I began to read the Holy Bible secretly. The first thing that impacted me was: “Do not judge, so you are not judged.” (Mt 7:1) and “Whatsoever you do to the least of my children, that you do unto Me” (Mt 25:40).
When I was fourteen I made the vow of the Third Order of Franciscans, and at fifteen I clearly said that I did not want to marry. Only Jesus attracted me constantly. With the eyes of my soul I saw around me kings and beggars. I saw the first with all the tremendous elaborate transitional pomp and circumstances, while the others had tremendous and transitional misery. Who would I give my love to? I decided to give my love to the one that always lives: To Jesus.
Of my eight brothers, today only two of us survive. My sister Stephanie, who also was a nun, died. She helped me a lot while we were still in our house. On Sundays, when my mother left us cleaning the kitchen after supper, we would take turns doing this task, but when it was my turn, Stephanie always sent me to pray, and she did it, because she knew how much I liked to pray.
On a summer afternoon, when the sun was setting, I sat silently on the first step of the stairs behind the house. Upon seeing the beauty of the sky, I felt as if my soul was going to fly there. Suddenly, the garden gate was opened and in came a lady. I jumped and ran towards her. She was very beautiful and a devotee and supernatural happiness radiated from her. She said:
- Perhaps this will be house where I am welcome. They closed the doors in the other houses at where I arrived. "There is no place", I was told. In other places, they removed me without explanation. I began in this row of houses, and I have not passed any from the great bridge to here.
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I watched her face and realized that she was a devoted soul that loved God.
-I like kind-hearted people - she said again - Can you provide accommodations for me? - Yes! - I said.
I ran inside the house towards my mother. Quickly I said: "She is a very beautiful Lady, different from us; her skirt is dark and covers her ankles. She asks to stay with us tonight. She does not even request a bed; a chair or a bench is enough. After this I ran to my father. He was a serious man and asked: "Who is this stranger?" I described her, afraid that he would dismiss her. But he agreed for the Lady to stay.
"Look, my daughter, - he said to me -, one way or the other we will accommodate our unexpected guest; we do not have much space, but let her stay."
The night was cold, so we lit the fireplace in the house. The Lady sat in a chair in the kitchen and I sat beside her on the floor. She began speaking to us about Heaven. I listened to all her words and my soul rejoiced with happiness. I asked her if she wanted to eat with us, but she only requested a little bread and tea. While we ate, she spoke to me of the life of the saints; of St. Francis of Assisi. I said to her that I wanted to serve God and to be a nun.
It was time to go to bed. I said to the Lady, lowering my eyes to her from shame, that we did not have a heated room for guests, so she had to sleep in mine, whereas my parents would go to another room. She was in complete agreement with the arrangement.
My heart was glad. I told her that she could remove her veil.
- It is not important – she said smiling. But she removed it anyway. Her beautiful hair fell as a veil, dense and flowed like a cascade.
We sat on the bed without undressing. She talked to me all night long about Heaven. I could not close my eyes, because of the beauty of her speech. At dawn I said to her that I would go to mass, and she wanted to go with me.
-I like kind-hearted people - she said again - Can you provide accommodations for me? - Yes! - I said.
I ran inside the house towards my mother. Quickly I said: "She is a very beautiful Lady, different from us; her skirt is dark and covers her ankles. She asks to stay with us tonight. She does not even request a bed; a chair or a bench is enough. After this I ran to my father. He was a serious man and asked: "Who is this stranger?" I described her, afraid that he would dismiss her. But he agreed for the Lady to stay.
"Look, my daughter, - he said to me -, one way or the other we will accommodate our unexpected guest; we do not have much space, but let her stay."
The night was cold, so we lit the fireplace in the house. The Lady sat in a chair in the kitchen and I sat beside her on the floor. She began speaking to us about Heaven. I listened to all her words and my soul rejoiced with happiness. I asked her if she wanted to eat with us, but she only requested a little bread and tea. While we ate, she spoke to me of the life of the saints; of St. Francis of Assisi. I said to her that I wanted to serve God and to be a nun.
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- You will be – she said with a firm voice.
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- Where do you come from? – I asked.
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- I come from Vienna, from a cloister.
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- Really? - I said to her with joy -. Please, take me there too, although I am still small
– I pleaded.
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- Where I am going, I cannot take you now, but later, I can take you – she replied.
It was time to go to bed. I said to the Lady, lowering my eyes to her from shame, that we did not have a heated room for guests, so she had to sleep in mine, whereas my parents would go to another room. She was in complete agreement with the arrangement.
My heart was glad. I told her that she could remove her veil.
- It is not important – she said smiling. But she removed it anyway. Her beautiful hair fell as a veil, dense and flowed like a cascade.
We sat on the bed without undressing. She talked to me all night long about Heaven. I could not close my eyes, because of the beauty of her speech. At dawn I said to her that I would go to mass, and she wanted to go with me.
During mass I almost did not dare to move. We went together to receive Holy Communion.
After the mass an acolyte came to say to me: - The priest wants to have a word with you:
- I am coming, just let me accompany my guest to the end of town.
- In effect the lady was taking the road to Stomfa, a town nearby. I asked her if she knew the way, and I explained to her how to get there:
- First you climb the hill, and then descending you will immediately see the house of the town.
She thanked me for spending the night in my house. Once more, I said:
- I would like to be a nun.
- Laudetur Jesus Christus! – She answered me in Latin (Praised be Jesus Christ).
After taking some steps, I turned around to see her again, because it was difficult to separate myself from her; and to my great surprise, I could not see her anywhere. In my infantile naiveté I thought: "Perhaps, not even the Lord Jesus can reach her!”
Meanwhile the priest was waiting for me impatiently.
- Who was that lady, Marikita? – He asked me -.She did not appear to be from this world!
- She told me that if I pray a lot, I will be able to be a nun - I answered him with a certain infantile pride.
The priest was a little thoughtful and later said to me:
- I hesitated to give her communion. When I offered the sacred host to her, her face was splendorous, full of light which also was coming from her mouth. It seemed to me that the sacred host flew from my fingers. She received communion in this light. Really this extra- ordinary phenomenon scared me, because she herself seemed to be the glorious eternity. Even in the sacristy, I continued shaking.
- I am coming, just let me accompany my guest to the end of town.
- In effect the lady was taking the road to Stomfa, a town nearby. I asked her if she knew the way, and I explained to her how to get there:
- First you climb the hill, and then descending you will immediately see the house of the town.
She thanked me for spending the night in my house. Once more, I said:
- I would like to be a nun.
- Laudetur Jesus Christus! – She answered me in Latin (Praised be Jesus Christ).
After taking some steps, I turned around to see her again, because it was difficult to separate myself from her; and to my great surprise, I could not see her anywhere. In my infantile naiveté I thought: "Perhaps, not even the Lord Jesus can reach her!”
Meanwhile the priest was waiting for me impatiently.
- Who was that lady, Marikita? – He asked me -.She did not appear to be from this world!
- She told me that if I pray a lot, I will be able to be a nun - I answered him with a certain infantile pride.
The priest was a little thoughtful and later said to me:
- I hesitated to give her communion. When I offered the sacred host to her, her face was splendorous, full of light which also was coming from her mouth. It seemed to me that the sacred host flew from my fingers. She received communion in this light. Really this extra- ordinary phenomenon scared me, because she herself seemed to be the glorious eternity. Even in the sacristy, I continued shaking.
SOR MARÍA NATALIA MAGDOLNA
THE VICTORIOUS QUEEN OF THE WORLD
THE VICTORIOUS QUEEN OF THE WORLD