A Gift for Unlimited Sharing

MARIVIE CATIS-DALMAN

I was the youngest in a family of twelve. I discovered as a child that fabricating stories was the only way to catch attention. In the process, I developed a love for writing. Little did I know that this gift of words would become my mission! After getting married at the age of 22, I opted to stay home to look after my three children. When they grew up and started schooling, I made some adjustments in my routine.  But I discovered that this was not enough.  I was facing new challenges.  I also found myself spending more time alone. Furthermore, I began to feel a deep longing, which I didn’t understand. At first, I mistook this for boredom. Finally, I recognized it as the stirrings of the Holy Spirit within me.  This led me to rekindle my friendship with Sr. Mary Niere.

Sr. Niere is a Carmelite nun from my hometown in Zamboanga City. She wrote the book “The Gospel of Contemplation” and was on a mission to spread GOC. She introduced me to Contemplative prayer and mentored me in my journey. It was, for me, a rebirth.

Gradually, various groups invited me to give talks.  There were Baptists, 7th Day Adventists, Born Again, Moslems, and even an atheist. From Sister Mary, I learned how to approach this diverse group. I taught them about prayer, and I “let God do the rest.” They accepted it well, and I was glad.

In 2014, my family and I migrated to the US and settled in California. There, I met the Pastoral Formation Head for CFC-USA. I was invited to become a Missionary Worker doing work for Pastoral Formation. This work was new to me.  I prepared myself by reading and listening to a podcast. I watched videos on “formation” and other similar topics. This invitation opened opportunities to introduce contemplative prayer to brethren in CFC-USA. I initiated a webinar for the Gospel of Contemplation, and my first class finished in the spring of 2017.

We are called to spread God’s love in the ordinariness of our life. I am grateful for this special gift.