20 Jul END OF THIRD PROBATION. Roma
Time flies and we have already closed the Third Probation 2023. It has been 6 months of walking in confidence and letting us transform together. It has been an extraordinary period for each of us and we express our sincere gratitude to the Lord and to our Institute. We were all very happy when Sr. Charo announced that we had all been admitted to perpetual profession. Our fraternal embrace joined our tears of joy.
On our last day of meeting with our third probation formator, Sr. Inés Oleaga, she expressed her gratitude to each of us for our trust and transparency. She also conveyed to us something very valuable, that “the Lord has put His trust in us, and we must continue to put our trust in Him constantly, in our sisters repeatedly and in ourselves always. Because this trust will produce many miracles.” We keep this message in our hearts and firmly believe in the daily miracles that unfold when we trust.
On July 17, Mother General Sr. Charo and her assistants convened with us. The words of Saint Raphaela Mary to Maria de la Cruz in December 1898, “for Jesus, it is never too much to give with full hands.” (Letter No. 464) sparked the start of Sr. Charo’s talk which elicited her gratitude to the Lord for granting us a time of grace with great and abundant blessings. She also expresses her gratitude to our formator- Sr. Ines for inviting us to take responsibility for our lives, and be good witnesses of God”s interest, to Sr. Lucia for accompanying and bringing the Word of God and the Institute to us on 30 days retreat, to Fr. Marcelo,SJ for his availability to celebrate the mass for us in time of Spiritual exercises and to everyone who is part of our journey. She kindly reminds us to cultivate a heart filled with gratitude and generosity, a heart that desires to closely follow the poor and humble Christ in his daily life, especially to renew our fidelity each day when we return to our respective provinces.
Sending us out into the world, she desires that “our being and our actions may be a channel for Christ to reach humanity. More than ever, the world needs the Love of the Heart of Christ, where there is room for everyone without exception, and the communion, fraternity and reconciliation that flows from the Eucharist. We carry out this mission of Love as a Body, a universal apostolic Body. United as Raphaela Mary wanted …We will make daily contributions and dedicate our entire existence to this Body, with all our passion and availability towards serving and achieving the mission that we seek and carry out with all the members of the Congregation. What is important is the union among us, because this is what guarantees the vitality and apostolic effectiveness of the mission.” For “The Institute loves us with a mother’s heart, always desiring our happiness, our growth in the vocation of the Handmaids.”
What a treasure for us to carry in our heart!
In addition, We express our gratitude and desire to be a humble and simple handmaid, as God desires. We then had a closing adoration with the communities in front of the body of st. Raphaela Mary. It was a poignant moment for us, particularly the sending ceremony. We believe that this memorial moment will be the inspiration for us to spread the Good News with joy and thanksgiving. We concluded our day with a convivial gathering featuring dance, theater arts…It was an exceptional and fitting commemoration day!
These are our personal sharing:
All of God’s promises are always ¡yes This time of the third probation has been to feel God’s love without measure and without condition, especially towards my small and simple response of following and fidelity. I can recognize that God is always by my side and Mary as my protective mother always accompanies me. This time my good teacher Rafalea is the one who accompanies me in the “Yes I want it forever”.
Erika, ACI
The Lord has placed his trust in me and has given me the gift of life’s bounty. I am planted and nourished by God’s love and grace that I am willing to share it, with generosity and a joyful heart, to others. My own journey has shaped my understanding and belief in the Lord Jesus, allowing me to appreciate his unconditional love and self-giving character. This has brought me closer to Him and has provoked in me a movement that leads me to follow His heart, radically. The grace of the Lord moves me to be with Him and remain faithful to Him in my vocation and mission, as Mary did. With her as my inspiration, I repeat : I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word (Lk 1:38).
Sunita Toppo Aci
My encounter with Jesus was like using a pencil and eraser to keep writing the story of God on a new piece of paper as a handmaid. As I contemplate the heart of Jesus full of mercy, I feel a call to leave my suffering in the past, and let my soft heart be transformed to live with joy and give joy to others.
Ngoc Thao, ACI
I look back my journey of the Third Probation with joy and gratitude. Saint Raphaela and Mother Pilar accompany me with love. I confirm that God is faithful. Jesus loves me, I trust in Him. I’m full of hope that springs from His Heart
Thanh Thao, ACI
How can I respond to so much Love? By remaining in that Love with all my poverty and richness. This certainty gathers the overflowing, generous and faithful experience of God’s Love for me, together with my desire to corresponding to that Love. In the trust that His faithfulness sustains me and that His faithfulness in me will lead me to occupy myself more with the Interests of His Heart, I feel the strength of the sending and the fruit of the Third Probation. Recognizing that within His Heart I find a place where I receive new life, from which I continue to be born together with so many others, with whom I am called to share the Love I received every day, resulting from my status as a daughter of God and as a sister to all.
Doris, ACI
Indeed, the Third Probation is “the school of the heart”, which has helped and equipped me to love God more and follow Him more closely as a Handmaid. I would like to express my gratitude to the Institute for the prayers and support I have received along my formation journey. Especially to my formators for their guidance, advice and support. God bless us!
Candi,ACI
The Third Probation was a profound transformation for me, one that made me more myself, more like God, and more compassionate towards others.
It was also a gift to be able to delve into our roots, in the company of Saint Raphaela, in order to continue walking confidently towards a future full of hope where everyone has a place in Her Heart.
Leonor, ACI
God has promised, “I make all things new.” (Rev. 21: 5). And truly He has done great thing in my life. His Joyful Mercy repairs my past, celebrates my present, and transforms my future. This joy of God now permeates within me, allowing me to embark on a new path to be a disciple of God’s Mercy — to have an attentive ear, a compassionate heart, open arms, available feet, contemplating eyes, comforting lips, a universal mind, and a joyful presence wherever I go. Thank you, Lord, for the constant invitation and trust you have shown in me.
Thuy Tien, ACI
I look back on these months and my heart is filled with gratitude for the many good things that were received. I look ahead and “walk confidently” with the joy of belonging to a great family of Universal Heart, with the desire to attract as many people as possible to live very much in His heart, and with the call to be “good company” in the style of Jesus. Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by Him!
Montse, ACI
First of all, I want to thank our Almighty God for all the kindnesses I have received, especially in these moments of formation. I am very grateful to our Lord Jesus who is mercy and continually allows me to see His goodness through the care and mercy of the Institute towards me, where I experience the forgiveness of God who does not look to the past, but to the future, to be transformed by His love. And especial thanks to those who have accompanied me through their prayers since the beginning of the third probation up to today.
Betty, ACI
The Third Probation has been a time of grace, a Divine time. I hold in my heart the assurance that God fulfills His promise of life and sends me to “Love with Him” in the mission in the same way as He did.
I will always say “Thank you, infinitely thank you to God, for your love and your faithfulness”. And thanks to all of you who have accompanied us in our journey with your prayers and love.
Yeral, ACI
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