1.
“We Are True Images of Our Lady"
from the Letters of Mother Mazzarello
We are invited to enter into the heart of la Madre today - into the simple life of
a woman who knew how to make room for the Holy Spirit so that He might
transform her and burst forth into her life with His Gifts, just as He had in
Mary. It is at Mary's school that Mother
Mazzarello grew in sanctity and wisdom.
Taking a good look at Mother Mazzarello's life, we discover the
characteristic traits of Our Lady impressed on her life thanks to the simple
and familiar relationship that she had with Our Lady.
With great simplicity and concreteness, she
modeled her life on Mary's. Hers a
filial and trusting relationship. This
often brought her to invoke Our Lady and to exhort the Sisters and the girls to
place full confidence in Mary and to live and to work in Her presence. [see Letters (L) 20 and 27] She invited
the Sisters to cultivate the virtues so as to imitate Mary (see Letter 29) and to make Her known and
loved by the girls. (see L 47) She said: "We are true images of Our
Lady." (Cronistoria, vol. 3, p. 216)
With the Feast of the Immaculate drawing near,
Mother Mazzarello insisted on preparing one's heart so as to live the novena
with all the fervor possible and with simplicity. She would say: "We need to plant
beautiful flowers in our hearts so as to make a beautiful bouquet to present to
our dear Mother, Mary Most Holy. We need
to exercise ourselves in all the virtues during these remaining days but
especially in obedience and in mortification.
Let us not let any occasion pass us by without mortifying ourselves in
something; above all, let us mortify our will and let us be exact in the
observance of our Holy Rule. Every
morning, let us make our Communion with fervor." (L 27)
Mother Mazzarello was certain that Our Lady
would be happy with Her Daughters and that they would obtain from Jesus the
grace to be Saints if they would live their commitment to true humility and
charity, putting up with each other's defects and exerting themselves more in
works of piety. (See L 52)
"I
ENTRUST THEM TO YOU." Mother
Mazzarello heard this when she was walking on the little hill of Borgoalto one
day. There appeared to her a vision in
which she seemed to be in front of a very large house with all the appearances
of a high school with numerous girls.
(See Cronistoria, vol. 1, pp.
96-98) Our Lady was entrusting to Mary
Domenica Her daughters, Her little girls and her mission among them. As it was for Don Bosco, so it was for Mother
Mazzarello - the mission was that of “caring for”, “keeping safe” all that God
Himself would entrust to them. Today the
"I entrust them to you" cries out strongly in the voice of the
Church, as the Synod of Bishops cries aloud and anew, "We entrust them to
you!" To you, to the educating
communities: Listen and accompany the young!
May they know and feel that they are received and welcomed, safeguarded
and cared for, and integrated into the community. May you be able to walk the path of sanctity
with them.
For reflection and prayer:
- Have I sought to live some of Mary's
attitudes in such a way that each evening She might be able to say to me:
"My Daughter, I am happy with
you"?
- Do I hear the cry of the children and of
the young people who tell me: Take care of me" because I am part of
the mission that Our Lady left to the FMA with that "I entrust them
to you" on Borgoalto?
- Spiritual exercise: I sit beside Mary and
with all simplicity I live this month seeking to offer Her beautiful
flowers of good attitudes that I cultivate in my heart. I take on the habit of asking Mary for
the heart of a mother in moments of tiredness in the mission.
Mary Help of Christians, help us be, like Mother
Mazzarello, women of profound interiority, women of wisdom, and helpers in the
midst of the young, transforming our entire life into a gift for others. Amen.
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