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1 CONSULTA GENERALE Videoconferenza INTRODUCTION CONSULTA GENERALE videoconferenza MI Casa gen. - 19 nov. 2020 mck Mother Annamaria, unable to carry out at least the last phase of the General Consultative As- sembly, in presence, because of this painful lengthening pandemic, asked me to propose points for meditation, online, for the participants in preparation for 21 November. I accepted, overcoming my fear mixed with other various sentiments, because the grace of our religious profession in this Institute makes all of us and always sisters and poor daughters of the blessed House founded by Bartolomea and Vincenza 188 years ago. INTRODUCTION: COMMEMORATION On the liturgical memoria of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, our Rule of Life happily com- bines a double commemoration: that of the foundation of the Institute (21 November, 1832) and of our reli- gious profession, inviting us to remember on the same day SO AS TO GROW IN THE FERVOUR OF OUR CONSECRA- TION and TO CONTINUE IN THE CHURCH THE CHARITY OF OUR MOST LOVABLE REDEEMER (St 45-47). Fervour is like an urge to live with more vigour and joy the grace of the vocation in our Institute, in an understanding and fidelity to the charism in a new and dynamic way (cf. Cs 54). As the Re-planning process reaffirms, ensuring vitality to the charism, comes in the indications of the docu- ment of the last General Chapter, which considers it fundamental for this purpose: to understand that God is present in the social, ecclesial and Institute’s reality, made of lights, shadows and fears, to grasp the calls of God in everyday life without letting ourselves be blocked by fear, help each other to grasp the signs of the times and look for new ways of charity (cf. Acts XXVII GC 1.2; 5.1-2). Looking at the reality in this way (even the present painful pandemic- no one could have ever imagined) basi- cally entails a new way of seeing, which requires a reading/ knowledge as much objective as possible of con- crete situations, but this new way of seeing overcomes and guides it, so as to make us authentic cooperators in the mystery of salvation. Therefore, it seems to me, that renewing the fervour is a bit like 'feeling the heart burning’ which in the two disciples of Emmaus is a prelude to OPENING THEIR EYES. They were sad as they left Jerusalem, for what had happened and yet did not understand…. Then a stranger became their companion explaining the meaning of it and became a guest at their table ... Their heart was burning. Then their eyes opened. Suddenly they feel freed from a blindness of which they were unaware: they recognize Jesus. They decide to return and tell the Eleven how they recognized him (cf. Lk 24: 31-32). Recalling of this Gospel passage led me to suggest in preparation for 21 November some points for meditation on LOOKING, at the grace of a new outlook on ourselves, on God, on man in history and his desti- ny, on things and goods…, to recognize - follow - witness Jesus. The NEW WAY OF LOOKING reaches and im- plies the entire vast network of relationships to which physical and figurative LOOKING gives rise. However, I limit the references to a SEEING linked to the following of Jesus and to the witnessing of his charity, within the concrete/historical needs, without dwelling on issues that today have great prominence at a social and ecclesial level (ref. Papa Francesco Laudato si', Fratelli tutti) and on what the CGA in act connects to this outlook. I do this by re-reading two evangelical texts and some testimony of the Origins, being aware of repeating what we know well. However, I believe that dwelling confidently on the Word of Jesus and on the testimony of our Saints who embodied it in their lives, opens us to unexpected lights and makes us glimpse paths of sal- vation for our today, while we wait to see him as He is (I Jn 3:2). So, we regain the joy of the heart (ardour) and the humble courage of serving for love of Jesus and neighbour. 1 A NEW WAY OF LOOKING The indication to look at Jesus, to recognize him in our daily life, comes back often in the words and the writings of mother Annamaria. Not only to look at Him, but to look as He looks. At the conclusion of the GC (ACTS XXVII GC pg 32) she proposed to all, “EYES OF WOMEN OF FAITH” and during the successive years she insisted upon the CALL TO CHANGE OUR WAY OF LOOKING, to be able to live and to build communion. She recalled that this is the first and basic change. Without this ‘new’ way of looking, without these eyes of faith, without this change of mentality, every other effort risks to be useless and is destined to fail. However, it is indispensable to translate it into actions, attitudes and behaviour so that the style of Jesus may actually be- come ours. She underlines this also in the Letters (see I,pg150 ss on Re-planning; on Discernment: NSDU 2019,1; 2020, 3), with frequent references to the writings of Bartolomea who cultivates with diligence the purification of her own way of seeing to grow in that of Jesus, so as to reveal his love. It is said popularly that love is blind, in reality only when one loves, sees well, because he can see what before he did not see, what others are not able to see. It is the grace that we ask. 1. THE GRACE TO BE HEALED OF BLINDNESS: RABBOUNI, MY TEACHER, LET ME SEE AGAIN 1.1 A NEW VISION OF LIFE The Gospel of Mark, gospel of the catechumens who were preparing for baptism, but also of the dis- ciples who, called by Jesus to be with him and to be sent to proclaim him to the world, have to learn to follow Him and not their personal dreams of success (card. Martini), presents us two healings of blind men: the blind man of Bethsaida (8:21-26) and the blind man of Jericho, Bartimaeus (10:46-52). In this manner, Mark highlights that accepting to place oneself at the discipleship of Jesus introduces another vision of life, different from the common ways of conceiving the relationship with ourselves, others, the world and its goods, and with God and it is always “in progress”. It is a vision that places at the center no more ourselves with our way of seeing/judging, but Jesus, son of God, the beloved of the Father (Mk 1:1,11) and Son of man who came not to be served but to serve (10:45). The way in which Mark presents the first multiplication of the bread (6:34-44) elucidates the difference in the human way of seeing, typical of the apostles, and Jesus’ way of seeing. 34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them… It seems that these apostles resemble us: they are with Jesus, they read the situation accurately – they pho- tograph it -, they give the solution to the problem: send them away, ready then to return to their securities. They do not get involved, remain at a distance from the one in need. Jesus who also ‘sees’ is filled instead with compassion, takes it to his heart, invests himself and asks his disciples, who remain surprised at the pro- posal, to go and see what resources they have and to get involved. Then he makes them his collaborators (he gave them the bread that he had blessed and broken to be distributed). 2 Therefore at the basis of this new vision is God’s way of looking at his creatures: he looks at them with loving tenderness that is revealed in a gratuitous renewed initiative of life. An initiative that precedes us and makes us participants. It has its climax in ‘giving the life for us’. The Roman centurion will recognize this man to be Son of God having seen the way he breathed his last (cf. Mk 15:39). A reasoning that disturbs! The look of Jesus has reached us: he has loved us and has united us to his mystery of merciful love calling us to continue his work, to love in his charity the poor seeing himself in the least whom he calls brethren (cf. Cs 4; Mt 25:24-45). The gift of his way of looking matures in us by weaving itself with those daily and casual, unexpected, painful circumstances of life. To express itself fully, it demands our answer along with accepting the risk of faith. We have the need to be always healed of our mediocrity, the need of eye drops to regain sight (cf. Rev 3:15-19), to recognize Jesus and to look – in him and with him- persons, events and nature itself (cf. Lk 12:22-32: Con- sider the ravens….
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