Thought for the Day – 3 September – The Memorial of Blessed Brigida of Jesus Morello (1610-1679)
Ad Jesum per Maria – to Jesus through Mary
Blessed Brigida loved Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, with tenderness. She venerated Her and instilled in her daughters the truth that Mary is the most faithful follower of Her Son, Jesus. Loving and imitating Her, is the shortest way to holiness – (Ad Jesum per Maria – to Jesus through Mary). Constant union with God would be possible by devotion to the Eucharist, to the Word of God, wholly abandoned to His Providence. Such was the spirituality of Brigida who, with filial devotion, could exclaim: “Confidence, Confidence! A large heart! God is a Father and He will never abandon us!”
The Ursuline Anthem:
Mary, Mother of God,
Immaculate Mother of God,
We see in you the pattern
of our mission and our life.
God’s will was your search,
God’s will was your joy.
Our joy also, shall be in surrender to His will.
Give us a heart like yours,
a heart that always loves.
A heart that’s never hardened,
a humble, noble heart.
A heart that lives for Jesus
and all for whom Jesus loves,
A heart whose sole desire
is fixed on loving, as Jesus loves.
Text and music by Fr JB Fernandez, SJ
St John Paul II said at the General Chapter of the Ursuline Sisters of Mary Immaculate on 27 August 2003:
“The secret of the apostolate consists precisely in knowing that “we have not loved God, but that He has loved us and has sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins” (I Jn 4: 10).3. Contemplating Christ crucified and risen – the heart of the spirituality of Bl Brigida Morello – will expand the horizons of your dedication to the poor, to the sick and to those reduced to the most stringent material and spiritual need, with particular attention to women and to youth. Thus, you will faithfully safeguard the inheritance the blessed Foundress has left you, her spiritual daughters and you will be ready to adapt the charismatic inspiration to our time, stressing above all who you “are” before what you “do”.
AnaStpaul 