Every October 17, the Mother Candida Family looks back with gratitude on an event that is part of our history: the day the Church solemnly recognized the holiness of Candida María de Jesús.
It was October 17, 2010, in St. Peter’s Square. Benedict XVI canonized our Foundress and presented her to the universal Church as a witness to a faith lived with depth, trust, and dedication. Since then, each anniversary has been an opportunity to celebrate, give thanks, and reflect anew on her life —a life that continues to have much to say to our present day.
What does Mother Candida’s sainthood mean today for the Daughters of Jesus and for the entire Mother Candida Family? How might her way of living her relationship with God—her trust, her self-surrender, and her willingness to place herself at His disposal—inspire us in our own lives? What might this mean for you, whatever your age, wherever you are, and whatever your circumstances?
This anniversary also coincides with a new step in the Journey of Affiliation, which began on September 15. The second Roadmap (HR2) invites us precisely to explore one of the key themes that runs through the entire life of our Foundress: who God is for Mother Candida.
“God Above All”
A common thread runs through Mother Cándida’s life, giving it unity: her relationship with God. He is the center of her existence, the source and the goal of her decisions.
Throughout his journey, he develops an experience of God that gradually shapes his entire being and is expressed in a profound sense of filial devotion.
HR2 invites us to pause in that landscape and contemplate, through her gestures, words, attitudes, advice, and choices, the face of God that gradually shaped her life.
A God who, for Cándida María de Jesús, is the Absolute—the One of whom she says: “Alone, I can do nothing, but with God I can do all things.” A God who is Lord and Master, but also—and in a very special way—Father: great, good, merciful, and provident; a Father who cares for his daughters, who cares for everyone without distinction, who never abandons us, who opens paths, and in whom we can place our complete trust.
Perhaps that is why, when he tries to express what he is going through, words are not enough: “…if only I could put down on this paper what my soul feels!”
A holiness that leaves its mark
Mother Candida’s experience of God was not confined to her personal story, nor was it limited to the people of her time. It left its mark on the Congregation and continues to invite us today to recognize what it means to live as Daughters of Jesus and as laypeople with her charism.
The Constitutions, the Experiential and Updated Reading of the Formula, and the Determination of GC XIX help us recognize these signs: God as Father, trust in His goodness, readiness for mission, and the desire to serve the incarnate God, present in everyday life.
Mother Cándida’s holiness can be an invitation for us to return to our roots and ask ourselves: What aspect of God is shaping my own life? What aspect of God is revealed in my daily life?
Celebrating the canonization of our saint every October 17 also means allowing ourselves to be moved anew by her witness and asking ourselves what her way of living—”God above all”—can renew in us today.
A Roadmap for Reflecting, Sharing, and Praying Along the Way
On this new anniversary of her canonization, Mother Candida once again accompanies us on our journey. Her holiness reminds us that a life dedicated to God can become a path for others, and that the experience of knowing ourselves as daughters and sons of a Father who cares for everyone can continue to transform the way we live, relate to one another, and serve.
We celebrate and give thanks for her holiness. And, with her, we continue on our journey.
