God’s calling

God has called all men to life, as well as to holiness, but he calls some to follow him in a more radical way towards the perfection of love through the three evangelical counsels: chastity, poverty and obedience. . The call comes from God, it is His choice and His gift. In the Bible we meet many people who have experienced and responded to God’s call and mission (patriarchs, prophets, Virgin Mary, apostles…) It is interesting that God chooses average, ordinary people, even small and insignificant for his great deeds. When the gaze of God falls on someone, the call begins to develop and grow, and by the grace of God, a person feels drawn. There are very different ways and circumstances of when and how God speaks and announces His call. Some people know clearly and are ready, they respond generously, while others search, question, find it harder to clarify, sometimes they resist and run away. God’s gift of calling seeks a free, uncoerced, loving response. Vocation generally grows in the fertile soil of family prayer, regular sacramental life, and obedience to the Word of God. But that’s not the rule, our God calls whoever he wants, he looks into a man’s heart and sees what that person can become. And now the question at the beginning: how to recognize if you have received the call of God? Theoretically easy: if you think about your marital or spiritual vocation, you feel that the second attracts you a little more, if you feel the desire to abandon yourself completely to God as your only love. Isn’t that a sufficient sign! Courage, God does not abandon those who choose to surrender to Him, and He does not allow himself to be surpassed in generosity! Many young people are undecided and unsure of their choice of life vocation, whatever it may be. It is important to pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to intercede so that the Blessed Virgin Mary prays for clarity, courage and perseverance in our spiritual vocation.

And now a few words on the path of formation for those who are interested in responding to their vocation within our Society of the Sisters of Mary:

The vocation of Sister of Mary is obviously very demanding. If a sister, in the image of Mary, wants to be a servant of the Lord, to take care of the sick and others who need spiritual help, she must not only be trained professionally, but above all acquire a real spirituality of “servant” of the Lord”. (Kon.97)

Education and training are like food: they only benefit those who accept them. No one can be brought up against his will and without his participation. In the education phase, all the capacities of mind, heart and will, nature and grace are developed so that the sisters can engage in the task of bringing faith, hope and love in the world of the poor – who know little about Christ – through their effective love.

This objective is achieved gradually. No one can serve God and his brothers with a sincere heart if he does not overcome himself humbly. Each sister goes through four levels of education and training.