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Mechernich – Two major celebrations coincided on 8 December in Mechernich: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the 41st anniversary of the founding of Communio in Christo. For the community, it was a day that could hardly have been more fitting, both liturgically and spiritually, as the life and work of its founder, Mother Marie Therese, is deeply Marian in character. "In Mary, God begins the history of humanity anew," said Superior General Jaison Thazhathil in his festive sermon. This newness is both a mission and a promise for Communio.
The house chapel was filled with faithful, friends and companions of Communio in Christo. Eight clergy from Poland, India, Haiti, Nigeria, Uganda and Germany celebrated Mass at the altar.
Already during the afternoon programme with adoration, a lecture and coffee in the recreation room, it was noticeable that this day of remembrance meant much more to many than just a reminder of the founding of the Ordo Communionis in Christo in 1984. It is a shared view of the spiritual foundation laid by Mother Marie Therese: a foundation of humility.
In his sermon, Superior General Thazhathil traced how boundless trust in God and humility in Mary opened a new chapter in the history of salvation: "In the Garden of Eden, pride closed the door; in Mary, humility opened it again." Many people today encounter God with distance or fear. Mary, however, shows the opposite: "God's tenderness, his closeness and his desire to be very close to his children."
Humility as the decisive key
For Mother Marie Therese, it was precisely this humility that was the decisive key to a truly Christian life. So important that she set an extraordinary example in founding the Communio in Christo, according to the Superior General: the classic vow of poverty was replaced by the vow of humility. Not to devalue poverty, but to grasp its spiritual depth as radical dependence on God.
"Without God we are nothing, in him we are everything," Thazhathil summarised the founder's thinking. Those who do not elevate themselves above others, but allow God to work, keep life "simple, easy and peaceful". In this attitude, love grows in families, in the Church, in the world.
Previously, Professor Stanisław Urbański had been a guest in the Communio house chapel via video link from Poland. He gave an insight into the experiential mysticism of Mother Marie Therese. Sister Lidwina read his manuscript, after which Stefan Ochalski, the parish vicar from Wipperfürth, who also comes from Poland, translated a question and answer session.
Urbański traced the deeply spiritual path of Josephina Theresia Linsen – from her first mystical experiences as a child through times of suffering, trials and inner purification to her "spiritual marriage" on 8 December 1984, the day Communio in Christo was founded. For her, this union with God was not a withdrawal from the world, but rather the impetus to commit herself radically to the Church and to people.
God's extraordinary love
According to the theologian, the process of mystical life begins with baptism, when a person receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the divine virtues. With their spiritual development, Christians unfold these supernatural gifts to the point of loving worship of God. "That is why Pope Benedict XVI says that Christians become mystics at the moment of baptism," says Professor Urbański.
From this perspective, the speaker continues, the life of Josephina Theresia Linssen – later Mother Marie Therese – can also be understood. Step by step, her biography reveals the process of maturation towards an ever deeper experience of God, beginning in childhood and culminating in the full unfolding of her spiritual life. The more her mystical life matured, the more she experienced the extraordinary love of God. At the same time, she was aware that she herself was not the creator of this experience, but that the Holy Spirit was working in her and keeping hope alive.
Therefore, according to Urbański, the mystical life of the founder of the order was above all an experience of God's love and His work in her soul. He describes it as the highest form of union with God, marked by great love for the Church, sacrifice and devotion. Her mystical life was "the experience of the Church as communio in Christo based on love for God and neighbour".
This lecture set the stage for the festive Eucharistic celebration, which was accompanied musically by the Lumora choir under the direction of Pascal Lucke. The liturgical celebration was the spiritual highlight and at the same time a continuation of the journey that began with the founding chapel on 8 December 1984. The dinner that followed provided ample opportunity for conversation, reminiscences and quiet gratitude.
The common thread running through the adoration, lecture, sermon and gathering was once again evident in the festive sermon: "I am truly impressed by your humility," smiled Superior General Thazhathil, "you even endured this long sermon." But before that, he had emphasised what was seriously at stake: "Humility is the innermost strength of Christians and the hallmark of communion in Christ.“
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