Venizia Fernandes
Just as a river keeps flowing to the sea, in spite of the obstacles it might meet on the way, I see myself moving towards Jesus, facing life with His courage, and with complete confidence in His love.
Just as a river keeps flowing to the sea, in spite of the obstacles it might meet on the way, I see myself moving towards Jesus, facing life with His courage, and with complete confidence in His love.
One day, a thought captured my mind: to live for self is normal, but to live and do something for someone else is a gift from God. These words lingered on as I was choosing my way of life, and after I completed my studies, I joined the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Like most Catholic families, we had framed pictures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mother Mary on the altar. I experienced a deep connection with the picture of the Sacred Heart; I felt Jesus was speaking to me and was often moved to tears with the depth of this connection.
Several times I heard my parents say “Tujekhoshi jau Deva.”(May Your will be done, Oh God) Somewhere this is rooted deep down in me and helped me in my discernment. I learned to wait for God to answer.
When I look back at my life as a Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), I realise it is God who called me.
When I chose to answer the call to religious life, I experienced a great sense of peace and trust, knowing that God was very much at work in every obstacle that stood in the way of my choice. I can only marvel at all that God has done and is still doing for me.
It was at my First Holy Communion that the Lord Jesus entered my childlike heart and whispered to me: “Come follow me! You will be a witness of my love - to all peoples.”
My vocation story is like a fairy tale - all well-planned from the beginning to the end.
I am so overwhelmed by his love for me — a love that has been there from the beginning; a love that embraced all my pain, my joy, my history! And I could say, “I desire to follow you all throughout my life. I am but a little point in the universe, but I want to proclaim your love to the world.”
“Everything is grace.” This is the sentence which best describes my life and my vocation. I try to live this truth every day, with gratitude for the people I meet and the events that I experience.