Hello everyone,
I'm really new on this phorum, I discovered it very recently, and I guess this is only my second time posting... I will be joining the sisters of saint John in France very soon (that would be next Saturday). I made up my mind last Easter (tricky time, Easter... you get things falling on your heads without expecting it and... voilà!) and I got home a few weeks ago (after one year abroad). It's not always easy to come back home, many temptations and the Devil just playing around: "you are not fit for contemplative life, look at all the things you'll miss... blahblahblah". And then I found PM! Just knowing there are people out there experiencing the same thing, seeing this beautiful community it really helped me not to loose my focus, gave me people to pray for and discover a great number of congregations I had never heard of! Man, is the Church beautiful!
I just wanted to thank you for being out there and assure you of my most sincere prayers.

In the wounded heart of Jesus
Gabriella

Welcome to the phamily Gabriella. I know we will all be thinking and praying for you on Saturday when you follow your calling to the Sisters of St John.

Hello Grabriella, i live in Navarra(Spain), very together of France, I know the sisters S. Jonh and i am glad for hem, they need many girls like your. I hope that if you have a religious vocation, you can follow it until the end.
As you already know, the situation in Spain and France is not the best.
God bless you Gabriella.

Welcome to the phamily, Gabriella! I'm so excited about your upcoming entrance, and you're in my prayers!

Pax Christi!

~Carolyn

This is very exciting! You'll be in my prayers too! I'm glad you found this place!

That's awesome! I'm an oblate with the Community of St. John, if you ever come to the Novitiate in Princeville, IL I hope to meet you!

Are you going to be contemplative or active?

I am going to be contemplative (although Fr Philippe, the founder, said that the whole community of saint John, as well as all Christians, should be contemplative. I will just live it in a more radical way). I know very well the apostolic sisters as well. I discovered the community in the Philippines. I was volunteering for a French NGO and really close to my place was a priory of apostolic sisters and brothers, a few months later one of the brothers offered me and other volunteers to join him to meet the contemplative sisters, have a weekend retreat... The funny thing is that St john was initially a French community, but I had to go to the other side of the world to discover them and find out this was it! I just think that God has the most amazing sense of humor!

Little way, I met many oblates in the Philippines and they were just awesome! Really wonderful people, so if ever the Lord wants me to go to Princeville, I would be more than happy about that and meet you! (do you know sr Samuel, sr Karine and br Gregory? they used to be in Princeville).

Ruso, I know Navarra! I live not far from the Spanish border in Pau (Bearn)... still, I don't speak a word of Spanish... sorry

Dieu vous bénisse, Gabriella. Je suis intimidé par votre courage et enchanté par votre generosité. Il m'encourage quand je vois des personnes donner leurs vies à Dieu.

And writing that makes me realise just how rusty my French has gone!

You have to be kidding me... Your French is GOOD!
Thank you so much every one for your prayers, it's really helping!!


(Cathoholic Anonymous: the correct version of your post is: Dieu vous bénisse, Gabriella. Je suis intimidé par votre courage et enchanté par votre generosité. Cela m'encourage quand je vois des personnes donner leur vie à Dieu. See how different it is from your version... En tout cas, merci pour ces gentilles paroles, elles me touchent beaucoup!)

Good luck in your entrance

Congratulations Gabriella!! The Community of St. John is soo awesome! God bless you!

I am leaving in 30 minutes... Thank you again for your prayers. I will keep you in mine, entrusting you to our beloved Mother.
God bless you all! and Praise the Lord!

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows...what a wonderful day to enter. I'm praying for you.