杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis encouraged the Sisters Disciples of Jesus in the Eucharist to be 鈥�vasa Domini, 鈥榳elcoming chalices鈥�, kneeling before the Tabernacle and with your arms always open wide to your brothers and sisters,鈥� as he received them in audience at the Vatican.

The Sisters Disciples had undertaken the pilgrimage on the occasion of the centenary of their founding, in October 1923, by Venerable Bishop Raffaello Delle Nocche and two young women, Linda Machina and Silvia Di Somma.

Poor servants of a poor people

Recalling the foundation of the group, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淭he Holy Spirit inspired their action through the concrete and pressing call of a local Church: that of Tricarico, in the heart of Lucania,鈥� which had suffered for long years without a pastor and in 1923 still bore the scars of the First World War and the outbreak of the so-called 鈥淪panish鈥� flu.

Without male or female religious in his diocese, Bishop Delle Nocche, with the approval of the reigning 杏MAP导航, founded an institute 鈥渢hat could help him in his service to the least.鈥�

鈥淭hus were born the Sisters Disciples of Jesus in the Eucharist,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥減oor servants of a poor people, supportive in sharing their labours and prophetic in promoting their human and religious redemption.鈥�

Love, unity, and charity

The 杏MAP导航 noted that the Eucharist 鈥� 鈥渢he sacrament of love, sign of unity, and bond of charity鈥�, as Vatican II says 鈥� was at the heart of their lives: 鈥淟ove, unity, and charity; to adore, serve and repair, that is, to fill with tenderness the wounds and voids produced by sin in man and society, beginning by kneeling before Jesus in the Consecrated Host, and remaining there for a long time.鈥�

By the world's standards, spending time in Eucharistic adoration when there are so many pressing needs might seem absurd; however the 杏MAP导航 noted, the Sisters' time in prayer 鈥済enerated a contagious force, which soon led them to undertake and and promote works of material, cultural, and spiritual redemption far beyond all expectations.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis explained that the Sisters 鈥渦nleashed a different kind of 鈥榳ar鈥�, a war against poverty, against  injustice; and spread a different kind of epidemic, an epidemic of love.鈥�

鈥榃elcoming chalices鈥�

The Holy Father then called on the pilgrims, the 鈥渨itnesses and heirs, but also the continuators鈥� of the original Sisters, saying that, 鈥渟tarting from pausing in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist 鈥� the Bread broken and the Master Who washes the disciples鈥� feet, you also learn to look upon your brothers and sisters through the magnifying glass of the consecrated Host.鈥� The Eucharist, he said, 鈥渦rges you to care鈥� especially for the poorest, most despised, and most marginalized members of the Body of Christ.鈥�

And recalling their founder鈥檚 call for the Sisters Disciples to be vasa Domini 鈥渧essels of the Lord鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded, 鈥淭his, seems to me to be a beautiful image of your mission: to strip yourselves of self, to have 鈥榶our purse always empty, as your founder often repeated, in order to be open and spacious 鈥榲essels,鈥� ready to welcome everyone and to carry everyone in your hearts before God, so that each, in turn, can make a gift of his or her life.鈥