The story of Magdalene is the story of a love that is ever more intense
for Jesus on the Cross, poor and stripped of all except the love that
spurred him to such great sacrifice. The life of Magdalene can be our
life too as we journey towards love, self-fulfilment,
hope and faith, that her history of “spiritual action/contemplative in
action” as our personal story too. The life of Magdalene can be our
personal story in our time. And as we journey towards the path of self
discover and spiritual growth, one can understand the life of Magdalene
in our personal daily journey in walking towards the “charity-oriented
people” where there is sharing and love.Contemplative in Action is the spiritual goals by Magdalene. Form her Memoirs we can define the Christian aspect of Magdalene’s spirituality. The Eucharistic piety, the centrality of the Crucified Jesus, Marian devotion (Mary under the foot of the Cross), community life, works of charity, and contemplation. Magdalene lives her apostolic ardor to its fullest, “imitating the virtues of Jesus Crucified” 1 , especially in the exercise of her “works of charity’. With “God alone” 2 as her aim, with the Crucified Christ as her luminous “Exemplar”, with the Sorrowful virgin as “Mother” and friend.
Moved by that love, Magdalene responded to the cry of the poor, hungry for food, instruction and understanding of the Word of God. It serves all the needs of anyone who feels and desire to journey with Magdalene in her calling and also a call for us to live the charismatic experience of Christ Crucified in a life of total dedication to contemplative and action but remaining open to the mysterious action of the Holy Spirit who gradually molded her heart and enabled her to share in the love of the Father for mankind revealed by Jesus’ complete and supreme offering of Himself on the Cross, and by the example of Mary, the Sorrowful Virgin Mother. Magdalene sought and found her first companions called to follow Christ, poor, chaste, obedient and who were to be sent out as witnesses of His unconditional Love towards all people. She knew in her heart that the Will of God: to serve the neediest persons with the heart of Christ. Charity is like a blazing fire! Magdalene opened her heart to the Holy Spirit who guided her.
The zeal of Magdalene of Canossa to above all “make Jesus known so that He may be loved” is what identifies the Canossians in the Church. It carries out the mission of evangelization in communion of faith and life, inspired by Jesus Crucified in His burning Love for His Father and fomen.
Because of this great inspiration, Canossians before and until now devote our energies to educate children, adolescents and youth, promoting the integral growth of their personality, extending with time, the loving attention of Magdalene towards the sick, the poor, the youth and the little ones. Canossians involve in the various forms of evangelization, aware that there is no greater act of charity towards our neighbour than that of helping him know and love God.
Magdalene of Canossa defines the ministry of evangelization as the work which leads itself most towards reaching the charismatic goal of the Institute. She writes in fact in the Rules for the Christian Doctrines: “…there is no greater act of Charity than that of working together so that all may love God and one of the greatest means of making Him loved is that of making Him known…” The ideal in fact which burns in Magdalene of Canossa was “…to make Jesus known since he is not loved because he is not known.”
1 Canossa, Unabridged Rules, Preface ( Verona Italy, 1849), 22
2 Canossa di Maddalena, Memorie. Scriti autobiografici. Trascrizione integrale in PICCARI T., Sola con Dio Solo. Memorie di Maddalena di Canossa, Milanmo, 1966
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