Recently whilst attending the Novices' Conference, the group was asked to define the charism of their individual Communities and to draw a symbol that illustrated this. As a non-artist this exercise had potential to be a real nightmare but in fact proved to be something of a voyage of discovery.

I knew that SSB were founded for prayer, then hospitality and lastly for outside works but this wasn't our charism. Charism had been defined as a grace, in my understanding a gift, given by God to be shared. I knew that OHP's charism was Joy but what was ours?

So then I asked myself, "What do the visitors pick up on?" They comment on the peace, the welcome they receive, the love they find - it's all very homely. Flippantly, I remarked that the symbol should be something like a hot water bottle or a tea cosy ... I went with the hot water bottle.

I asked to borrow one and was expecting a nice pink rubberised bottle. But what I got was an old-fashioned stone 'pig' as someone told me it was called. What do I do with this? I'd never seen one before . . . but wait . . .

This hot water bottle may look like an antique but it has much to give and our Community is a bit like that. Some Sisters seem very elderly and old-fashioned but there is a lot more to them than meets the eye. The hot water bottle is only as good as what is put into it and it only stays hot if it is refilled and it is the same with us. We have to be replenished with spiritual hot water and are only as good as what goes into us. The love we share will only continue if we can both give and receive love. The modern, rubberised version may perish, whilst the old ones break when dropped and we too are nothing but frail earthen vessels.

One of Mother Foundress' expressions was "Be hidden", and the hot water bottle tucked under the bedclothes symbolises the hiddenness of our lives.

And it is a very personal relationship which we have with our hot water bottle, no one else shares in it, and this symbolises the intimacy between each individual Sister and God. It is a relationship about warmth, love, intimacy, trust, security and peace. And that is something of what we are about.

Sister Joanna Elizabeth SS.B