“Anyone who has met the Lord and follows him faithfully is a messenger of the joy of the Spirit. The first thing for a disciple is to be with the Master, to listen to him and to learn from him”.
Having known the art of communing with Jesus, their Master, the senior citizens of our community are bubbling with joy to share it with all in their own way which is an inspiration for us their younger sisters. Let me begin with our Lawyer of St. Mary’s and the youngest of our community and Province. All most everyone is familiar with her. All have come across to her in the Formation house of Maryhill. She was known for her culinary art and everyone enjoyed the tasty dishes prepared by her. Do you know who she is? She is none other than our dear Sr. Vincentina, who is 90 years young, always we find her with a walker, beaming with joy. Always you will find her smiling and wants the others also to be the same in spite of all aches and pains.
You may be interested to know how she keeps herself young. Either cold or hot, summer or winter every morning she is up at 5a.m. to sing the praises of the Lord. Even though she finds difficult to hold the Breviary in the hand, yet her worry is to get the proper page and proper hymn book in her place. At times she is happy holding the book upside down and sometimes on the floor when she is fast asleep in the arms of her Beloved like St. Therese. She is very prompt in praying for the community during the intercessory prayers, sharing the reflections during the community hour of prayer and leading a decade of Rosary loud and clear.
She is the clown of our community. Anyone can enjoy at her expense. Her anger is momentary. Her childlike spirit is liked and enjoyed by everyone. She loves to entertain everyone during recreations and other occasions by her wit and wisdom. No one can surpass her in argument. She has a smart answer to everyone. She keeps herself very clean and tidy. She misses the sisters when they are not at home specially the Superior. She waits for the Superior for lunch. She loves to eat plantains and sweets. Somehow she manages to get a sweet and a plantain every day.
“Faithful discipleship is grace and love in action. He invites us to proclaim him with joy as the Risen one, but he asks us to do so by word and by the witness of our lives, in daily life”.
A joyful presence beaming with joy is from a youthful and jovial 80+ Sister Maria Julia D’Sa. She is always punctual for Community prayer and other community exercises and takes interest to encourage everyone to be present for the same. Even though she is weak in health, tries her best to sing and pray along with the community. She is ever ready battery to ring the signal bells for prayer and lead the Rosary with various intentions. She is the great devotee of St. Antony, St. Joseph and Sacred Heart. So whenever we lose things we run to her for her prayers which she does promptly and faithfully till we receive the favours. Daily she collects the flowers from the garden to offer these Saints. She is interested in everyone. She has a large heart to love and forgive.
She is a entertainer of our community. Anytime she is ready with her Goan Mando and apt verses with flowers, to greet the sisters or any guests on any special occasions. She is known for her art and craft. Her flowers decked various famous shops of Mangalore. Jubilees and feasts are not completed without her artistic decorations on the walls and in the Chapel. She finds time to prepare vases in the Chapel. She loves cooking and prepares various, delicious dishes for the community specially soup and Goan dishes like Lingis (Sausages). Though sick herself, shows lots of concern and compassion to the senior sisters in the Community. She is very alert when someone is absent for the meals. At this age too she is found in the garden, growing papaya trees and loves to give to the sisters fresh and juicy fruit. Like St.Therese, she has special love for the Priests and prays for them and offers sweets whenever they enter our refectory.
“Wherever there are consecrated people, there is joy, there is always joy! It is the joy of freshness, the joy of following Jesus; the joy that the Holy Spirit gives us, not the joy of the world”. These Sisters have been the joy of our Community bringing joy, freshness and togetherness. They have set an good example for us their younger sisters to find joy in serving the Lord in Carmel. We thank the Lord for the gift of all our exemplary senior sisters in our Communities.
Sister Maria Reethika A.C.(2062)
St. Mary’s Convent, Marjil
