In the fifth week of Lent, Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, reflects deeply on our call to be mission, a call that echoes Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. She reminds us that our hearts and lives are created with a profound purpose—to be given away in love. Living this mission fully requires sacrifice, a truth embodied by the heroic example of the Blessed Martyrs of Nowogrodek.

Sr. Josephine recounts the story of these eleven Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who lived in Nowogrodek (modern-day Belarus) during the harrowing days of World War II. As the German occupation brought suffering and terror to the people of their town, the Sisters offered their prayers and lives to protect others. When the Nazis began targeting civilians, including priests and laypeople, the Sisters courageously stepped forward, offering themselves in place of those at risk. Their selfless act led to their arrest and eventual martyrdom on August 1, 1943. These women embodied sacrificial love, laying down their lives to safeguard others and remaining steadfast in their faith.

Sr. Josephine challenges us to reflect on their example and ask ourselves: How are we called to live a love that is authentic and always requires sacrifice? Whether through small daily acts of selflessness or life-altering choices, each of us is invited to embrace the mission of love that Jesus demonstrated—a love that gives, protects, and redeems, even in the face of great cost.

This Lent, let us pray for the grace to say “yes” to the sacrifices our own vocations may demand, trusting that through them, God’s love will be made manifest in the world.

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