As we approach the anniversary of the foundation of our congregation. 
We celebrate  not a memory, we celebrate the living and thriving mission begun in 1834 by St Maria De Mattias.
We Adorers continue this great mission of LOVE and COMPASSION. 
Today, St Maria would be reminding us to have courage, trust in God and believe in miracles.  She would remind us to always have a heart for our dear neighbor, especially the poor and vulnerable.
Our world today needs us, we are continually becoming the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, the living spirit of St Maria DeMattias is present in each sister throughout the world, in 25 Countries. 
Why are we here? For God to be present, to be revealed through our journey of life, our thoughts, our actions on behalf of justice, peace, the integrity of all creation. These times call us to faithfulness, to courage and to communion.  We are called to be witnesses of mercy, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.  We seek to be “prophecy with our credible and authentic presence, sowers of hope with deeply listening hearts, and promoters of communion”? (XXII General Assembly)
What would St Maria DeMattias say to us today…BE WOMEN WITH A HEART FOR ALL.
So now, let’s hear some of her daughters speak of what St Maria would say today…

Some time ago, during literature classes, we studied palimpsests. I remember being fascinated by that word: it means recycling writing materials. For example, to reuse papyrus, the previous writing was erased and another layer of text was added. After years, however, the original text was so clear that it was possible to read it.
I have a similar feeling of blurring and translucency when reading the text of our Constitution: it brings to mind the Book of Revelation with its peaceful representation of the final fulfillment of personal and universal events. It is in this palimpsest that suffering and hope, sadness and consolation, disappointment and joy intertwine, leading to the fullness of the Lord's Easter joy (see LC 4-8).
The word “joy,” in various shades and surprising combinations, appears in the Italian edition of our Constitution no less than 21 times (!). Each time, it sounds like an invitation to change perspective, to transform one's life into a work of art. In fact, joy is the art of developing within oneself the awareness that we have everything we need to enjoy life and the choice to be grateful for what we have received and what we can give to others. I am very fond of the idea that we must seek out even the smallest opportunities to be grateful.
Joy is always relational: it is an eager anticipation of an encounter, or it explodes when we meet a dear, beloved person. Joy has the color of Advent and Lent.
The anticipation of the encounter shapes a smile on our faces through which the Beauty of the Lamb shines through.
Our smiles have different nuances:
- it is the gentle smile with which we welcome life every morning;
- it is the smile of our elderly sisters, which shines through their illnesses and loneliness;
- it is the smile of our sisters engaged in the apostolate, which despite their fatigue creates an atmosphere of openness and welcome;
- it is the smile of our young sisters, full of enthusiasm and enthusiasm.
How many gray days can a little smile save!
Joy invites us, LC 1: “Let us give thanks with joy to God, who has graciously called us to fulfill our baptismal consecration by committing ourselves to following the Lord Jesus in a life of adoration that impels us to apostolic service.”
Our joy as ASCs has a deep source, which we find in LC 8, and that is to “be saved,” that is, immersed in the Blood of Christ, who died and rose again for us. The Paschal Mystery forms in us the capacity to celebrate life as a gift: by giving new meaning to difficult experiences, we gradually discover God's gentle and delicate presence in the world (n. 11, 13, 18, 19, 21). The joy that springs from being together, from sharing life, is a distinctive feature of ASC communities. It is the antidote to the fear that arises from the logic of self-sufficiency and selfishness (n. 14, 31, 32).
If we truly seek to place Christ at the center of our community life, we cannot help but radiate joy among those we serve, because we allow the delicate light of the Risen One to shine through us.
Reading the testimonies of the Processo a Maria De Mattias (A. Di Spirito, N. Spezzati, Processo a Maria), I was fascinated by Maria De Mattias' smile. Giacinta Palombi, Nazarena Vecchini, Maria Tozzi, and Rosa De Sanctis recalled the smile of the Foundress. For them, it meant much more than long speeches, and the maternal warmth it radiated was a silent invitation: you can stay here. This is your home.

 

Sr. Tatiana Studentowa, ASC