Lettera Madre Corpus Christi 2016

My dear Sisters …

CONGREGAZIONE
SUORE DELLA PROVVIDENZA ROSMINIANE
Via Aurelia, 773
ROMA

Corpus Christi 2016

My dear Sisters,
It is with great thanksgiving and joy that we remember our beloved Fr Bozzetti on the 60th anniversary of his death.
Ten years ago, for Easter 2006, Sr Carla wrote a letter regarding Fr Bozzetti; it is well worth re-reading her words today: “… As you already know the 27 May is the 50th anniversary of the death of our Fr General, Giuseppe Bozzetti. The dedication with which he followed the needs of our Institute and individual members during his time (1935-’56), remains very much alive in us, above all in the Sisters whom he helped and who had the gift of meeting and knowing him personally and who could give witness to him.
The expression of his high regard and love for us is a chapter in our history regarding the Pontifical Approval of the Rosminian Sisters of Providence. There is evidence of his dedication in many pages of the Diaries, letters and writings in the archives. Fr Bozzetti faced a long and tormented path on several fronts in an effort to pursue his objective, without altering the original aim.
The period from ’35 to ’47, when the temporary Approval of the Decree was granted, was for him a period of study, discussion, interviews with the highest ecclesiastical authorities in order to reconcile our Constitution with the latest Canon law.
We can imagine the fatigue and troubles that accompanied this work, because his attachment to Fr Founder’s dispositions which would not tolerate modification. Despite the heated arguments coming from various quarters, and in order to maintain the integrity of the text, there was at the end of a long ordeal, the introduction of a new figure in our Institute which was not provided for in the previous constitutions; namely that of Mother general and her Council, recognized as “internal supreme authority”, while for Father general, was reserved the role of maintaining “the unity of discipline and the traditional spirit”.
As a true disciple of Father Antonio Rosmini, Fr Bozzetti humbly accepted the final verdict, starting the new course according to the will of the Church.
As a sign of gratitude and in honor to the memory of this saintly man, who helped our Rosminian family to grow, we decided to print for the occasion, a profile (written by Sr Lia Coppola) entitled ‘Giuseppe Bozzetti’, a trail in history” and make it first of all a gift to every Sister of the Congregation.[…] The brief biography … the personal and family experience of Fr Bozzetti indeed offers food for thought on the role of the family, education, human and religious values, fundamental choices, about life as a service, about friendship …
Another way to honor his memory is to take up at this time – his spiritual heritage, as it is transmitted to us in the “Opere complete”. The three volumes are a rich mine where each one will find nourishment for both human and spiritual life. Fr Bozzetti has the gift of clarity and simplicity and is an excellent facilitator of Rosmini’s thought.
– It is also possible to download from the Internet in English “Father Giuseppe Bozzetti (VII Provost General)” by Domenico Mariani (Translated by J. Anthony Dewhirst)
We can be sure that Fr Bozzetti is interceding for the entire Rosminian Family even now more so than before.

In this context too we give ‘thanks to God’ for the many Anniversaries around this time which celebrate our Rosminian presence in different areas: Domodossola, Borgomanero, Biella, Rovereto, Intra, Poirino … May the good Lord continue to lead us according to his will!
While in Maharashtra, a big step was taken recently in the Blessing of the foundation stone for a School and Convent, which will be built there; we join the Sisters in prayer as we await the real step of laying this foundation stone.
Thank you for your prayer and good wishes for the Assembly UISG.
This time lived together with so many Sisters was truly an enriching experience; praying, discussing and sharing with people who before were total strangers! We were more than 870 women religious from all over the world, from very different contexts and languages. At least 11 official translators were present which gives some idea of the ‘variety of tongues’ present.
UISG concluded the year of celebrating its own Golden Jubilee on the theme:
“Weaving Global Solidarity for Life: That they may have life and have it to the full”.
We heard the call from many speakers “to think and to co-create” global solidarity within religious life, in favor of those who suffer, including our Planet. Every Congregation has its own specific Charism, yet beyond these, we hear a common call for all of us in apostolic religious life. “The Holy Spirit also enriches the entire evangelizing Church with different charisms. These gifts are meant to renew and build up the Church. They are not an inheritance, safely secured and entrusted to a small group for safekeeping; rather they are gifts of the Spirit integrated into the body of the Church, drawn to the center, which is Christ and then channeled into an evangelizing impulse. A sure sign of the authenticity of a charism is its ecclesial character, its ability to be integrated harmoniously into the life of God’s holy and faithful people for the good of all”. (EG N. 130)
“Weaving”: we all know what a beautiful, complex, patient, creative and skillful work weaving is. The commitment to global solidarity is also a most beautiful and complex enterprise which needs patience, creativity and skill. Like all weaving, it starts with one stitch and goes on, one stitch after another, growing nearly imperceptibly.
We were encouraged by Sr Carmen, president of UISG, to make our Assembly one step closer towards global solidarity, by weaving relationships among ourselves. This was a grace-filled time, an occasion to get to know each other, to know how religious life is lived in the various contexts, to understand in some way how our love for the One who calls us “leads us always to be light and salt for others”.

