Franziska Notes March 2013

As we write these reflections we try to enter the mind and heart of Mother Franziska to learn how she would be and act in our world today. This came to a dramatic head on the 11th of last month. There has been a sea change in the Church since the last Franziska Notes were written. When she went to visit the Holy Father to present her newly founded Congregation she experienced such a sense of the holy that she preserved the veil that he touched when he gave his blessing.

Today, her fellow countryman, Pope Benedict XVI has in a way changed the papacy again in a new way. With great courage and humility he resigned in recognition that he was what in German is called the Stellvertreter Christi. He was neither Christ nor St. Peter, but called by the Holy Spirit and the Church to stand for awhile in their stead. He was universally applauded for recognizing that the Church would go on without him as he faced the diminishing powers brought on by age. What generosity to give up so much honor and public recognition so that stronger hands could row the barque of Peter.

Very human ideas and qualities are being openly discussed among the Cardinal electors and the world media. We are all only human beings. Jesus founded His church on an often bumbling fisherman. The message to us is that the Holy Spirit can achieve His purposes with any instrument no matter how poor. This must encourage us in our every day lives. We are not too small, too insignificant to achieve God’s will in our own environment. We are not permitted to say, “But what can I do!” as an excuse for inaction. We must stand before our Lord and put a question mark at the end of that phrase. “Lord, what can I do? How can I here and now advance your mission of love in the world?” A little child, asked what kind of person would be a good pope, replied, “He must love God a lot!” That is the answer for each of us as it was for Mother Franziska and the thousands of Sisters she inspired.

THE LEMON TREE

THE LEMON TREE

(It is more blessed to give than to receive)

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Annie..   Her uncle Karl, who loved all plants and animals sent her a little lemon tree from far away.   Even though it was very small it had a sturdy little green lemon on its strongest branch.   Annie watched the lemon grow a little bit each day until it became a lovely yellow color.  She picked the lemon and her mother made her some lemonade to share with her friends. 

Annie lived in a city that had cold winters so she had to take her little lemon tree inside when it got cold.   In her house she found a window that had some sunshine even during the short winter days.   The lemon tree got tiny new leaves and blossoms that had a wonderful aroma.  Where there was a blossom a tiny green lemon began to grow but soon the little lemons dropped off one by one.   Annie was so sad because she took good care of her little tree and it was growing but it only had leaves, blossoms and disappointment.

When spring came Annie put her tree outside on the fire escape again and there were new blossoms, but no lemons.  Soon she didn’t want to look at her tree any more.  She was tired of seeing only leaves.   Her mother said that maybe their house did not have the right kind of sunshine for the little tree.   Lemon trees grow in warm climates and outside with lots of sun.  She suggested that Annie give the tree to a school that had wonderful large windows and much sunshine in their science lab.   Annie pouted and said, “But it is my tree!  I don’t want to give it up!”  So the tree grew and grew but gave only leaves and beautiful blossoms.   At last Annie thought about the tree more than herself.   Maybe if I give the tree away it will bear lemons.  Maybe the children of that school who never saw a lemon tree grow will be happy to watch the new leaves and the blossoms and, maybe they will even have lemons and can make lemonade for the whole school.  She asked her mother to take the little tree to the school.   Annie was very sad as she walked home without her little tree.

As she said her prayers that night and climbed into her bed something wonderful happened. She started to think of the children in the school. She imagined how happy they were when the first new little green leaves came. Then how happy they were when they came to school and had the first whiff of the scent of lemon blossoms. After some weeks they would start to count the little green lemons. She could even see in her imagination how happy they were when they made and served the lemonade from their tree.

Now Annie was happy that she had given away her tree. She was even more happy when she thought about the many children who would be happy with her little tree and how they would make all their parents and friends happy as they told about the wonderful thing that happens with a growing lemon tree. The next day she told her mother who gave her a big hug. They went to the store that afternoon and mom bought some lemons. She made lemonade for Annie because she was so proud of her little girl with the big heart.



An original tale by Sister M. Caroline Bachmann, FDC

 

Franziska Notes February 2013

This year February sees the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent. Mother Franziska focused on the sufferings of Christ and urged the sisters to unite themselves with their Bridegroom by bearing the sufferings and inconveniences, including the real poverty involved with the beginnings of the Congregation. She realized the the sisters would not be credible witnesses for Christ if they afforded themselves every convenience. At the same time, she did not skimp on education and the proper equipment to serve those who depended on the Congregation.

Today we live in a slightly different world. We have many of the material good things of life, and we cannot totally divest ourselves of modern technology which is part of the work and service we do for the Kingdom. We are, however, subject to many stresses and irritations that were unknown a century ago. Penance is not meant to be a self-inflicted pain for its own sake but a witness of God’s love. In our time many people are living in a dark despair. They seem to make a major project of fleeing from suffering at all costs. Some of this flight takes the form of addiction to sex, pornography, medication, alcohol, empty pleasure, as well as many other destructive choices. Our world needs witnesses to hope, joy and peace that come from living according to and trusting in God’s will. We can make our penance as daily acts of gratitude to God for goodness, truth and beauty we may not have noticed before. We can lift people up with sincere compliments and caring, both in word and action according to our possibilities. As Mother Franziska advised, … give joy… make happy… and so lead to heaven. Happy Lent… Really!!!!!

