God calls her

 Three years have now passed since Dina returned from New York. We have seen something of her life in the city. 

Now she spends her holidays in the country. Nature had a very special attraction for her. She was moved by the twilight, moonlight, plants, flowers, fruits, stream, rivers, butterflies and the twittering of the birds, As someone who loved all that is beautiful, she loved the order in nature, the silence of the firmament, the beauty of the stars… their infinity. It is as someone in love who  lets  herself  be captivated – everything is directed to God and helps her to unite herself to Him. Doubtless her being, filled with music and harmony, enabled her to rejoice intensely and become ecstatic in the face of the marvels of creation. Dina is like a harp which vibrates with music. The contemplative is a person not caught up with themselves, but full of admiration, emotion and gratitude, with a tremendous capacity for awe.  Dina is a person who has been captivated, seduced by God; she does not bother about herself and deep down is always turned towards God.

We have now reached the summer of 1920. Dina is now 23 years old and the desire for religious life grows within her. She does not feel called to the Congregation of Our Lady where she had been educated. She is attracted to the contemplative life, but has doubts because of her studies and is inclined towards teaching. Three possibilities seem to lie before her – the Ursuline  Congregation, the Religious of Jesus and Mary and the Society of the Sacred Heart. But she cannot see clearly. She continued to discern and one day heard the voice of Jesus speaking to her, ”I want you in Jesus and Mary”.  

Dina responded, “Wherever you wish, Lord. You know that I don’t like teaching, but I want to respond to your call, I don’t mind where, all I want is to answer your call, all I want is what will most please you”. The Master replied “You will not teach for long”. Dina did not understand, but her doubts vanish.

The time had come to speak once more to her parents. She wrote: “I had no doubts about their consent, but yes, I foresaw their sorrow and my heart was broken”. At last she spoke to them and was consoled by their consent. None of this is easy; if any one of you has lived through such a critical moment you know what it means to break intimate ties. But the strength of God works in such moments and Dina experienced that. If one day you have to face a similar situation, don’t be afraid, Jesus will take your place and, without knowing it, you will feel very strong.

During the final months while Dina was still living at home, her parents went out of their way to make her happy. They had done so all her life, but now they excelled themselves, without meaning to turn her away from her vocation in the least. In order to give her all the happiness that was in their power, they proposed a trip to the Niagara Falls, offering her every kind of pleasure and amusement. These were very happy days in a wonderful natural setting which again raised Dina’s mind and heart to God.

The day came to say goodbye. Dina tells us that the waiting was agony for her- she would leave her home for ever. She departed with no hope of ever seeing it again. He herself tells us that, without some superior strength, she would not have been able to take this step.