Madre Nazarena: spiritual, self-giving, saintly

On this day (21 June) in 1869, Maria Nazarena Majone, the co-foundress of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, was born at Graniti in Messina, Italy. 

Each one of us is called to live a holy life. There are holy people who we know lived simple lifestyles – they had enough of the necessary things in their life. Madre Nazarena was one of those people. She was also one of the first sisters of the Daughters of Divine Zeal founded by St. Annibale Maria Di Francia.

Nazarena in her life was blessed with many good things. She had a simple life and she was raised by her family with good values. At a very young age she was active in many church activities. Throughout her life, she lived the Christian values that she had learned at home and at church. She was of great help within and outside the family – she never stopped helping people. The generosity of her self-giving was in her nature.

Nazarena continued nurturing her spiritual and active life in the convent when she joined St Annibale’s newly-formed community at the age of 19. Knowing a few things from her life gives me an inspiration and an encouragement to live this life with love and commitment to God. Rogate or prayer life was the breath of life that sustained Nazarena’s following of Jesus, the Master of the Harvest. Her love of Christ was the source of her zealous apostolate with those who were needy, especially the abandoned children, the old and the poor. This was her daily love offering: to live in the spirit of Rogate for the helpless, the homeless, the outcast in society.

Living a saintly life is not easy. It is a journey with much prayer, faith, hope and the love of God. It is a lifetime formation of oneself to become a better person. The constancy of doing the will of God is a forever commitment. As in the life of Mother Nazarena and other saints, those who sow the seed of sainthood are nurtured by the word of God.  It is what keeps nourishing that seed of holiness in life. It is a life of following the teachings of Christ, to be lived day by day to the fullest. A saintly life always places God as the reason for their life-giving strength.

Let us continue our life journey with God and in believing the gospel messages which are the secret of the sanctity of life.

Mother Nazarena, pray for us.

Image courtesy of figliedivinozelo.it