Like many young women, I had big plans for my life: I was going to be married by 25, have a family, and become a successful marketing manager! But God had different plans. After high school I completed a Marketing degree and I was enjoying the benefits of working for a corporate life insurance company as a Direct Marketing Manager. I wasn’t looking for a vocation at all until I was on pilgrimage for World Youth Day, Canada. This is when I started to feel the Lord was drawing me aside and speaking to me personally. Returning from there I began a new job working full-time in youth ministry. There I fell even more in love with Jesus and realised that this was more than a job, it was becoming for me something more like a deep vocation. Soon after my trip I made contact with me spiritual director who posed the question to me:- “Well Rachel have you asked God what he wants you to do with your life? Do you know what your vocation is?” After plenty of prayer and discernment I finally realised that the Lord was calling me to an exclusive relationship to him to be lived out in consecrated life. I felt that Jesus, my Beloved was saying to me “You are mine and I am yours, I have chosen you and set you apart.”

On Saturday 10^th February, 2007, the feast of St Scholastica, I made my initial vows with one other sister: to give myself entirely to Jesus through lifetime vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. It really felt like my wedding day. In his Homily Fr Ken Barker (founder of the MGL’s) said “Some people look at a young consecrated person and say ‘what a waste!’, but those with faith would look at these beautiful women and see that their consecration is a gift to Jesus, who has called them and set them apart for his service. Today is not just for Rachel, Rosie and Mel but a gift for the whole Church as they step forward and respond with their lives saying “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”

It is a privilege knowing that I have been chosen to be Christ’s bride. I know that no other bridegroom will satisfy my desires like Jesus does. He knows what motivates me and what my greatest passions are in life. ‘I belong to my love, and my love to me.’ (Song of Songs 6:3). I want to spoil him and delight in him as my lover and nothing delights him more than my ‘yes’ and my faithfulness to him.

Every day I thank God for this incredible gift of consecrated life. There is a deep joy and peace that I have experienced thus far as a consecrated woman, being able to proclaim to all people of the burning love of Jesus for them, especially to the young and the marginalised.

One of my greatest experiences as a consecrated woman has been our recent local mission trip to Aboriginal communities in Darwin, Tiwi Island, Alice Springs and Townsville. My time in these places has allowed me to see that we don’t have to travel very far outside of Australia to see such extreme poverty. There is a great need for labourers in God’s vineyard. I really have developed a deep love for these people and seen that the heart of Jesus is for us as a nation and church to and church to work towards dignity and justice for our Indigenous brothers and sisters.

Visit the website of the missionaries of God's Love by clicking here