A hora de acender a lâmpada | Aliança de Santa Maria

TIME TO LIGHT UP
THE LAMP

"I give thanks to the one who comforted me, Christ our Lord, for having considered me trustworthy, putting me at his service, me who had previously been blasphemous, persecuting and violent. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance, not yet having faith (...) He came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first." (Cf. 1 Tim 1:12-15).

Living the LIFE in the fullness of a PASSION...

If I had to summarize the story of the vocation that the Lord chose for me in a single word, it would be PASSION.

It contains the fragility of my being and the openness of my heart to the meaning of his love and his mystery, which finds an answer in the contemplation of Jesus on the Cross.

My name is Sofia Mendes and I have been with Aliança de Santa Maria since September 2005. I was born and raised in Constance - Marco de Canaveses. I'm the youngest of four siblings. My parents are Catholics and they have always passed on this faith to their children, not only through their words, but also through their actions, namely by the example and witness they were to us. They always encouraged us to go to Mass at the weekend, and catechism was a must!

I was a very quiet and peaceful child. However, with the arrival of adolescence, I became a bit rebellious. I could even say that, since elementary school, this rebellious streak had been growing inside me. In secondary school, I spent my free time mainly playing soccer, table tennis or table soccer with classmates I sometimes didn't know. As we used to say at the time, I was a 'tomboy'. I was cheerful and lived life always in search of adventure. But she had other hobbies. She loved to read. I would read any book, regardless of its subject. I liked getting to know new authors and their ways of writing. But I also listened to music, watched movies... However, life isn't just about what we like, there are also those difficult moments, otherwise life wouldn't be life. It's also through these moments that we learn to grow.

At some point I started a new adventure - sport. But as I ventured further into this new phase, I began to lose sight of what it meant to be a Christian; by way of example, I can tell you that I only attended catechism in order to receive the sacrament of Confirmation and become a godmother. I even became an altar server and went to Mass every Sunday, but I was there, if you'll pardon the expression, only as a 'body present'. I didn't care about the Church. God was someone who existed, to whom I turned only to ask, but for whom I had no great friendship. Forgive the comparison, but it was like needing some food and going to the supermarket. If there's what you want there, fine, if not, we'll sort it out another way. I believed there was a God, but I didn't live the faith or the teachings of the Church.

In September 2004, I had the opportunity to play for FC do Marco. I was fulfilling my childhood dream - to be a footballer. I was in 11th grade at the time. In October, I had to make a decision. I either had to continue with my studies or choose sport, because my parents couldn't afford to pay for school and sport. So I chose sport and went to work. The following year, in March, I was called up to the U18 national soccer team. I couldn't believe it... A dream I'd always wanted and... then achieved.

But I had to postpone that dream, because someone burst into my life and destroyed the safety of my steps.

It was a summer camp organized by the Congregation of the Covenant of Saint Mary, whose mission I already knew because of some conferences they held in my hometown and which, without really understanding why, I didn't miss, even leaving some training behind, was the instrument that God used to awaken me to him. Funnily enough, the day before this summer camp, I was offered the chance to play tennis. I was going to start a new sporting season, combining soccer and tennis, as soon as I got back from that camp; so I thought... So off I went with two friends to that summer camp, even though it wasn't to my taste. I went because friendship sometimes speaks louder than our own tastes. However, when I became aware of the act itself, I just wanted to get away from the place. I wondered how I had exchanged everything (family, friends, sport) for a week with God.

The ground seemed to slip out from under my feet.

It was a week unlike any I had experienced to that date. A week in which the Lord was calling me to himself. My soul trembled when I realized that touched by his graceimmersed in his PASSION. The day I felt the call, I didn't know what to do. What to decide?

A decision had to be made. I was afraid, but there was something stronger than that fear. God calls, but he doesn't force anyone.

He leaves everyone free to accept his invitation or not. In tears, I told him YES. I couldn't put off his call any longer. I felt captivated by him. It wasn't easy for me to leave the world of sport and, above all, to tell my family that my life was going to change 180 degrees. Only a "crazy" person could do that. And I was one of them. I took that step based solely on a fragile faith. If this was going to be the path, I had to learn to walk it... I loved sport, but this incredibly strong call told me that I had to take another route.

It was time to light the lamp that was still hidden inside me, the lamp of authentic happiness that would illuminate the path to which I was called.

It was time to take off my boots and exchange the passion of the pitch for the PASSION of Jesus. To learn from him how to be a pilgrim in a time and space where, when love is present, we experience fragments of eternity.

What captivated me in this Congregation was the witness of the sisters with whom I lived, the joy and total commitment of each one of them to the cause in its authenticity. So, from mid-July to September 2005, I dedicated myself totally to those I loved the most, not yet telling them of my decision, but preparing them for the big surprise. Many only found out after I joined my sisters. In September I entered the Congregation.

Through the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, our Mother, today I understand what it is like to allow yourself to be wounded by a greater love when you look at the One who, because he loved me to the end, allowed himself to be crucified by living his PASSION for me.