Sister Maríam Caterina

Once in a while comes a sample of faith that cannot be denied. It comes from the church and those who devote their lives to the message it gives. Want not or will not, lives have been preserved historically and otherwise by faith.

The Sisters of faith have long held dear to my heart. I remember...with hushed tones the class would start and the sister wearing her habit greeted the students and began. Exampling wisdom and sensitivity no gentler people in presence graced the room. For a girl growing up in the 70s and 80s these women were examples of strong and independent women, educated, working, caring, and happy.

With this interview series (Spiritualists and Artists Move the World), my intention is to raise awareness of different spiritual paths. Inter faith by these examples but not personally. I think strongly that this is needed in society. Too much group-think and less critical thinking sways small masses in confusion. Our foothold in society is our faith, our inner compass that guides people to right and wrong. It gives balance and the church and those who belong to it, of all people, can provide guidance. If we are not exposed to it then how do we learn of it. Don't marginalize wisdom, share it, should be the motto of people. So I was excited to have Sister Mariam Caterina do this interview for me, the first of the Church class in this series but not the last.

The Words of Sister Mariam Caterina

How do you define spiritual and religious, do you think these terms mean different things or are the same?

Occult means the unknown therefore spiritual will become an occult act of worship if we don’t know who and what is steering our soul. The religious life is the essence of the spiritual life. Imagine owning a car that does not have a steering wheel and a gear shift, the car is the spiritual part while the steering wheel is the religious and the gear shift is the prayer…the religious part is what is guiding and leading your path towards a destination. The prayer is the acceleration part, without these two the car is running on neutral you don’t know where it’s taking you, you can crash …this explains why we got to be religious and know our faith before we jump into choosing a spiritual lifestyle.

What do you think is the most important thing about being a Sister or about religion?

A religious life is an unceasing act of invocation of God. God‘s presence, a continually sung Maranata (Our Lord Has Come), it is a constant invitation for a renewal in creation pertaining our human nature and the divine call. It is the readiness to receive the Holy Ghost in our being and letting it ignite the fire in our soul to continue to strive for a lifetime of longing for God. A religious spiritual life is a give-and-take relationship where you learn to love from the one who is showing you his love on daily daily basis. The deeper we get to know him the better we are attracted to him, and the more we conform to him the more we realize that there is much more to this life than what our eyes could see.

We work towards the eternal by knowing him, we let go of the word “me” and we allow changes to happen to us. Willing to understand God‘s plan by reminding ourselves always, “You increase Lord and I decrease “ … “ more of you and less of me."

Can you describe a little about how you became a Sister?

We don’t need a specific reason to explain how and why we choose religious life. Only by God’s grace we become aware of His sovereign presence and this awareness leads us for some kind of a fascinating direction to the extent of letting Him take over our life. When my spiritual journey started, I was steered towards what is above and beyond. I remember those blissful days when my grandma took me to church, and how can I forget the school sisters teaching me hymns and prayers pointing my soul towards heaven … the highlight of my religious experience was the day of my first Holy communion. A very emotional event for me that I would never forget. I still recall how I entered the church wearing a white habit with a non consecrated host of in my right hand. I was shaking and my heart was pounding. The steps I was taking towards the alter seemed so far … and the moment I dropped the host in a chalice held by a priest, my tears started to roll down my cheeks and my heart was ready to be flooded by divine love… I am more than sure that my true intimate journey began at this specific moment and that is exactly when I took this call seriously and considered it as an answer to a personal invitation. Growing up in a Catholic family I always felt there is something beyond the tangible that my soul is attracted to. A beauty that is indescribable, a thirst and longing to the unceasing spiritual presence of the creator. The Lord Himself makes us figure out the purpose of our existence and He communicates through small events and situations where things start to make sense. Then we are enlightened and a desire to fulfill these mini invitations start to develop and form in our mind and we tend to focus more on the little things and their importance… just like our Blessed Mother first we doubt the possibility but then we end up shouting FIAT FIAT! (Latin for "Let it be done.")

What advice would you give to someone going into a convent?

The search for God is somehow complicated. It is not a task that we can take over and make sure we become expert at it. It is definitely not an accomplishment that we achieve by talent or knowledge. Actually in contrary of what people think it is … a vocation is to let our guards down through a total surrender of our potentials to God‘s grace and allowing Him to take over. When we are drawn to something so beautiful, then accepting the Lord‘s plan automatically becomes the best part of our purposeful existence - jumping head first comes into my mind when I say this. By surrendering totally to the will of God, we are accepting to be soaked by the spirit of God.

What is the best thing about having faith?

Faith is seeking Him, knowing Him and loving Him. Faith in God’s promises is the heart of our lives therefore we live in the hope of encountering our creator one sweet day. Only that will happen if we decide to be steadfast in our belief and serve with dedication and compassion the church He built for our salvation. God created man to worship him, love him and serve him. God commanded us with an orderly way of life. He is the light of the world. He gave us a guideline to follow, step by step, so that we could enjoy safely the glory of the church here on earth and in eternity when we pass on.

Thank you Sister Mariam Caterina

This is a woman who is aware. That makes her enlightened religiously and spiritually. She knows her chosen path and knows what that means. Her words are clear and confident. While knowing the merits in sharing, that to give in kindness is an attainment. Sisters of faith are human beings with great sensitivity and I hope that more people realize that. This series promotes that kindness and faith for chosen paths should be respected and part of our every day world. Peace.

This interview is part of my series Spiritualists and Artists Move The World. Links to other Interviews in this series:

Canella and Satsang

Mervin and 108 Living Gurus

Ray Robinson, DFA, Artist

Lynda Buckland, Reiki Master

Tomas Robertson, Artist

Kate Silvia, Psychic & Spiritually Gifted

Joan Spalding, Musician

A Mystic's Drift In Societal Whoas, of Topic Interest

Spiritual Steps Cultural Steps of Genealogy Embedded Throughout World Charms

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