Franziska Notes January 2013

We begin a New Year by saying, “Happy Birthday” to the woman who is the inspiration for these reflections. 1833 brought great promise to the Lechner family as they welcomed the little girl who would become the Foundress of a world wide congregation. How different was the time in which she lived! It was a time of royalty, of Catholic rulers who were just beginning to experiment with legislating bodies voted into office by their citizens. Great social change was in the making. We are the inheritors of that change. Everywhere there is either a democratic style government or a great desire for something similar.

We have become familiar with the need to be critical of the members of the legislative bodies and the individuals we elect to office. We watch their actions and affirm or protest them. Laws must be evaluated. There are unjust laws which harm especially the poor and those who are otherwise powerless and voiceless. How do democracy and faith interact. I wonder if it does not require a careful balancing act. The laws of God are not a result of a ballot victory. Even if the vast majority of people agree to a practice, it does not mean that it has become morally right. It almost seems today that the obligation to be critical of authority has become a knee-jerk reaction to everything we hear. We seem to criticize so easily. We don’t “like” this or that. Then we go on to another topic. I wonder if Mother Franziska would ask us some penetrating questions about some of our criticisms. Have we studied the topic in depth from various viewpoints and facts? Have we reflected on the common good? Have we looked at the teachings of the Church into which we were baptized? Is this a place where we have an obligation and/or the expertise to comment? Let us not become a part of the destructive wind that is sweeping our sad world, the easy, uniformed criticism of just about everything.Mother Franziska would advice us with a smile to be on the lookout for the good and change the world with loving affirmation.

FRANZISKA NOTES December 2012

Mother Franziska will forgive me surely for being jealous of her time and its celebration of Christmas. She was heir to a thousand years of beautiful traditions that had come to surround the feast. Everyone knew them and awaited the customs involving music, prayer and foods of the season. Gifts were actually a very small part of it all and focused mainly on children. The important thing was the commemoration of the coming of the Son of God to His people.

How sad that Christmas has become a season of controversy. All the beautiful things about the feast that have accumulated over the centuries have become sources of argument and protest. I think Mother Franziska would have smiled and answered with the line from a beautiful carol, “Rejoice, the Christ Child is coming soon”. Jesus has come, what is important today is not that we fight for recognition of His presence but to witness it by a joyful, calm dedication to the truth that we know. It is joy and peace that mark the season and these must also be our attitudes. We must smile often and easily to those we meet in our neighborhoods, shops and workplaces. Only by a true devotion and daily reflection on the religious aspects of the season will we have the confidence to smile at the harried, frightened, overworked whom we will meet. We know the truth. Emmanual, God is with us. How can we be anything except calm and joyful. If we have joy, the simplest arrangements will make a great celebration. Christmas must begin with Christ Mass… at midnight or during the day, perhaps prepared for by a sincere confession. When all is right in our hearts Christmas will be right also. We will be connected to the simple, beautiful, sincere celebrations of a long line of centuries past and especially, Edling in Bavaria and Vienna in Austria, where candles still shine in the night.

A THANKSGIVING SERMON

How many sermons or homilies are remembered for more than a week or even a day or hour.   There was one that I have remembered for over twenty years and I would like to share it here from memory.

It was an ecumenical Thanksgiving Service in a Catholic Church in La Costa, California.  Thanksgiving is the one holiday that Americans of all Creeds can come together to worship in unity.  On this particular day a Rabbi was chosen to give the sermon.  What follows is how I remember it.

Today we thank God for the goodness and blessings he has given us all our lives and especially during the last year.   Then we will go to our homes and enjoy a great feast of traditional foods with additions from our own cultures.  We will thank and congratulate the cook and she deserves all our praise.  Tomorrow will be the real test for the cook, however.   A new turkey from the store comes with instructions or is suited to the printed recipes.  Tomorrow, however the cook will look at  a picked over skeleton with pieces of meat and skin hanging here and there.   It is the cook who can produce a tasty and appetizing meal from these remnants who will deserve the prize.

So it is in life.  We can raise our eyes and smile as we thank God in the good days.  It is the times when we are hit with unexpected pain, fear, sadness or loss that our faith comes to a bitter test.  Can we then look at God in trust, yes, even gratitude?  These are His faithful children filled with the strength that comes only from His grace.  Happy Thanksgiving... in fair weather and foul.

WEB IMMUNIZATION

Yesterday I was on the Second Avenue Bus in Manhattan.  My fellow passengers all seemed deeply immersed in their various electronic gadgets.   Their ears were usually plugged or there was a one-way conversation much too audible for the rest of us.

I was having a far better time watching the parade of fascinating real live drama all down the street.  There were people with very funny dogs and some with very funny hairstyles... There were the loveliest of children and parents from every racial sector of the world.  There were aged people on walkers or in electric wheel chairs and children's strollers pushed by Nannies...  The array of businesses that passed before my eyes were a mini movie of the heartbeat of this great city.  The restaurants bore names from all the corners of the world, the most intrigueing to me were those called "bistro"  or "cafe".  These reminded me of the cafe on the Via Condotte in Rome where much of the 19th century escapades in Europe were planned.   Each of these vignettes could be turned into a charming short story as we wonder what is behind all of the characters I saw that day.

I had the same thought as I scrolled through an e-mail attachment showing the beautiful wonders of our world... I cannot travel to those places so I appreciated the mailing but I also went out doors and saw the thousand colored leaves ready to fall from the trees and the squirrels in their frantic preparations for winter... There was even the first time sighting of a rabbit on our property... but he was so fast maybe it was just an unfortunate squirrel that had lost its tail.

I am all for electronic devices and would be lost without the contents of my Kindle Fire, but I don't want to miss the excitement that is outside my window and door... in everything balance!!!!!