images from the internet stock
By Wilma M. (Volunteer of Don Bosco, FILA region)
I'm a woman who fall in love with God!
Wishing you too a grace-filled and fruitful 2015!
At the beginning of this year I made the question "What makes me truly happy?" my New Year's day reflection. That was a good question at the start of the New Year.
As I pondered over that it one thing came to my mind by way of a deepened realization as I listed down one by one what made me happy and ever joyful all this 43 years of my consecrated secular Salesian life.
It is LOVE - the unconditional love of God for me over and above everything else and my love for HIM.
I'm a woman who fall in love with God!
The love I have responded to with full trust in God on that day I said YES to the covenant of love between my Lord and I on the day of my first profession, May 24, 1975.
He gave to me a beautiful gift, a way of life and of love - the pastoral way of Don Bosco, the pathway of the of the 'Da mihi animas'.
Even though my family is undergoing deep suffering because of a black sheep of a nephew I am very hopeful and confident that through our loving patience, prayer and acceptance of him, he will change and be transformed by the grace of God little by little.
I believe in what Julian of Norwich, an English mystic said long ago, that in God's time, "all will be well". This is what I am saying to my only sister, his mother who is suffering so much and to his wife who is also suffering so much and is thinking of separating from him. I told them that we must continue loving him and accepting him. He must feel loved and accepted in the family even if he has done cruel and foolish things. That we must never give up on him , giving fraternal correction at the opportune time, being firm but most kind and gentle and never judgmental. Most of all we must continue caring for his soul and pray for his salvation. The pain my loved ones experiences becomes my pain as well , their suffering my suffering. But the knowledge and deep awareness of God's love , plus profound faith in Him gives me joy , hope and peace that " everything will be well " and that no suffering lasts forever.
I am thankful to Him for giving me my Salesian vocation and mission which I am exercising now at this period in my family, in our Institute and with the young people and their parents who seek spiritual accompaniment as well as some of my religious directees who are nuns, priests and seminarians.
I have received many gifts from God especially the gift of love, faith, hope, peace and joy and these I share with them. One husband who comes to me for spiritual direction told me, “Thank you for the gift of a listening ear and heart. I feel very much listened to without being judged and that is comforting”. He said all he needs is somebody to listen to him without being nagged. I laughed and told him thank you too for his trust. I like to believe that God gave me also the gift of a listening ear and a compassionate pastoral heart - an Oratorian heart. This is what most people needs - to be listened to, for somebody to listen to their own story and reality, for someone to help them grow in their relationship with God and accompany them in their faith journey without any preconceived idea about them, to help them notice their own religious experience and be able to claim it.
And so this year Question gave me a good time reflecting on the graces I have received and made me humbly claim once again that my life is all grace. This is what makes me happy. A Volunteer of Don Bosco's life if she is authentic is a gift daily given to others. She is a woman for others in the spirit of St John Bosco.
May our life as a spiritual son and daughter of Don Bosco be a daily Magnificat and may Her Magnificat be our life's sole melody."
The VDB of Asia are preparing the first historical formation meeting for their Assistants next November 19-22 in the Philippines. Their president, Olga K. and the new Central Assistant VDB - CDB Fr. Joan Lluis Playa and 20+ SDB Assistants to the VDB and CDB will be present. We hope this sharing of Wilma will trigger many more sharing of this not-so-visible but very important group in the Salesian Family in our Region.
“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love.”
(John 15:9)
To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure;
to find Him , the greatest of all human achievements. (St. Augustine)
FALLING IN LOVE WITH GOD
Nothing is more practical than finding God.
That is, in falling in love with God, in a quite absolute way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything in your life – your desires
and motivations, your BEING and your DOING, your comings and your goings.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
and what you will do with your evenings.
It will decide how you will spend your days for the rest of your life.
It will clarify your vision and mission in the Church and in the world.
It will decide how you will respond in love and act in love in every way
despite your human limitations and weaknesses.
It will decide what you will choose in freedom, consciously and joyfully to be,
what values you will live by, Who and what truly animates your life.
It will decide how you will serve others in a selfless way,
even to the of point of laying down your life for them.
Your daily dying in love will decide how you will spend even your leisure time -
what you will read , what music you will listen to and dance to,
what songs you will sing , what movies and TV programs you will watch,
what will catch your attention in the internet and connect to ,
and even the places you will go ;
how you will spend your free time responsibly and well;
who your companions are and your conversations.
It will decide your friendships and the people you are sent to serve.
In our case as VDB - Salesians - most especially the young;
what gives you joy and what makes you grateful, what breaks your heart as well.
Most amazing, in spite of your sinfulness, humbly aware that you are a redeemed sinner
trying your best with God’s grace to overcome your faults and sinful patterns,
your life is transformed little by little day by day in every way
without you being conscious of it .
Till one day you will be caught by surprise that someone in all simplicity
will recognize the Christ in you.
Grace will make you humbly claim with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live;
it is Christ living in me”.
Falling in love with God is a grace and a miracle.
It is the greatest freedom - the freedom to love, the freedom to be
and to see God in everything and in every one.
Fall in love with God. Grow in love with God. Stay in love with God like Don Bosco and
Don Rinaldi
And it will decide everything, till eternity .
a paraphrase of FALLING IN LOVE WITH GOD by Pedro Arrupe S.J., by a VDB
based on her Salesian experience of falling in love with God in the spirit of the ‘da mihi animas’ , DMACT +AMDG
FALLING IN LOVE WITH GOD
Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
(former Superior General of the Society of Jesus)
Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is , in falling in love, in a quite absolute way
.What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings,
how you will spend your weekends, what you will read, who you know, what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love; stay in love and it will decide everything.
DMACT + AMDG