A Passing Through

I remember asking Sister Agnes if she ever thought about marriage before she went to the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of St. Anthony Mary Claret. And without thinking much, she said yes.

I met Sister Agnes, a 40-something Claretian nun, in the recent Vocation Festival at Rogationist College. She said that she thought about marriage, about having children, growing up and old with a significant other, and finally, living the old age alone. She recalled the thought of marriage and seemed unhappy about it. I sensed fear when she was retelling it to me. When she joined the Congregation, that was the moment that she felt complete and realized her worth through her marriage with God and mission of the Congregation.

Antiochers, with the Claretian Congregation and some others

She said something about life that made me realize that she's just as human as I am and other people. She thought about how it would look like when she's already old and married, and ended up alone in life. She feared that and thought of all the pain that she would have gone through. Before, she was unsure of what she wanted to do, going from one job to another, having a relationship with someone she did not love fully. Then, she said that we're just passing through life, and she did not want to waste it on things that she doesn't love and grow unhappy in the end. So finally, she found comfort in the Congregation and grew a lot with faith and love. She is happy with what she does and it can be seen.

So there it goes. Life is a passing through. One day, we are still here and then came one day, we'll be gone. It would be a great mistake if we spend our time and energy with things that does not make us feel fully human and alive. It would be a waste if we keep doing things that do not satisfy our existence. It would be unfair to ourselves if we keep choosing to do things for the sake of just doing it. Because someday, if we are blessed enough to grow old and still live and think about the things that we have done, it will be hard to live with remorse. This thought reminded me to spend my life with things that matter; to give more time to people, not to material things; to be ever thankful and grateful for all the wisdom, hoping to share all of it with others; to inspire and move people in my life; to give not more than I have but more of what I have; and finally, to be an example that a life with God may not be perfect, but a happy and complete life.

I learned much from the event and from people who have different vocations. I appreciate the efforts and the mission of the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of St. Anthony Mary Claret to provide education to the needy. I will be praying that more people will support their promising advocacy.

I hope that the young people who attended the festival, have brought with them as much as I did, and have realized their personal calling. We may have different vocations, I, for example, is preparing for married life, but we shall be one in being a living testimony of God's love.

I would like to end this similarly with one of my favorite scenes in Before Midnight, when they made a toast to life. Cheers to life, to passing through!

God bless you! ♡