Worldyouthday- World Youth Day 2016 is not only a celebration of God’s mercy, but also a celebration of the Church’s youth. The faithfulness of young Catholics promises a hopeful future for the Church. Realizing one’s true purpose revealed through a vocational calling is key to fulfill this hope. Since mentorship and personal witnesses are key to this discernment, the Mercy Centre is holding an ongoing Vocations Café for attendees to meet adults in various vocations: priesthood, sisterhood, and marriage.
We stopped by the Vocations Café to learn from the vocation stories of a religious sister, priest, and married man. First, we’ll share Mother Jucinta Miriam’s journey to the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus that was shaped—but not decided—by her relationship with her sister and best friend, who entered the same order before her. This World Youth Day has particular significance for her order since it was founded in Kraków.
Although she has been in the convent for 33 years and vowed for 30 years, Mother Jucinta Miriam doesn’t feel the decades. “It’s amazing, but it seems like yesterday.” Mother Jucinta Miriam’s vocational calling was clear since she was young and developed a particular devotion to Saint Margaret Mary. “I knew since I was in fifth grade. I had fallen in love with Saint Margaret Mary.” Her faith was also strengthened by her family’s shared faith. In seventh grade, her family started to pray the rosary together every day. “That’s when things started happening for me. We all go through highs and lows, but that’s when we received a lot of graces from praying together.”
Before entering, she knew she had to determine whether her attraction to the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was related to her sister’s vocation or solely her own. Did she just want to be close to her sister? Or was she being called to the order in isolation from her sister’s presence? Mother Jucinta Miriam explained, “I knew I had to give [my sister] away.” So she wrote a list of all the reasons why she wanted to enter the order. In reviewing them, she realized, “They had nothing to do with my sister.”
After this realization, it was just a matter of timing. Her initial plan was to wait until the fall after she graduated high school to enjoy her last summer of freedom. However, she knew she had to think through the perspective of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us. “There’s nothing too big to do for God. Why wouldn’t I give God the best years of my life?” So she entered the summer after her high school graduation.
For those discerning sisterhood, Mother Jucinta Miriam advised, “If you don’t like the idea of being a wife or a mother, then don’t go into the sisterhood. It’s really about spiritual motherhood. And it’s about being dedicated to love Him.” Regardless of your vocation, she stressed prioritizing God’s will over our own. “Seriously ask God what he wants. It’s not about what I want to do. It’s not about my interests and my desires.”
According to Mother Jucinta Miriam, all vocations are a journey. We must strive for an unbiased view of each path that interests us. “You could be running or hiding. Before you decide for yourself, ask if you’re really looking for the good. Are you looking for the good in marriage or the good in religious life or the good in single life.” This pursuit of truth will lead us to God’s will. She also emphasized the importance of a positive self-image. Before giving ourselves to another—whether that’s God or a spouse—we must be confident in our unique identity first.
Fuente: worldyouthday.com
