God's Path for Me ... Beginning of a New Life

As I look back, it amazes me how intricately involved God and Mary have been in my life. We hear through God's Word that He knows the number of hairs on your head. What is amazing is that it changes from minute to minute. Hair falls out or is shaved off. New hair grows back or a cell dies and becomes dormant. So we never know from minute to minute or second to second how many hairs we have ... but God, in His infinite wisdom and love for us, does.

He loves us so much that there is no problem too small that He wants to hear about. We think we can only take those grandiose problems that we can not find an answer or solution. However, He wants to know how our day went; what we were feeling; the good things that happened; the anger we felt; the joy; the pain ... He wants it all ... totally and completely.

To be asked by God to join Him is an enormous responsibility and a great privilege. My prayer is that I can successfully complete His will as He requests.

I greatly appreciated your prayers and support during my discernment. As I take this first step tomoorow, joining Him through the Trinitarian Order, I will keep you all in my prayers. Please know that during my Postulancy, I am given limited access to the Internet so my blogging will be few and far between. Please be patient.

God Bless you all!

Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity

Information about the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity


Some history of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity

St. John of Matha was born of noble parents in Province, France. Educated at Aix, then lived as a hermit at Faucon. Doctorate in theology at Paris. Ordained in 1197. At the first Mass he celebrated, he had a vision of an angel, clothed in white with a red and blue cross on his breast. The angel placed his hands on the heads of two slaves, who knelt beside him. Later, when sitting beside a stream with fellow hermit Saint Felix of Valois, the two were given the vision of a white stag between whose antlers was suspended a blue and red cross. With the encouragement of Pope Innocent III, he founded the Hospitaler Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of Captives (Trinitarians; Redemptionists) to ransom Christian prisoners of the Moors (the Mathurins); it received papal approval in 1209. The angel's clothing became the habit of the order, the Scapular of the Most Holy Trinity was instituted, the Order was placed under the protection of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy, and John was the first superior general. Hundreds of prisoners were ransomed and returned to their homes.


More about the Trinitarian Order.


Order of the Most Holy Trinity in the United States





Mother Maria Teresa Cucchiari, foundress of the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity.


"In 1198 John of Matha was inspired to found a community dedicated to the Trinity in order to share the Trinity's love through redemptive charity. On September 8, 1762, Maria Teresa Cucchiari followed her own special call by the Trinity and received the Trinitarian habit and became the foundress of the female branch of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity.Maria Teresa and the first two women to join her carried out the charism of the Order, namely, redemptive charity. They were of service to women and children living in the small towns of the hills of Avezzano, Italy in various ways. This was a truly unique and innovative type of ministry for its time. Over the years this ministry included not only catechesis, but developed into caring for children in orphanages, helping the sick and establishing schools for those who otherwise would not have access to education. Mother Maria Teresa had a great devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She had complete trust in the providence of God. When she found herself in difficulty her motto became, "I trust in God and I am confident."




Our Lady of Good Remedy


800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful at that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honored Mary with the title of "Our Lady of Good Remedy." Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha.

Habit: The habit of the Sisters is of white wool bearing the emblem of a blue and red cross, signifying the purity of the Father, the sufferings of the Son, and the charity of the Holy Ghost.

Movin' On Up, to the East Side...

The news is finally out!

Wednesday, my department had a surprise breakfast for my birthday. On Thursday, my actual birthday, I had an important meeting scheduled in the afternoon so I blocked out the entire day, which they thought I was not going to be in the office.

The table was decked out with a birthday tablecloth, balloons, and lots of food (muffins, donut holes, bagels, juice, cupcakes). What a great surprise! And yes, cubicle volleyball was played during the day. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy gold coins (chocolates) so we could have an 'olympic cubcile volleyball game.'

So as we were all sitting there, all 10 of us, I had the nudge from the Holy Spirit to tell my story. I had talked with my director on Monday that after my come-and-see week in September, I would tell the rest of the department. The Holy Spirit said now.

An amazing thing happened! They were ALL very supportive! I could not have asked for a better reaction from my colleagues...what a blessing! Although one of the staff nudged another and said, 'I think this means we have to be NICE to her.' lol

So now, I'm waiting to see how fast the news gets through the rest of the company. I'm sure the rumor mill will be in full swing...but so far I have heard nothing. Somewhat thankful, yet somewhat fearful....fearful for what MAY be coming. Then again, it's in God's hands.

Doubt and Christ-Incidences

Lately, there have been a few times that I have questioned whether God really wants me to become a nun. I started doubting myself. Am I really cut out for this? Will I be able to pay off my bills by the time I enter the Postulency? Can I actually do this?

Then God sends me little signs. A dear friend calls them 'Christ-incidences.'

Today was one of those days.

A colleague and good friend told me she did not think I would make it the 18 to 20 months of waiting before I could profess my temporary vows. She thought I would change my mind and stay in the job I am in currently. Maybe adopt a few children and start a family. Don't get me wrong, she is a dear friend and is only looking out for my best interest. Also in her defense, she did remark that of all of the people she works with, I am the only one she could see entering religious life.

However, her best interest may not be God's best interest for me.

After our little morning chat, I started doubting whether I was cut out for the Convent. Is this where God really wants me? Is this my calling? So I said a little prayer and went about my day...meetings! Ugh! (That leaves more work for me when I get back to the office).

The first Christ-incident happened about noon. One of the Sisters of the Order I am applying to enter called me. She left a message to call her. I thanked God that she called since she always brings up my spirits. She has such a zest for life and loves to laugh and make everyone else laugh. I couldn't imagine what she wanted to talk to me about since we just saw each other on Saturday, yet it sounded urgent. Ugh! Another meeting. Couldn't call her back. (more work piling up)

I finally had a chance to call her around 2:30, but she was on her way to Adoration and could not talk. *sigh* She asked me to call her around 6:00 this evening. So after my meetings and doing some paperwork, I left for the day. When I arrived at the train station, I decided to call her before I started my way toward home. We had such a wonderful chat! I loved hearing her voice and truly enjoyed our time. (nothing urgent).

The second Christ-incident was after I arrived home. I received a package in the mail from another dear friend. Inside were hand-written thank you notes from young adults (I guess I really can not call them kids since they were in 7th grade).

My friend, their PSR teacher, asked several of us to talk to her class last year about vocations. I talked about my change in vocation from being a single working adult to one of religious life, what made me change, and my favorite Saint - Saint Maximillian Kolbe. It was a lot of fun to talk to these young adults and watch their faces when I talked about St. Max.

The following week, my friend had asked the students to write thank you letters to all the people who came to talk. She then placed them in her bag to take home. It was the last class of the year and when she got home, she put the bag in a corner. She forgot about the letters until this week when she was getting ready for this next school year - oops! She gathered the letters and sent them snail mail. They came today.

As I was reading them, one letter caught my heart.

'Thank U Miss [LM]' it read on the front.

'Thank you Miss [LM] for coming and telling us ur storie
your stay made me think alot about being a nun
I will put alot of thought into that'

'From [student's name]
Jesus loves you'


Why I ever doubted, I'm not sure. God certainly has a way of letting us know His will...if we only stop to listen.

************

Post update:

I just received a phone call from my Aunt (my dad's sister). She is helping some friends of mine and I create something for a special friend of ours. Anyway, she mentioned something on the phone that was another Christ-incident.

Last year when my Uncle (my dad's and Aunt's brother) was dying, I called her to give her updates on his condition. She told me today that she wondered then why I never considered being a nun. Little did she know, back then, I was!

I'm being called to be a bride of Christ.