by Sister Heidi Delgadillo, P.C.M.

IT IS ALWAYS a great joy and relief when a favor of something really needed shows up in the most unexpected moment. There is a sense of gratitude in the fact of being assisted and helped when you are trying to find out the best answer to your circumstances. Sometimes the best answer is that one that is according to God’s plan, and not what we have planned or thought.

Personally, the call to religious life came to my life at the precise moment when I was longing for meaning, healing and true joy. It was through the International Catholic Festival Emmanuel, an event organized by the Sisters Preachers of Christ and Mary, that the joy of God’s salvation found me thirsty for meaning. Since that particular moment, I started to think about religious life.

Finally, at the age of 23, after a very tough adolescence, I found my authenticity and joy in religious life.

I have been tremendously blessed by the gift of my vocation, and it is all thanks to God’s grace. I will be forever in debt for His Mercy and goodness to me. Since the time I entered the community, I have been daily saying “yes” because Jesus Christ saves me from losing myself through His words, the community and the church.

Lifting the Cup of Salvation

When I think about all of this, a verse comes to my mind: “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:12-14).

It is now my joy and turn to contribute to others’ happiness by serving them and promoting an integral human development to rise and restore the human dignity through our charisma of following Christ as the itinerant Preacher. It has not been my own strength, but God’s grace that sustains me. I always receive His grace and strength through my prayer life, my community, pastoral work and our Church.

It is always good to confront yourself and ask in the silence of your heart: What is my vocation? Where are You calling me Lord?

Do not be afraid to ask yourself and ask God. You might not have an immediate answer, but it will be in your daily circumstances where you can hear the voice of God and see His signs that will help you to discover your personal call.

Look honestly at all the things you are passionate about: what is good, what builds you up and try to go for it. God allows us to have challenges, and in the same way, He gives us the courage to overcome everything, including ourselves. Keep yourself in prayer, taking advantage of every silent moment to reflect. Let the light of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament clarify your desires, and find a wise person as your spiritual director who can help you to discern your vocation.

Do not be afraid. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man, is walking with you. I pray that you can find the meaning of your life and discover the joy of God’s salvation.

Sister Heidi oversees both the pre-teen and senior citizen ministries at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Prospect Heights.