A full life

Today's Carmelite saint - Joaquina Vedruna de Mas (1783-1854) lived an extraordinarily packed life. In the first part of it, she managed to give birth to nine children (three of whom died as children), and in the second part - after her husband died - she then proceeded to found a religious order known as The Carmelite Sisters of Charity (or the Vedruna Sisters) in 1826. At her death there were about 150 Sisters - and now there are over 1800, with nearly 250 houses all over the world. Their particular charism is education of youth and care of the sick - which, come to think of it, is two charisms .... When I look at the huge productivity of this kind of life lived for God, it makes me feel very small in comparison. On the other hand, last night in a Going Deeper group in our parish we were looking at the words of Therese of Lisieux, who so emphasised her smallness and taught us how God loves us even in that.