To Madeleine Sophie

What do I love about you, Madeleine Sophie?
The woman of frailty and strength,
the woman tender, yet firm,
the woman demanding and compassionate.

What I love about you is the active woman
whose activity draws its inspiration
from the Heart of Christ.

What I love about you is the woman of contrasts:
friend of the humble,
yet approaching with simplicity
the great ones of this world; 
friend of silence and of prayer,
forever travelling the roads of Europe
bringing communities to birth and nurturing them;
you are skilled in loving strongly,
you are skilled in parting too.

What I love about you, Madeleine Sophie,
is your eagerness to serve families,
young people and children.
I love your creativity, your dynamism,
the talent for rejuvenation that made you say, at 83:
"The world is changing;
our Plan of Studies must change too."

Thank you, Madeleine Sophie,
for seeing beyond your weakness,
and letting the Strength of God
perform its work in you.

You lead us to a great discovery:
the Fountain of Life itself springs out of a wounded Heart!

Marie-Thérèse Théry rscj
Province of Belgium/France/Netherlands