The Year the Church Prayed for My Vocation

Did you know the prayer of the Church birthed my vocation? I only realized this more recently through coincidentally finding a prayer card bookmarking one of my many favourite scriptures in my bible…Romans 8:38-39:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

This particular card was for the Year of Consecrated Life.

Curiosity struck and I decided to turn to Google and type “Year of Consecrated Life” in the search bar. I learned that that special dedicated year in the Church lasted from November 30, 2014, through February 6, 2016. At first, I did not think anything of it, until I brought it to prayer. Deep in my heart, I knew there was a reason the Lord sent me to this Scripture, and in particular this prayer card marking its spot.

Then the lightbulb moments began turning on. At the time I was introduced to this passage, I was in my first year of college and was just learning how to read scripture. I remember loving the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That time of my life was a new beginning for me. On this day many years later, the Lord wanted me to remember where it all started for me. He also reminded me that the promises he made back then about not being separated from His love, still holds true today.

Now, as I sat looking at the dates, they began to look very familiar to me. You see, in August 2014 I was encouraged by a couple of Companion of the Cross seminarians (who are now CC Priests) to attend a retreat that my home diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas, used to host called “Life Awareness.” It was a retreat for anyone between the ages of 21-40 who were interested in learning about discerning a religious vocation. At that point, I had a small inkling about a possible call but was not actively discerning anything. I followed the advice of the seminarians and signed up. Being as I was on the older side of the age range, I went into that retreat with one question on my heart. “Lord, is it possible that you are calling me?” So many questions were answered throughout that weekend, that I walked away knowing the Lord’s answer was clearly “YES.”

After the retreat, I became very active in the monthly programs that were offered through the Houston Vocations Office. As I began intentionally discerning my vocation, the universal church began praying for Vocations to Consecrated Life.

In the spring of 2015, a friend I had met on the retreat shared with me that he was going to enter into formation with a religious community with plans of becoming a priest. The moment he told me his news, I knew I needed to stop sitting on the fence and take a leap of faith and to contact a Community. That night, I reached out to Sr. Anna, and we began walking together as I discerned the Servants of the Cross.

In September 2015, I traveled to Ottawa for a Come and See retreat, as well as to attend the First Promises of Sr. Michael Penelope. It was during this time that the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that the home of the Servants was to be my home too.

As the year for Consecrated life ended in February 2016, I applied to enter formation as a first year applicant with the Servants of the Cross. In April 2016, I received my acceptance and in August, I left my life in Texas to move to Ottawa.

Now, here I am just months away from making my lifetime commitment through my Final Promises on December 13th. It is an amazing feeling knowing that during the beginning stages of my discernment process, the entire Catholic Church was praying for me. God certainly answered those prayers. I am grateful for all of those prayers, and all the prayers over the last 8 years since my arrival in our Community. I certainly could not be where I am today without the prayers of the Church, family, and friends.

Please keep me in your prayers as the date of my Finals draws closer. I will certainly continue to pray for each of you. Don’t forget to keep praying for vocations, and for men and women to have that courage to take a leap of faith and say “Yes” to the Lord’s call on their life.