Franziska Notes No.6/2 February 2009
In the dark midwinter days in the northern hemisphere and the dull after Christmas – before Carnival in the South, we want to catch a little enthusiasm from one of Mother Franziska’s sayings. We don’t know exactly where or when she said these words that turned out to be a concise description of the work she envisioned for her Congregation…. to do good, give joy, make happy and lead to heaven…. She did not limit the ministry of the Daughters of Divine Charity to one social group or one kind of suffering to be alleviated. Her vision of the future was suited to all times and places, wherever God and the Church chose to use her sisters, and by extension those who are inspired by them..
To do good is the first step in ministry. We enter peoples lives by doing good to and for them. It might be a smile, a friendly word, a little gift or service to fulfill a need. It establishes a solidarity and trust. The second is to give joy. This is the Sisters’ motivation and it is on a spiritual level. The person ministering must be grounded in the unshakeable joy that comes from a loving union with God, nourished by prayer and the Eucharist. This is a contagious joy that wins others to Christ and His service. The third aspect of the ministry is to make happy. The sister must be free enough to use the simple things of life in the proper way. This brings happiness, especially when it is tied to gratitude to God. Some of the happiest people in the world are those living in the simplest of circumstances. In a village without electricity people can delight in the stars in their purest form. In a place where food is truly taken almost unprocessed from nature and eaten for basic life, there is happiness in each different taste and texture. The sister tries to live simply so that she can share this genuine happiness with those she serves. Finally, all true ministry must always have the final destiny of each child of God in view… to lead to heaven. This goal is the criteria for all of life and all service.
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