蜜桃交友

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

Clelia Merloni, who lived between 1861 and 1930, is now beatified. Her beatification ceremony took place at the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome on Saturday morning. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, celebrated the Mass. In his homily, he praised Bl Clelia, saying her gaze 鈥渨as always turned to God鈥�, especially 鈥渋n time of trial鈥�.

Charity in return for hostility

Cardinal Becciu said that Mother Clelia embraced Paul鈥檚 hymn to love and Jesus鈥� command to love our enemies even when dismissed from governing the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which she had founded. That period of her life was 鈥渉ard and exhausting, a personal ordeal, made of loneliness and solitude, and poor health鈥�, the Cardinal said. Yet, that was the moment when Mother Clelia encountered her Spouse, Jesus Crucified. Mother Clelia 鈥渞esponded to hostility and contempt with charity鈥�, he said.

Credible signs of God鈥檚 love

鈥淗er life was given in total oblation鈥�, the Cardinal continued. She lived the charism of the community of women religious that she had founded, and witnessed to it 鈥渋n her flesh鈥�. That charism, said Cardinal Becciu, 鈥渋s contemporary and fascinating: to offer oneself totally and joyfully to the Heart of Jesus鈥� so as to be a 鈥渓iving and credible sign of God鈥檚 love鈥�.

God alone

Mother Clelia centred herself on Christ in the Eucharist and would spend hours in the chapel, Cardinal Becciu related. 鈥淕od alone鈥� was her motto. And so she would encourage her sisters to 鈥渋mpress in your hearts that God alone is your only good and your only refuge鈥�. She herself, Cardinal Becciu said, was 鈥渢ransformed into a 鈥榝lame of love鈥� 鈥�. Precisely because she belonged entirely to God, Bl Clelia鈥檚 鈥渉eart was open to all, especially to the sick and the suffering鈥�, he said.

Bl Clelia鈥檚 message

Bl Clelia has a message for us, the Cardinal proposed. That message is embodied in her life of 鈥渕oral suffering鈥� through which she became a 鈥渟trong and courageous woman who knew how to witness the love of Jesus in every circumstance鈥�. For life to flow around us, he said, it is essential that we unite ourselves to Jesus鈥� pierced Heart. Death, hatred and division will thus yield to life, love and communion. Mother Clelia first practiced the charism she would share with others, 鈥渨here prayer and suffering emerged as essential elements鈥�, Cardinal Becciu said.

Keep Mother Clelia鈥檚 charism alive!

The Cardinal then turned his final remarks to the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who were present for the beatification of their Foundress. 鈥淲e ask you鈥�, he said, 鈥渢o keep her charism alive, and above all her spirituality of self-offering, whose focus is the love that bears all things and forgives all things鈥�. He told the women religious that their mission is still contemporary, as is the motto of their Institute, 鈥渢he love of Christ impels us鈥�. That motto, the Cardinal said, is a commitment to make St Paul鈥檚 words their own, thus constantly radiating love.

Blessed Clelia Merloni, pray for us!

The Cardinal then concluded:

鈥淟et us ask the Lord that the path of holiness, which Mother Clelia Merloni has shown us with a life sustained by love for the Cross, may every day become the luminous and sure path on our journey of love for God and our brothers and sisters.

"Let us repeat together: Blessed Clelia Merloni, pray for us!鈥