Hi! My name is Reina. I am a Catholic from the Philippines. I have been born and raised a Catholic but my parents are not very devout. It was from my grandmother that I learned so much about the Catholic tradition. I could remember her leading the nightly family Rosary prayer when we were little children. I was very fond of my grandmother.
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| My grandmother in school uniform. |
Here is an old photograph of my dear grandmother. She is wearing her college school uniform. She was studying a course in home economics at the time. She did that while raising my dad and his siblings.
My grandmother was a home buddy. She had her favorite chair in front of the television and she loved watching cooking shows and EWTN. She also enjoyed collecting news clippings and pictures of whatever catches her interest. She made scrapbooks out of those. I seem to have inherited these traits. The only thing that makes me different is that I am not a home buddy.
I have also enjoyed watching cooking shows on television when I was a little child. I could not forget that one show which was hosted by an old Chinese chef. At the end of the show when he's done with his cooking demonstration, the chef would always pick a guest from the audience to eat the dish with him. That gave me one of my wildest dreams - to host a cooking show!
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| Mother Angelica |
Meanwhile, I also have grown fascinated with this lovely, old nun I saw on EWTN. I have come to enjoy watching the shows in this religious channel. When I am watching television alone, I always turn on to this channel. I learned a lot from their shows. I still watch them even until now.
Her name is Mother Angelica and she has a television show on EWTN. I enjoy watching her. She also leads the Rosary prayer at the Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in California. It has been aired on EWTN. She is one of my many inspirations in life and she looks quite like my grandmother, too!
I wanted to be like Mother Angelica. I want to be a religious missionary. But for many years, I have suppressed that aspiration because of my mother's strong voice against religious women. She made me believe that becoming a nun is only a scapegoat for women who couldn't seem to handle the adversities of life. I know I am quite physically weak. I had always been the helpless little child growing up. Pursuing my religious aspiration would only prove my mother right.
I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want to destroy the reputation of Catholic religious nuns. So I tried to deny the call to religious life. I buried my desires into the deepest recesses of my heart. I thought I could forget about it by occupying myself with other worldly stuff but the attraction just keeps coming back. I just could not deny the feeling inside.
Today, I am taking that leap of faith. I do not know what lies ahead of me in the convent and I am feeling quite apprehensive about it. But I also can't go on living in fear all my life. If God is for me, then who can be against me. If God had really called me to this lifestyle, then I trust that he will be there to help me. He will give me the grace to finish the race that he had set out for me. God will not give me anything that I can't bear. I believe in God and I trust that he will help me to fulfill the purpose he had set for me in this life. I surrender now to God's will. May God use me for his glory. Let everything that I do be all for the glory of God!
"I recall your tears and I long to see you that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, so like the faith of your grandmother Lois and of your mother Eunice, which I am sure you have inherited." (2 Timothy 1:4-5)
Her name is Mother Angelica and she has a television show on EWTN. I enjoy watching her. She also leads the Rosary prayer at the Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in California. It has been aired on EWTN. She is one of my many inspirations in life and she looks quite like my grandmother, too!
I wanted to be like Mother Angelica. I want to be a religious missionary. But for many years, I have suppressed that aspiration because of my mother's strong voice against religious women. She made me believe that becoming a nun is only a scapegoat for women who couldn't seem to handle the adversities of life. I know I am quite physically weak. I had always been the helpless little child growing up. Pursuing my religious aspiration would only prove my mother right.
I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want to destroy the reputation of Catholic religious nuns. So I tried to deny the call to religious life. I buried my desires into the deepest recesses of my heart. I thought I could forget about it by occupying myself with other worldly stuff but the attraction just keeps coming back. I just could not deny the feeling inside.
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| With the Vocation Director for the South Province of SFIC |
Today, I am taking that leap of faith. I do not know what lies ahead of me in the convent and I am feeling quite apprehensive about it. But I also can't go on living in fear all my life. If God is for me, then who can be against me. If God had really called me to this lifestyle, then I trust that he will be there to help me. He will give me the grace to finish the race that he had set out for me. God will not give me anything that I can't bear. I believe in God and I trust that he will help me to fulfill the purpose he had set for me in this life. I surrender now to God's will. May God use me for his glory. Let everything that I do be all for the glory of God!
"I recall your tears and I long to see you that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, so like the faith of your grandmother Lois and of your mother Eunice, which I am sure you have inherited." (2 Timothy 1:4-5)
