14th September, Mazzarelli

 

 The 14th September, feast of the Holy Cross, was marked by a beautiful Liturgy, placing our own crosses with the cross of Jesus as an introduction to the Eucharist.  On this day we reflected on the early life of Mary Mazzarello, especially around the area of the Mazzarelli, starting with an inspiring meditative prayer on the Earth and its mystery, the home which God made for his people. We all brought soil from our own country to the assembly, as soil represents the inhabitants of the earth, the part of the world into which we were born, and for all of us gathered here the soil of the Mazzarelli area is where we are all born into the F.M.A. family.  Applying the comparison of soil to our own lives we encounter different types of people ,stony, those chocked with weeds, some easily trampled underfoot and rich and fertile. From this comparison our task was to ponder what kind of soil we were at the present.     

After dinner we visited the Mazzarelli area. This inspiring place comprised of Mary’s birth place, and the little Church of Mary Help of Christians which was built in thanksgiving for Our Lady’s protection of the people from cholera and which was often frequented by Mary.   We also visited the House of Spirituality , where we were warmly welcomed and treated to refreshments ,  and the beautiful Church which was planned by the sisters and built by the help of the past pupils, and was consecrated on August the 4^th 1972 to commemorate the centenary of the Congregation.    This inspiring visit put all we had been hearing into perspective. It was both emotional and inspiring to see so many things associated with Main and her work. Hers was a soil that was rich and fruitful. As a symbolic gesture, before leaving this sacred ground we combined our own piece of soil with that of the soil of Mornese praying for our own special intentions as we did so. It was certainly a day to remember and savor.