CHARISM… A PATH…

Charism is a path to a joyful life, but not everyone can understand or find it. The charism of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary has allowed me to find the source of my life, and more than that, I continue to find it within me because God places this charism in every heart like a hidden treasure. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, this living Presence of Jesus, always gives me strength in every new place where His Providence sends me. All these experiences have always been accompanied by the joy of being sent and the curiosity to discover new places, cultures, people, etc.

For almost two years now I have been living in my new Province of Bolivia-Chile, experiencing the richness and poverty of new realities, cultures and mentalities. Thanks to all this, the pearl of charism is polished; it is made more beautiful… I can also compare the charism to a seed that falls on good soil. It must first die and then sprout. That’s why it hurts when the seed in me starts to grow and swell, rip and then germinate, but due to this, life is meaningful. This seed must give new life, it must be shared, this treasure cannot be kept for oneself, it must be given to those who are hungry… Our foundress, Blessed Mary of the Passion, encourages us to do so.

On November 15, on the feast of her heavenly birth, we organised a meeting with the youth of our parish, friends and acquaintances and those who wanted to come and listen.  “I will always love you more than you love me” these words of Mary of the Passion, served as the slogan for this meeting. Knowing the background of this blessed woman with a passion for life, we looked for answers to our questions: what is worth loving? What is my image of God? and what are my dreams today? Then, with these questions, we turned to Jesus in the silence of adoration to listen to what he was speaking to us and then, in joy, filled with the Holy Spirit, we celebrated together the birthday of Mary of the Passion.

We had a delicious cake and plenty of sweet mango juice to mark the occasion. Dancing to Latin American music was not missed, as the importance of the local culture never wanes. It was beautiful to share life with all those present and I trust that the Lord has sown the seed of charism and that it will grow. We, the servants, did what we had to do, because the light of the lamp cannot be hidden. May the desire of the Foundress to spread the fire of love in the world through the Holy Spirit be realised in every corner of this land, this country, this parish and this community. It is enough to spread little flames, fuelled by the gift of love, to light up a great fire that illuminates the whole world.  May the Foundress and all our sisters who have preceded us on this path intercede for us.  May we glorify God in all that we do, for he loves us more and more each passing day.

Elzbieta Dabrowska, fmm