My Happiness
When I recall my vocation journey, my heart is always filled with happiness and gratitude. I clearly feel the great grace that God has given me through His calling, and in choosing me to dedicate myself to Him in this religious vocation.
I began to recognize God’s call to religious life around the year 2000. This was a momentous time in the history of mankind. At that time, the world was bewildered with rumors of the approaching end of the world. People and families anxiously prepared for that terrible day. People bought a lot of food and water to store. Other necessities were also fully prepared. An atmosphere of anxiety and urgency was present everywhere. I ran to God to pray for light and guidance, and especially for peace. I heard the Lord’s voice say to me, “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself” (Mt 6:34), and “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4). These words comforted and encouraged me a lot. Because of this, while many people were worried and scared, I felt strangely at peace. I entrusted everything to God’s providence.
On the other hand, I also heard God’s voice calling me to follow Him on the path of religious life more intensely. I longed to be consecrated to God in a religious congregation. However, I was not sure that I could fulfill my dream. At that time, I was over 30 years old. Furthermore, my family, relatives, and close friends told me that becoming a Sister was difficult. Many questions popped up in my mind: Will there be any religious houses willing to accept an older vocation like me? Do I have the courage to give up everything and follow the Lord? How can I fully commit to following God throughout my life? Those concerns made me hesitant to respond to God’s call. So I ran to the Lord again to ask Him to guide me. At the same time, I also began to learn more about religious life. I contacted the Lovers of the Cross of Los Angeles in California, near my home. However, I was denied entry because of my age and a few other reasons. I was sad, but not disappointed, because I simply thought that it was not God’s “time” yet. I continued to pray incessantly to God and to Mary, waiting in trust and hope.
After three years of persistent prayer, the Lord accepted my prayers. I had the opportunity to meet and share my vocation with a Redemptorist priest. When he came to Lincoln, Nebraska to preach the annual retreat to the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Mercy, he remembered to introduced me to the Superior. Thanks to the priest’s recommendation and assurance, the Superior welcomed me and allowed me to stay in the convent for a few weeks to experience life in the convent. Two weeks passed by quickly with valuable experiences in spiritual life and community life. I heard God calling me more strongly, so I made the decision to join the Congregation in the Aspirancy program. From that moment on, my life completely changed. My soul always felt at peace and full of joy living in an atmosphere of holiness and grace present in the convent.
Today, I am very happy because, from now on, I am blessed to live in a religious community where Mary is the Mother Superior, St. Joseph is the steward of the congregation, and Jesus is my loving Spouse. I am also particularly passionate about the Evangelical Spiritual Childhood spirituality of the Congregation. I often spend a lot of time contemplating and praying with the image of Jesus sleeping peacefully in His mother’s arms, the image that symbolizes the spirituality of our Congregation. I want to follow the example of Jesus who always lived in trust and abandonment in the arms of God and our Blessed Mother. I pray for the grace to thirst for God, to live passionately in God’s love with simplicity, humility, and trust.
Time passed by very quickly. As of now, I have been in the convent for 18 years. Looking back on my vocation journey, I always thank God for calling me and choosing me despite my many weaknesses and unworthiness. I know that God loves me very much, and I also want to respond to God’s love by living faithfully to God in humility, simplicity, and trust through the intercession of Mary. I also wish that more and more young people will be willing to dedicate themselves to God and to serve His people.
