In reflecting on what it means to be called to be Marist, Sister Olivina Isitolo, from Tonga and missioned in Wallis, shares the story of her relationship with Mary.
Reflecting on my lived experience was like looking back into a familiar ground with new eyes and insights – discovering treasures and qualities of a spiritual movement deep within; that is, the “essence” of just being a “Marist”.
I felt that I was a Marist before I became a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary. I grew up in a Marian environment – the priests, religious men and women in my parish and those who taught me at school were Marist. My family loved and honoured Mary with her Son and held great devotion to her. For myself I cannot recall having any special devotion to Mary, yet we were and still are very close. I was drawn to Mary by her maternal loving care. Our relationship was very much that of “mother - daughter”. I talked to Mary, simply and openly at any time and anywhere about my interests and concerns. I had asthma in childhood and often had serious attacks of it. During a game of soft ball, I experienced the worst attack I had ever had. While gasping for breath I was aware that my mind and heart kept repeating: “Mary if you cure me, I promise I will join the Sodality of Mary”. I was thirteen then and that was my last attack of asthma. I had no doubt of Mary’s maternal care. She has kept me completely free from this sickness.
After joining this Marian group I became aware that there was a shift, a great change in my relationship with Mary – a kind of uplifting experience. Mary was real and actively present in my life, but somehow in a general but not in a particular way – it was as if Mary immersed me into herself, yet she disappeared to the background.
I gradually became aware of the change that has already happening in my life without my knowledge or any effort on my part. My “focus and attention” have shifted completely from Mary to Jesus – it happened gently and unnoticeably – I felt as if Mary had gradually and gently detached myself from her and directed me more fully to her Son, Jesus. This experience of quality relationship grew and developed more through the years of my journey as a Missionary Sister of the Society of Mary. Mary has always been my companion on the journey.
Spending a year in a community of another Congregation challenged my ‘Maristness” because of the strong devotion and daily devotedness of the Sisters towards Mary. For a period of time I struggled with the question: “Why do I feel that these Sisters appear to be more Marist than I am myself? I am a Marist but I do not have all these prayers of consecration and devotions to Mary. Is there anything wrong with me?” The answer came as clear as daylight when Mary once again led me to discover the answer to my question: “You are to live my life, the whole of me, that is to think, judge, feel and act as I do in everything and all things. You do not put me in a place where you have devotions to me”.
Being a Marist means personifying the human Mary, living in the world today. It means a complete openness to God and readiness for service. It means carrying out all we do in a spirit of service as Mary did – it is doing everything we do in a Mary style of service. It does not matter whether the work is important or not, big or small, known publicly or hidden. What matters is the ‘heart, love and attitude’ I have in service. I am happy to be a Marist and I am grateful for Mary’s gracious choice of me.
One of the many things that speaks loud and clear to me about being a Marist and being Mary-like is putting into reality the truth of Mary in service. This thought of Mary in service has a strong impact on me – it encourages and energises me in my apostolate especially in reaching out to those who are homebound, the differently abled, the sick, the aged and the lonely. It touched my heart when I visited a woman for the first time and she remarked: “This is a special and holy visit – you brought Mary to poor me and my poor house.” |
