200 Years Jubilee : I’m Grateful

When I was asked, “what does the 200th jubilee of our Congregation mean to me and what feelings arise in me as we are celebrating the Jubilee?”

Spontaneously I answered "grateful". Grateful for God's providence in the long journey of our Congregation. While we were studying the history of the Congregation in the Novitiate, we began to count the years… if God pleased, we would reach at the 200th years jubilee. The time has come. So, this Jubilee year has been waiting for the entire Congregation, including our generation. We are grateful to be part of a generation witnessing the Congregation entering into two centuries years anniversary. God's work is amazing! With ups and downs, happiness and anxiety, joy and hope, the Congregation is steadily stepping into the age of two centuries. And what was special at the end of this century, we have just entered the gates of a new structure, becoming a new Congregation namely the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus Maria Joseph (SJMJ).

In “Pious Maxims” Chapter 1 no. 13, Fr. Wolff wrote: "Those who believe in God and trust in Him have built on a solid ground". I am grateful that this kind of trust has been instilled by Fr. Mathias Wolff to the Sisters of Jesus Maria Joseph so that our Congregation is firmly established and continues to stand and carry out its mission for 200 years and beyond.

As a young member, the moment of celebrating 200 years of the Congregation is a moment for reflecting the spirit of the early mission started by our sisters. In this holy year, the Congregation Leadership Team and the Provincial Team encouraged the whole Congregation to reflect on our spirituality. Each sister received a present of “200 golden words of Father Wolff” in a box. Every day, we read  one of the inspiring writings of our Founder, P. Mathias Wolff in order to be “SJMJ minded”. The same words have been inspiring the lives of all sisters since 1822. We must build a solid spiritual foundation and the original spirit if we are to remain committed of being the Sisters of JMJ, follower of the spirit of Fr. Wolff, a Ravening Wolf, who works like a giant and carry in her heart four corners  of the world.

The world today is very challenging. The opportunity to lose the true spirit of the founding mission of the Congregation is like a gaping abyss, ready to suck up sacred values ​​and bury them deeply, instead we look for the instant values ​​the world offer. We must really be aware of this challenge and be prepared and anticipated, because our generation will  bring the SJMJ Congregation into the future. Now we are still learning certain competency, preparing ourselves to receive the mission in the future. Our contribution presently is still very small but we are trying to shape ourselves to be a SJMJ sister. Kindly remember us in your prayers!

We have to learn. Our early Sisters worked hard in their time. Instilling values with struggle, sweat and tears to be passed on to the next generation. Thank you for the treasures of legacy left to us! Each generation accepts the mission with the spirit of its time, works hard to grow it and drive in a new spirit. May we are able to weave a new spirit in our time.

I am grateful and proud to be a SJMJ Sister. And my greatest proud is that I witnessed the great examples of the sisters. Their lives, perseverance and obedience to their vocation and mission inspire me. They left an example of religious life, supported, loved, encouraged and prayed for me. May the bicentennial jubilee of our Congregation strengthen our vocation and trust in God's work in the Congregation and in each of us. Happy Bicentennial Jubilee to my beloved Congregation!

Sr. Natalia Angela Bella, SJMJ-Yogyakarta