Whether it be the ‘A’ or the ‘Amen’, they
have always taught us in the best manner, invoking in us a respect for all the
knowledge that we gain.
For me, these
consecrated people have changed my life and added a better scent into it- the
scent of the purity of Virgin Mary into it.
We must learn to
dedicate ourselves to God from these people. If not completely, then at least
to some extent. The aura of peace is what we must develop around us in order to
do so.
Pope Francis declared
2015 as the Year of Consecrated Lives, but I would say, every year could be the
Year of Consecrated Lives because the selflessness of these people has uplifted
millions. Just like St. Teresa, every Consecrated person today, is spending
himself to spread light in the lives of other people. I thank all the consecrated
people from the deepest core of my heart for all that they have done for me and
for my brothers and sisters round the world.
