This month is dedicated in a special way to the Mission of the Church. “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father.” (Ad Gentes 2)

Pope Francis, during his general audiences on Wednesdays, is carrying on his catechesis about HOPE. As WUCWO women we are all committed to sow hope, especially in the family, among youth and suffering people, with a specific attention to women.

On July 29th it was the 4th anniversary of the kidnapping of  a missionary Father Fausto Dall’Oglio,  in Syria. He is a Jesuit who, in the 1980s,  re-established in Syria the Catholic-Syriac Monastic community of Mar Musa (Monastery of Saint Moses Abyssinia), the heir to a cenobitic and hermitic tradition dating back to the 6th century. The monastery, located in the desert north of Damascus, also welcomes members of Orthodox religion. Father Fausto Dall'Oglio is strongly engaged in interreligious dialogue with the Islamic world.  He decided to be committed to such an effort convinced that the only way towards peace is dialogue and mutual respect.  

In this month, we celebrate the feast of St Mary Magdalene, “Apostola Apostolorum”, Apostle of the Apostles. She was a disciple of Jesus, following Him till His crucifixion, and the first witness of His resurrection. She brought the good news of His resurrection to the apostles. This is the reason given by the Congregation for the Divine Cult of the Holy See when last year her feast was established. This decision was also made to foster the attention and reflection about the role of women in the mission of the Church.

This month we worship the Heart of Jesus in a special way. We want to put under His Sacred heart also our commitment: “A Minute for Peace”. All over the world we need peace. Every day we receive news about terrorist attacks; some become viral, while some others are less known, because they happen in countries which are not under the spotlights.

This month dedicated to the Holy Virgin sees also the celebration of WUCWO day on 13th, the day of the apparition of Our Lady in Fatima. And this year is the centenary of the Apparition. This is a further encouragement to carry on our WUCWO commitment at all levels; we need to be responsible to work for the promotion of women and each of us is to be involved in such task.

This month we will celebrate the highest moment, the peak of our faith, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Thinking about Jesus, offering Himself for our salvation, we cannot ignore God’s mercifulness. And this is so much present in the liturgy we celebrate.

The title of the Apostolic Letter “Misericordia et Misera” refers to two words used by St Augustine “in recounting the story of Jesus’ meeting with the woman taken in adultery”. Very often women who meet Jesus are not accepted in the society because of their life. They are judged, discriminated, isolated and condemned.

Continuing the reflection on the letter Misericordia and Misera  we need to meditate about mercy as Pope Francis encourages  it  “must continue to be celebrated and lived out in our communities. Mercy cannot become a mere parenthesis in the life of the Church; it constitutes her very existence, through which the profound truths of the Gospel are made manifest and tangible. Everything is revealed in mercy; everything is resolved in the merciful love of the Father.” (MM1)

At the end of the year of Mercy we were blessed to experience  last year, Pope Francis offered his  apostolic letter “Misericordia et Misera” in which he encourages “to look to the future and to understand how best to continue, with joy, fidelity and enthusiasm, experiencing the richness of divine mercy. Our communities can remain alive and active in the work of the new evangelization in the measure that the “pastoral conversion” to which we are called will be shaped daily by the renewing force of mercy. Let us not limit its action; let us not sadden the Spirit, who constantly points out new paths to take in bringing to everyone the Gospel of salvation.” (MM5)