Rome (Italy). On 24 October 2020, “Mary Help of Christians” Community of Rome, Generalate (RCG) and the General Council celebrated the 12th anniversary of the election of Sister Yvonne Reungoat as Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
“Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5) is the expression that framed the Eucharistic Celebration of thanksgiving for the 12 years of animation and service of Mother, who guided the Institute with the maternal style of Mother Mazzarello, under the gaze of Mary Help of Christians and in obedience to the Spirit .
Mother brought a jar with wine to the altar, a sign of the transformation that the Lord Jesus continues to carry out through the hands of those who entrust themselves to Him, and she renewed her yes with the same words pronounced on 24 October 2014: “Thank you for your trust. The biblical expression that supports me is: ‘When I am weak, then I am strong’. I entrust myself entirely to Mary and I accept her invitation: ‘Do whatever He tells you’”.
The Chaplain of the Generalate, Fr. Jesus Manuel García, Salesian of Don Bosco, in his homily reread the Gospel passage in a pedagogical key, wishing the FMA to be, like Mary, contemplative souls, to grasp the needs of people and be signs of celebration and communion for all the sisters. At the end of the Eucharist, he invited Mother and the General Council before the altar to receive the Solemn Blessing of Mary Help of Christians.
The FMA Community of the Generalate also expressed thanks to Mother with a family moment and a hymn “I entrust them to you”:
“In the course of these twelve years, she has heard the mandate given to Mother Mazzarello, ‘I entrust them to you!’ Who has been entrusted to you, Mother? A vast world of sisters and above all young people, children, lay people, families… from all five continents! Thank you, Mother, for your generous and joyful Yes, for your missionary heart, for your life entirely given to God and to the Institute, for these 12 intense and fruitful years of responsibility and events, of gifts and fruits, which the Holy Spirit has bestowed for the vitality and holiness of the Institute and of every FMA”.
In thanking the Community, Mother said:
“In 2008, I said that ‘God loves those who give with joy’. I believe that when we say yes we must give it with joy. Joy is like a ray of sunshine that passes through the clouds and changes the colors of life, thus is our joy”.
