Her story is one of a journey back to full communion with the Catholic Church from a “sede vacante” community. The sisters we had on last Thursday were part of a community of 80 sisters who believed that the Catholic Church was without a legitimate pope -- that the chair was empty, “sede vacante.”

Ten of these sisters found their way back to the rock of Peter, and, fittingly, they were now sharing their exuberance and the joy of being home with the audience of Life on the Rock. They believed the “chair” was empty because of the changes in the Mass after Vatican II. They thought that the changes authorized by the Holy Father made the Mass invalid, particularly the changes in the words of consecration.

After 35 years, Mother Kathryn and nine other sisters in her community began to see that they were in error, and began their journey back to full communion with the Church. Mother Kathryn described the excitement of realizing that she belonged to something much bigger than her small community of sisters, priests and laymen. As she became aware of a much bigger picture, she said, “I wanted to be part of it.”

This theme of wanting to be in communion with others has been a common one during these weeks immediately following World Youth Day. Most everyone talks about how rejuvenated they felt by the gathering of young people. We are social beings by nature and we all desire to believe in communion with others. It strengthens us and encourages us to live the faith. In an age where many feel isolated, our faith unites us to others in the deepest possible way.

Mother Kathryn also reflected, “I felt like an adopted child that just realized its birth mother wanted to find it.” The Church is a mother, and Mary is the embodiment of this motherhood. The sisters spoke of their consecration to Our Lady and their efforts to spread devotion to her.

When Our Lady pulls you close to herself, through her prayers and intercession, she pulls you into the heart of the Church. Oftentimes in the spiritual life, we “weight” our side of the equation. We focus on our efforts, our prayers, our work, and we miss that it is God who loves us first. It is His grace that draws us to Himself. He is always seeking us out through the gift of His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Communion.

Mother Kathryn said: “It wasn’t so much looking back at all the years we have been wrong, but looking forward to the “right” we had.” The “right” meaning the gifts they now have as result of being in full communion with the Church. Jesus promised us that He would never abandon His Church, and when we have Him, we have everything. Regrets of missed opportunities of the past melt away because we have fullness in Him. Living a spiritual life and having our eyes on the Lord, keeps us living in the present moment — not in the regret of the past nor in the fear of the future.