Mother Margarita loved her missionary life because she was truly in love with Jesus Christ. In 1934, she wrote, “when a missionary loves her mission very much, when she is totally centered in it, she sees everything pleasant and easy.”
She knew that when we love much, we can attain much. She also knew that there is no love without sacrifice. She called this the beautiful missionary life: “to close our eyes to all human interests, our own and those of others, and then to open them again, wide to see the only big interest of the glory of God.” But she also knew this was difficult. She said that when we are alone it is so easy to believe we can love everyone, “but in living with others all the time we realize how incapable we are of loving, how much we deny others, how closed in on ourselves we are.”
She wanted her community of sisters to take advantage of occasions for suffering, no matter how small. She said “ love the mortifications God presents to you: deprivations, discomfort, loneliness . . .When you suffer difficulties regain your courage right away; raise your heart to God and with much fervor renew the offering you made to Jesus Christ when you were called to the missionary life.”
Mother Margarita was no stranger to suffering. Her physical suffering alone would have crushed most people, but she knew and accepted her cross with a spirit full of love. She never really saw it as a cross, but an opportunity to love. At the height of her suffering she said, “This illness, I believe, has helped me. It allowed me to prove to God, our Father, that I love Him as a Father of my soul, living ever mindful of His Will, and that this Will of His is the only thing that is great and gracious to me.” The darkness of death that lurked over Mother Margarita was overcome by the love of God that filled her soul.
From the depths of her suffering the redemptive act of Christ’s death prevailed. Her suffering and sacrifice were a way to proclaim the fullness of life she had received, and this outpouring of love spread to missions on five continents, despite humanly impossible odds. Her love made glorious through suffering was like an inner light expanding outward and freeing her from earthly constraints. How beautiful that sacrifice which freed her and allowed her to cling to God alone.
Her humanness often made her feel disappointed and discouraged, but she saw that God was the only one who could energize her and she realized the great spiritual gifts God was giving her to accomplish His plans. Her health, the establishment of the missions, extreme poverty, political upheaval in Spain and the many problems she encountered along the way were all seen as part of God’s work.
Once when the motherhouse in Berriz almost
closed down, Mother Margarita wrote in her diary, that God was taking them by
the hand. She said, “…I’m sure the Lord will help carry us forward and, due
to the love of His missionaries, he will not allow the Motherhouse to
disappear. That same Motherhouse still
stands today in the beautiful Basque Country of the North of Spain, as alive
with the Spirit as ever.
Every sacrifice for Christ that
Mother Margarita made, brought her spiritual joy, and as she said it was a pure
gift from God. He wanted her to do good by placing all her trust in Him. This
is why she could call these sacrifices “a feast day for the soul.” They brought
as she said: “Profound peace and joy, calm . . .How different God’s gifts are
from those of man! Dedication to work through love.”
Sources:
Margarita Maturana: A Journey of Transformation
by Teresa Postigo and Isabel Avila
The Good News of Margarita by Pedro Miguel Lamet
Community Growth Process (Newsletters) March-April 1995/1996
