The most
beautiful ability of a human being, which distinguishes the being as such,
besides intelligence, is the ability to love. Man lives because he is loved by God and is
created in His Image and Likeness; he was created by love and created to
love. Man is fully realized in receiving
and in giving love.
Through the
vow of chastity, the FMA offers God all that which He Himself has given to her:
“all her forces of love”. The gift of
chastity for the Kingdom of Heaven gives strength to her very capacity to love
and, therefore, the FMA knows that there is always more room for love: she can
always love more, and love more people.
She knows that love increases when it is given, when it is shared: the
more one gives love, the more love will abound.
The Love of an FMA is exclusively for Jesus, encompassing all her
brothers and sisters, and, in a special way, the young. It is a Love which is expressed in Salesian
loving-kindness, thus allowing the light of the foreseeing love of God to shine
through and is also the reflection of Mary’s motherly goodness. (see Art. 1 and 14) It is a type of love
can be called “goodness”, meekness (“buono
come il pane”), and “good as your Heavenly Father is good”.
Today,
unfortunately, goodness seems to be lost, as if one should be ashamed for being
considered a good person. It often
happens that goodness is confused with weakness, with a lack of courage in
defending one’s rights, or that those who are naïve are the ones who are
considered good, those who are unable to realize that someone else is taking
advantage of their goodness or is behaving in an arrogant and opportunistic
way. Due to this, we run the risk of
emptying goodness of its strength and beauty.
It’s in fashion today to be “strong”, even in solidarity with the weak,
rather than “good”. The paradox here is
that today more than ever before the world needs goodness and tenderness. Pope Francis has said many times “do not be
afraid of tenderness”. We need to be
educated in goodness and to goodness if we are to build a world of fraternity
and a culture of peace. “Not by blows,”
said Our Lady to little John Bosco in his Dream of Nine Years Old, “but with
goodness you will need to win over these friends of yours.” Goodness is the key that Mary gave so that he
might succeed in educating the young. Don
Bosco insisted on this with his Salesians.
This goodness, therefore, does not
impose itself on others but is
proposed through the attractive force of its beauty. Goodness means wanting the true good of the
other, of those whom we meet in our daily life. It is a goodness which is actively intelligent
because it acts respectfully, discreetly, and opportunely. Good is done respecting other’s freedom,
without using them, but leaving them free to make their own decisions and
choices. Goodness is always tied to the
selfless giving of the gift. Goodness is
free because it does not expect “repayment” in any way. Goodness wants only the good of the other
even when the other seems not to be in need.
This means being good in and of oneself, independent of another’s
“neediness”, not being elicited due to another’s poverty, for goodness demands
freedom and intuition. One is good
whether confronted with someone who has succeeded in having his success and
qualities show before others, speaking and thinking well in every circumstance,
with no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” or with someone who has a particular need
which renders him weak and vulnerable.
Thus, one is good in a discreet way, without making the other person
feel his poverty. We are speaking,
therefore, of a goodness that is intelligent, free, and humble. In this regard, the very life of Mother Mazzarello,
who became a model of goodness, and whose motherly goodness was recognized by
all - by students and Sisters alike who were always encouraged to “do with
liberty whatever charity demands” - thus managed to build the “House of the
Love of God.” It had an atmosphere in
which everyone was able to feel at ease because her particular nature was
respected while she was encouraged to grow ever more in charity by living in
Mary’s presence.
Mary, always a Mother,
in all her words, as She is presented in the Gospel, and in all her apparitions
along the centuries, appears as a Mother who helps, who counsels, who heals,
who prays, and who accompanies the Church along its journey of faith in every
circumstance. We are Daughters of Mary
Help of Christians. “Auxilium” means
“inclined to” welcome others in their need and “aid” them by educating them so
that they might “catch” this goodness. Goodness
is a charismatic gift of the FMA. It is
one of our characteristics which is so needed in today’s world, so wounded and
lacerated by deep divisions and violence, and where there are so many crises:
in families, in communities, and even in the Church. Goodness restores health and heals the wounds
of our times and it can make a significant contribution to building a society
which seeks the Common Good and Peace.
Suggestion:
In
a silent moment:
Become aware of the manifestations of
God’s Goodness and of Mary’s Goodness along your day.
Become aware of the goodness of the
people whom you met today, avoiding falling into the trap that “this is my
right” because this kind of thinking will not help us see the goodness of those
who live alongside us.
They who are wrapped in the goodness
of those with whom they live feel encouraged and motivated to be good in their
turn: “the continuous invitation is to make of our Communities, ‘the House of
the Love of God.’”
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