Of your charity, please pray for Sister Sophia Ruiz O.P., a novice with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor. A native of Saline, 20-year-old Sister Sophia grew up in the parish of Christ in the King, also in Ann Arbor. Today, she explains her vocation story, her story of sisterhood:
“I first remember being attracted to religious life when I was a kid. After making my First Holy Communion, my parents gave me a book about Saint Faustina, and I was amazed at how real Jesus was to her. She could talk to Him and hear Him speak to her! They were best friends, and I wanted that! Also, I grew up near Ann Arbor, so I saw the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, on several occasions. When I was little, I went to one of their profession Masses, and I was entranced by the ‘beautiful sisters’ in their white and black habits! Years later, while taking classes at Washtenaw Community College as a high school student, I would often see the student sisters on campus. Their public witness as brides of Christ attracted my heart and made me want to join their ranks!”
“Because I felt drawn to become a sister, I decided to attend the Dominican’s vocation discernment retreats. At the heart of these retreats is Eucharistic adoration. Here, Jesus showed me that in the Blessed Sacrament, He burned with desire to give Himself entirely to me and for me. I fell in love with Him who was surrendering Himself to me, and all I wanted to do was to surrender myself to Him in return. I had such deep, enduring peace and joy (signs that the Holy Spirit is working!) about giving my life to God in this way, so I stepped out of the boat and entered the community at age 19 on August 22, 2019. Since then, the Eucharistic Jesus has walked with me every step of the way, continuing to give Himself to me with a faithful love that far exceeds my every expectation. Looking back, I realize that my desire to be close to Him was only a small spark struck from the fire of His desire to be close to me!!!! If such joy is possible on Earth, what must Heaven be like?”
Please do keep Sister Sophia in your prayers.
Saint Dominic, pray for her.
Mary Magdalene, pray for her.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, pray for her.
* Do you feel that Almighty God may be calling you to Consecrated Life? Contact Dawn Hausmann, Director of Consecrated Vocations for the Diocese of Lansing, at dhausmann@dioceseoflansing.org or 517-342-2506.