Editorial a Special Red-Colored Phrase
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Year XXI - N. 9 - July/August 2018 - N. 9 July/August XXI Year ASC International Communications - Central Office - Via Maria De Mattias, 10 - 00183 Rome www.adoratrici-asc.org [email protected] A special red-colored phrase This is my Blood, the blood of the covenant and passively going forward. This means not poured out for many. This phrase reported in the being frightened by numbers or the works Gospel of the Last Supper is catalogued among and overcoming cultural challenges coming those that cannot be erased, nor from a post-modern society that much less not listened to, since imprisons us in an individualistic they are part of the memorial. It and relativistic system. It is a is part of that sign which, each matter of putting ourselves in time it is stated at the altar, relationship with history, without actualizes Christ, who died and remaining indifferent, and is risen. It makes Christ present sowing what is new, proposing who, in shedding His blood on evangelization again for the the cross, invites us “to go out” purpose of announcing peace and and to go further toward the working for justice for everyone. Editorial infinite love that took hold of St. The example of so many men Maria De Mattias and has also and women who gave their taken hold of us, her Sisters, after lives without holding anything more than a century back and were martyred to the This is an experience that touches our hearts, shedding of blood in order to serve the dear involves and disrupts, urging us not to remain neighbor urges us to create a young Church that static, but to abandon our traditional patterns, savors the beauty of the “joy” that has its roots in freely making of our lives a gift and without the “Gospel of the Beatitudes.” personal interests and gains to search for ways to Sr. Mimma Scalera, ASC embrace the future with hope, without enduring Summary Editorial A special red-colored phrase 1 Behind prison walls: presentation of the book Love Within 11 General Administration Space - Through the eyes of a witness Celebration of the XV anniversary - Through the eyes of a journalist of the canonization of St. Maria De Mattias - Through the sentiments of young ministers Sr. Nadia Coppa’s reflection and words of thanks giving 2 Ten years with St. Maria De Mattias in Bolesławiec 13 We celebrate Maria De Mattias’ holiness 4 Thanks for the sanctity of Maria De Mattias 15 …Andariega de Dios (God’s Wanderer) 5 JPIC/VIVAT Space From the ASC World JPIC-VIVAT contact persons form The Celebration of the 15th anniversary congregational network 16 of St. Maria De Mattias’ canonization in Manyoni 7 In the Congregation The Life of the Risen One 8 General Administration Calendar 17 Sister Leona Service award 8 Birthdays: Let us celebrate life 17 Precious Blood … lifegiving stream of my life 9 Professions 17 (Poetry) Anniversaries of Religious Profession 17 The roots of the education are bitter... but the fruits are sweet 10 They have returned to their Heavenly Home 17 1 General Administration Space Celebration of the XV anniversary of St. Maria De Mattias’ canonization, Sr. Nadia Coppa’s reflection and words of thanks giving Good evening to everyone! It is a true joy to gather here to celebrate Maria De Mattias together. We feel she is the presence of a friend whose holiness attracts and enchants. This celebration is an event that allows us to feel in deep communion established by the Blood of Christ, the Blood of the immaculate Lamb to whom St. Maria De Mattias was a disciple, adorer and apostle. We want to take this occasion to greet all of you and sincerely thank you for having wanted to share with us the joy of the gift of the life of Maria De Mattias and the special charism entrusted by the Spirit to the Congregation through her. because it rekindled in all of us a profound desire We celebrate this strong woman, tireless worker, for a possible sanctity, an ordinary, everyday mirror of Christian virtue… Woman of talent holiness. and endowed ingenuity, woman of charity and Fifteen years later we celebrate the sweet memory distinguished kindness, strong and kind, wise and of that event and especially the holiness of Maria prudent woman, through this decisive and clear De Mattias, asking this daughter of Vallecorsa for picture Father John Merlini describes for us the help to respond to the invitation of a God who personality of a woman who allowed herself to loves us so much as to want us to be “holy” like He be transformed by Grace as gift for everyone. His is holy, … sharers