Sunday 19th May 2013

Good morning Holy Spirit, good morning life!
At the house of formation, at 7:30am, in the small chapel, we’re singing openely: “A day of immense joy – in the city of God – the flame of the Spirit – resplends in the cenacle…”, today is a special day: it’s Pentecost! The Holy Spirit will come down abundantly on our Community. It’s the day for our priests, our nuns, our consecrated brothers; it’s the day in which our six novices (Federica, Anna, Maddalena, Martina, Atonietta and Doris) will receive their veil and six of our nuns (Sr. Susan, sr. Lina, sr. Lucia, sr. Marika, sr. Mely and sr Maria Pia) will profess their “yes” to God’s love and that of their brothers and sisters forever. It’s the day in which everyone will renew their baptismal promises! It’s the day to say “yes” to God: “Come Holy Spirit and renew our hearts!”
At Saluzzo, under the big marquee, everyone’s arriving: priests, relations, boys, girls and friends. Everyone’s looking at the sky – “let’s hope it doesn’t rain” – the blue sky makes it’s way through the clouds.
The rosary starts, then it’s time for the procession which starts the mass off. It’s a solemn moment. Our hearts are beating fast, there’s joy and suspense…let’s everything goes well!
The Bishop, Mons. Giuseppe Guerrini, starts the liturgical celebration. The novices, called by name, shout their “here Iam”; on the stage, then, they receive their veil from Mother Elvira and from the nuns by whom they’ve been accompanied to this important part of their walk. And now…they turn around with their heads covered by their white and light blue veils: they belong to Jesus from their heads to their toes! They’re happy, there’s light in their eyes. We can see some tears fall from the eyes of some mums and dads and some brothers and sisters: everything is so great, so deep, we’re participating in the greatness of God’s plan.
Then it’s time for the perpetual professions. The sisters are called, one by one, to pronounce their “here I am” and they ask to be admitted to the family of the missionary sisters of the resurrection. Their legs are trembling a little: this “yes” is forever, it’s a life choice, it’s…forever! It’s deep unity with Jesus! In the homily the Bishop talks of how, in the consecrated life, all of those actions, ways of acting, things are offered to Jesus, they’re all things that in the consecrated life are legitimate, positive and play a part in your personal freedom: your work choice, your bank account, the decision of where to go and with who…”Lord I offer you my life, I give it back to you, I give you my freedom, today I entrust myself to you for everything that concerns me and you will give me your strength and you’ll provide for everything!” The Paracleet, so the Bishop says, is he who listens to our requests for help, is he who is always with us. He’s the gift that the Lord leaves us after his death and resurrection. Anyway, on the stage, each sister makes her perpetual profession, they each pronounce their definitive “yes” to God’s love and that of their brothers and sisters, the poor and those in most need, through vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service and love for the poor for their whole life. For their whole life. It’s been said!
The mass continues. It’s time for the litanies, for the intercession of all saints: heaven and earth become one. You can feel their presence in the air around us: there are many of them, they’re alive and it’s like they’re saying: “We’re here, we’re here with you!”Together we will walk the streets of the world to bring Jesus, with words, looks, our hands, our feet and our hearts. We’ll speak about that love that we’ve got to know, that found us, that healed us, that’s tied us and that we don’t want to let go of!
Then it’s time for the nuns who must renew their yearly vows for another year: sr. Paola, sr. Nina and sr. Daniela. After the eucharist, Mother Elvira, sr. Aurelia and some of the “older” nuns renew their vows. It’s another powerful moment: you can see and feel how much more solid the faith is when it’s built on the daily difficulties, fights, joy and risks over the years.
So, embraces, happiness, best wishes from everyone: relations, brothers, sisters, friends…we are one great big family.
In the afternoon, after the Divine Mercy chaplet, infront of Jesus in the eucharist, it’s time for our priests and some consecrated brothers. Father Stefano starts by asking forgiveness the moments in which they’ve “lacked” in this last year; it’s a deep moment, where our human fragility encounters God’s mercy, where we realise that we’re only human infront of his greatness. All of this makes us even more so children in need of the father’s embrace. Then the renewal of the evangelical (consigli? Non so cosa sarebbe in questo caso)
The feast continues: in the afternoon with some dances, testimonies, songs and an evangelical representation. But the most important thing is this covenant, this matrimony, this “yes” which lasts a lifetime.
And then…you start again, wherever the wind of he Spirit will blow.”Go around the whole world and proclaim the good news to all nations…” (Mk 16, 15)
A big thankyou to all!

Sr Maria Pia

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