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A New Name

Sister Marysia
Age: 21 years old
From: Royalton, Minnesota

Though I'm still getting used to the fact that my name changed on August 15th, when I was received into the Novitiate, in the months since then, I've been frequently reminded of God's providence in my receiving it. The Novitiate is, at its core, a lesson in love. What better patroness to look to in this ultimately lifelong journey than the woman who conceived Love Himself? Our Most Blessed Mother was completely open to the working of the Holy Spirit in her, especially at the Annunciation. She trusted in Gods' plan for her and, most importantly, in His love, humbly reflecting that love to the suffering of Calvary and beyond.

In the beautiful vow of consecrated chastity, which we have begun to study in preparation for profession, we seek to grow ever closer to the heart of Christ and to offer ourselves completely to Him in love, as Mary did. "[Consecrated life] finds its identity in the call of the Lord, in following Him, in unconditional love and service, which are capable of filling a life to the brim and giving it fullness of meaning." (Starting Afresh From Christ, #13) I'm beginning to see that living a life of chastity encompasses every part of me and that the love I am dedicating myself to must overflow into everything I do. So, as a canonical novice, this means allowing Christ's love to work through me in everything from scrubbing a floor to setting a table. As I strive to follow Christ's call in these simple things, I pray that my namesake will continue to guide me closer to the love she herself conceived and help me to show that love in all I do.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Sister - Your blog addition made me laugh and think... thank you - you give your profession a more comfortable and approachable face.

Thank you,

Heather

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