VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Jesus makes me go. He says, “Do this. Do that.” I sometimes argue with Jesus. But there is grace in obedience.
In religious life, we do what we need to do. When I entered the convent, we were told what we were to do. There was no asking. That was the foundation for learning to grow in obedience to God, to grow without thinking of ourselves, in greater service of others. Even to leave the room, we needed to ask permission. However, as times have changed, I view obedience a little differently. That is unless I were to be told that I would be sent to the foreign missions!
I like to look at obedience today as volunteering, or if there is a need, to help with it. Some may disagree with me holding on to the mindset that, if they are not asked, then they don’t need to do anything. But there is much more to living in obedience than passively waiting to be told what to do, or to keep asking, “May I do this?” “May I have permission to …?” “May I go to …?”
Within the house, for example, I do what needs to be done, and that’s all. In my retirement, I help with caregiving and taking the sisters to the doctors. I also take care of the convent maintenance such that if anything goes wrong, I fix it, whether it be plumbing, electricity or other things. When I go shopping for the sisters, I just say, “I’m going to Long’s. Does anybody need anything?”
I’ll be 87 years old this month. Sometimes, I do say to Jesus, “You have to help me.” Or when times get really hard, I’m like Peter and I cry out to Jesus, “Help!” “Help me, I’m going to drown.” But then Jesus says, “Oh, you of little faith.”
Before I retired from school and parish ministry, I had spent 30 teaching at St. Patrick School. I also worked with the youth at Blessed Sacrament Church, followed by some time helping out at St. Augustine Church. I have enjoyed my life. Who would have thought, that when I was first told long ago as a young religious sister in obedience, “You are going to teach second grade at St. Patrick’s,” that it would lead to such a fulfilling life? I truly have enjoyed teaching grades from kindergarten to junior high. Being able to prepare the second graders for their First Holy Communion was especially nice.
Although our classes were full back then, holding 50 students each, I could handle them without an aide. In those days, the kids were good. They listened. And if something was wrong, you called the parents and they backed you up. Today, things are different.
During this COVID-19 time, I feel there might be something that God is telling us. He will in his own time. If we have problems, we just have to trust him. We can only do so much. Just go to the chapel and relax with Jesus.
Sister Mary Josephine Araki is a Sister of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. She grew up in Puunui in Liliha and is 66 years professed. She resides at Malia O Ka Malu Community in Kaimuki.
