Day 5 -- Blessed Maria Euthymia Üffing

When I was reading over the list of saints for today, the saint of the day--Peter Claver--had a story (he was sent to Columbia to work with the slaves and baptized 300,000 in the 40 years he was there), but Emma Üffing "Blessed Maria Euthymia" caught my attention and I wanted to write about her.

Here is her story. Emma Üffing was born in a small town in Germany on April 8, 1914 and was of eleven children. As an infant she developed a form of the rickets which stunted her growth and left her in poor health the rest of her life. At the age of 14 she began to feel the call to religious life. She joined the Sister of the Congregation of Compassion on July 23, 1933 taking the name Euthymia. She made her simple vows on October 11, 1936, and her final profession on September 15, 1940. She then went on to school for a nursing degree and worked through World War II and was then assigned to nurse prisoners of war. She worked tirelessly for them, praying for them, and making sure they received the sacraments. After the war worked at the Motherhouse in the laundry room and Saint Raphael Clinic. Blessed M. Euthymia was noted as saying, "everything is for Almighty God." In the little free time that she had, she spent in prayer before the Eucharist. She died on the morning of September 9, 1955 of cancer. She was beatified on October 7, 2001 and is awaiting for canonization.

Even though she liked serving her fellow human beings rather than the machines of the laundry service, she had this to say of her mission: "The Lord can use me like a ray of sun to brighten the day." Pope John Paul II goes on to say in his homily at her beatification, "This Sister lived the word of the Gospel: whatever we do, we are only unworthy servants. We have only done our duty" (Lk 17,10). In her faith in small things lies her greatness."

Like I said, I wanted to write about her instead of Peter Claver. I liked her story. It was the simplicity that caught my attention. Her availability for her mission to help those in need during the war and to then work in the laundry. She was happy and content during it all. We all have a story to tell. Have you ever thought about your life story? How is your life affecting someone else? I hope I am affecting other people's lives...as we say in Cursillo...leavening our environments. I pray for my family, friends, and workplace that I can leaven my environment in those situations.

Blessed Maria Euthymia, Pray for Us!