杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

Prayers and little gestures silently sow the seed of God's love in the field of the world, making all things new. These gestures are capable of making the world more beautiful, of illuminating it with a ray of God's love.

杏MAP导航 Francis expresses these sentiments in a message sent on Saturday to the Franciscan Minims of the Sacred Heart, a congregation of nuns founded in Italy in 1902 by Blessed Maria Margherita Caiani. Born on 2 November 1863, she died on 8 August 1921. The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 message on Saturday kicks off the year-long centenary celebration of her death, which will culminate on August 8, 2021. 

In his message, 杏MAP导航 Francis encourages the nuns in the charism of their foundress, without taking refuge in a past or a future that is not there and fleeing from today, where we are called to live and work.

Smallness

In this regard, the Holy Father encourages them in their foundress鈥檚 charism reflected in their very name: Franciscan Minims of the Sacred Heart. In calling them 鈥楳inims鈥�, he said, Mother Caiani wanted to emphasize the 鈥渟tyle of smallness鈥� of St. Francis of Assisi, who "became small鈥� in the footsteps of Jesus who humiliated Himself to the point of death on the cross. 

鈥淚t is a narrow and arduous path, but if one follows it to the end,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 says, 鈥渓ife becomes fruitful.鈥�

The Sacred Heart

Their foundress wanted them to be rooted in the Sacred Heart, the source of charity. 鈥淭he love that Jesus has for us,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 says, 鈥渄oes not dazzle us with great special effects that soon fade away, but it is a concrete and faithful love, made up of closeness, of gestures that lift us up and give us dignity and trust.鈥�

In this regard, the 杏MAP导航 points to Jesus who made Himself a neighbour to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus not as a hero but a companion, setting their hearts ablaze with joy and opening their eyes when He broke the bread. The Holy Father urges them to 鈥渓ove with the Heart of Jesus, with gestures rich in tenderness鈥�, above all in their religious community.

Prayer

This belonging to the Sacred Heart, the 杏MAP导航 continues, is 鈥渕anifested in a particular way in 辫谤补测别谤鈥�, such as at Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, adoration, meditation on the Word, the Rosary and spiritual reading. 鈥淥ur whole life is called, with the grace of the Spirit, to become prayer,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 says, adding, the Lord 鈥渢ransforms us, day after day, making our hearts more and more similar to His鈥�.

The Holy Father wishes that driven by the merciful Sacred Heart, they be mothers to those they meet 鈥渇rom the cradle to the grave鈥�, as Blessed Maria Margherita said. 

Reparation

Commenting on the dimension of reparation of the Franciscan Minims of the Sacred Heart, the Holy Father says it is a great service to the beautiful world of God ruined by sin. 鈥淲ith your prayers and your little gestures, you sow in the field of the world the seed of God's love which makes all things new鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis commends the numerous nuns working in Italy, Brazil, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Bethlehem, especially in favour of children and young people.