The Virtue of Strength

June 30th, 2020
Meditation of the day of Pontiff Samuel

(Draft)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Today I want to talk to you about the virtue of Strength. This is one of the most beautiful virtues that characterised the life of Maria Giuseppina Norcia, the Maiden of God, who never yielded to the logic of the world but, with holy determination, was always animated by Divine Strength in bringing to fulfilment, till the very end, the call She received from the Father.

After having pronounced her ‘Yes’ to the call of Jesus on that 15 May 1974, Maria Giuseppina Norcia renewed her ‘Yes’ every day, with living Strength, until 5 July 2008, the day on which the Father called her to ascend to Heaven. The Maiden of God embodied the Strength of Spirit, of heart and will, which allowed her to remain completely obedient to God, never backing out in front of all the difficulties and misunderstandings she had to face throughout her life, going against the ruling thought of this world that is opposed to God’s logic.

Therefore, all the women who wish to become true Handmaids of Mary, following the example of the Maiden of God, must desire to embody the virtue of Strength. We can fortify the virtue of Strength nourishing it with unceasing prayer and living faith in Christ and Mary. Those who are strong, easily surrender themselves totally to the Father’s will, desiring to let their ‘self’ completely perish, in order to wholly become instruments of God, perfect tools in the hands of the Creator, in the awareness that God can do everything.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me“: this is the inner conviction handed down to us by St Paul, the Apostle of all peoples, who entirely gave himself to serve His Christ to the fullness. Just as John the Baptist did, who kept nothing for himself but gave everything for love of the Truth which he always proclaimed with living and total Sincerity, without caring about the powerful of the world or the personal convenience or the dictates of that time.

This is why Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and only the violent take hold of it. Here are those who are strong, here are those who make the Holy Strength be their virtue, not being afraid to be violent with their own “self ” in order to abandon themselves totally to God, to become His instruments and doing to the end His will of Father, of Son and of Holy Spirit; just as the Baptist did who fought, with the Strength of faith, with the Strength of prayer, with the Strength of the Word, against the violence of the unclean spirit that now, in these times, attacks the sons of God even more. This is the holy determination that characterised the life of the Maiden of God who entrusted herself every day to Jesus, saying unceasingly Her eternal prayer: «I love You, Jesus, I love You so much, I rely on You, do not leave me alone. Do with me as you please: Your Will be done».

Here is Her loving and total abandonment to the Father’s hands, always trusting in His help and His Omnipotence, knowing that nothing is impossible to God. This is the certainty that made Her strong. The Maiden of God never denied the Father, but always stood up to defend with Strength the Mystery of God, to defend with Strength all the sons entrusted to Her over time by the Father, protecting them from all detractors and from all traitors, because She loved always and only God above all things, above all material goods and above all human affection.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.