Hi, I’m Marylea Battaglia, that’s ‘lea’ like tea or sea – you don’t pronounce the ‘a’ unless your Italian, which I’m not, but I’m married to one. Actually he is Sicilian which could constitute a whole other blog of its own.

But I’m not here to blog about my husband or our one beautiful and talented adult daughter, even though I miss her terribly while she is away at school.

No, I’m just here telling you about my walk with God, how he inspires me, how he keeps me going and pushes me to do better – to do my best. Sometimes I fall short, okay, most of the time I fall short of my best, but I know he loves me like no other.

How did I get here?

That’s a long story, are you ready?

We had been living in Northern California for just a couple of years when the inevitable happened – my only child started kindergarten, so like every good woman that doesn’t know what to do with herself I called my mother – everyday!

Then one day she didn’t answer the phone. And the next day she didn’t answer, and the next.

Finally, she answered. I questioned her, “Where have you been?”

She replied, “Well your Father and I have been going to morning mass during Lent.”

Astonished I asked, “They have mass during the week?”

My daughter was attending Catholic School and somehow I was under the mis-impression that she would attend mass every day. But I never considered the idea that I could.

That Saturday I called my mother again. No answer. “Doesn’t she know I’m calling her?” Finally later she called me back. “Mom, where were you?” A little confused she replied, “I told you we go to mass in the morning for lent.”

“What? Even on Saturdays? They have mass on Saturday mornings?” I couldn’t believe it.

We spent that Easter break with my parents in Southern California. There was a noticeable and remarkable change about my parents that I can’t really put into words. As children we always went to mass, well, to the best of my parents knowledge…

But I mean really, always. It did not matter if we were camping on the river in the middle of the desert, they would pack all six of us up into the car and get us to mass. ALWAYS.

It seemed unfair.

But going to mass everyday seems a little over the top, right?

Yet I wanted the peace and calm that seemed to come over the house and over them. So I began going to daily mass.

For weeks I would drop my daughter off at our parish school then watch the kids file into class and walk back to my car. There I sat and waited for all the parents to leave. The bells would ring, the priest would walk across the lot and there I sat. Waiting until the very last second and only then would I go in.

I opened the doors and watched through the vestibule windows like a curious child watching a room full of adults and feeling uneasy and unsure about entering. Finally, I slipped into the very last pew hoping no one would notice me and wonder what’s wrong with me.

After some months passed the parish was looking for someone to head a new parish vocations committee. I volunteered and attended diocesan meetings. They gave me this huge binder full of ideas, prayers and programs. As I sifted through the material one prayer really spoke to me. I asked to have it printed and put in the back of the church for people to take home and pray for vocations.

I wish I still had that prayer so I could share it with you. I prayed it everyday. The prayer was that each child would find the will of God in his/her life. It said that God was calling each and everyone one of them to a purpose.

Which means God was calling me, right?

I couldn’t believe it.

God was calling me? I didn’t know God was calling me. I thought He was just calling priests and nuns, and I’m not a nun so…

Well then what is He calling me to and how do I find it? And so began my quest. What has God purposed for me? What was that thing He had for me, and me alone, to do?

He was calling me and I needed to answer. Not just pray that someone else would.

This is the story of my journey to find that call. I hope it inspires you to set out on your own journey to find what it is God is calling you to do. I will give you a hint. Your calling is in that thing you hold in your heart, you know, that thing you hide from everyone because well, you think you aren’t worthy. But you’re wrong. God placed that thing there and he wants you to take it out and look at it. Make a first step towards it, even if it is a tiny little baby step. Go ahead. Take it. Inch closer to it and I guarantee you will find it more beautiful than you could imagine.

“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7