A feast cannot be improvised, it requires preparation…

On Saturday, 14th September, feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the two Canossian communities of San Michele and Ottavia met to prepare themselves spiritually, as a family, for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of Sorrows, constituted Mother of Charity at the foot of the Cross.

In this preparatory retreat, we were accompanied by Fr. Gianfranco, vicar general of the Camillian Fathers: starting from the passage of the Gospel of St. John 19:25-27, we were invited to deepen Mary’s ‘yes’ under the Cross.

“Mary is not simply Our Lady of Sorrows.” “Mary’s greatness is due precisely to the echo that she continues to remain.”

We shared the table of the Word and the Eucharist to conclude our day of retreat with a fraternal lunch.

We all felt that the pierced side of Christ Crucified and the pains of Mary are the place from which the Canossian Charism, our identity, flows!

And the awaited day has arrived: Sunday 15th September, our day, feast of the true Mother and Foundress of our Institute, according to the expression of Saint Magdalene of Canossa.

The entire Canossian World united as one body in Mary, Our One and Only Mother!

How many Sisters on this day remembered a particular moment of their journey: those who were welcomed into our family, those who remembered their response to the Lord in the First Profession or in the Perpetual Profession … many novices said ‘yes’ to the Lord through the loving gaze of the Mother … all happy in Him who deserves everything.

In this family atmosphere, our community of Ottavia welcomed the Sisters of the community of San Michele and the day was tinged with inter-congregational flavour because the Daughters of the Church also responded with joy to the invitation, in the person of their Superior General, Sr. Theresa and Sr. Alice. The Sisters of “Ancelle dell’Incarnazione” and teachers from our nursery school in Australia were also with us.

In this climate of internationality, we celebrated the Thanksgiving par excellence, which is the Eucharist, committing ourselves to light up life with daily gestures of charity.

With Mary and like Mary, renewing our ‘yes’ to the Lord in this Institute of ours, we renew our yes to the brothers and sisters who are an expression of God’s creativity, who speak to us of Him … especially the poorest, as St. Magdalene wanted.