in the same nature … coheirs deep knowledge, which was the fruit of his patient of the same joy: eternity. As Pope Francis wrote, accompaniment, let Father Merlini understand “God does not expect that we be happy with a the gifts of nature and grace that made Maria De mediocre, watered-down, inconsistent existence.” Mattias a passionate woman and spouse of the We are called to fly high… beyond the difficulty of Blood of Christ. an often up-hill climb with evangelical radicalness We celebrate St. Maria De Mattias because she of those desiring to imitate the greatly sought-for made of her life a loving response by living for Beloved. God who wanted her completely for Himself and We hope this jubilee rekindles the desire for because she wanted to be completely God’s. Heaven in us as we passionately journey upon this Fifteen years have already passed since that May earth. God’s dream is our profound joy! 18, 2003, when St. John Paul II proclaimed Maria St. Maria De Mattias encourges us and De Mattias a saint, recognizing the heroic nature accompanies us in this journey, reaffirming with of her virtues and her radical lifestyle that made her life that it is possible to love the Gospel to the her a Gospel. Many of us have already imprinted point of a complete transfiguration, becoming a in our hearts the image of St. Peter’s Square filled reflection of the Beloved as we serve him in this with joyful faithful for this precious recognition. earthly pilgrimage. There were so many red caps of moved and A glance was enough for Maria De Mattias, a grateful faithful. These people were moved by glance of the Beloved. Great inner strength was the beauty of this soul who relied on the Word, released for Maria De Mattias from that attraction, leaning on the Word to make this wonderful … deep motivation for every choice in accepting journey of holiness: They were grateful to God Jesus’ invitaiton to the beatitude of the school of for having given her to us as a sister from whom joy, of a successful life and measure of God’s ability. we learn wisdom and grateful to the Church who In looking at her holiness we can comprehend recognized how exemplary it was in her. that the secret of the beatitudes is not in being That was a time of grace for the entire Congregation poor, pure, or meek, but in having such a deep 2 General Administration Space relationship with Christ as to transform her And then, how not to see in their faithfulness existence and reality based on Him. The measured by the time of the Sisters living their blessedness of Maria De Mattias was that of consecration as an open space for welcoming the entering into an ever-deeper relationship with cry of the blood… her Lord. She wanted to be all his… to be all for Remembrances and experiences of a possible, everyone, showing that “to the degree we are ordinary holiness made up of faithfulness to the made holy, the more we become fruitful for the daily, often uphill path, marked by the paschal world.” (GE 33) mystery, by the encounter in the soul with the Each of us is asked to enter into this friendship Beloved who attracts us to Himself for even more with Christ, to let ourselves be looked at by Him life. and loved like his friends by living the best we can St. Maria De Mattias, intercede for us so that our and growing in humanity through a journey made hearts be rekindled with a pure, true love for the up of many small daily deeds, detaisl, those of love Lord... because only if we are enamored can we and among these is the care for and defense of enamor… only in being passionate can we wake the weakest people. up the world! In this journey of full and lasting Allow me this evening to remember the daily joy, make us ready and able to respond to God’s holiness of many Sisters around the world, those invitation knowing that the road to Heaven passes Sisters committed to giving their lives in service through the earth and that “life is mission.” (GE 27) to the poor and outcasts in frontier areas, those Allow me to thank Father Emanuele, Missionary called to brave discipleship of going against the of the Precious Blood, in particular, who presided trend and who pay the price for it in their own at this Eucharist, enriching it with his reflection flesh. and experience. Father Emanuele came from a I think of the holiness of the older Sisters living popular mission in Aversa and broke the Word for docilely and offering their sickness or old age us, reminding us to take care of our election and – a holiness tested by the crucible of doubt and to walk each day desiring the fullness of a life lived uncertainty….