Letter Superior General beatification 2014

CONGREGAZIONE

SUORE DELLA PROVVIDENZA ROSMINIANE

Via Aurelia, 773

Roma

While walking through the streets of Rovereto, a place surrounded by great natural beauty and seeing the ‘Casa Natale’ for the first time, where Antonio Rosmini was born and brought up – in a wealthy and noble household, surrounded by family and books; where he still lived after his ordination, looking after family affairs and continuing his studies, a thought filled my mind – this is the place which nurtured a ‘Saint’.

What made Antonio Rosmini a Saint? Holiness of life: “God’s will is for you to be holy” (Tess: 4,3) And Holiness is at the heart of the Church’s mission. (Let us read again Maxims 2 and 3)

Fr Michael Hill, Rosminian, in his recent biography writes: “The greatest heritage of Rosmini is in the realm of the spirit, and this still flourishes in the lives of his followers. In so far as they live and profess his spiritual principles, especially his Maxims, they keep Rosmini alive and well. In spite of his great intellectual achievements, Rosmini remained a humble, prayerful man. Like St Thomas he valued his philosophy as so much straw in comparison with his vision of God. Rosmini is justly acclaimed for his holiness. (Antonio Rosmini – Persecuted Prophet, 2014 p 246)

Many years full of projects of life are followed by years of misunderstandings and censure. He writes to his cousin out of his own experience: “You must not suppose that it will always be ‘set fair’ for you. Other winds will blow: you will face storms; but you will never meet with shipwreck, my dear Caterina, because Jesus Christ is the steersman of your boat; so all you have to do is to entrust your future lot into his hands. Oh, what a happy necessity is this – to abandon ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ who, even when he appears to be asleep, has a heart ever watchful over you, and over all those who trust in him! … Confidence, yes, at all times and without limits: confidence when things are calm; the same confidence when storms arise, when you are well, when you are ill; when things are going well, when things are amiss… (Stresa, 16 November 1843, to Caterina Rosmini at Domodossola, vol 4:120.) This, in fact is a description of his own life and is what helps to make him a true disciple of Jesus.

May the example of the life of Bl Antonio Rosmini encourage us to walk the path of holiness: “to desire only and without limit to please God … to become more just, more holy”!

With love,c.m.