I was having a conversation with my brother and he made a comment about how he thought that I would be happy as a Sister. That comment planted a seed in my heart, so I started to discern religious life. By this time, I had recently graduated from university and was given a promotion at my job. However, I postponed taking that promotion since it required long-term and full-time commitment, and I did not want to commit myself to something when my heart was curious about something else. So I started to get in contact with different types of orders to learn about what it was to live a religious life. I attended come-and-sees and women’s nights at different convents. I was very much attracted to the joy of all the sisters I have encountered. It wasn’t until I started to go to come-and-sees with the Lovers of the Holy Cross that I became more serious about joining a convent.
I grew more and more attracted to the community at the Lovers of the Holy Cross and the sisters’ charism. I had always been exposed to God since I grew up Catholic, but it was not until I attended the Holy Triduum Retreat with the Lovers of the Holy Cross that I started to see Christ as a lover. In Ephesians 5:25, husbands are called to lay down their lives for their wives, the same as Christ did for the Church. Like a husband, Christ was laying down his life for me. I was always enamored with Jesus on the cross, especially during the Holy Triduum, but the retreat I went to amplified my love for Christ crucified. If someone were to ask me why I decided to join a religious life, I would respond that I am joining because I am attracted to a religious life. I am open to receiving whatever God has in store for me.
2024 Grant Recipient
