sussidio april 2016

   “Being apostles of mercy”

From the WORD of GOD
Since you have been raised up to be with Christ, you must look for the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its Creator. As the chosen of God, then, the holy people whom he loves, you are to be clothed in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with one another; forgive each other if one of you has a complaint against another. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same.
Over all these clothes, put on love, the perfect bond. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.
Let the Word of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him. (Col 3, 1.9-10.12-17)

From the DOCUMENTS of the CHURCH

The path that the Risen Master shows us is a one way street, it goes in only one direction: this means that we must move beyond ourselves to witness to the healing power of love that has conquered us. We see before us a humanity that is often wounded and fearful, a humanity that bears the scars of pain and uncertainty. Before the anguished cry for mercy and peace, we hear Jesus’ inspiring invitation: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). In God’s mercy, all of our infirmities find healing. His mercy, in fact, does not keep a distance: it seeks to encounter all forms of poverty and to free this world of so many types of slavery. Mercy desires to reach the wounds of all, to heal them. Being apostles of mercy means touching and soothing the wounds that today afflict the bodies and souls of many of our brothers and sisters. Curing these wounds, we profess Jesus, we make him present and alive; we allow others, who touch his mercy with their own hands, to recognize him as “Lord and God” (Jn 20:28), as did the Apostle Thomas. This is the mission that he entrusts to us. So many people ask to be listened to and to be understood. The Gospel of mercy, to be proclaimed and written in our daily lives, seeks people with patient and open hearts, “good Samaritans” who understand compassion and silence before the mystery of each brother and sister. The Gospel of mercy requires generous and joyful servants, people who love freely without expecting anything in return. Let us pray for the grace to never grow tired of drawing from the well of the Father’s mercy and bringing it to the world. Let us ask that we too may be merciful, to spread the power of the Gospel everywhere, and to write those pages of the Gospel which John the Apostle did not write. (Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Jubilee of Divine Mercy, Sunday, 3 April 2016)

From the WRITINGS of Blessed A. ROSMINI

Jesus Christ’s words are more than mere ideas; they are truth and life. The human person, a real being, cannot be satisfied with the ideal alone. He/she wants ‘reality’ which cannot be his/hers unless it comes to him/her from the fullness of being who dwells in light inaccessible. Reasoning is not sufficient if we want to penetrate the life-giving words of such an exalted Master; we must love; we must pray and work: God speaks to the whole person, and the whole person must turn to him in surrender. (EC vol. VII, Lett. 3908 p. 244, to Marchese Gustavo Benso di Cavour in Turin, Stresa, 5th December 1839)
As far as you can, lead a life of love. Do the utmost good for your neighbour; and what you cannot do in deed, do in desire, through compassion, by interceding for all people in your prayer to God.
There is an enormous amount of good to do in this world, if you only want to! I have no doubt that you do it, and will go on doing it. Your love however, will be more pleasing to God in so far as you try to direct it, not only towards temporal good, but to the more important work of the eternal salvation of our neighbours’ souls.

So serve the Lord with a large heart. (EC Vol. VII, lett. 4117
p. 456, to Contessa N.N. at Belgirate, Stresa, 6th November 1840)

LET US PRAY (Ps 68, 4-9.19-20.35)
Sing to God, play music to his name,
build a road for the Rider of the Clouds,
rejoice in Yahweh, dance before him.
Father of orphans, defender of widows,
such is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives the lonely a home to live in,
leads prisoners out into prosperity,
but rebels must live in the bare wastelands.
God, when you set out at the head of your people,
when you strode over the desert,
the earth rocked, the heavens pelted down rain
at the presence of God,
the God of Israel.
God, you rained down a shower of blessings,
when your heritage was weary you gave it strength.
Blessed be the Lord day after day,
he carries us along, God our Saviour.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
Over Israel his splendour, in the clouds his power.
Awesome is God in his sanctuary.
He, the God of Israel, gives strength
and power to his people.
Blessed be God.
PASTORAL YEAR 2015 – 2016
ON-GOING FORMATION
INSTITUTE OF CHARITY
ROSMINIAN SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE

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