UPDATES

“Love is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has an origin in God” (Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI).

Most of us would refer to someone being a good teacher when that person has made a strong impact on us in relation to one’s learning, experience or change. There must have been something in that person that we cannot forget- in what s/he said or did... in words, actions or gestures.

After these months of reflecting on the Oak with the parallelism on Mother Bonifacia’s person, life and mission, I believe that in one way or another, something has happened within us if we have allowed ourselves to be touched, inspired or challenged by what we reflected upon.

Mother Bonifacia responded to what was said to her by Fr. Francisco Butiña in a letter from Poyanne, France: “Love is a good teacher for all that is good.” This became a constant watchword in her life. All her actuations, decisions and tasks were marked by love! Love was embodied in who she was and this permeated all her doing and relationships.

She did all things because of love.  As such, she took frustration or success, hurts or intrigues, any relationship or service as a vehicle for love to be shared and enriched. It did not make any difference to her whether her love was recognized or appreciated, hidden or ignored; nothing and no one stopped her from loving intensely. Her wellspring in loving others, especially those forgotten and marginalized women, is God’s love for her and her love for God.

Bonifacia’s way of loving is not simply to “do charity” to the most needy at the level of great options. Rather, it is to take upon oneself the process of being purified by the love of God in daily life so that one may grow more authentically to who one is and become more audacious in what and how one does things. Love brings out the goodness of God in oneself to others and seeks what is good for others.

Reflection:          What sustains me not to give up on myself and to persevere in reaching out to others? 
How do I nurture the love within me?

Meditation:

Prayer:
I came to You late, O Beauty so ancient and new. I came to love You late. You were within me and I was outside where I rushed about wildly searching for You like some monster loose in Your beautiful world. You were with me but I was not with You. You called me, You shouted to me, You wrapped me in Your Splendour, You broke past my deafness, You bathed me in Your Light, You sent my blindness reeling. You gave out such a delightful fragrance and I drew it in and came breathing hard after You. I tasted, and it made me hunger and thirst; You touched me, and
I burned to know Your Peace.    (St. Augustine of Hippo)