Women at the Well: The Heart of a Religious Sister
Editor’s Note: Women at the Well is an ongoing blog series. Each month, a different woman shares how God is meeting her in her current season of life. Today, we’re thrilled to have Sr. Tracey Dugas joining us to talk about her walk with God as a religious sister .
Tell us a bit about yourself, your vocation as a religious sister, and your normal daily routine.
My name is Sister Tracey Matthia Dugas and I am originally from South Louisiana. I went to public school but encountered religious life after watching a late night movie on a weekend I wasn’t invited to go out with my friends. Seeing a religious sister captivated my imagination. I began to grow closer to God and was fascinated by the idea that there are some people who are radically called to "marry God." This began an intense journey for me in learning how to relate to God, how to pray, how to begin hearing from God for myself. It eventually led me to discerning a call to religious life.
I currently live in our community in Chicago, Illinois. A normal day begins with rising at 5:30 AM, a half hour of meditation on the word of God, daily mass and morning prayer in community. We then have breakfast and begin our daily tasks. We carry out direct evangelization through in-person and digital or virtual outreach. During our day we commit to praying one hour of Eucharistic adoration along with another half hour of personal prayer. Our day ends with evening prayer at 6 PM at supper and then free time. Most of us go to bed early enough to rise early in the morning.
If we look closely, we see the hand of God working in our lives. How is Jesus reaching out to you right now, in your current season of life?
The Lord reaches out to me each day through the power of his word provided in the Gospel of the day. But the only way that I can hear his word FOR ME is to go with him into the desert of prayer with only his voice. That means I have to let go of my own ideas and plans for my prayer and really enter silence and listen for his voice. Sometimes I hear it, sometimes I don't. But the important thing is to keep showing up.
What truths about yourself has the Lord been revealing in prayer? How does acknowledging these truths in your heart affect your vocation in life?
In the midst of daily tasks, the greatest truth I have come to accept about myself is that I can accomplish NOTHING without his gracious help. I call out to Jesus often throughout the day. Every time I depend only on myself, I lose sight of Jesus and his presence in my life. But when I turn to him, I acknowledge that he is in charge and whenever good I accomplish comes from him.
Tayler Crabb, @taylercrabb.
How has encountering Jesus in prayer radically changed your life? What fruits do you see manifested in your day-to-day that flow from encounters with Him?
I've experienced the Lord's call and voice in such a clear and particular way that there is no doubt in my heart and mind that it is truly the Lord who is speaking. Sometimes he speaks in a Word, a phrase from scripture. Other times he may allow an image to come forth in response to a simple request from me. Knowing that God is so willing to manifest himself to me, has made me much more attentive to his voice and his presence and to seek him out, even in the most mundane situations.
It can often be easy to fall into the trap of discontent in our specific vocations. What has been bringing you peace lately? Do you have any habits, hobbies, or self care practices which fills your heart with peace?
I have made concrete choices to make more room for Jesus in my heart and mind. I often reach for my phone or social media when I'm in-between tasks or when negative feelings churn up. I'm learning to use those urges to escape the pain in my heart to turn me more decisively to Jesus and ask for his presence and his help. I ask for the grace to remain with him as he is with me.
I also find that my active use of social media, posting short reels or doing lettering of a quote of scripture, can sometimes be a moment of personal revelation. One would think that posting a funny reel with angel wings would basically stay on one level. Instead, I've found that the Lord uses these short snippets to remind my own heart of deeper truths. The one that still comes back to me, especially when I'm struggling with dryness in prayer is, "You cannot pour from an empty cup." So, I show up, open my heart and I pray, "Fill me up, Lord Jesus."
What words of encouragement would you like to pass on to a woman facing the same choices and challenges as you?
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Look at him looking at you, loving you. Rest in that love.
Meet Sr. Tracey Dugas
Sr. Tracey Matthia Dugas is Daughter of Saint Paul, living in Chicago, IL. Originally a Cajun girl from St. Martinville, Louisiana, as a teen one of her big goals in life was to get a job at the mall so she could “get a really good discount at The Gap.” Yet at the same time she hungered for something more and kept asking herself, “What do I really want?”
Her favorite thing about being consecrated to God is that she's God's "audio-visual," called to communicate him and his love and truth to everyone. You can find Sr. Tracey on Instagram @sistah_tee _letters.