Rome (Italy). The solemnity of All Saints and the Commemoration of all the faithful departed are an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of life and what gives it fullness.
The Saints, those canonized, such as Saint Maria Troncatti and Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello, those whose cause for beatification is underway, such as the Servants of God Mother Rosetta Marchese and Mother Antonietta Böhm; the Blesseds, such as Blessed Laura Vicuña, Blessed Maddalena Morano, Blessed Eusebia Palomino, Blessed Maria Romero, Blessed Maria Carmen Moreno Benitez, Blessed Maria Amparo Carbonell Munoz, and the Venerable Laura Meozzi, the Venerable Teresa Valsè Pantellini are witnesses of the Gospel authentically lived .
They are, above all, examples of how Grace can work when faith and abandonment are total and unconditional, despite obstacles that may seem insurmountable. Many Saints experienced illness as proof and then became instruments of mercy and healing themselves.
The young Mary Domenica Mazzarello, taking care of her relatives suffering from typhus, falls ill herself and, after a long convalescence, discovers that she is called to a new mission. “I entrust them to you!” a mysterious voice says in a vision. Sister Teresa Valsè Pantellini and Mother Rosetta Marchese experienced illness as a particular experience of union with the crucified and risen Christ. Mother Rosetta experienced this trial as a consequence of offering herself to God for the FMA Institute and for priests.
At the beginning of her consecrated life, when she too was a young woman Sister Maria Troncatti faces many illnesses. On 17 March 1909, suffering from typhus, she was transferred to Nizza Monferrato for better treatment. Fr. Rua, Don Bosco’s successor, was passing through, and goes to visit her. “He invited her to pray three Hail Marys with him and gave her the blessing of Mary Help of Christians. Then told her that if she had faith, she would get up immediately and go to the chapel to give thanks to the Lord. She did this and Fr. Rua told her that she would live to old age and that she would do much good.”
She herself, many years later, in the East Amazon of Ecuador, will be recognized as the “doctora” and affectionately called “madrecita” for her maternal way she expressed in caring for all those who needed it. Healed, she healed; with faith, rather than with medicines. “I give medicines, but the one who heals is Our Lady.”
There are various testimonies:
“She kept a young son of mine in the hospital for a month and treated him. Now, looking back, I realize that she was still healing us more with God’s strength than with remedies.”
“Her faith managed to save many poisoned people, both whites and Shuar. We didn’t know, and she herself didn’t know how she did it, because the poisoning was performed with such skill that the victim barely had time to go to die at home. However, Sister Maria often arrived in time and saved them, much to the amazement of the poisoners themselves who could see the victims of their revenge walking along the road.”
Her faith was combined with a heroic dedication. “She once spent 15 days among cholera patients in a hamlet near Macas, alone, day and night. Out of fear, no one wanted to take care of them.” Numerous other stories document that Sister Maria’s faith and charity achieved what seemed impossible by human evaluation. In them, the words of Jesus to the disciples after his resurrection resonate. “These will be the signs that will accompany those who believe. In my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak new languages; they will take serpents in their hands and, if they drink any poison, it will not cause them harm; they will lay hands on the sick and they will heal them.” (Mk 16:16)
“The saints constitute the most important commentary on the Gospel,” says the great theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar. What Jesus says, in sending the 72 disciples: “Go… cure the sick” (Luke 10:9) was accomplished by Saint Maria Troncatti in the care of both bodies and souls. While Sister Maria did her utmost to administer medicines, she prayed, spoke of God’s mercy, invited forgiveness and trust in Mary Help of Christians.
Today science confirms to us that physical illnesses are often the expression and signs of much more painful psychic and spiritual wounds. For this reason, healing miracles are accompanied by real conversions, by substantial changes in lifestyle and relationships, by commitments of charity and service.
Pope Leo XIV, in the recent Apostolic Exhortation “Dilexi te” writes: “In the act of healing a wound, the Church proclaims that the Kingdom of God begins among the most vulnerable. And in doing so, she remains faithful to Him who said: “I was […] sick and you visited me” (Mt 25:35.36). When the Church kneels next to a leper, an undernourished child or an unknown dying person, she realizes her deepest vocation: to love the Lord where He is most disfigured” (DT 52).
The Servants of God Mother Rosetta Marquis and Mother Antonietta Böhm, Blessed Laura Vicuña, Blessed Maddalena Morano, Blessed Eusebia Palomino, Blessed Maria Romero, Blessed Maria Carmen Moreno Benitez, Blessed Maria Amparo Carbonell Munoz, Venerable Laura Meozzi, Venerable Teresa Valsè Pantellini, Saint Mary Mazzarello and Saint Maria Troncatti, in different ways are intercessors of graces and miracles, because in their lives they have been channels of the therapeutic strength of the Holy Spirit who defeats every form of evil and sin. To deepen
You are invited to communicate the graces received in the email box animazionesantitafma@cgfma.org or by ordinary mail to the General Secretariat of the FMA Institute.
