detrimental if you don’t act well. But I wanted this, to be able to represent God’s people and to help God to bless His people, and to be our Lord’s spouse—all of this is part of the same thing. I wanted that very badly.
The solemn vows will be a wonderful thing because it’s permanent and there is a greater responsibility as far as the Divine Office; that’s where you really become bound that you must pray this Divine Office. And then there is the Consecration of Virgins at that time, too. And you receive a ring and that ring says you are our Lord’s spouse forever. I look forward to that very much, but my dream was to be a religious, and not just to be a religious, but to be a good religious. I think I have a long way to go to be a good religious, but I am a religious and that’s what I wanted so, so, so badly.
I have to say I’m really plain Jane. I think that God speaks to me in the pots and pans. I think God is training me through the everyday life. I just need to be faithful where I am. There was a movie about Saint Faustina. They said she was a true mystic in that she gave up everything to be united with Christ. So there it is. A true mystic is someone who gives up everything to be united with Christ, and so in that way we all can be mystics. I don’t think you’re going to find a lot of experiences, and I don’t think you’re going to find many people that would want to talk about them if they did have them.
But the big experiences—let’s live the life, and let’s love God and neighbor. And I think God talks to me through all the people and through all the experiences, and that’s how He teaches me and talks to me. It’s not like you hear words. Sometimes you wish you did so that you would know more clearly, but I guess I hear my words through my superior, and in that way I know clearly God’s will.
We’re all mystics. We give up everything to be united with Christ. Let’s just live the spiritual life. We’re just simple Franciscans. Let’s just live our Franciscan life. It’s all about love and it’s all about self-giving. And to be serious about living and being what we’re supposed to be and about our duties and responsibilities that are very serious. But to me, God speaks to me in the daily life, just what I’m doing and what the people are doing and what I can learn and what I can convert and change in my life.
Now, my focus is on trying to acquire real virtue. And I guess that’s maybe why I’m not counting days for myself—because I’m really trying to be authentically what I professed. That’s a lot of work, and I need to do a lot of changing so that I am really a good representation as Christ’s spouse. “Through love you will reconcile earth with heaven.” The more I love, the more that earth and heaven will be brought together. God is love. I need to become like Him. I have a long way to go, so I’m really trying to work on that.
1
Community Life
Each person has her own responsibility for how she chooses her attitude toward others. Happiness is a choice, and we can’t blame one another if the sister isn’t the way I would like her to be. Even if you feel annoyance toward someone, you don’t have to let that annoyance wreck your day. We choose how we’re going to spend our day, and we can choose to think kindly of another person when we’re annoyed. God gave us a free will. I think after living here for thirty-two years, you grow to understand those things better. It’s a hard life in many ways. You can choose to live the life joyfully; but you can become bitter, too, because you don’t have the things you had before, and it’s possible that you make your vows and later you start to regret it, but that’s all within yourself. You have to come to the realization that it’s my fault if I’m not happy, and I can choose to be happy with this life.
Sister Mary Gemma of Our Lady of the Angels
After an early nomadic life, Sister Joan Marie has aged into
The solemn vows will be a wonderful thing because it’s permanent and there is a greater responsibility as far as the Divine Office; that’s where you really become bound that you must pray this Divine Office. And then there is the Consecration of Virgins at that time, too. And you receive a ring and that ring says you are our Lord’s spouse forever. I look forward to that very much, but my dream was to be a religious, and not just to be a religious, but to be a good religious. I think I have a long way to go to be a good religious, but I am a religious and that’s what I wanted so, so, so badly.
I have to say I’m really plain Jane. I think that God speaks to me in the pots and pans. I think God is training me through the everyday life. I just need to be faithful where I am. There was a movie about Saint Faustina. They said she was a true mystic in that she gave up everything to be united with Christ. So there it is. A true mystic is someone who gives up everything to be united with Christ, and so in that way we all can be mystics. I don’t think you’re going to find a lot of experiences, and I don’t think you’re going to find many people that would want to talk about them if they did have them.
But the big experiences—let’s live the life, and let’s love God and neighbor. And I think God talks to me through all the people and through all the experiences, and that’s how He teaches me and talks to me. It’s not like you hear words. Sometimes you wish you did so that you would know more clearly, but I guess I hear my words through my superior, and in that way I know clearly God’s will.
We’re all mystics. We give up everything to be united with Christ. Let’s just live the spiritual life. We’re just simple Franciscans. Let’s just live our Franciscan life. It’s all about love and it’s all about self-giving. And to be serious about living and being what we’re supposed to be and about our duties and responsibilities that are very serious. But to me, God speaks to me in the daily life, just what I’m doing and what the people are doing and what I can learn and what I can convert and change in my life.
Now, my focus is on trying to acquire real virtue. And I guess that’s maybe why I’m not counting days for myself—because I’m really trying to be authentically what I professed. That’s a lot of work, and I need to do a lot of changing so that I am really a good representation as Christ’s spouse. “Through love you will reconcile earth with heaven.” The more I love, the more that earth and heaven will be brought together. God is love. I need to become like Him. I have a long way to go, so I’m really trying to work on that.
1
Community Life
Each person has her own responsibility for how she chooses her attitude toward others. Happiness is a choice, and we can’t blame one another if the sister isn’t the way I would like her to be. Even if you feel annoyance toward someone, you don’t have to let that annoyance wreck your day. We choose how we’re going to spend our day, and we can choose to think kindly of another person when we’re annoyed. God gave us a free will. I think after living here for thirty-two years, you grow to understand those things better. It’s a hard life in many ways. You can choose to live the life joyfully; but you can become bitter, too, because you don’t have the things you had before, and it’s possible that you make your vows and later you start to regret it, but that’s all within yourself. You have to come to the realization that it’s my fault if I’m not happy, and I can choose to be happy with this life.
Sister Mary Gemma of Our Lady of the Angels
After an early nomadic life, Sister Joan Marie has aged into
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