One of the first things I set out to do when I was hired was learn more about Precious Blood Spirituality. I was encouraged to prepare my "elevator speech" - what I would say about the Sisters of the Precious Blood if I only had the time it takes to ride from one floor to another.
So I read books on the spirituality, I interviewed Sisters and even Missionaries of the Precious Blood (priests & brothers) and did research online, but there was no one phrase or key paragraph that could be used to sum up Precious Blood Spirituality. In fact, everyone I asked had their own interpretation and their own way to live according to the spirituality. To me, Precious Blood Spirituality was becoming more like some of the great mysteries of our faith - the more I learned, the more I realized I would never fully understand.
In one sense, this frustrates me. As an organized, list-loving person, I like to have names, titles and succinct ways to categorize things. I wanted to come up with a creative tagline that would provoke people to learn more. I wanted to write my elevator speech.
But, perhaps the beauty and timelessness Precious Blood Spirituality is that it cannot be summed up in an elevator ride. While the Spirituality is centered around the touchstones of Eucharist, sacrifice and love, each of these can be lived out in an infinite number of ways based on each individual's life experience and personality. We are not a congregation of ministry - we do not all teach or work in hospitals. Instead, we feel called by the Precious Blood of Jesus, to live out his love and sacrifice wherever He calls to be in the world today. For some this means advocating and working for justice. For others, this means daily Adoration and a life spent in prayer. Still others find their call to live and minister in their hometowns, while some are in mission in other countries.
I probably did not teach you anything new about our spirituality in this short piece, but I hope as you encounter God and His mysteries, you will find there is beauty in what we cannot describe. And perhaps our lives are meant to be an adventure of uncovering the greatest mystery of all: God's incarnate love for us.
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