There is a 19-year-old girl who wakes up every morning to serve someone else. I would bet anything that the thoughts running through her mind at this very moment are rapid; are humble; are selfless. This girl is one of those girls who is easy to love and hard to forget. At school and summer camp, it's the "cool" thing to do to throw love and affection her way. In her humility, she would never admit this- but it is well deserved. She is small and little, but children look up to her. Peers look up to her. Adults and teachers and distinguished adults look up to her. This is true for many reasons, all of them acknowledging the fact that she is little and quiet.
She's funny. She has a great sense of humor. And there's no better feeling than the feeling you get right after you make her laugh. She almost always smiles at me before I smile at her, and always beats me to asking the question: "how are you doing?"
As shown by her actions, words, and countenance, this 19-year-old girl has surpassed the majority in her humility and holiness and is thriving in her pursuit of heaven.
This girl stopped some friends and myself as we were walking home one night, pointed at the sky, demanded that we look, and asked, "isn't this the perfect moment to just stop in wonder?"
The question led to a discussion of the sky, which was momentarily capturing our attention and captivating our hearts. It was navy and it was black and it was early enough in the day to still see white clouds and pastel streaks but light enough in the day to see stars poking into the velvet Sky that surrounded and protecting the reality we think we understand. It was blue. And it was deep. And as five individuals stood there in wonder, stopped by the humblest of us all, someone commented that the smooth satin cloth of the sky in front of us reminded them of the smooth satin close present on every image of the Blessed Mother. We realized something as my sweet friend raised both her hands in the air and began to shout: "that's why the sky is blue! That's why the sky is blue!" We realized that to stop in wonder beneath a blue sky full of stars is to stop and realize that the entire world is wrapped in the mantle of the Mother of its Creator.
These are the kinds of conversations that take place when she, my holy friend, is near.
This is a girl who celebrates literally every second - who chose a random minute of a random day in a random month and declared it 'the best minute ever,' just because she wanted something to count down to.
This is a girl who walks around with a rock in her shoe as a reminder of the humility and sacrifice of Jesus.
This is a girl whose senior quote was "be bold, be humble" and who was voted to be a member of the homecoming court her senior year.
The items on her bucket list include telling a stranger she loves them, and her skill set consists of having theological conversations, telling bad puns, and co-running a kitchen at a summer camp that feeds hundreds of people three times a day.
Each time I speak with this individual, I am inspired to be better, and each time I learn something new about the world and the goodness of all the people in it.
From all these experiences I've described, I ask: are you noticing a trend? A pattern? A habit of humility, put into practice by one very special girl?
This habit is consistent. It is determined to be joyful; persistent in its pursuit of a good time.
This habit is small. It works to glorify, and as a result is glorified. All this glorification comes from small smiles which, when given over to God, are multiplied into moments that warm each and every heart.
This habit is blue. Yes, blue. Blue; meaning it desires the opportunity to serve, and contains a willingness to suffer and be pulled lower in order to lift up something divine - it is prone to sorrow if that is what will achieve the glory of something greater. Blue; meaning it is devoted to Our Lady and obsessed with the idea of being a small child with a beautiful mother, and being this small child for the rest of eternity. Blue; meaning beautiful. Blue; meaning peaceful. Blue; meaning calm and consistent for others.
This habit is blue. It is blue like the habits of the sisters who are a part of the convent my bold and humble friend will enter in just a few weeks.
The only desire of this habit is to obtain "whatever God wants," as St. Gianna Beretta Molla so often prayed.
If you ask her why, if you ask her when, if you ask her where, how, or who: she will say Jesus; and I think the sharing of that message is the main reason she would want you to read this or agree to the article being shared at all.
This girl has made the decision to be "professionally" holy and humble for the rest of her life. When she first told friends about this decision, she did so by saying, "guys! I'm going to marry Jesus!"
I write this with the hope that maybe someone reading it will pray for my friend. Maybe someone reading this will become more bold or more humble as a result. Maybe someone reading this will consider the religious life a little more seriously than they did yesterday. If your vocation wouldn't make you eternally and supremely fulfilled, God wouldn't call you to it. It's between you and Him to figure out whether or not He is calling you in that direction. You don't have to be a nun to have a little blue habit.
If you believe there is any amount of power in prayer, then you simply cannot argue with the fact that women called to religious life have saved the world time and time again. My friend is offering herself to help that cause and the nobility in that simply has to be talked about.
I'm writing this article because she deserves to have an article written about her, and shared around the world. But I'm also writing this article because when someone devotes themselves so fully to something, it's important that their efforts are recognized with a recognition of the cause itself, which is being so passionately pursued.
The passion were talking about here is Jesus, and for the sake of a friend I love very much, I ask that you pray not only for her, but that you also prayerfully consider your vocation, in order to better serve the God who is the answer to every question one could ever ask the most special 19-year-old I've ever met.
