Missionary reflection: the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth

This event which we celebrate yearly on May 31 brings us hope for the future as missionary sisters of the Daughters of Saint Paul. The joy of creation and the love of these mothers give us the optimism we need in the society where we live in today and in the specific country where we do the mission be it in Africa, in Europe, in Australia, in North America, in South America, in Antarctica or in Asia. The faith and anticipation of both Mary and her cousin Elizabeth is really what our world needs now.

Reflecting on them holding each other in this sacred moment, we can be hopeful to be the vessel that God wants us to be. Mary’s faith and obedience made her a chosen one to carry the child Jesus and bring Him into our lives to save us. Jesus, after His sacrifice and mission, wants us to hold Him inside of us.

Let us have that same joy on the faces of Mary and Elizabeth as they shared the good news on the day of the Visitation. Let us feel Jesus with us right now, in each moment of the day, in each action that we do, in each word that we utter and in the deed that we do.

Celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity with Sister Thecla Merlo

Venerable Thecla Merlo, co-foundress of the Daughters of Saint Paul, as early as 1931, had resolved to seek only the glory of God and peace of all people. On the feast of the Blessed Trinity in 1961, she made an offering of her life for the entire Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Paul so that everyone may become saints. 

On Christmas day of this same year, she made her gift known to her sisters when she said: “I write these things to you not only with the pen, but also with my heart. I wish you all to be saints: for this I have offered my life—for everyone, that we may achieve the holiness God wants of us.” She died on February 5, 1964, leaving her daughters this rich spiritual heritage and the sure road in the Church.

We wish to highlight a few of her writings which could help every person live well his/her life in sanctity especially during this Year of Faith that we are celebrating.

Her inspiring words:

 “All our life must be spent for God.”

“Everything passes, except paradise”.

“Let us do everything with the Blessed Virgin Mary. With her, everything becomes easy...”

Prayer for her Beatification:

Most holy Trinity, we thank you for the singular gifts of light,

grace and virtue which you granted to Sister Thecla Merlo,

and we thank you for having chosen and constituted her

the wise mother and sure guide of the Daughters of St. Paul.

  

Through her intercession, grant that we may live of her great loves:

Jesus Master in the Holy Eucharist,

the Church, the Gospel and souls souls sought and served through evangelization

with the instruments of social communication to the point of total sacrifice.

O Lord, if it be in the design of your divine wisdom,

carry out even on this earth, for this very devoted Daughter of St. Paul,

your divine promise: “If anyone serves me, my father will honor him.”

Exalt this faithful servant to the joy of the Church

and the good of many souls and grant us, through her intercession,

the favor we ask of you.

Amen.

Pentecost: the birthday of the Church

Pentecost is all about power and intimacy. It’s all about a faith that matters. It’s all about God in the every day, in every moment of our lives.

Because Pentecost is about a religion that’s alive. It’s about a Church that has the blood of God coursing through it. It’s about a faith that calls all its members parts of the Body of Christ. And that has consequences in our lives.

And that brings us to another thing. Our faith is not private. It is lived amidst our parishioners, among our friends, among the people all over the world where we are called to be with as missionaries. Catholicism does not believe that a personal relationship with Christ is enough, because Jesus did not believe it was enough. If he did, there would have been no Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, all of us experiencing God through Sacraments, all of us working to spread the news of Jesus to the world.

Happy feast of Pentecost to everyone!