At the end of October, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary sent invitations to a vocation retreat in Londrina, which is in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Twelve young women attended in person at the house and shrine of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. Two others joined online. The motto was:
“Hearts on fire, feet on the move.”[1]
This is the theme of the third Year of Vocation in Brazil. The young people were invited to reflect upon their vocation. There were two days of spirituality with themes to help them discern their vocation and with time to establish contacts with sisters.
To better understand consecrated life and the charism of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary there were testimonies and talks with the sisters and the young people. The evening meal with the sisters was a fitting opportunity for sharing. The group of young girls who live together as candidates of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil introduced themselves via video call, sang songs, and told the young people about their experiences.
A Decision for a Vocation
Everyone wanted to participate in the next meeting and asked the sisters to continue to have these meetings, if possible, over a longer period of time.
For Carolina Lidione, the themes were very important. She came to understand that the vocation journey of each person is unique and each person needs time to discern their vocation.
What pleased Sabrina Baron were the talks because, as she said, “We received many suggestions about how to live a life of holiness and religious life. The prayer times were also very good.”
The talks, said Renata Helena de Oliveira, “provided much for me to reflect upon!“
A Vocation is a Grace
A vocation is a grace and grace has its hour. We must not miss the hour of grace in our lives!
The time of youth is the right time to realize the unique plan God has for each of us.