“God does not leave us in the darkness. It is only when we abandon Him that we go astray.” These wise words of Saint Teresa of Avila – Doctor of the Church – are the inspiration for the life of the Carmelite Sisters in Venezuela.
Deilys Maria is 27 and has been in the convent for five years. In the midst of the chaotic situation in the country she confesses, “I have come to see how much God loves us, and I trust in Him. His love is evident in the things of everyday, if we only open the eyes of our hearts.” Together with the other 15 religious sisters in Caracas, she is being supported in her life and ministry by ACN, as are the 10 religious sisters in Merida and the five in Maracaibo. We have supported them with €8,400. For these sisters, ACN is itself a sign of God’s Divine Providence.
“God is the one who is sustaining our lives and guiding us through this crisis. We can only follow, with grateful hearts.” They pray daily – for us as well – and they sew and embroider Mass vestments and scapulars, along with other handicrafts and they also run a small bookshop. Needless to say, this work does not suffice to cover even their frugal lives. Medicines alone swallow up more than they earn – as does the cost of water. They also live by another wise saying of the great saint and reformer, Saint Teresa: “We can never know for sure that we love God, even if there are many important indications that we do. But we can know if we love our neighbour. And the more we advance in this love, the greater likewise will be our love for God.”
