Letter to a young sister
Dear Sister,
You asked me, "Just what is our charism?" When I was a young sister I heard a lot about and asked, "What is our spirit?" I have been asking that question in one of those forms all of my religious life. The answers have changed for me over the years but they never contradicted each other. Rather, the years and various experiences have brought new insight to make the answer richer and more beautiful until in eternity, by God's grace, it will be complete. So what I am writing today is different than what I might have written ten years ago or twenty years from now. But so it is also with the charism of the Congregation as it grows into the future, responding in each time and in each place to the will of God. so "the poor" might be unschooled servant girls in a large city, or children of immigrants in a new country or mentally disabled or disturbed adults who need a sheltered environment, or the milkman who delivers every day to the convent kitchen or even our own sisters who are old, or sick, or busy and need the support of loving service. When we are young, it sometimes seems selfish to include "our Congregation" in our motto, but as time goes by we admire more and more the practical wisdom this demonstrates. The needs of the world and the Church are so great, and the limits of our ability, strength and wisdom beome gradually so clear that we learn to appreciate being part of something greater than ourselves. Without the Congregation I might have scattered and wasted my energies. Without the Congregation my service would have been limited to only those persons I myself could reach and touch, and all my plans and ideas would have died soon after my life ended. As it is, every prayer, every good deed, every smile of my religious life has become a part of something greater than myself. To the extent that I have loved I have been a blessing, enriching the lives of others, helping them to go on and bless other lives, on and on and on.
For awhile there was a movement to change the word "Daughter" in our title to the word 'sister' which is in the title of most other women's congregations. Thanks to God's wonderful providence that did not happen. The word "Daughter" was surely specially chosen by Mother Franziska to describe what she wanted us to be. Reflections on the ideal of "daughter" are enough for a lifetime of meditation. A good daughter serves her family loyally, but she is not a servant. She belongs. She is part of the family and is loved, often in a very special way by her father. She serves not for pay or out of fear but because she also loves. She loves her parents, even when they are not perfect. She helps and defends and supports the family, even when she is not thanked in words. We are daughters of God, of the Church and of our congregational family. The special "ring" of that word can ba a guide for the manner we bring to all we do. Mother Franziska wrote in one of her letters that a problem was so pressing that she had to force herself to be the cheerful person she otherwise was naturally. This demonstrates that she did not sit back and ask herself, "Am I happy?", but rather realized that happiness and joy were very much something we decided to be each day. Through God's grace and strength we could find in every situation, even suffering and persecution, a reason to be happy and to consciously bring the gift of cheerfulness and joy to those around us.
You are searching for our Charism. You do not realize that is is already visible in your very young religious life. It is expressed in the courage and generosity that brought you to our doors. It's beginnings are present in your loving conversations with the Lord and your enthusiastic work in the tasks assigned to you. It will continue to grow if you nourish it with prayer and obedience. Prayer will allow God, through the intercession of Mary our patronness and our Mother Foundress to guide and lead you, and obedience will keep you safe from the dangers of delusion and self-will, and channel your energies productively in God's plan. Through most of your life you will see that plan only in occasional glimpses. Most of the time you will have to live by faith. Sometimes you will feel there is no plan at all and you will be tempted to set things up according to your own plan. If you can perservere, however, our charism, colored by the uniqueness that is you, will be joined with the special gifts of your sisters throughout the world and the hundreds who have come before and who will follow, and will become a special and beautiful part of the Church. One day we will see it, completed and fulfilled and our hearts will overflow with gratitude to God and each other as we admire its breauty.
You challenged me to make our charism practical. I cannot do that for you,-- only for myself. Like Mother Foundress, I send you out with two instruments--prayer and obedience-- these two added to hers will show you the way. My love and my prayers go with you.
You asked me, "Just what is our charism?" When I was a young sister I heard a lot about and asked, "What is our spirit?" I have been asking that question in one of those forms all of my religious life. The answers have changed for me over the years but they never contradicted each other. Rather, the years and various experiences have brought new insight to make the answer richer and more beautiful until in eternity, by God's grace, it will be complete. So what I am writing today is different than what I might have written ten years ago or twenty years from now. But so it is also with the charism of the Congregation as it grows into the future, responding in each time and in each place to the will of God. so "the poor" might be unschooled servant girls in a large city, or children of immigrants in a new country or mentally disabled or disturbed adults who need a sheltered environment, or the milkman who delivers every day to the convent kitchen or even our own sisters who are old, or sick, or busy and need the support of loving service. When we are young, it sometimes seems selfish to include "our Congregation" in our motto, but as time goes by we admire more and more the practical wisdom this demonstrates. The needs of the world and the Church are so great, and the limits of our ability, strength and wisdom beome gradually so clear that we learn to appreciate being part of something greater than ourselves. Without the Congregation I might have scattered and wasted my energies. Without the Congregation my service would have been limited to only those persons I myself could reach and touch, and all my plans and ideas would have died soon after my life ended. As it is, every prayer, every good deed, every smile of my religious life has become a part of something greater than myself. To the extent that I have loved I have been a blessing, enriching the lives of others, helping them to go on and bless other lives, on and on and on.
For awhile there was a movement to change the word "Daughter" in our title to the word 'sister' which is in the title of most other women's congregations. Thanks to God's wonderful providence that did not happen. The word "Daughter" was surely specially chosen by Mother Franziska to describe what she wanted us to be. Reflections on the ideal of "daughter" are enough for a lifetime of meditation. A good daughter serves her family loyally, but she is not a servant. She belongs. She is part of the family and is loved, often in a very special way by her father. She serves not for pay or out of fear but because she also loves. She loves her parents, even when they are not perfect. She helps and defends and supports the family, even when she is not thanked in words. We are daughters of God, of the Church and of our congregational family. The special "ring" of that word can ba a guide for the manner we bring to all we do. Mother Franziska wrote in one of her letters that a problem was so pressing that she had to force herself to be the cheerful person she otherwise was naturally. This demonstrates that she did not sit back and ask herself, "Am I happy?", but rather realized that happiness and joy were very much something we decided to be each day. Through God's grace and strength we could find in every situation, even suffering and persecution, a reason to be happy and to consciously bring the gift of cheerfulness and joy to those around us.
You are searching for our Charism. You do not realize that is is already visible in your very young religious life. It is expressed in the courage and generosity that brought you to our doors. It's beginnings are present in your loving conversations with the Lord and your enthusiastic work in the tasks assigned to you. It will continue to grow if you nourish it with prayer and obedience. Prayer will allow God, through the intercession of Mary our patronness and our Mother Foundress to guide and lead you, and obedience will keep you safe from the dangers of delusion and self-will, and channel your energies productively in God's plan. Through most of your life you will see that plan only in occasional glimpses. Most of the time you will have to live by faith. Sometimes you will feel there is no plan at all and you will be tempted to set things up according to your own plan. If you can perservere, however, our charism, colored by the uniqueness that is you, will be joined with the special gifts of your sisters throughout the world and the hundreds who have come before and who will follow, and will become a special and beautiful part of the Church. One day we will see it, completed and fulfilled and our hearts will overflow with gratitude to God and each other as we admire its breauty.
You challenged me to make our charism practical. I cannot do that for you,-- only for myself. Like Mother Foundress, I send you out with two instruments--prayer and obedience-- these two added to hers will show you the way. My love and my prayers go with you.
