Discerning Religious Life - Guest Post

The following is a guest post from a good friend of mine, Hannah, who will be entering religious life with the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Miami, FL. Thank you Hannah for sharing your story with us!

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Hannah (L) with Mother Adela, SCTJM

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.” Luke 1:46-47 

This perfectly describes how my heart feels. I am overjoyed in the Lord and so grateful for the beautiful gift of my vocation.

I first heard the call to be a religious- and was actually open to it- while I was on a mission trip in Miami, FL last summer. While I was on the mission trip I went to an all night prayer vigil put on by the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The vigil is done every year in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary to pray for the sanctification of priests and an increase in vocations. 
It was there that the Lord started asking me to be all His. 

I didn’t really understand that at the time, but I knew I just needed to trust in what the Lord was doing. Throughout the week I was in Miami I kept asking the Lord what was going on. Finally the last day I was in Miami I said to the Lord that if He was calling me one of the Sisters was just going to have to say something to me. No more than ten minutes later I was walking across the street and some of the sisters pulled up in their car. They started getting out of the car and one of the sisters said to me “You’re going to be a nun.” 

WHOA! The Lord could not have been more clear with me!

The Lord has called me to live my vocation with the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. 

By entering this community I will be participating in the charism “To be a living image and presence of the Heart of Mary in the heart of the Church and place our Marian charism at the service of the Petrine principle.” This means that we are to be other Marys in the world in our loving and faithful service to the Church and to be witnesses to the splendors of the faith and to build a civilization of love and life.

Although I have answered the Lord with an excited and willing ‘yes’ there is still one obstacle to my entrance to the community…my student loans. Actually about half of the aspirants to religious life and the priesthood face the same obstacle. I have been blessed to partner with an organization called The Labouré Society that helps people like me overcome student loans through fundraising. I am fundraising along with 16 other women and men who desire to follow God’s call, but are blocked by student loans.

Will you please consider joining us as we follow the Lord’s call for our lives?

Hannah and Morgan at Winter Jam 2012

Please know of my prayers for you and your family!

If you want more information on The Labouré Society please visit their website!

May the love of the Pierced Hearts reign in your hearts!

Hannah