The Archdiocese of Veszprém has received a special pastoral gift: last Sunday, the official image of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi was placed in every church of the diocese, accompanied by a gratitude journal that offers space for the faithful to record their personal prayers, intentions, and thanksgiving. This unified initiative is not merely an outward gesture, but a spiritually profound invitation addressed to the entire diocesan community.
The image of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi is not simply a reminder of a young life marked by martyrdom. When the faithful rest their gaze upon Magdi’s smile, they encounter the gentle light of Christ’s face — a love that does not withdraw from suffering, but remains present within it and transforms it. In this way, the image becomes a quiet testimony that holiness is not the privilege of extraordinary circumstances, but the fruit of faithful perseverance in everyday life.
The gratitude journals placed alongside the images carry a distinctive spiritual mission. They invite the faithful not only to ask, but also to recognize and articulate the many gifts they receive from God and attribute to the intercession of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi. These written lines — whether brief notes or deeply personal reflections — become mutually strengthening testimonies, revealing that God continues to act today: listening, guiding, and healing.
The gratitude journal also serves as a form of communal memory. Just as Magdi herself kept a spiritual journal, so now the communities of the diocese collectively preserve their experiences of grace. These entries do not remain isolated personal moments; within the communion of saints, they unite the faithful with one another and strengthen them on their journey of faith.
The pastoral significance of the gratitude journals extends beyond the present moment. In the Church’s tradition, beatification is an important stage on the path toward canonization. Recorded answers to prayer and experiences of grace may one day serve the Church in the process of canonization, while already helping the faithful to grow more attentive to God’s action in their own lives.
The image of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi and the gratitude journals do not impose an obligation, but extend an invitation: an invitation to a spirit of gratitude, to the courage of witness, and to keeping alive the desire for holiness. They call us not to let go of one another’s hands, but to move forward together on the path of Christ, strengthened by one another and inspired by the example of the saints.
This shared spiritual initiative reminds us that we are heirs of the saints, and that the call to holiness remains a living reality in our archdiocese today.