There is complete joy in belonging to God, says Canossian Sister Linh Dinh who made her Perpetual Profession of Vows at the order’s Canossa Chapel in Oxley, the Catholic Leader reports.
“I carry tenderly in my heart the moment I lit the candle and professed my vows,” Sr Dinh said.
“As I spoke the words, ‘This Linh is yours and belongs to you, your Church, and this Canossian family forever,’ I could hear my own voice surrendering everything.
“It was a moment of grace, joy, and deep peace – one I will treasure for the rest of my life.”
Canossian Sister Linh Dinh, centre, with Archbishop Shane Mackinlay and members of her religious community. PHOTO: Catholci Leader/Supplied.
She chose religious life as her response to suffering. She envisioned a joyful life, not only for herself but for all humanity.
And as she persevered in religious life through prayer, community, and apostolic service, Sr Dinh was convinced that she was created for a love that transcended self and was for God and others.
“I have fallen in love with Christ crucified. From Christ crucified, I draw strength, meaning, and purpose, and to Christ Crucified I dedicate my life for the salvation of souls,” Sr Dinh said.
“My deepest desire now is to love Christ Crucified ever more profoundly and to remain abiding in this love.”
While life hadn’t been without its tests, Sr Dinh said she had multiple ways to stay connected to her faith.
The most challenging part of her journey had been learning to accept that no one was perfect, and that not every day was happy or bright.
She often reminded herself that “God has never given up on me, so how could I give up on myself?”
Understanding and accepting herself was an ongoing process, she said.
But there were simple joys to admire every day like a child’s smile, an adult’s spontaneous laugh, the soft morning breeze, the brilliance of the rising sun, or the first flower in bloom.
She now sought to learn from and reflect on the life of St Magdalene of Canossa, the foundress of the Canossian Sisters and Mother Mary.
“Through humble and charitable service to the poorest and those on the peripheries, I commit myself wholeheartedly to witnessing God’s love in the world,” she said.
Sr Dinh recalled lying face down on the chapel floor when making her perpetual profession.
“In that sacred posture, my heart entered total submission, offering complete surrender to God’s will and placing my whole trust in Divine Grace,” she said.
“As I lay there, tears welled in my eyes while my heart quietly proclaimed, ‘Dying to self.’ It was a conscious letting go of my old ways of life, habits, patterns, and personal inclinations, so that I might be reborn into a new life with Christ.”
During his homily, Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay reminded everyone of the call to love without measure and to be like St Magdalene, in service of others.
To young people discerning their vocation, Sr Dinh said they should listen to their hearts honestly and talk with a trusted person.
“If you feel drawn to religious life, hold onto the wonder of that call,” she said.
“Small moments can shape big decisions. Remind yourself often that you matter deeply, that you are chosen and loved by God.
“Give thanks often, because gratitude opens your eyes to the truth that your life is not an accident, but a gift and a divine choice.”
She suggested a prayer by the late Spanish Jesuit Fr Pedro Arrupe: “Nothing is more practical than finding God – that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will decide everything: what gets you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what fills you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”
Sr Dinh said she loved John 21:15 when Jesus asked Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’
“This question has echoed through my own life. More than three times, God has asked me the same question, especially at each renewal of vows and through the events and situations life has placed before me.”
There were days when she felt like Peter, uncertain and aware of her weakness, but on other days, she was grateful for the grace-filled chances she had been given.
The Canossian Daughters of Charity have served in Australia since 1949 through education, pastoral care and faith formation.
Embracing their identity as Women of the Word, they centre on loving without measure and courageously reconfiguring their lives towards holiness.
“Our mission is an intimate, living relationship with Christ, so that in all we do we may encounter Christ and radiate hope,” she said.
This article by Kymberlee Gomes was published in The Catholic Leader, the publication of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.