Being a Servant of God’s presence (testimony of Sister Mariana)

“If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, abso­lutely nothing of what makes life free, beau­tiful and great.” (Benedict XVI).

I met Heart’s Home when I was 20. This encounter changed my entire life. Without denying all I had lived since then, this encounter revealed the meaning of every­thing: studies, family, friends… It was such a great expe­ri­ence that I desired to con­se­crate my whole life to God in the Servants of God’s Presence com­mu­nity. Being a sister enables me to give back to others all I have received, all the super­abun­dance of being.

As a sister, the gra­tu­itous friend­ship with the poorest and the com­mu­nion with God as well as with the com­mu­nity has revealed the thirst of my own heart which is the thirst of every human heart. It is the same thirst and it can only be quench by Christ. Elci, Marcos, Cristian, Miguel, and so many others who have become my friends have taught me how to wel­come the whole of reality with the heart of a child and to wonder at every­thing.

This new way of seeing things is nei­ther the fruit of an effort nor of an ide­alist and activist posi­tion in front of the reality. It is the very way Christ looks at me, at everyone, at every­thing. I am able to care for others, to dis­cover the meaning of every­thing, and to hope even in the most dif­fi­cult moments because He is at my side.