Soul of Christ,
sanctify me,
Body of Christ,
save me,
Blood of Christ,
inebriate me …

We are part of the Liturgical Cycle, which often ‘passes us by’ because we are either too busy with other things or simply because it has become routine.

As we journeyed through Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, we paused to ponder certain moments, which were particularly moving and life-changing for Peter and for Magdalen; and if we were ‘in tune’ with the liturgy and the sentiments suggested in the letter sent at this time, we also – each one according to her circumstances and prayer came ‘face to face’ with Jesus.

(Regarding this, I was very happy to receive and share some of your personal and community feed-back – thank you)
On Maundy Thursday the Church invited us to participate in the celebration of the Paschal Mystery: it began with the memorial of the Last Supper, in which Jesus offered his life to the Father and made real on Good Friday, in sacrifice for the salvation of the world.
With this in mind, the Church again draws our attention to a specific time – ‘now’ on Thursday or Sunday, depending on where you live – to celebrating the solemnity of Corpus Chirsti. ‘He took the bread and gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them: This is my body given for you … do this in remembrance of me; this is my Blood … poured out for many’. In the Eucharist, we live again, in thanksgiving the love and sacrifice of Jesus; by participating in the Eucharist, we experience in an extraordinary way the prayer of Jesus for every person, for each of us: that “we may be One”.

Fr Bozzetti writes appropriately for this occasion: “Jesus when he speaks of his body and blood, of bread and wine, of nourishment, speaks as a man who really belongs to the human race. Through the sacred species, he still forms part of this world of ours … Creatures of the human race, conscious of our need for feeling, we thank him saying: ‘Lord we thank you for coming to dwell with us and for adapting yourself to this world in which we live and struggle and suffer. We want to mature as men and women and as Christians and complete our God-given mission’ … Jesus Christ wishes to keep contact with us to make our hearts like his own. When he instituted the Eucharist, what did he urge upon the apostles? ‘I give you a new commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you’. Jesus then becomes the centre of love in which our hearts are united to learn to love. We become a single body with Christ – his mystical Body, the Church of Christ.” (Rosminian Spirituality, p 384-5)
“It is invaluable to converse with Christ” – wrote St John Paul II on the 750th anniversary of Feast of Corpus Christi, “and leaning against Jesus’ breast like his beloved disciple, we can feel the infinite love of his Heart. We learn to know more deeply the One who gave Himself totally, in the different mysteries of his divine and human life, so that we may become disciples and in turn enter into this great act of giving, for the glory of God and the salvation of the world. … Closeness to Christ in silence and contemplation does not distance us from our contemporaries but, on the contrary, makes us attentive and open to human joy and distress and broadens our heart on a global scale. It unites us with our brothers and sisters in humanity and particularly with children, who are the Lord’s dearly beloved. Through adoration, the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the Gospel. Anyone who prays to the Savior draws the whole world with him and raises it to God.

Those who stand before the Lord are therefore fulfilling an eminent service. They are presenting to Christ all those who do not know him or are far from him; they keep watch in his presence on their behalf.” (28 May 1996)
A happy new Rosminian year to the Sisters in India, who begin their activities in June.
To all of you, at the beginning of this summer period, a happy time of retreat, holiday and family visit.
A happy Feast of Corpus Christi!