Living the Gospel in the Way of Mary

Marie Claire, a Marist novice in West Africa, will make her First Profession in September. As she prepares for this important step, she reflects on what she has discovered during her novitiate about living and sharing the Gospel in the way of Mary.

As part of our study of Marist spirituality and charism during the novitiate, I felt a deep thirst that I was seeking to quench. At the end of my canonical year, I was asked to deepen my knowledge in a particular area. As I am especially passionate about the evangelisation of the Marist Sisters in the way of Mary, which is an essential part of our charism, I chose to develop my project in order to better understand this evangelisation as it was lived by our foundress, Jeanne-Marie Chavoin. From this was born my theme: “Living the Gospel in the Way of Mary.”

The aim of my work is to know Mary and to understand her in her gentleness as a mother, surrounded by her children. I am fascinated by her simplicity, availability, humility and love of work, which help me to grasp the depth of a life rooted in hope. The first to set out on the path of proclaiming the Good News, she went in haste to her cousin Elizabeth to announce the Gospel through selfless service, without seeking anything in return and without reserve.

For me, living the Gospel in her way means entering into the dynamic of her virtues. Making the Gospel present in our world today and adapting it to our times can only be achieved through witnessing to Mary’s virtues, in perfect harmony with her words. This is why Marists prefer to reflect Mary’s attitudes rather than simply speak about her. As the philosopher John Pym says: “Actions speak louder than words.”

Finally, in presenting this theme, I felt a great sense of pride in what I had discovered through my research. In a certain way, this research quenched my spiritual thirst and enabled me to discover the deeper meaning of the expression “living the Gospel in the way of Mary.” It is essentially rooted in witness, coherence of life, and the concrete embodiment of Gospel virtues.