Dear Friends: A message from Sister Joanne A once-in-a-lifetime moment

Iam sure all of you had a “once in a lifetime” experience? I have been blessed to have had many! My most recent one happened on January 5, when I attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City (shown below).

On December 30, I traveled to Rome to visit the Sisters from our Province who are stationed there and to meet with our Mother General, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola. When I landed in Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on the morning of New Year’s Eve, I heard that Pope Benedict passed away. What are the chances of being in Rome for that moment?

If we pause to reflect, we can probably list some of our own “once-in-alifetime” experiences. It could be going to a World Series Game and seeing your team win, or holding your first child or grandchild, or even taking that vacation to an exotic island. The truth of the matter is that each moment in our life is a “oncein-a-lifetime” experience.

One of our earlier Salesian Sisters from Italy, Sr. Clelia Genghini, used to repeat, “Live the present moment and live it in love.” That motto is one I try to live by and remind the Sisters to as well. Living the present moment to the best we can is a once-in-a-lifetime experience because we will never get that moment back. We only have the present to live well.

The irony is that, 10 years previously, I was in Rome when Pope Benedict retired and Pope Francis was elected. I happened to be at the last Angelus message of Pope Benedict and the first Angelus message of Pope Francis. What are the odds of being in Rome when yet another historic event was taking place in the Church surrounding Pope Benedict?

Visit us online! www.salesiansisters.org

The holy season of Lent is upon us. It is a “once-in-alifetime” experience where we can show our love for Christ for all He did for us in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We can only live it one moment at a time, one act of prayer at a time, one act of fasting at a time, and one act almsgiving at a time.

May your Lent be a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience where you can live the present moment in love as a sign of your love for Jesus’ amazing act of love for each of us. Blessings on your Lenten journey!

– Sr. Joanne Holloman, FMA, is the Superior of the Province of St. Joseph