On the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus, Word and Victim, Mother Mary Pauline, pioneer of the MJVM, offers a spiritual gift of celebration. She celebrated her 90th birthday on May 11, for which she had prepared a speech, and today, June 22, she gives it to the whole congregation. In the following lines her speech:

“I knew that my very loving sisters would come to greet me on my birthday, and I hastened to prepare a modest speech. I offered this theme to the novices and professed mothers. Thank you very much for the Holy Mass and for this very pleasant moment.

How the years go by! Like a sigh. This brings to mind something that I want to share with you. It is about the life of St. Augustine. When he became a man of mature age, knowledge and Catholic faith, he lamented his past life, expressing himself with these words of great spiritual depth: How late I knew you! How late I have known you!

That’s right, St. Augustine was right. Life is too short to know God on this earth. Relating this passage to Psalm 90, 12, we have a light that illuminates our pilgrimage: Lord! Teach us to know our days so that we may acquire a sensible heart. That is to say, a heart full of wisdom like that of the saints.

Both St. Augustine and Psalm 90 invite us, stimulate us, to make the most of our youth, desiring, longing for the knowledge of God, to admire Him by the light of faith, by the light of the Holy Spirit.

Our Father and Founder often told us how the good and experienced teacher of spiritual life exhorts us, with the help of God and his grace, to practise from our youth an intimate relationship with God, an affectionate and affectionate relationship. Such a relationship leads us to the knowledge of his truth and his goodness.

May the Lord give us the grace not to leave this world without having experienced one more degree of his knowledge”.

Mother Pauline MJVVV