Welcoming Christ's Compassion

At the heart of our vocation as Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata is the call to be compassionate. In imitiation of Christ and His Mother, we are called quite simply to be with Their children.  While it may seem simplistic, it is not merely a physical presence, but a call to be an instrument of Christ's compassion for them. We live this, as Christ Himself did, with Our Mother Mary. Surrender is everything.

Of course, the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata are not uniquely called to be compassionate. It is the hallmark of Christianity, and the calling of all. In fact, the compassionate life (I'm inclined to say) is the most joyful, peaceful, holy life. Because compassion is about being conformed to Christ, being loved by Him. As all things, it comes down to each one of us and Our God.

We must let the compassion of Christ be active in our own lives.  This is an era in which it is easy to escape... to our empty rooms, plug into something, and disappear...  We hardly give ourselves the chance to feel the disquieted yearning that our soul suffers for the Divine. We don't give ourselves a chance to feel sad, be mad, and let that "unfinished" and "incomplete" feeling find its answer in God. When the unsettled feeling arises, the hopelessness of not being able to "do" anything, we turn off, away, or within ourselves.  The secret to joy, to vocation, is to welcome the compassion of Christ in our lives, so that we can be authentically compassionate towards others. We must embrace all of this, as we embrace Christ Himself, because He is there in our sorrows, pains, fears, and incomprehension. And, more powerfully still, we find joy in knowing that we are with Him in His sorrows, pain, fears, and incomprehension! Surrender is our Victory!

It's true that often we can DO nothing, and give noTHING.  But we can always BE a gift by offering our presence and presenting our offering...to Jesus, with Mary... for the salvation of souls. 
(scrawled notes compiled from who knows where - interesting!)

Somehow, somewhere it all finds a cure

In the lonely God on a cross

Somehow, somewhere

We hang there too

Neither of us alone anymore

This is the mystery

This is life

This is the door to joy

The key to peace

To recognize Him and His pain

In me, in you.

In us

Together in Mystery