She Gave God Her Heart

Since my first profession of vows, I have had the joy of being assigned as Catechist in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program with our daycare children. I get to see glimpses of how Our Lord speaks to their little hearts, and how deeply they love Him. The Kingdom of Heaven truly belongs to these little ones! 

Several months ago, a Mother recounted to me a conversation she had with her son, who was in the atrium with me last year. One evening, he looked at her and said, “Mom, if we have another baby, and it’s a girl, we should name her Mariana Joy because she gave God her heart.” It is in moments like these that my heart overflows with gratitude, and I was brought to tears. 

Two of the greatest gifts of being a Bride of Christ have been spiritual motherhood and the Heart of Jesus. Standing before the face of God is the essence of the Carmelite vocation. I particularly love standing before Him as a spiritual mother, interceding on behalf of the world and all my spiritual children, whom I desire to draw to the Heart of Jesus. My religious name—Sr. Mariana Joy of the Heart of Jesus—is a beautiful reminder of the gift of His Heart to me through my Consecration, and a daily invitation to return to the choice of love that I made on the day of my profession. What a grace and privilege to love souls with the heart of a mother, and lead them to the joy of His Heart, on earth as it is in heaven!