Love Is The Answer

I was thinking of what I can write about this St. Valentine's Day.  For a Religious like myself, there isn't anyone in particular who would qualify to be called "my Valentine."  I remember that when I was in grammar school we used to have as a project cutting out hearts and cupids and wearing these little cut-up hearts on our chest with the words:"Be my Valentine!"  But that was many moons ago when I was still a child!  Imagine me wearing a heart with the words "be my valentine" around in the convent?? :)

Then my answer came to me after my evening mental prayer in Chapel.  Jesus. He is my Valentine.  Tonight as I knelt before the Blessed Sacrament, I was particularly drawn to the statue of the Sacred Heart just off to the side of the Sanctuary.  It depicts Our Lord with hands extended like the Priest at Mass during the Solemn blessing.  He "spoke" to me.  I felt an interior joy of realizing that He is my Spouse, that I am bonded and consecrated to Him by my religious vows.  I became aware of my early spiritual journeys, of the tortuous path I walked and the hurdles I overcame, to come to this moment of religious consecration.  Fifteen years of being espoused to Him, and what do I have to show for it?  But the inner joy remained.  I thanked Him profusely and felt enormous gratitude for having been brought to the land of Carmel.  It wasn't for any merit of mine, not because I was tremendously good and deserving, but because it was HIS choice.  Oh what joy!  St. Valentine's Day is for lovers and may not be relevant to Religious at first glance.  But tonight, Our Lord proved me wrong.