'A' is for . . .

During a summer family reunion event, a 2-year-old great-niece clambered up on my lap with a well-worn ABC book, A is for Aardvark. Aardvark? Did Samantha even know what an aardvark is? She pointed to the picture, called it an "arvik" and smiled charmingly. "Read me," she ordered.

The aardvark illustrated in the book is cute enough — a medium-sized, brown four-footed animal with pink inner ears and a pink tongue vacuuming up ants. As we coursed through the other animals in the book, I wondered what an ABC book about religious life would contain. August is the traditional time of commitments in my order, so now is an opportunity to share my heartfelt list:

A
Apostolic Visitation: proving that an apostolic, American order of sisters was still faithful to charism

B
Brasso: a polish to clean church candletops

C
Celibacy: one of the three vows, denotes remaining unmarried for service to the Catholic church

D
Divine Office: the "Lectio Divina" of psalms, readings and prayers we pray daily

E
Education: what our orders provide for us so that we can serve in meaningful ministries

F
Foundress: the person who started our particular congregation

G
Grace: as in saving and as in amazing, what God provides daily in order to live religious life

H
Habit: the attire we wear daily and can be traditional or contemporary

I
Intercommunity Gatherings: no order exists in isolation but works together to advance the church

J
Jubilee: celebrating 25, 50, 60, 65 and 75 years of faithfulness to vows

K
Kingdom of God: what we're all trying to build up

L
Liturgy: our lifeblood service

M
Ministry: how each of us serves the church

N
Novitiate: time of training in becoming a sister

O
Obedience: one of the three vows, denotes submission to God and developing one's inner authority

P
Poverty: one of the three vows, denotes detachment from things

Q
Questions: continued probing of God in discernment

R
Rule: the guidebook of our order

S
Saints: the holy ones who inspire

T
Trust: attitude that religious life is where I should be

U
Understanding: appreciation for each other

V
Vows: deliberate promise to live as a religious

W
Witness: what I stand up for

X
eXplain: sometimes there are no words to explain a religious vocation

Y
Yesterday: when it was easier to explain the why of religious life

Z
Zero In: how I'm called today to remain in religious life

I wonder if someday my great niece would like to read this list?

[Nancy Linenkugel is a Sylvania Franciscan sister and chair of the department of Health Services Administration at Xavier University, Cincinnati Ohio.]