Santa Mary Mazzarello and the care of the heart

Rome (Italy). On 13 May 2025, the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, with the whole Salesian Family, celebrates the liturgical Solemnity of Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello (1837 – 1881), Cofounder of the Institute, who offers simple and precious spiritual teachings.

Using a metaphor typical of spiritual tradition, but always current, Mother Mazzarello compares the heart to a garden to take care of daily.

In a letter to Sister Marianna Lorenzale, then twenty years old, she writes, “You must compare your heart to a garden. If we cultivate it well, it will yield good fruit.  If we do not keep an eye on  it and tend it a little every day, it will be over-run with weeds, true? Therefore, take courage. We must check every day to see if there is anything obstructing it, some sentiments, and if so, put them out to wither.” (L. 50, 2)

The last Encyclical of the late Pope Francis, Dilexit nos, proposes a profound itinerary to discover “the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ.” If we realize that there are only four Encyclicals of his Pontificate and that this was published on 24 October 2024, a few months before his death, it is understood even more clearly as the Pope himself states in n. 217: “The present document can help us see that the teaching of the social Encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti is not unrelated to our encounter with the love of Jesus Christ. For it is by drinking of that same love that we become capable of forging bonds of fraternity, of recognizing the dignity of each human being, and of working together to care for our common home.”

Taking care of one’s own heart, making it conform to that of Christ, with  patient, daily care, is the way to transform the world: “The wounded side of Christ continues to pour forth that stream which is never exhausted, never passes away, but offers itself time and time again to all those who wish to love as He did. For His love alone can bring about a new humanity.” (DN 219)

In Salesian Spirituality, there are many references to the Heart of Christ as the source of that love which alone can save young people and all humanity because, “living as we do in an age of superficiality, rushing frenetically from one thing to another without really knowing why, and ending up as insatiable consumers and slaves to the mechanisms of a market unconcerned about the deeper meaning of our lives, all of us need to rediscover the importance of the heart.“ (DN 2)

In the Letters of Santa Mary Domenica Mazzarello, the word heart, in various meanings, recurs 114 times. A good 17 refer to the Heart of Christ. In her wisdom, matured at the school of the Eucharist and of life, she thinks that everything has its origin and passes through the heart. Already as a young girl, under the expert guidance of Fr. Domenico Pestarino, Maìn had learned to guard and make her heart a hospitable dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, so as to bring the love of Christ everywhere.

The community of Mornese was shaped on the model of the heart of Christ, thanks to what Mother Mazzarello considers her main responsibility. “If I always give a good example to my Sisters, things will always go well. If I love Jesus with my whole heart, I will know how to lead others to love Him” (L 11, 2) because “what is taught by example remains deeply impressed on the heart and does much more good, than by words.” (L 17, 1)

Mother Mazzarello knows well the human soul and knows that every conflict finds its deepest root in the heart of each one, in that tendency to evil that only the patient daily opening to Grace and realization of Baptism can overcome. In fact, “Jesus must be your whole strength. With Jesus, burdens become light, fatigue becomes easy, thorns are turned into sweetness… But you must overcome yourselves, if you do not, everything becomes unbearable and malice will keep springing up in our hearts like boils.” (L 22, 21)

It is clear that this commitment is not intimism, but real work of transformation of the environment. To the community of Saint Cyr that is struggling to accept the new superior, Mother Mazzarello says, “My good Sisters, remember that where charity reigns there is Heaven. Jesus really loves to stay among daughters who are humble, obedient, and charitable. Act in such a way that Jesus will willingly stay among you.” (L 49,3)

Faced with conflicting realities, the multiple crises of which humanity and the environment suffer, one risks remaining inert, indifferent, because of a certain sense of impotence. Only by returning to the heart and to the heart of Christ can one live in harmony with all.

Pope Francis affirms, “Love for our brothers and sisters is not simply the fruit of our own efforts; it demands the transformation of our selfish hearts. This realization gave rise to the oft-repeated prayer: “Jesus, make our hearts more like your own”. Saint Paul, for his part, urged his hearers to pray not for the strength to do good works, but “to have the same mind among you that was in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5)… It is important to realize that this was not only about allowing the heart of Christ to fill our heart, through complete trust, with the beauty of His love, but also about letting that love, through our life, spread to others and thus transform the world.  (DN 168 e 198)

In this light, the teaching of Mother Mazzarello appears more than ever current, “The important thing is that you keep the garden of your heart in very good order. From time to time,  you need to take a look to see if there are weeds smothering the good plants. Do you understand…”. (L 57, 3)

An effective commitment given that Mother Mazzarello in amazement, wrote to Fr. Cagliero, “there has always been peace and cheerfulness here along with good will on the part of everyone to become holy and I thank God for this.”(L 7,2)