If only!

She is one of the recent ones! Finally (!) she left the religious order. Though I was sad to receive the news but I was not surprised. I knew for quite sometimes that she was going through inner struggles. She indirectly gave me hints that she was planning to leave convent.

Over the years I have seen many young religious both men and women leaving the religious orders. It pains me to see young people leaving religious order, especially when they are my close friends. I often wonder why! I knew a few of them, with whom I had very close interact, when they joined the religious order they had great desire to serve the Lord. Many of them showed great enthusiasm at the beginning of their religious life. Then what went wrong! Why did they opt to leave the religious order?

I had the opportunity to speak with some of them. Many told me that they left the religious life to help out their parents. But the most authentic answer I heard once from one of my novitiate companions. He told me that he had created a gap between God and him. This gap did not take place within one day. Day after day he had neglected his prayer life. He rather gave emphasized on his studies and works. And time came when the temptation of the world engulfed him. He was taken away by the wave of promising world. I salute my companion for his honest sharing.

Recently a holy nun told me that as without food we die, similarly without prayer our religious vocation die. How true these simple words!