Love of our Mother Foundress
The month of April this year is easily related to the jubilant celebration of Easter with brightly colored eggs and beautiful spring time flowers, but to us Sisters of Christian Charity we always associate April to the feastday of our dear foundress, Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt. If you were to walk into any of our convents you would see pictures and statues of Mother Pauline in the community room, chapel, and other various places. During my first year teaching here in Jersey City I brought my class over to the convent to give them a little tour and have a special time of prayer in our convent chapel. When showing them the chapel and community room my 2nd grade students excitedly recognized the statue and pictures of Mother Pauline. One student commented, after pointing out the different pictures, “Wow, you must really love her!” Since then my former student’s comment has popped into my head when thinking about the love we Sisters have for our foundress. Yes, we certainly do love her and that is why April 30th is a special day to all of us SCCs. It is the day Mother Pauline died and was reunited with Jesus, her heavenly Bridegroom.
There are many prayers and maxims of Mother Pauline that strike a chord in my heart. Recently, when reflecting and praying upon her writings I found this prayer of hers that I would like to share.
Jesus, be our life so that our souls may be intimately united with you. Let your heart be the source of our love, the object of our total consecration and intimate union. Imbued with this love radiating from your heart, may we serve our neighbor with a love pleasing to you. Imbue our love with characteristics pleasing to you. Let it be supernatural, universal, patient, courageous, and self-sacrificing; and draw us ever closer to you, so that in all our undertakings, we may always seek our repose in your divine heart.—Amen! Mother of God, pray for us. --Mother Pauline von Mallinckrodt, 1852
Mother Pauline had a great devotion to Blessed Sacrament that began at an early age and continued throughout her religious life. She would travel far to attend daily Mass and as Mother Foundress would spend time kneeling in chapel praying before Him while holding in her hand a note of her concerns. Like her we must draw close to Jesus’ heart present in the Most Holy Eucharist where we can confide in his constant presence. For us SCCs, April 30th is a day to continue the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection as seen through the life of our foundress. We also unite our thoughts and prayers with our Sisters around the world in celebrating her life. She is a holy and real example of how we should strive to love Jesus and follow him. We cannot do anything without his powerful love enlivening us to serve others. Our life is not going to be glorious like we imagine heaven will be, but striving to live in His love requires sacrifice as seen by Jesus’ pierced hands, feet, and side. He knows our sufferings just like he knew the ones of Mother Pauline. We must constantly open ourselves to the grace of perseverance, so hopefully we too will rejoice one day with Blessed Pauline and all the saints of heaven when we see God face to face.
God bless you abundantly in His Easter JOY!
Sr. Karen Marie
