Seeds of Hope

A narrative of a Dominican associate ministering among religious sisters 

by Elia Cardenas, D.Min

Elia is part of the Leadership Collaborative team and firmly believes that we are God's instruments to bring about inclusion, solidarity, and peace to the marginalized; she does ministry for migrants in a border shelter and leads preventive efforts in the highlands of Chiapas, supporting the indigenous people's formation and promoting community development, so that they can exercise their right to stay at their lands. 

This reflection was originally published in the Leadership Collaborative's free e-book Leaders of Hope. Click here to download a free copy.

A sower went out to sow his seed (Luke 8:5) 

The metaphor of the seeds in the Gospel passage is carried out with an inspiring and encouraging promise that nurtures our hope. The sower carefully buried the seed after tenderly and carefully preparing the soil. Although nothing happened to our human eyes because we do not see anything yet on the surface, the promise and potential of upcoming germination are there. Nonetheless, tenderly, the earth receives the seed and embraces it. This metaphor also speaks to us about God's ways, who continues to work on his creation in the quiet and imperceptible mystery of darkness. Far from our sight, the seed is nurtured, cared for, loved, and germinated. Occasionally, it looks like the seed no longer bears fruit, and an apparent completion is reached. Sometimes, we lament the plant that needs to be cut, removed, or discarded because it no longer bears fruit. But also, on other occasions, we are also surprised by plants coming from the roots of the initial seed, even though you cut it or remove it; sometimes, with time, not our time, they could unexpectedly flourish or bloom again. In the mystery of the unseen, the seed is developing, taking roots; although sometimes the appearance of the seed could be dry or dead, what is hopeful for all of us is to imagine that a sower went out to sow with hope. 

In my perspective, the encouraging process in the seed narrative is that the sower went out to sow and spread the seed, and the sower clearly understood that the mission was completed because, as Romero's prayer says, we may never see the final result. This metaphor teaches us that we are once more called to hope with confident expectation that God's creative plan continues until eternity, that our Creator is working in the mystery of what is imperceptible to our eyes but which is present in our lives. Therefore, we are called to live as prophets of a future that extends with hope beyond our own lives. As religious sisters and laywomen, we are ministering together toward a future that we might not see, but that will continue through the marvelous creation of God in the world. The image of the seed being planted offers us an example of living with a glimpse of the future with hope. As people of faith, as women of faith, we are called to be prophets and to lift the hope that inspires others, especially those who are broken, troubled, or who have difficulty believing that God is always loving them and working creatively and imperceptibly in their lives. We are Easter people with our hope placed in the victory of the glorious resurrection and in our God, who continues to work in his creation through a tiny seed that is sown, which, although sometimes it seems dry or dead, one day will grow and will become a sign of hope and welcoming refuge for many generations.  

My Story 

For most of my life, I considered myself a typical Mexican woman who migrated to the United States, as many others do, to pursue better living conditions and educational opportunities for the family. As a result, I lived my church experience along the south border in a traditionally very conservative Roman Catholic Church for many, many years. However, twenty years ago, my husband and I were invited to participate in our diocese's permanent diaconate formation program in El Paso, Texas. This formation journey brought about a process of deeper reflection, especially about the role of women in relation to the hierarchy in the church. As I saw it, women are considered and expected to be passive, submissive, and obedient members of a traditionally patriarchal church. Facing this reality, I decided to pursue a theological formation, which, bendito Dios, led me to the graduate school Catholic Theological Union in Chicago (CTU) and pursue a Master in Pastoral Studies degree and a Hispanic certification. 

My studies at Catholic Theological Union awakened in me the possibility of a more significant role for women in the church. This new and encouraging reality that I encountered at CTU made me realize that this is the time for women to take leadership roles in the church and not merely be passive church ministry participants. My critical thinking during my formation journey had me questioning the reality of women's role in an institution that has been slowly changing through the ages. I wonder why the role of women doing ministry in the church has not changed much in centuries for both consecrated religious and lay women. With time and studies, I discovered some biblical references referring to the critical role of women in Jesus' work and mission, as well as crucial seeds planted in the history of the church's mission, whose roots are well founded. 

Apostle to the Apostles  

One of my favorite references is the resurrection event, in which a woman, Mary Magdalene, is the first to announce the news of Jesus' resurrection to the apostles. Sadly, instead of being portrayed as a prominent woman figure that Jesus chose to announce the news to the community, in the history of the church, she was conscious and wrongly identified as a prostitute by Pope Gregory the Great (c. 590-604). Her memory was tarnished and distorted as a sinner woman for many decades until recent years when Pope Paul VI (1969) untangled the biblical references of the different Marys. Recently, Pope Francis gave her the canonical recognition of being the woman's apostle and the first to announce the good news. The role of this first unique female apostola aportolorum had to wait for many centuries to be recognized by the church, and she is still carrying the stigma of being defined as a sinner woman. Still, she is portrayed by many artists as a sinful woman in beautiful works of art through many centuries.  

The more I learned and pondered the role of Mary of Magdala, the more I became inspired by her discipleship and her faithfulness to Jesus on earth. She is a role model for women in leadership roles and those who look up for reference of female faithfulness, vulnerability, and courageous authenticity in the scriptures. She is and will be a legacy and an inspiration for all of us women, both religious and lay ministers in the church. Her aroma was lost in the church, but her seed was profound, and its roots made a way to grow. Today, there are churches named in Mary Magdalene's honor, and many excellent books portray her as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Her shrine in southern France continues to be a sacred pilgrimage place that inspires many to become faithful disciples of Christ. Mary Magdalene lost aroma and viability for a time, but her hopeful seed will continue inspiring our present and future.  

