María del Carmen Sanabria López NJM

I was an 18 year old girl, had just entered the Normal School of Specialization; I had a stable relationship with a boy was engaged and in love. For me, there was no other future than to form a home, a family. I could not even imagine anything different. Nevertheless, God burst into my life, with great respect, asking me my consent which I gave to Him and I am grateful for this up to the present time. I consider that all this was a path, a process, a whole series of events and moments in which God manifested Himself, inviting me to follow Him. Nevertheless, the foundation experience which led me to be interested in religious life was the invitation to go, for the first time to the missions. When I lived the retreat of preparation for this experience, I remember that in the beginning of the prayer, they showed a video of the Charism, the mission and the places where Jesus and Mary is in the world. I felt a great emptiness in the stomach accompanied by an impressive enthusiasm; I felt called to be a presence of that active goodness of God through Christian education.

I began to look for information, to live with the Sisters of Jesus and Mary in a non-committed way, desiring to know and at the same time not to know, being there and not being out of fear, what is my family going to think, my friends. On some occasions even I felt I was mistaken, but my dreams of “forming a home, a family” were transformed into the desire of “creating community”.

When I had my first encounter with one of the religious communities I was filled with illusion in seeing a great smile on the face of the Sisters, sharing their life, joyful, close to one another, united. My heart felt at home. That same afternoon in the Chapel I placed my hand on the statue of Claudine and I told her, “I feel the call of the Lord, if it is here, in your Congregation, accompany me on this path in order to discover it”. Since i was 19 years of age I began to participate in the activities which my spiritual accompanier suggested and invited me, leaving everything in order to go with Jesus, desiring to know Him better and to unite my dreams to His. As time went on, I kept feeling the confirmation to the call to religious life and a profound experience of God. Impelled by His grace of God and accompanied by Claudine, I gave my “YES” and entered the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, three years ago. Today, being a Novice I feel completely grateful to God for so much good received and I continue to ask Claudine to accompany me on this journey.

 

Similar Posts