“You may know me by many names, but, today, I am just your little sister; let that suffice for now. In
a few months’ time, I will leave your side to disappear forever in the hidden garden of my Saviour’s
Heart. Even if I am far from you, we will always remain one in spirit until we are reunited for all
eternity. Never forget that this life is shorter than a breath in comparison to Heaven above.
You mustn’t forget, however, that this life is of infinite worth, because it is only here that we can
grow closer to our Heavenly Bridegroom.

We were placed here to love Him alone, so don’t let your
heart grow lukewarm or divided. You cannot serve two masters. If there is one thing you
remember from our brief time together, may it be this: let love of Christ possess you, let it
consume you until you die and He alone lives in you. Nothing is more important than this.
I will soon leave you, my sister, to better love Him. I will forever turn my face from the world and
seek shelter in His Heart alone. The grilles and the wall are the ribs that protect me, so please
remember that they do not imprison me; rather, they free me and keep that deadly world out. They
are my wings, unburdening me that I might sweetly fly to my Love, my Lord, my God.

The Rule, the fasts, the Office, they are all powerful tools in my Divine Creator’s hands. He will use them to sculpt my soul into the perfect masterpiece He intends to make of me.
He wishes this for you, too, so please remember to always be obedient to His whisperings.
Conform yourself to Him in all things: He knows what He is doing. There is no hardship or
suffering greater than His gentle love, so don’t be afraid of a little discomfort when it comes from
Him. He will always wrap you in His tender grace and hold you close if you only let Him.
Once I am safe in my Lord’s embrace, my old life will be forgotten, washed away in His Precious
Blood, and I will be free to begin my life in Eternity. He knows how much you long for Heaven, so
He is offering you, too, the chance to begin this joy already here, on Earth.

Please, don’t fritter this opportunity away, preferring your frivolities. Do you not understand that the King of Heaven and Earth is proposing to you, offering you the chance to be His beloved, His queen?
The cloister is not a jail, but a castle fit for only the loveliest of queens. It is built by the King’s
hands for His little brides, because He loves them more than anything. He watches over them and
provides for them; they know that they will want for nothing if they allow Him to take care of them.
And indeed, they want for nothing! Though they are empty-handed in the eyes of the world, they
know that they are richer than any man. Their wedding gift is the Cross, placed on their soft
shoulders by Christ Himself. Their life is a ceaseless Passion as they accompany their Beloved to
Calvary, where the bridal couple will be crucified together. I promise you, no sweeter life is to be
found.

Our Beloved’s words to you are those of the Bridegroom in the Canticle of Canticles: Arise, my
love, my beautiful one, and come: my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall,
shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely. Do
not be afraid to answer His gentle voice. Make haste to answer Him. He will always suffice.
Nothing you give up in following His call will be lost, for you will merely exchange it for greater
riches than you can possibly imagine.
Our vocation is not a sad thing, as those in the world might believe, but rather a gem of priceless
value. We have been invited to a life of perfect intimacy with the One who created Heaven and
Earth, who split the land from the sea, who has all power and knowledge. This world He made is a
good one, it is true, but is it not better to live for Him alone? We are pilgrims; don’t grow attached
to your life here, for it will be over before the sun rises in the morning.

As I stand on the precipice of the cliff, preparing to plunge into an unknown future, I feel no true
fear, because I know Who is waiting for me at the bottom. My Beloved will never let me fall. He
promised me that I would want for nothing as long as I have Him. I am nothing, I am nobody, but
He is everything. Do not listen to me, but listen to Him, I beg you. Be brave. Be fearless. You will
never stumble if you trust in your Beloved.
He knows you in your weakness, so He has given you not only Himself, but also His Mother to be
yours. Mary will always be your help as you offer yourself as a living sacrifice to the King of Kings.
Look to Her as your model, imitate Her virtues and Her profound love of Christ. You need not
answer His call alone, because She is always holding your hand. When you are afraid, cling to Her
and She will bring you home to your Saviour’s Heart.

To live as a little religious is to be the bride of Christ and the daughter of Mary. Our life here is a
time to sculpt and perfect our souls; please, don’t lose yourself in fleeting pleasures. You are here
today, so live as though you’ll die tomorrow. Listen to your God, do not be afraid. Listen, and leave
everything behind to follow His sweet call. He intends great things for you.
And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew
his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers). And he saith to them: Come ye after
me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. And they immediately leaving their nets, followed
him. Sister, I beg you, leave your nets. Follow Him. Follow Her. Your soul longs to go home to
Heaven; do not waste the opportunity to begin this joy already on Earth.

As I step into my new life, my true life, I rejoice in the protective embrace of the cloister wall, I
relish the sweet rhythm of a life lived entirely for Jesus and Mary. In this little Heaven on Earth, the
flowers smell sweeter and the soft chanting of the Psalms is accompanied by the choirs of angels above. Sister, please pray for me as I strive to disappear, that only Christ may live in me. I will pray
for you, too. I look forward to the day when you, too, will take this step into the enclosed garden of
God. Here, we live only for our Beloved.”
I remain ever your littlest sister in Christ Crucified +Afra Moffat