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Greetings From Sr. Diana on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2011

At this time when we have started our pilgrimage towards the General Chapter, the feast of the Assumption is an important milestone on the way. We can approach this mystery of the Virgin Mary this year under the aspect of transformation: After all what is the Assumption of the Holy
Virgin if not a mystery of transformation?(1)

In Marie Eugenie’s writings the word transformation is often found together with considerations on the transforming power of the Eucharist, on an effort at self-renewal, on joyful detachment, or on a life of faith and prayer. She also speaks of a joy which transforms, (2) and transformations in children and families brought about by the work of education of the sisters. (3)

All of these transformations need our commitment, a “Fiat”, an “amen”, which is constantly renewed our whole life long in such a way as to constitute a state of being having more to do with eternity that with time. (4)

Marie Eugenie considers that a religious ought to become a new creature and be transformed into the likeness of Our Lord. It is the work of a whole lifetime and it is accomplished through imitation. They need to keep Him before their eyes, look at Him as their model. This is done by meditation, which considers different points in the life of our Lord: Jesus in the manger, Jesus the child, Jesus at Nazareth, Jesus in exile or in His apostolic life. That is to say Jesus such as He is found in the Gospels, where His actions, His inclinations, His thoughts are shown to us so that everything in us would be modeled on Him. (5 )

During our vacation in Alsace I was very struck by all of the magnificent churches that we visited: Breisach, Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Strasbourg, Freiburg, (Germany). Some were in rather small villages. There was one in an old town named Thann. The main portal of its gothic collegiate Church (1342-1498) is composed of 150 scenes from the Old and the New Testaments and 500 characters! We know that these Churches served as a kind of “Bible” or “catechism” for the people who were for the most part illiterate. Curiously enough they are still serving this function not because the people today are illiterate or that there are few or no printed

books, but because many of our contemporaries are just not referring to the Gospels in any of the multiple forms that they are now available: print, internet, MP3, apps or ipod. But as we mingled with tourists from all over the world in Alsace we saw people looking at these gospels scenes in groups with guides or individually with audio-guides! They were being introduced to the mysteries of our Faith!

It occurred to me that perhaps our communities, religious and lay, can also serve our contemporaries as “Gospel scenes” not carved in stone but incarnated in our daily ordinary lives. Or perhaps we can imagine our communities as transparent stained glass windows through which as Marie Eugenie writes: the sun of truth and of justice that you have received in your hearts can enter. May it penetrate everywhere; try to have Him reign everywhere. May He enlighten and transform everything and lead us on
the pathways of eternity. (6)

Our communities can perhaps be places of healing, teaching, listening, welcoming, sharing and the multiplication of a few loaves of bread. Marco I. Rupnik sj explains Mary’s Dormition in his mosaic found in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican as the end of the ascent of humanity to God. For Marie Eugenie the Assumption expresses the culmination of the transformative process of life. Our Rule of Life (#128) expresses the beautiful mystery of Mary’s life as follows:

"Mary allowed herself to be guided and fashioned by the Spirit throughout her life of Faith and Hope. It was the humble consent of the Virgin at the Annunciation that led to the definitive splendor of her ASSUMPTION."

May each one of us receive and correspond to this same grace.

Joyous Feast of the Assumption.

Very united to you in affection, prayer and mission,
Sr. Diana and the General Community

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1 MME Chapter 16 April 1871
2 MME Chapter 13 April 1879
3 MME Chapter 23 May 1824
4 MME Chapter 9 June 1880
5 MME Chapter 23 February 1873

6 MME Chapter 13 April 1879

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How You Can Become A:

This mosaic by Marco I. Rupnik SJ is found in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican.

A short commentary on this scene can help us to contemplate the mystery of the Virgin Mary.