31 Dec December 31, 1944

To Marianne Hapig and Marianne Pünder

Good people!  Greetings to you and God’s powerful protection for the new year.  We can’t wish ourselves anything more or less this year.  God already knows what he wants from us in the year ahead.

Tomorrow is the feast day of the Society of Jesus!  With every new day I am so glad that December 8 worked out well.  That’s now the reason for my life.  God has given me a permanent place in his universe, which for a long time I’ve waited for.  Everything else is now of mere secondary importance.

Thank you again and again for your faithful care.  I really don’t know how I can make it up to you.  Ever since December 8, and even more since Christmas, I feel great peace.  As if everything were complete for me, once and for all.  Many things I wanted to undertake were prevented from the inside.  Do you know how it is?  When you suddenly feel moved toward a purpose and something pushes you away?

All the best, and God’s good blessing.

Max

To Luise Oestreicher

Dear L.,

I still don’t have news of how all of you in Munich got over the bombings.  It seems that the Mariannes have gone away for awhile.  So the first time I’ll hear anything further will be next Tuesday, January 2.

How are you doing?  [….] This New Year’s Eve there’s a lot going back and forth in my mind.  I thank you so much for everything and I beg for your forgiveness.  And also for the fact that you have to bear some of this burden I’m under.  You would have had an easier time in life without me. [….]

Ever since Christmas I’ve felt greater peace.  You all must have done a good job praying for me.  Please don’t quit.  During the festive season the ship here has been loosely tied.  Now begins the launch back into open waters….

Now begins the launch back into open waters….

Say hello to Bauergretel for me.  Please give her the meditation on the Christmas figures if you can read it and get someone to transcribe it.  I wanted to send you another few thoughts about the Christmas image of God, about the transformation of humanity that has taken place because of Christmas, and about German socialism.  But we’ve been kept tied up a lot this week, and besides, I have a slight case of the flu, which has made me more tired than usual….

Greetings to all my friends.  And also to the Wolferkam people and to my mother.  And to Secchi!  May God protect them all in 1945.

May God protect them all in 1945.

And I keep asking for faithfulness in trust and prayer.  Are you praying that I’ll get out of here?  May God bless you.  At Mass every evening I bless you and pray for you.  And often at other times.  All the best, and love in his Name,

Georg

December 31, 1944

To Prof. Fritz Valjavec [a Munich friend]

Dear Friend,

It’s the year’s end, and I’m thinking about my friends with gratitude….They’re going to be putting the dreaded handcuffs on me right away again, but they can’t prevent me from sending God’s blessing to everyone.  That’s what I do every evening.  At Mass and at other times as well.

Thank you for your loyalty.  Despite this miserable state of affairs, I believe that we’ll see each other again.  When that happens, we’ll be sowing and reaping together.  In the meantime, the seed is being made ready.

In the meantime, the seed is being made ready.

May God grant powerful protection to you and your wife in the new year….

Give greetings to my friends.  Thank you and good-bye.

Max