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By Wilma M. (Volunteer of Don Bosco, FILA region)

I'm a woman who fall in love with God!

Wishing you too a grace-filled and fruitful 2015!

At the beginning of this year I made the question "What makes me truly happy?" my New Year's day reflection. That was a good question at the start of the New Year.

As I pondered over that it one thing came to my mind by way of a deepened realization as I listed down one by one what made me happy and ever joyful all this 43 years of my consecrated secular Salesian life.

It is LOVE - the unconditional love of God for me over and above everything else and my love for HIM.

I'm a woman who fall in love with God!

The love I have responded to with full trust in God on that day I said YES to the covenant of love between my Lord and I on the day of my first profession, May 24, 1975.

He gave to me a beautiful gift, a way of life and of love - the pastoral way of Don Bosco, the pathway of the of the 'Da mihi animas'.

Even though my family is undergoing deep suffering because of a black sheep of a nephew I am very hopeful and confident that through our loving patience, prayer and acceptance of him, he will change and be transformed by the grace of God little by little.

I believe in what Julian of Norwich, an English mystic said long ago, that in God's time, "all will be well". This is what I am saying to my only sister, his mother who is suffering so much and to his wife who is also suffering so much and is thinking of separating from him. I told them that we must continue loving him and accepting him. He must feel loved and accepted in the family even if he has done cruel and foolish things. That we must never give up on him , giving fraternal correction at the opportune time, being firm but most kind and gentle and never judgmental. Most of all we must continue caring for his soul and pray for his salvation. The pain my loved ones experiences becomes my pain as well , their suffering my suffering. But the knowledge and deep awareness of God's love , plus profound faith in Him gives me joy , hope and peace that " everything will be well " and that no suffering lasts forever.

I am thankful to Him for giving me my Salesian vocation and mission which I am exercising now at this period in my family, in our Institute and with the young people and their parents who seek spiritual accompaniment as well as some of my religious directees who are nuns, priests and seminarians.

I have received many gifts from God especially the gift of love, faith, hope, peace and joy and these I share with them. One husband who comes to me for spiritual direction told me, “Thank you for the gift of a listening ear and heart. I feel very much listened to without being judged and that is comforting”. He said all he needs is somebody to listen to him without being nagged. I laughed and told him thank you too for his trust. I like to believe that God gave me also the gift of a listening ear and a compassionate pastoral heart - an Oratorian heart. This is what most people needs - to be listened to, for somebody to listen to their own story and reality, for someone to help them grow in their relationship with God and accompany them in their faith journey without any preconceived idea about them, to help them notice their own religious experience and be able to claim it.

And so this year Question gave me a good time reflecting on the graces I have received and made me humbly claim once again that my life is all grace. This is what makes me happy. A Volunteer of Don Bosco's life if she is authentic is a gift daily given to others. She is a woman for others in the spirit of St John Bosco.

May our life as a spiritual son and daughter of Don Bosco be a daily Magnificat and may Her Magnificat be our life's sole melody."

The VDB of Asia are preparing the first historical formation meeting for their Assistants next November 19-22 in the Philippines. Their president, Olga K. and the new Central Assistant VDB - CDB Fr. Joan Lluis Playa and 20+ SDB Assistants to the VDB and CDB will be present. We hope this sharing of Wilma will trigger many more sharing of this not-so-visible but very important group in the Salesian Family in our Region.