to be around her. If you engaged her or she engaged
you, you had to be prepared to be loved and loved
on, plain and simple. Sometimes I wasn’t able to take
it all in either. Over time, I learned to relax into her
unique ways of being a God-Bearer and Elizabeth-like,
a lover of souls, a person intent on offering the “home”
of generative care and joy. She believed in you, even
when you weren’t sure how to believe. Her sole focus
was to love.
Many of you know that Mary loved the c.pp.s.
with all her heart and soul. She had an uncanny way
of sensing things among the members and was often
right on target. She prayed for the community as one
prays for blood relation. Incredibly proud to be a
Companion, she held a deep devotion to St. Gaspar,
praying all the c.pp.s. prayers daily. Whenever we talk-
ed, she would inquire about a great many members—
"How is such and such? How is their cancer treatment?
Do you think he likes his new assignment? I just really
love Fr. or Br. or Companion such and such, don’t you
just love them?”…and on and on. She loved you. She
loved us.
Mary, the God-Bearer, was pregnant and gener-
ous with Divine energy. Like the pregnant Elizabeth,
she provided a safe and trusting space in a simple but
never flashy way. To use the scriptural words, I think
she was one whose soul glorified the Lord and had a
spirit that rejoiced in God our Savior. Christ mani-
fested mercy and loving care through her and mighty
were His deeds performed through her. Mary was not
attached to things, but she was very attached to people.
She did what she did and was who she was completely
anchored in fervent prayer. How she loved to pray and
lived to pray! The fruit of that prayer spilled out and
took root all over the place. Though she and John had
no children, her life and home was a “spiritual way sta-
tion” for so many relatives and friends. Perhaps Mary
has some things to teach us all about being a good
friend, community member, companion, amicus—or
even someone’s actual cousin or relative.
Thank you, dear Mary, for living up to your name-
sake. It does not surprise me you died on her feast day
of Assumption. I now imagine cousin Mary at a big
kitchen table, easily tickling out a hearty laugh from
Jesus, Gaspar, Mary, Elizabeth and more than a few
of our deceased members and Companions. “Blessed
is she who has believed the Lord would fulfill His
promises in her!” (Luke 1) We miss you, dear Mary.
Please visit us often and help guide our Community
forward—as we carry the Divine within!
Leadership, continued from page 3
there seems to exist new hopes and dreams for the fu-
ture. How do we foster and encourage them to follow
these hopes and dreams without stifling them with
past commitments?
And then, we have today the reality of our
Companions who desire to participate not only in
our spirituality but also in our ministries. How do we
empower them to realize that they are indeed co-
workers with us in the vineyard of the Lord? Many
of them are trained and skilled in diverse professions
and ministries. They are seeking ways to use those
gifts for the sake of the Kingdom under the banner of
the Precious Blood.
In addition, we have our Volunteers who share
in our spirituality and mission, but only in a tempo-
rary commitment. Is it possible to have this variety
of involvement and recognize that not all who live
our charism and spirituality need to be permanently
committed to the mission? The Amici [former
members] have been asking many questions over the
years as to how they are seen as co-workers in the
vineyard. Many of their questions have never been
answered to their satisfaction. Some of them have
walked with us many years in formation and com-
munity life and ministry.
As we move forward, we a re talking about how to
include all those who are motivated by the Precious
Blood. They are all voices of the thousand tongues
that Gaspar dreamed of. These various groups are
mentioned in our General Statutes and we are en-
couraged to include them in our spirituality. Could
they also share more deeply in our ministries? Or as
Pope John Paul ii wrote, “Many Institutes have come
to the conclusion that their charism can be shared
with the laity. The laity are therefore invited to share
more intensely in the spirituality and mission of
these Institutes.”
There will be many questions along the way, and
Advent is the season for questions. “How can this
be?” asked Mary. We may even think we are the voice
“crying in the wilderness.” May this Season of Advent
be a time for a new awareness as we move into this
“new creation.”
December 2017 • The New Wine Press • 5