St. Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus was born in Spain on September 7, 1842, and died there on this date in 1912. She briefly entered a religious order, but it wasn’t a good fit.
Several years later, St. Maria Josefa and three other women left and founded the Institute of the Servants of Jesus, which nursed people suffering from cholera, tuberculosis, and other contagious diseases. When illness prevented her from doing direct ministry, she remained with her sisters in spirit through extensive correspondence.
Among the things St. Maria Josefa said often was, “I was born with a religious vocation.” And weren’t we all, though ours may not involve wearing a habit or in the case of men being ordained. Try to think of vocation in the broader sense… what are you being called to do for Christ?
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