Following the “Star”
“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole of creation.” (Mk 16:15)
Mission starts here. Philippine Duchesne was the pioneer RSCJ missionary to reach a new frontier. Returning to my own homeland as an RSCJ, I am aware that I walk in her footsteps.
In my journey of life, there has always been a star placed by God in front of me. The star gives me direction. It is not always very bright, but it is enough for me to see. God’s voice is soft, but very strong. The moment a person hears the voice of God and follows the star may be a “Rebecca” moment, one like Philippine Duchesne experienced when she boarded the ship named Rebecca after hearing God’s call. Such moments are full of difficulties, yet grace-filled.
Years ago, God’s star appeared to me. I followed it and left my hometown for an unknown land. With confusion, uncertainty, and fear I went, because God called. The day when I realised that God was with me in the Society of the Sacred Heart, all fears and doubts disappeared. Foreign cultures and languages enriched me. Through years of formation, I was moulded into a new creature.
Inspired by the zeal of Philippine Duchesne and the calls of the General Chapter in 2016, we sense a new “Rebecca” moment “to discover and reveal the love of the Heart of Jesus” (Constitutions #4) in new frontiers. The star appears again.
Now I have been sent to my home country to begin the Duchesne Project. Because of my long absence, things in my homeland are totally new for me. It will take some time to adjust to new cultures and ways of life. It will take time to communicate with people. But God’s star leads me to the place where my heart is to dwell.
Maria Y., RSCJ, Province of Korea – Chinese Image: Waldemar Flaig
