Body of Christ – Jocelyn Marin

Saying yes to God’s invitations — even when daunting — has led Jocelyn Marin on adventures that have changed her life and helped her to grow in relationship with God and in becoming the person she is called to be.

Marin graduated from NIU in 2019 and is a grad student at Divine Mercy University.
Her hometown and parish are Aurora, Illinois, St. Nicholas Parish.
She works as a mission advancement coordinator for the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

What is something that inspires you?

The love of God for his creation, and the different ways I see people respond to that love. As well as the witness of faith of others around me and the lives of the saints.

If you could recommend one daily practice, what would it be?

Pray for the Pope’s monthly intentions! Did you know that the Pope has monthly intentions that he entrusts to us? Pope Leo invites us to pray for him and the intentions on his heart for the needs of the world. It blows my mind that such a simple daily prayer of intercession can make me feel so connected to the universal Church and redirect my heart and mind to the needs of others.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Walking across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. I traveled to Europe to embark on this journey all on my own, my first time traveling outside of North America to do something I didn’t think I was physically or mentally capable of doing. Still, I wanted to give it a try, and it changed my life and the way that I approach challenges and perseverance.

What’s a place that was particularly impactful, and why?

Jocelyn visits the Grotto of Lourdes, a pilgrimage that prepared her heart to trust in God’s healing and providence during a deeply personal time of loss. (Submitted Photo)

Lourdes, France. Feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in the grotto and witnessing the faith and hope in all those walking the grounds of that holy place impacted me deeply. I believe that the Lord and Mary invited me there with a specific intention: to prepare my heart. I saw a level of trust in the Lord’s plan that was all-encompassing. Those who were sick or the family members who did everything they could to take their loved ones to the healing waters of Lourdes were praying for healing. Just half a year later, I was making the sign of the cross with that same healing water on my father’s forehead, entrusting his life into the Lord’s hands, praying for healing whether that would be here on earth or the moment he entered God’s heavenly kingdom. As I saw him take his last breath, I sat there and was washed over with the grace of God, and my heart praised him, in gratitude for my father and the years I had along his side, in gratitude for his pain being gone, and I prayed that Jesus would welcome him into heaven with a huge smile and arms open wide, ready to embrace my dad in the most loving hug.

If you had an unlimited travel budget, where is the first place you would go?

Roma. I cannot wait until I am there one day, walking the streets that so many saints walked on, visiting all the beautiful churches, eating all the great food, and being with the Lord in prayer (maybe finally meeting Pope Leo after working for him for four years).

What book are you reading?

“The Courage to Commit,” a book written by Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and husband, Dr. Andrew East. It is interesting to hear their stories on how committing to something actually creates space and freedom to experience joy.

Who are your favorite saints?

St. Therese, St. John Paul II and St. Anthony of Padua. When arriving at my first student social at the Newman Center and had to answer this question, I did not know of any saint names except St. JPII. Although he was the saint I defaulted to, little did I know that he has been interceding for my family for years. St. Therese was the first saint I truly learned about and whose “little way” has impacted the way I try and live my life, doing ordinary things with extraordinary love. St. Anthony became a powerful preacher, not because he had all the intellectual knowledge but because he knew God. He inspires me not just because I was baptized on his feast day, but because of his witness. I desire to walk in his footsteps, calling people to a deeper faith, by striving to be holy myself, and saying yes to the invitation from God to use the gifts he gives me in ways that I may not expect.