16 April 2013
April 13, 2013
Dearest Sisters,
May the peace and joy of the Risen Lord be with you all!
My heartfelt gratitude for all the greetings and gifts shared during the Feast of my Patron Saint, St. Gemma Galgani, our heavenly friend who was given the grace to live out the Paschal Mystery of our Lord in her own flesh. She continues to teach us up to this very day how holiness can be so attractive despite the pain and suffering it entails, all because of the LOVE that is radiated in the very act of sacrifice.
Reflecting on the liturgy of this Third Sunday of Easter we are enjoined to repeatedly go deep into the mystery of this unconditional love. The Risen Lord asked Peter, and through him, each of us: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” At every positive response of the apostle, we hear the Lord’s command, or more, his challenge of opening up to the broader test of love – “tend my lambs, feed my sheep” (cf. Jn 21:15-17).
Indeed, the love relationship between the Master and the disciple is not just about the two of them. It is not a closed circuit. It is rather our energy source that generates and regenerates life, empowering all those with whom we come in contact. Apostolic zeal, the expression of our love for the Master, passes the test of authenticity if: it makes others grow and develop, seeks the interest of another and not oneself, leads others to Christ who unites us together in the path to eternal life.
