Joyful ascent: What moments have brought you closer to God?

(Unsplash/Liz Morgan)

(GSR logo/Toni-Ann Ortiz)

We often remember the difficult moments in our lives, the decisions that changed our path and the challenges that tested our faith. But there are also experiences that we remember simply because they filled us with a deep sense of gratitude and wonder. These moments can become treasures in our memory and remind us of the goodness we have encountered along the way.

This month, we asked our panelists:

What has been the most "joyful ascent" moment in your life — that lifted, surprised and brought you closer to God?

Sr. Abhita D'Silva belongs to the congregation of Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King from India. She trained professionally as a teacher and has worked as a school principal. She also specialized in counseling for people living with HIV/AIDS. D'Silva currently serves as secretary to the superior general and will complete her term in 2028. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, dancing, singing and caring for the sick with abundant mercy.

My struggle to be joyful in my religious life was a challenge. But then came a surprise visit from an angel, just as Mary was visited by an angel on the day of the Annunciation. I was caught off guard by the visitation of an angelic person who came to guide me on my way.

Mary emptied herself in doing that which pleased God. Her unconditional "yes" made her the Mother of God and brought her the fulfillment of life. The way this angelic person guided and directed me was an experience of metanoia.

The feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven teaches us simplicity in life, with joy in our hearts as we do God's will. Similarly, I felt called to empty myself and climb the hill of grace, reconciliation and healing from past wounds.

Church of the Assumption, Our Lady's Island, County Wexford, Ireland (Wikimedia Commons/Andreas F. Borchert)

The feast of the Assumption reminds me that if one wants to experience profound spiritual elevation in life, one needs to have a pure, unburdened heart. I was burdened by life's unsettled experiences and felt weighed down.

I had suppressed many unpleasant experiences from my childhood. After becoming a nun, I was not able to share them with anyone. Then I received an excellent opportunity to make my annual retreat under the guidance of a very young and devout priest. I had made many retreats before, but I had not been confident enough to share my most painful experiences with anyone.

During this retreat, I was able to share my struggles openly and finally empty myself. I did so with profound faith in God's transforming power. My joy knew no bounds. I felt unencumbered by the baggage of painful experiences.

This experience during my retreat brought me closer to God and lifted me up to continue my religious life with full gusto. I am aware that this transformed life does not mean an absence of burdens caused by various illnesses. But this profound experience invigorates me to move forward in life.

As I write these reflections, my heart sings Psalm 136: "What thanks, O Lord, can I render thee, for all the gifts you have showered on me? Each day I'll sing of your praise and glory. Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Sr. Christine Kresho is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, Pennsylvania, a congregation dedicated to loving and serving the dear neighbor rooted in prayer, community living and the Gospel. As a team member of the St. Joseph Spirituality Center, she hosts a weekly Zoom session titled "Spirit Companions." She is a retreat presenter and an author. In addition to five novels, her nonfiction books include Second Childhood: Aging Into Divine Relationship; God Is Better than Santa Claus: A Book for Adults; Praying to Our Everywhere God; and A Way of the Cross: In Communion With Creation.

My annual retreats have always felt like sacred vacation time with God — days set apart for rest, renewal and listening. More than 20 years ago, one retreat became something more. It planted a seed that God has continued to nurture into a ministry still alive today, one that has endured unexpected change and the upheaval of COVID-19.

The retreat was titled "Soul Sisters," led by Edwina Gateley. I returned to parish ministry with a full heart and a stirred spirit; I found myself speaking about it with anyone who would listen. One parishioner, who remains a dear friend, gently encouraged me to share that joy more widely.

(Unsplash/Filipp Romanovski)

That night, in the quiet before sleep, the Holy Spirit seemed to whisper an invitation: Offer a weekly gathering for women to reflect on the image of God. At the time, I had been the pastoral associate for a year at a parish in a senior community. I welcomed an interested group to that first meeting, not knowing what God had already begun.

More than 20 years later, I remain grateful that some original participants are still part of the community, though the group has changed through health challenges, life circumstances and eternal journeys.

I hoped to create a sacred space where women could speak freely about the image of God that had shaped their spiritual growth, their questions, and their experiences with the church. I called the group Spirit Sisters. For five years, we prayed, sang, listened, questioned and reflected together.

Then, because my vision of church includes women and men equally united on the spiritual journey, I invited men as well, and we became Spirit Companions. Some husbands came to discover what the women had been talking about for five years. Although all the men liked what they heard, only a few became weekly attendees.

Advertisement

Not everyone who attended came back. Not everyone was on the same wavelength. Not everyone was Catholic. But those who kept returning became a true community of believers — companions on the journey — growing together in their understanding of the God of unconditional love.

In 2020, COVID-19 and an unexpected loss of employment ended our weekly in-person sessions. For a time, the future was unclear. Yet I trusted that God was not finished with us. Within months, Spirit Companions was reborn on Zoom. (A joyous ascent!)

Now, as an online community, we have members from eight states and one participant from Portugal. Our Tuesday gatherings are the highlight of my week. What began as a seed planted on retreat has become a living reminder that when we listen, trust and make room for grace, God's plans can unfold in ways we could never have imagined.

Sr. Marian-Hagar Dadzie is a perpetually professed Sister of the Society of the Infant Jesus, an Indigenous women religious congregation in Ghana. She is a full-time media personnel who works with CAFDIL TV in the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast as a television host, producer and public relations practitioner. She has worked in the media space for four years now. She is also the communications officer for her congregation. Currently, she is pursuing a master's in business management and corporate governance.

As I meditate on the moments of joyful ascent in my life as a religious woman, many experiences come to mind. Yet a particular experience stands out: my wholehearted fiat to God's call to consecrated life.

Such a step was not devoid of fear or questions but filled with a deep and unmistakable peace. In that surrender, I encountered a love that was greater than my own plans and dreams. I knew that Christ was inviting me to walk with him, and my positive response sparked the beginning of the greatest adventure of my life.

Over the years, I have discovered that the journey toward God is often made through small, hidden acts of love rather than events of pomp and pageantry. Sharing the pew with the grief-stricken, praying with and for a person who has lost hope, sharing a smile with a lonely child, or simply spending quiet moments before the Blessed Sacrament — these have become sacred encounters where God has gently lifted my heart.

At the St. Joseph Community of the Society of the Infant Jesus in C