Thy Will Be Done

Sr. Christine Mesias, FSP

"Not my will but yours be done" Luke 22:42.

What has been part of your life?

I felt that following the will of God and the deepest desire of my heart are what is part of my life, that most matters to me. After 12 long years of formation (2006-2018), I finally made my perpetual profession last June 29, 2018. Immediately, I was sent as a missionary to Thailand up to the present. As Daughters of St. Paul, we do various apostolic initiatives. At present, I am teaching English catechism to a school and parishes. I entered the Daughters of St. Paul when I was 25 years old. It was May 30, 2006. As I look back, time passes quickly. It has been 17 years since I decided to leave everything and say yes to the call of Jesus to follow Him in religious life.

My family’s religious background

My desire to become a religious sister started at the young age of six. I have an aunt who belongs to the congregation of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. I got first attracted to her clean and well-pressed dark blue habit. Then to the way, she spends her time during her home visit. Going to mass, prayer, and visiting relatives are on her list and I would always be the first one to volunteer to accompany her.

Why did I decide to pursue a religious life?

It took me long years to hold on to my desire until I finished high school and asked permission from my mother if could enter a local congregation that runs a diocesan catholic school in my hometown. I got a big no answer from my mother. So, the next thing for me to do is to study college. After studying and finally working, I was awakened by my desire to become a religious sister. It was not an easy decision but the prayer of Jesus when He was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane became my prayer "Not my will but yours be done" Luke 22:42. I finally realized that although it was a difficult decision if God wills it, nothing and no one can withhold His will.

How my religious beliefs have changed over time.

Well, as I increase in age and years in my religious life, I am convinced that God is the source of my vocation. I acknowledge that he is at work in my life and the mission, he entrusted to me.

What is religious life for me?

Religious life for me is first and foremost a gift. It is a life of service and self-offering to the God who has given this gift to me.

What do I enjoy about being religious?

What I enjoyed about being religious is living out of the vows (chastity, poverty, and obedience). Without these vows religious life is meaningless. I find meaning in the way I live out my religious life with the concrete living out of the vows.

What challenges did I face in my religious life?

There are many challenges, but I guess the biggest challenge for me is how to live a well-balanced life as a Daughter of St. Paul without neglecting any of the four wheels (prayer, study, community life, poverty).

My advice for those who are interested (Conclusion)

Like any other vocation religious life has its joys and challenges. If you are interested, don't be afraid to give it a try because you will discover the compliment of your will and God's will and nothing can withhold it.