For the Canossian family, one word moves us to action: availability. Saint Magdalene of Canossa lived it with a heart open to whatever God and others asked of her, holding nothing back for herself.
A passion born of love
Apostolic passion is neither activism nor a list of tasks to complete. It is the response of someone who has experienced love and cannot keep that love to themselves.
Magdalene understood this as she contemplated Jesus Crucified, and from there her vision broadened. Throughout the Institute, this same contemplation gives rise to the desire that ‘God may be known and loved’ and that no one should be deprived of the opportunity to experience the Lord’s love.
Willing to ‘scatter’
Magdalene was ready to scatter herself for the good of others, to go wherever the need was greatest, even to the ends of the earth.
To scatter does not mean to lose ourselves, but to become seeds and bear fruit wherever we are sown.
Today, this willingness takes many forms:
- Consecrated men and women who dedicate their whole lives to serving the Gospel.
- Lay people who make their families, workplaces and neighbourhoods places of witness.
- Young people who, with energy and creativity, dare to step out and commit themselves to those most in need.
Mission is not the calling of a few: it is the way of life of the whole Canossian family.
Following the example of Jesus
Jesus went out into the streets, stopped beside those who were suffering and shared the Good News with everyone.
Like Him, we share the message of salvation with those who do not yet know it and with those who need support in their human and spiritual development. These two dimensions go hand in hand: they are two expressions of the same charity.
An invitation for today
You may not be asked to cross an ocean, but simply to take a step. Try asking yourself:
- Who can I listen to with genuine attention today?
- What need close to me calls for recognition and a response?
- How can I help others experience the Lord’s personal and unique love for them?
May the example of Saint Magdalene encourage us all to live with willing hearts and open hands, so that, wherever we find ourselves, God may be known and loved.