A Window to Congregational Religious Life 

When I joined the Leadership Collaborative, it allowed me to understand better the perspective of women's religious life, who have consecrated their lives to Christ and the church's mission. They have all been called by God, responded to His call, and ministered globally in all the continents and contextualities with a work of service, prayer, and contemplation. Being in the Leadership Collaborative ministry with the religious sisters gave me a unique perspective of congregational religious life, like looking through a window. Each of these congregations possesses a unique charism, vision, mission, and inspirational foundational moment present in their constitutions that guides their different ministries: education, health system, diocesan offices, catechesis, spirituality, family accompaniment, migrations, jail, trafficking, justice, peace, care for creation and especially the ones ministering on the margins. The life and presence of the religious sisters generate life for God's precious children, the poorest of the poor.  

The religious sister's congregations are present in all of America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, ministering in different contexts and settings with the same mission in mind: to make present the seed of the reign of God while forming a single big global community, always present in our church and mission.  

Writing this paragraph, I realize that the journey of every congregation had not been easy during the first foundational years. Yet, they were full of inspiration, creativity, and dreams. Theirs was not hope without action, but a hope embodied in concrete and tangible actions to make present their foundational charism. As a woman ministering in the church, I also imagine the battles, power dynamics at play, tension, fears, and regrets as with any other human being. But as I have seen, the Spirit of God that blows from the North to the South and from the East to the West continues inspiring and working among every congregation worldwide. When I hear their foundational stories, even though we hear that some American congregations are getting to completion, I am hopeful that they will not totally end because their representation will continue through their stories and legacy. Their narratives and life witnesses will continue to build intergenerational bridges whose seeds will inspire new generations, and maybe their seed will flourish or regrow once again because our Creator continues with His creational activity till the end of times. 

Preparing for the minister  

During the COVID time, instead of getting stressed out because of the pandemic, I took the opportunity to study doctoral studies in theology, which once more deconstructed another part of my faith and gave me a better understanding of God's unconditional love for all of us. My studies also help me consciously embody the Gospel in all we do in ministry and life. I can see that there is so much I do not know, and there is so much to continue to study; however, the more theology I study, the more assured I am that the creational period narrated in Genesis continues in a sacred, yet permanent path in the religious life and the life of the church. God, in a mysterious way, was preparing me, planting a seed in the quiet mystery of an incomprehensible and excruciating pandemic.  

Also, my theology studies have helped me gain a more profound understanding of my faith, the importance of my relationship with God, and His infinite love for all humankind and creation. God continues to be at the heart of my theological studies, and the heart of mission and ministry is the embodiment of the Gospel, Jesus' life, and His deeds. The signs of times are the inspiration of the Spirit to many people, which is God himself inspiring our current history. Everything that breathes, humankind and creation proclaims the glory of God; His continued whisper is present as Psalm 19 states: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands" day after day, season after season, year after year the message of the glory of God goes unceasingly to the whole world as a sign of hope. 

Ministering among Religious Sisters.  

As an associate, I am privileged to minister among various communities of religious sisters. With their different charisms and programs, the religious sisters are responding to the needs of this present moment in our lifetime. They consecrated their lives to make present the reign of God on earth. Through an exhausting discernment, they responded to a call and the signs of time in a particular moment, culture, and context. Their vocation is a response to God's unconditional love and his invitation to live as sisters in religious communities or congregations. Wherever there is a religious sister, there is life, hope, and a prophetic whisperer. They responded in their fragility and openness, giving their lives to generate life, dreams, and hope for the present moment and future.  

With them, the notion of the "people of God" of the Second Vatican Council comes to life by exercising active transformational leadership, and this is a source of inspiration for my life, as it responds to the needs of our time and the signs of the times. By doing ministry together, we are bringing new life and hope to these volatile times; we are embodying the message of the Gospel so that everyone, as part of the human family, has a place at the table. In the cotidiano of our lives, we are creating a gradual and endless ripple effect of hope. 

As a mother of four girls who worry about her daughters' faith, it gives my heart tremendous hope for them in the present and the future. It is a hope grounded on the creative love of God, who gives meaning to our restless hearts, and the mission I found through the congregational religious life. My yearning is for a future that is not like our current one; it is for a church with open doors for minorities, women, religious, laity, and all who have felt rejected or marginalized in the church. It is a hope on the horizon for a continuous, creative love and connection with God.  

In his letter to all the consecrated people, Pope Francis wrote: "I am counting on you 'to wake up the world'… I trust that, rather than living in some utopia, you will find ways to create 'alternate spaces' where the Gospel approach of self-giving, fraternity, embracing differences, and love of one another can thrive." As a lay minister among the religious sisters, I am also counting on them and their love for an inclusive and prophetic church that embodies the Gospel message and life of Jesus Christ and where everyone feels loved and welcome. Through the  Leadership Collaborative programs, ministry, gatherings, and so on, we are creating alternative and safe spaces for global bonds of fraternity, unity, and dialogue. Thus, in the sacredness of the Church mission, we are creating a future not of our own, a prophetic future filled with many seeds of hope, knowing that they hold a promise of a tomorrow that is not our own. A Sower went out to sow to nurture our hearts with many seeds of hope.