After completing my studies I started my career but after a few years I found myself unemployed. The loss of the career that I had worked so hard to achieve caused a great crisis in my life. With great determination I decided to take further studies so that I could find work.
Every day I attended Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and I would reflect upon the reason why things had not worked out for me. I started thinking that the hours before Jesus were just a waste of time, except for the fact that it provided a distraction from studying and looking for work. This thought scared me! I asked for help from a good priest to assist me in understanding God’s will for my life.
It was clear to me that God’s will should coincide with mine. However, by thinking in this way I stopped the Lord from revealing to me the project for my life long happiness that He had thought of from all eternity. It stopped me from hearing the call become a bride of Christ and to work in “His vineyard”. I could not accept the idea of the religious life because I saw it as a restriction of my liberty and I also considered the nuns to be “failed brides.”
Very often I went to pray at the shrine of the Virgin of Revelation and I always said the same prayer: “Show me who I am.” The meeting with the Missionaries of the Divine Revelation was the answer to my prayer. Without any real intention, I observed the Missionaries and the lives that they lead with much curiosity. It was important for me to see if they were really happy “brides”.
At a catechetical meeting for young girls I listened to the testimony of Sister Priscilla. She had just decided, for love of Jesus, to become a missionary! Finally I realized that the religious life is a love story for Jesus Christ. After several days of intense internal struggle, in which I tried to convince myself that this call was all of my own invention, I finally spoke to the Madre. I told Mother Rebecca, Superior of the MDR, that, “God has won! He has knocked down every obstacle, what should I do?” A short time later, I joined the family of the Missionaries of the Divine Revelation. I finally understood that I am a bride, desired and loved by Jesus, to serve the Church in bringing souls to God.
Sister Mary Agnes