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The Love of
Christ Calls us to Compassion
Mother Clelia felt drawn to the urban poor who suffered
greatly during the time of the Industrial Revolution in northern Italy. Requesting a blessing from the
bishop of Como, Italy, Mother Clelia stated that she and
the sisters wanted to "dedicate ourselves to the active
religious life, gathering orphans and poor, abandoned and
underprivileged girls." Today's challenges are different
from those of Clelia's time: the fast pace of life, the
lack of supportive extended family, ethical questions in
science and technology. Yet, some are strangely the
same: bodily and spiritual hunger, the search for
meaningful living, the need to be loved and appreciated.
Through our ministries we strive to "promote a
spirituality of communion" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 43)
whereby the joys or sufferings of another become our own.
Our devotion to the Heart of Christ prompts us to try to
give a human face to the love of God. We hope in
this way that divine goodness, mercy, and compassion may
be healing and comforting to the entire human family.
The Love of Christ Calls
us to Witness
As the
Spirit directs and inspires, we pray to respond openly to
the present and future needs of the Church with the
courage and foresight of our foundress. Our greatest
challenge, however, is to become more conformed to Christ
so that we are better able to serve Him in others. By our
profession of the evangelical counsels--poverty, chastity
and obedience--we can follow Christ with the total gift of
our hearts, bodies, and spirits. By our consecration
we are witnesses to the present wonders of God's
redemptive love and the future glories of the promised
kingdom. |
