SOPHIE 150 Years Centre Sophie Barat Joigny, France World Association of Alumnae and Alumni of the Sacred Heart (AMASC)

Dear alumna/us, friend of the Society of the Sacred Heart, let us take a moment to listen to Sophie: I invite you to celebrate with me the 150th anniversary of my entering into eternal life with our Lord Jesus, who called me to follow him and to whom I gave my heart. Would you like to take a walk with me along some of the paths that led me to discover and love our Lord, to deliver myself to him? Come! Let us go to Joigny, for it is there that my life began. Let us share our stories.

Welcome to the Barat homestead! It is your home, too, for you are a member of the Sacred Heart family. I invite you to tour the interior, to go on an “interior pilgrimage.”

In this space, my father worked with wood. He was a cooper In this space, my father worked with wood. He was a cooper. It was not easy work. He had to patiently coax the wood until it curved. From him I learned that being flexible is an art form; rigidity does not allow the artisan to produce his or her best. God is our “artisan,” working not with wood but with clay. Will you allow him to mold you? Let us repeat together: “Yet, Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter. We are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:7)

Let us enter the family room, the central meeting place, the place where one is welcomed. The table is always set to nourish our bodies—and our hearts. Here we enjoy one another’s company, suffer, pray, and are fed. Here is where I learned to break bread and share it with others, to pray before the image of the Sacred Heart. Here is where my image of God was formed over time. Has your image of God changed over time? If so, how? Is the image one that draws you to the God that allows us to discover Jesus: the God of unconditional love, the God of gratitude, the God of the Kingdom?

How many times did I climb up and down these stairs! Climbing is not always easy. It calls for strength, energy, a desire to see from on high the horizon before us, to face the reality that exists outside the home, to see the world as it is. Lift your gaze and see! Are you concerned about the lives of others? Are you moved by the reality of our wounded world? Do you feel compassion for those who suffer? Discover the pierced Heart of Jesus in the broken heart of humanity. Widen the space under your tent!

We arrive at my parents’ bedroom, the room that, on November 30, 1779, caught fire, causing my premature birth. This event marked my life. I called myself the “daughter of fire.” It is our Lord who lit his fire in my heart and sparked the desire to spread it to all corners of the world through many “adorers,” among them YOU. Do you wish to be the spark that lights countless others? One must be close to Jesus in order to get to know him and “catch his fire.”

In this room you can see the wheelchair that I used in my later years. In life, there are moments when we need strong support, when we need to let ourselves be carried by Jesus and those who lead us to him. Will you allow yourself to be carried, humbly and simply, knowing that you need others to continue on your walk through life?

This is the place of my birth This is the place of my birth. It appeared at first that I would not have the strength to survive, but He gave me life and gave it in abundance. It all transpired with him and in him. Here my brother Louis taught me to read, to write. He kindled my intelligence, my will. He forged my character. Are you grateful for all the good you have received? Do you pass it on to others lovingly? Do you place the gifts you have received from God in the service of others?

Let us continue to climb Let us continue to climb. Every step reminds me that life is a walk taken one step at a time, serenely, patiently, with a clear knowledge of where we are going. It is God who shows you what road to take. He leads you. He is the Way, follow him! You will never get lost.

I spent hours in my bedroom completing the assignments Louis gave me. Here is where I allowed myself to get caught up and seduced by Jesus. This was my silent space, my contemplative, intimate space. Here grew my desire to follow Jesus, to get to know his feelings, his thoughts, his plans for me, and to manifest his love, offering my life for him and his people. Do you seek spaces in which to be alone with Jesus and allow him to speak to you? To what does He invite you?

We have concluded the tour of my home We have concluded the tour of my home. You are now familiar with certain aspects of my life and may recall others that were told to you long ago. The era I lived in and yours are different, but there are so many similarities; both worlds were or are replete with revolutions, wars, injustices. This is not about you emulating my life, though, but rather discovering how God plays a role in yours. In closing, I invite you to sit down in the garden of our house. Can you recall an instance that speaks of the love Jesus has for you? How will you answer? Do you feel called to bear witness with your life the love that our Lord has for us? For whom? How?

150 years on, the fire still burns! THANK YOU, SOPHIE! To celebrate your life is to celebrate history. 150 years after Sophie’s death, the Society of the Sacred Heart remains alive. 150 years in which the seeds planted in each of us continue to bear fruit. 150 years on, the fire still burns! THANK YOU, SOPHIE! Centre Sophie Barat 11,rue Davier 89300 Joigny, France Tel: 03 86 92 16 40 E-mail: centre-sophie-barat@rscj.com Internet: http//www.centre-sophie-barat.com