Sacred Heart Sisters - new blank page

Sister Guadalupe professing First Vows	My name is Sister Guadalupe and I have always said and continue saying: “God works in mysterious ways.” The first time I thought of becoming a nun was when I was fifteen years old. At the end of every Mass, we said a prayer for an increase of vocations to the religious life and to the priesthood. One night, our car had broken down so we had to walk back home from church. It was on this walk that I thought God might be calling me to be a nun. I tried to get the thought out of my head, especially since I thought of a nun as a person in a room without sunlight praying all day, with a very hot, long habit. I just could not see my self doing that, not even for a day! I tried to stop thinking about being a nun. I got involved in sports and many other activities in high school. No matter how hard I tried I still could not get the thought out of my head. One day Sister Diane, a Sacred Heart Sister, spoke after the seven o’clock evening Mass, at Our Lady of the Pillar in Santa Ana, California. She asked for volunteers for the Religious Education program.
My mother has a very generous heart, not only did she volunteer, but she volunteered my sisters and myself as well. My sisters and I were not too happy with the idea of using our Saturday sleep-in day to help at church. Nevertheless, we did as mother said. I give thanks to God for that event. It was there that I met two of the Sacred Heart Sisters, Sister Diane and Sister Martha. I noticed that the Sisters were joyful, enthusiastic, and most of all, outside where the sun shines. I thought at this time that maybe God is calling me to be a Sacred Heart Sister. The thought was not so scary anymore. I still wanted to finish my education first. “After I graduate from college, then I will enter the convent.” This was the phrase I said to many people including the Sisters. I continued using this phrase until my Confirmation retreat. During a break, Sister Martha asked me if I was still thinking of becoming a Sister. I said yes and even told her I now wanted to become a teacher, since the Sisters teach. She listened very carefully. Then she asked me if I had ever asked God when He wants me to enter the convent. This felt like a freezing cold bucket of water poured on me after a ten mile run. Shocking! Who would have thought of asking God? I did not. My mission now was to find out when God wanted me to enter. I prayed many times to hear the answer, but I was still confused. Until one night, being very frustrated, I sat and said to God, “You have to be clear with me, I don’t get it! God, when do you want me to enter the convent?” I opened my bible at random and I started reading Matthew’s gospel; Jesus calling Peter and his brother Andrew. The phrase that answered my prayer was “they dropped their nets and followed immediately.” I realized that God was asking me to enter the convent now and not in four years. After finishing one year of community college in Santa Ana, on September 15, 2004, I entered the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I had. In March of 2007, I professed my first vows. I am still amazed at how my beautiful and gentle God works in my life.