Isn't it heartless to renounce your family like that?

Isn’t it heartless to renounce your family like that?

It isn't considered heartless when a girl does it to marry. Some people think that those who renounce the world and family are heartless, but, on the contrary, it is because they have such a great heart that they go to the convent. So for the love of Christ these specially chosen maidens leave their families only to find that in Christ they can love them more than before and the parents in turn find that of all their children the ones in Religion are the only ones that will ever be truly theirs forever. They leave the world only to find that from morning to night they spend their lives in preparation or service to it, and the world becomes richer and nobler for their presence. They leave their riches to find that all their needs are met and untold spiritual wealth pours out before them. They leave their own will behind to find a sure knowledge of the Will of God and a secure Guide unknown to seculars. They leave the promise of marriage and children to find the ecstasy of Christ's love from a pierced Heart, secure in the knowledge that the servant is not greater than the Master, and in Him they rejoice to find that "many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband."

Isn’t this a special type of girl then?

St. Teresa of Jesus said "If the love of God takes hold of a woman's heart who can tell what a great saint she will become?" These girls who enter are no different than their peers. They also love life, liberty, and luxury, but their love of Christ is stronger still, for a love that does not include service and suffering is not real. She hears the voice of her beloved saying to the young man "what doth it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul." And to her own heart, "If thou wilt be my disciple, deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me." The vast majority of those in the convent have much in common with that Gospel youth. Like him they have had their moments of weakness, guilt, even mortal sins, but they have soon surrendered to the solicitations of His Love.

Considering the Samaritan woman after her conversion Abbe Landrieux said "A woman is worth twelve apostles preaching from the housetops." Through one woman's zeal a whole town came to rejoice Christ's Heart, but He was saddened also. He saw that there would be few apostles to continue the Samaritan woman's missionary work. Hence those words with the haunting note of sorrow for those who can hear it: "The harvest indeed is great but the laborers are few." For the religious Christ is the only reality, the constant Companion who makes all things possible. He is her Friend, her Beloved, her Spouse. He will not be outdone in generosity, nor will He wait until He clasps His spouse to His Sacred Heart in Heaven to give her sweet tokens of His acceptance. All lives are short, but the life of a religious is full. Can you say your life has been a fruitful harvest or just a meaningless gesture?