Meet a Reader: Sister Aimee Dominique, Apostolic Sister of St. John {@TheCatholicPost}

How you know me:

I’m a member of the Apostolic Sisters of St. John and part of the larger St. John Community located on Legion Hall Road in Princeville. So you may have seen me if you participated in a Sapientia Saturday, Family Faith Festival, or the Saint John Summer Conference out at the Community. Or you may have seen me at one of the other events we host at our monastery, like the summer Girls Camp or Handmaidens Retreats.

Why I love reading:

Reading is something that has always attracted me.  Funny story: when I was in pre-school I tried to convince my mom that I already knew how to read, by imitating how people move their eyes from one side of the page to the other and flipping the pages of a book.  I had her convinced for about 10 seconds!

I think the attraction to reading is a part of my temperament because I love to learn and I love children’s stories. One of my favorites times during elementary school were the yearly “Read-aThons.” Each student would bring favorite books and a sleeping bag, and read for hours in the school gymnasium. It was awesome!  Above all else, there is the Word of God! I mean, we can READ what God is trying to say to us. That’s great!

What I’m reading now:

I just started 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration by Fr. Michael Gaitley in order to renew my consecration to Mary and to live Advent with her.

I’ve also been reading Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul which is great for both the Year of Consecrated Life and the Year of Mercy. If anyone is unfamiliar with St. Faustina’s diary, I recommend for those starting to read the diary to read just the parts in bold, which are the words of Jesus to the saint.  Even though it is a private revelation to St. Faustina, I find it very valuable since the Church canonized her and instituted the Feast of Divine Mercy. With the Year of Mercy, I believe that God is really calling us to come to Him with great trust. This book certainly helps get that message across. And my favorite part is “the conversations of the Merciful God with the…” section, starting from #1485. Jesus has a message of mercy for the sinful soul, the despairing soul, the suffering soul, the soul striving after perfection, and the perfect soul. No one is left out!

My favorite book:

My favorite book, which I’ve re-read many times, is the Conversations of Marcel Van, a Redemptorist lay brother. He was a Vietnamese member of the congregation, and he had and wrote about a wonderful interior life close to Jesus, Mary, and St. Therese. I cannot write more… it’s too good. Brother Marcel Van is a servant of God who I hope one day will be canonized. This would be a great book to read for those who love St. Therese.