Letters of St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello
My dearly beloved daughters. I recommend you to love one another and to treat all with great charity.
Joy of living together in a true family spirit
As an Institute, we were born from a community whose ideal was holiness with a joyful face, lived in a family spirit.
The Family Spirit, which was the creative outpouring of Don Bosco’s heart characterizes our communities. Though we do not live with our biological family, God has blessed us with a spiritual family in our communities where we feel at home.
‘Each community is built on listening to the Word of God, on the power of the Eucharist, on confidence in Mary Help of Christians. At the same time, it is also built on human weakness, yet following God’s steps at the price of continual reconciliation in the daily routine.’ (CL 21) These are communion of faith and of prayer, affection received and exchanged with a pure heart, simple gestures of humanity given gratuitously, sincere participation in joys and sorrows, loving acceptance in interpersonal rapports, convergence and sharing in regard to the mission.
The family spirit, do not refer to perfect communities where there are no difficulties or hardships but communities in continuous construction, where shadows and lights continually interweave until they become communion. Mother Mazzarello tells us, ‘My ever beloved daughters, I urge you to love each other, to be always charitable, bear each others’ defects, advise each other of your faults, but always with charity and sweetness.’ (Cf L 37, 3) And so each day we unceasingly strive to love each other, to be the radiance of love in simple daily gestures, to create the conditions that not only build family, but also are the font of deep joy.
EDUCATORS OF YOUNG PEOPLE
As Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, we live our identity as Salesian educators. We share in the saving mission of Christ through the Christian education of young people according to the Preventive System. The integral human and Christian formation that the young people receive in all our settings ground them in values which will guide them for the rest of their life. Formation to active citizenship is done gradually through the Christian Living Education classes, leadership formation and sharing of experiences. All these prepare them to take their active place in society as responsible and productive citizens
“It is not enough that you love the young, they must know they are loved.”
– St. John Bosco
We, whether young or old, whether in active apostolate or in other ways of carrying out the mission, translate into life Don Bosco’s motto “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle” It is with much creativity, daring, zeal for souls and for their salvation that the apostolate is carried out in various settings in the Province.
We give our life to God to be for young people a sign and expression of His all-embracing love.
To reawaken a thirst for God in the hearts of young people and to walk with them on the way that leads to God.
“For you I study, for you I work, for you I live and for you I am willing to give my life.”
– Don Bosco
Joy of Encountering the Living God
We are an active-contemplative congregation – Martha and Mary stuff…
Mother Mazzarello exhorts us to “begin each day to pray fervently and to work with the right intention and to speak much with the Lord because it is He alone will make us truly wise.” (Letters of St. Mary Mazzarello #19,10)
Our prayer is expressed in a single movement of love towards God and neighbor. It leads us to live in the presence of God, trusting in his Fatherly love. (C38) Prayer nourishes and sustains our community life and opens us to solidarity. The more we become persons of prayer, the more we are capable of responsibility and openness to others. Liturgical prayer and the celebration of the Hours, marks the rhythm of our day and it allow s our communities to enter into the depth of the mystery from which every fruitful activity springs. (Rooted in the Covenant p. 47) We are deeply aware that the efficacy of our mission of educating young people derives from a deep encounter with God. It is through prayer and communion with Him, verified in community relationships, that the mystery of our spiritual motherhood grows and develops.
“True religious piety consists in doing all our duties at the right time and place, solely for the love of God.”
(St. Mary Mazzarello, Cronistoria II: 338)
Our prayer then is not a prayer alongside work but within work, in the concreteness of each action that is thus transformed by a greater Love. Each action becomes the privileged place for encounter with God and the fire that keeps lit apostolic passion.
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