How I Met the Home
Delores Hambleton
When I say that I AM THE HOME, what I mean is that I understand that I have been called by God to work towards the missions of the Home of the Mother. How did this come to be? I will tell you more about that later, but first, my story.
This journey begins forty-three years ago with my baptism in the Baptist Church. For God’s plan in my life to be accomplished, He employed Our Lady herself. As a young child with nearly no religious training, I went to Sunday School with my sisters. My mother and step-father did not attend church. When it was time for me to be baptized, the Pastor called me into his office and asked me if I accepted that Jesus had died for my sins. I said yes and a few weeks later I was baptized.
I saw a movie, “The Trouble with Angels,” that made me think that being a Catholic was the most special thing a person could be. I STILL BELIEVE THAT!! I began genuflecting in front of a statue of Our Blessed Mother and making the Sign of the Cross. I, of course, had no idea what either of these actions meant. I think back now how it must have made Our Lord smile.
As the years went by, I went so far as to ask a Catholic friend how I could be-come a Catholic, but she told me, “You are either born one or you are not, and that is that.” I remember feeling sad when she said this because I believed her and so, I thought I would never get to be a Catholic.
Later, I met my wonderful husband, Stephen (a Catholic, though in name only, at the time of our meeting). When I found out he was a Catholic, on our second date, I told him I was going to marry him and have three little girls whom we would name Faith, Hope and Charity. Ten months later we were married. When I married him I thought, well, at least if I can’t be a Catholic, my children will be able to be “born Catholic.” Within a short period of time, I began asking my mother-in-law about the Church. She said I should go to the parish priest where I went to Mass with Stephen and inquire about converting to the faith. MY SOUL LEAPT FOR JOY!!! I began instructions with the priest and a few months later, I became a Catholic.
From that first day as a Catholic until today, I have prayed that Our Lord and Our Lady would make use of me in whatever capacity they felt would be the best. Over the years I was involved in many different roles within the Church. I was a catechist for 11 years, just the amount of time to prepare each of my children for the sacraments. I helped in the home-school group, looked into Regnum Christi and Opus Dei, and even into becoming a third order Carmelite. Each time I would try to involve myself in one of these lay missions, I would feel a deep inner struggle and felt the Lord was saying, “Not yet.” So, I stayed at home and taught school to my four children for 14 years, only involving myself in those things that would profit my children spiritually.
Then one day, just after Charity Rose (our oldest) graduated from high school and was preparing to enter Christendom College, my friend Cynthia Gardner called me and asked a crucial question. “Would Charity like to accompany me to Spain?” I began a prayer vigil about this request and had a deep sense that this was the will of God. Charity agreed and so, in July of 2001, she left for Spain with Cynthia. I told many of my friends at the time that my deep sense of the meaning of this trip was that my daughter was not coming back home. Ten days later I got a phone call from Charity saying that she wanted to enter the Servant Sisters. Knowing what was coming, I required her to come home and take care of closing out her life here in the United States. We applied for her visa, she worked to earn the money for this and for her return trip to Spain. The Gardners, very generously, offered to pay for me to accompany my daughter.
A few days before we left, I took Charity to see my spiritual director (Monsignor Joseph Dawson, may he rest in peace!) who was in the hospital dying of spinal cancer. He looked at Charity and said, “There is one call, but many houses.” Then he turned to me and said, “When you arrive, if it is home to you, leave her there. If not, bring her home!” I assured him that I would do my best and we left the following week.
When we reached Barcenilla, we were greeted by the community. I was exhausted and emotionally drained from the travel. At the first meal, I burst into tears and was sent to bed to rest. When I awoke, Father Rafael took me on a whirlwind tour of the television, the magazine, the various building projects and then back to Barcenilla for a meeting. At the first Mass I attended, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that both my daughter and my soul were at home.
Through the years of home-schooling my children, I learned a lot about the faith. I knew I needed to prepare my little ones for the vocations which God wanted for them. We consecrated each of them to the Virgin Mary on the day of their baptism. I prayed to Our Lady to be their teacher and she accomplished a great many things through those prayers. My oldest daughter, Sr. Charity, is a novice in the Home of the Mother. My second daughter Hope, is a candidate. My third daughter, Faith, is unsure of her vocation at this time (she is only eighteen), but she is open to God’s will in her life. My son Matthew wants nothing more than to be a Priest in the Home of the Mother. And now, on to what being the HOME means.
As Catholics, we know that there are no coincidences in God. It was not by chance that I was led to the Holy Roman Catholic Church. It was not just a happenstance that my oldest child was led to the Home of the Mother. Connect the dots. God brought me to the faith, so that He could bring my children to the Home of the Mother. And this is what that means for me. Every day for the rest of my life, my endeavors must reflect my gratitude for these graces. I do not have the option of turning away from the mission which Our Lord and His Most Blessed Mother want for me. Unless of course, I am willing to leave all that God has accomplished and return to a life of sin. Do not misunderstand, I know that daily I make choices not to do God’s will, and daily I must repent of those sinful choices. Every day I must give an account for what I have done and what I have failed to do.
Therefore, when I get up and consecrate myself to Our Lord and Our Lady through the prayers for the Home of the Mother, I am simply asking them to take my daily actions and use them for the good of the Mystical Body of Christ. The Lord must sort through my shortcomings and failings, take what is good, and purge me of what is not good. It is His work, not mine, that brings about the victory. I quote St. Bernadette Soubirous, “I am but the broom which Our Lady uses and then sets back in the corner.” Many times during my day, I become distracted from my task. The adversary is never far away, he breathes discouragement in my ear, and I must call him a liar. Our Lady has given me a great gift, to understand that it is only through Jesus that my soul can be sanctified.
The road which God Himself has chosen for me is through the Home of the Mother of all Mankind, Mother of the Youth. So, who am I to argue with God? To be chosen to be a part of “the gift which Our Lord wishes to make to His Mother,” is a very great honor, which I do not deserve. Each day I thank God for all He has done in my life and I promise, with the help of Jesus and Mary to try the best I can to become more worthy. Overall, this is a very humbling experience and my constant thought process is that, “If God wants it, I want it.” Whatever may come, God’s will be done!!!
I conclude with these thoughts: If you have been called to the mission of the Home of the Mother in any capacity, embrace the opportunity to serve. It is most surely for your sanctification that Our Lord calls you. Do not shrink from the responsibilities that God wants you to accept. There is no happiness outside of Christ. Those things which the world has to offer are of the world, they will not last nor will they bring you joy. In short, if God wants you to “be the HOME,” I quote our founder Father Rafael, who quotes Our Precious Lord, “So be it!”
©HM Magazine No.127 - November/December 2005
