\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anna-Ma. Cinco, F.I.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI am not pleased that you spend time thinking that you are poor and that you will not be able to go forward. What, did I not know that you did not have the wealth and goods of the world? Yes, I knew it, and I know who I chose and why I chose her. He who gave you the desire, will give you the power and grace, if you are faithful to my call, and they will sense that the work is mine and not of men.\u201d<\/p>\n We find these words in the spiritual notes of St. C\u00e1ndida Mar\u00eda de Jes\u00fas. They seem to be a gentle rebuke from the Lord to the young woman, formerly a domestic servant used to taking orders and now called to give orders as a foundress. A woman with scant material resources called to \u201cfound a Congregation with the title of Daughters of Jesus, dedicated to the salvation of souls, through the education and instruction of children and youth\u201d [\u201cfundar una Congregaci\u00f3n con el t\u00edtulo de Hijas de Jes\u00fas, dedicada a la salvaci\u00f3n de las almas, por medio de la educaci\u00f3n e instrucci\u00f3n de la ni\u00f1ez y juventud\u201d].\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A young woman baptized as Juana Josefa who was now called to change her name to C\u00e1ndida Mar\u00eda de Jes\u00fas, a name whose first word repelled her because it reminded her of the name of a drunkard in their village. A reaction portrayed by her own words, \u201cMar\u00eda de Jes\u00fas s\u00ed, pero C\u00e1ndida no.\u201d<\/p>\n I cannot even begin to conceive the thoughts and feelings that must have come to this young woman called to give up her name, her habits, her sources of security, her fears and uncertainties, etc. — one would think, called to give up her very identity.<\/p>\n But her deepest identity was rooted in being a child of God very much loved by Him, along with His other children, and protected and guided by Mary Immaculate — Hija de Jes\u00fas.<\/p>\n And so, through the years, I imagine, the constant return to this deepest identity would fortify and encourage her to continue answering that call before the altar of the Rosarillo. Thirty three years after she founded the Congregation, already in the last decade of her life, she would write, \u201cHow true it is that Jesus does not abandon these poor and unworthy daughters of his!\u201d<\/p>\n So too, I realize, am I called to cast off all the false sources of security to which I cling so stubbornly, all those things that I swore to abandon, taking on poverty, chastity, obedience and availability, and to place all my hope in God in whom I can trust to accompany and fortify me with His grace.<\/p>\n It is a long and difficult road along which, I have to admit, I frequently stumble and give in to my selfishness. But it is also a road filled with joy and peace, because His patience, forgiveness and love accompany me, if I give way to Him. I can almost hear Mother C\u00e1ndida saying, \u201cSteady, my daughter, and be cheerful; God is with us; this is enough for us, and we do not want more.\u201d<\/p>\n And so I keep walking with His grace, putting all my hope in Him, and looking forward to that moment, when, like Mother C\u00e1ndida, as creature facing my Creator, I may joyfully describe my state of being as \u201ctranquil\u00edsimamente tranquila\u201d [supremely at peace], having had the tremendous privilege to share and experience the beauty and the grace of her call at the Rosarillo. Thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thank you, Mary Immaculate. Thank you, Mother C\u00e1ndida, pray for all of us in this your Family.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 Anna-Ma. Cinco, F.I. \u201cI am not pleased that you spend time thinking that you are poor and that you will not be able to go forward. What, did I not know that you did not have the wealth and goods of the world? Yes, I knew it, and I know who I chose and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":9812,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[528,412],"tags":[789],"class_list":["post-29008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hijas-de-jesus-en","category-news","tag-saint-candida"],"yoast_head":"\nSOURCES:<\/span><\/h5>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Mar\u00eda del Carmen de Fr\u00edas Tomero, F.I., \u201cC\u00c1NDIDA MAR\u00cdA DE JES\u00daS, FUNDADORA\u201d, p. 81, 82, 640.<\/span><\/h5>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Madre C\u00e1ndida Mar\u00eda de Jes\u00fas, Letters II, ed. prep. by Teresa Luc\u00eda, F.I., L 285 (autograph letter of July 22, 1904) and L 292 (autograph letter of January 27, 1905).\u00a0<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"