How do you solve a problem like Maria? Well, I’ll tell you from personal experience of being one… I don’t know. But it’s not your name or your past that tells you who you truly are or what you are destined to be.
When I was really young, I was like every other kid, “I want to be an astronaut.” “I want to be a Jedi Knight like Darth Vader.” (Okay, maybe I was a little weird.) But I honestly have to say that through the years where every child ‘decides’ their future, I had no real idea as to what I wanted to be when I grew up. Sure, I considered lots of professions, but I didn’t feel called to any of them. I could never look at one and say, “That’s me.” And that’s what a vocation is; when you look at something and can honestly say, “That’s me.” Whether it be a married, single, or religious life, you have to be able to look at it and know for a fact that it’s for you.
When I was twelve years old, I was opened up to a whole new world. After attending a summer camp for Catholic youth (CYSC), my life was never the same. I have been Roman Catholic my entire life, but it wasn’t until CYSC that I truly understood what being Catholic meant. All the things I took for granted suddenly came to me in a brand new light: prayer, mass, and even God. It was like looking at the world in a completely different way. God turned my life around.
About a year later, at age thirteen, I began asking questions about religious life. I was so into this new life with God that I wanted everything in my life to be about Him (And I still do). I began to learn about Sisters and what they do. My very first thought was that religious life would be the perfect way to live out my love for Christ. To want religious life, you have to have a passion for God. You have to want the life of a Sister.
As I draw closer and closer to my sixteenth birthday, my passion for God has continued to grow. A relationship with God isn’t just a one-time thing; it’s a permanent deal. I have embraced my vocation whole-heartedly, because I know that once someone receives the call to religious life, it’s going to stick with them no matter how hard they try to deny it.
Warning: Don’t be confused! Religious life isn’t for “perfect pious people.” I am most certainly not perfect, but the reason God is calling me to this is because I want to be. I want a Christ-filled life, and I have no problem with sticking out for my beliefs. You can’t be afraid to show your love for Jesus because that’s exactly how the devil will drag you down from doing God’s will.
God doesn’t focus on your past, so don’t be worried that “that one time” is going to keep you back from religious life. God is focusing on what you’re going to do next. Are you going to follow His will or not? Don’t let others try and move you away from your vocation. I’ve had people tell me, “You’re too young!” Or “You have no experience, no past!” Just because someone else says something doesn’t make it true. Only God is truth, so that is the one and only truth you should follow. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If the Lord is calling you to religious life, then the Lord is calling you to religious life, and nothing anyone else says is going to change that. I know I’m not “too young,” because age doesn’t matter to God. I was thirteen when I received my call, and no one can undo that.
It’s been almost four years since my eyes have been opened by the Lord, and through the trials and tribulations of life, I have found my glimmer of hope. Through any and all suffering I have endured, I have clung to Jesus. If you hold onto Him and don’t look back, He can make it happen. If God is calling you to become a priest, brother, nun, or sister, then no matter what happens in your life, God will make it come true, “for nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1:37)
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