I once came across a quote that muses, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Like other teenagers, I had already made up my mind on what my life was going to be like, and that did not include becoming a religious sister. Being the fifth of six children and just finishing my freshman year in college, I felt the pressure to assure myself and others that I didn’t have the vocation to the religious life. In order to do that, I went to a ‘Come and See’ program where I spent 3 weeks discerning, but for the most part, I had already made up my mind. I have to admit that I did not have the right intention, but God has his own ways of telling me that He has greater plans in stored for me. The book of Proverbs communicates it most vividly, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 6:9). One day during prayer, a strong feeling of God’s love pervaded my soul through the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a pierced hand reaching out to invite me to come, follow Him. Though I knew this was His invitation for me, I still denied it. After the initial response of saying “no” to God, I felt an intense feeling of emptiness and sadness in my soul, which could only be expressed with tears. These tears, however, also expressed my inner struggle to let God’s voice be heard within me. Like Mary who pondered at the words of the archangel Gabriel, I also pondered, “How can this be?” (Lk 1:34). Eventually, I surrendered my will to God’s infinite goodness and love.

After entering the postulancy, I began to be in awe with the Dominican charism and decided to let God be my All in all. The mystery of God’s love, his calling for me, could only be understood through a response. Therefore, each day is a response to God’s tremendous love in which I submit myself completely to his Providence; and there I believe His grace will perfect and bring to fruition everything that I do for the love of God and neighbor. I am now in my 9^th year as a professed sister and am currently teaching 7^th and 8^th grade Religion at St. Laurence Catholic School. I enjoy learning and teaching for I know that “to fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement” (St. Augustine).