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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

I belong to an International Society

The internationality of the Society of the Sacred Heart is an important part of my life. We are to have a heart open to the whole world and all the joys and sorrows of the world touch us. I love knowing RSCJs all over the world and still often begin my morning prayer by holding the glass globe I have on my prayer shelf and touching each continent etched on it and just holding each up to the Lord to take care of its daily needs. I guess I am praying for peace and justice for all, but without words usually. It is just a background,too, for the way I read the newspaper at breakfast.

What I want to share with you today is taken from the Presentation written by Helen McLaughlin, our Mother General at the time; it was printed at the beginning of our Constitutions after we received the Decree of Approbation on January 1, 1987, Solemnity of the Mother of God. Here is just a bit of what she wrote:
"The Approbation confirms our end: to glorify the Heart of Jesus by our whole life. I want each one in the Society to experience both confirmation and sending forth. Confirmation of our spirituality: union and conformity with the Heart of Jesus, in complete openness to the Spirit; confirmation of our mission: to discover and make known the love of the Heart of Christ; confirmation our our service in His Church: education.
It is also a sending forth which we shall live with renewed hope. As an international congregation we are becoming more and more aware of the call to be a sign of communion among peoples; and we commit ourselves to finding effective ways of responding to the challenges of the world and the needs of our times"...


Helen McLaughlin also says that St. Madeleine Sophie was a woman of her times, "captivated by the love of Christ and open to the calls of the world in which she lived; may she give to each one of us her spirit, her courage and her humility."

As 2012 will be the 25th year of the Approbation, our present Mother General has called us to pray over the Constitutions so I am going to be sharing some of my own favorite passages and insights with you.

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