Very Reverend Mons. Mauro Lalli (Incharge of the Apostolic Nunciature of Cyprus)

Reverend Mother General of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart

Friars, Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart

Religious men and women

Latin and Maronite priests

Dearest Sister Norfe Rey Roa

Brothers and sisters, May the Lord give you peace!

Today we are experiencing an important moment for the Church, especially for the Catholic Church of Cyprus, for the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and for Sister Norfe who today with the solemn profession of vows will be the bride of Christ forever.

Forever, a word that is now so scary to our young people today, to modern society: forever, for eternity… Sister Norfe, this is the first message, the true meaning of today’s celebration: the words that you will soon pronounce in the hands of the mother general: “for all my life” to follow Christ in the charism… The charism is quite clear for you, by now you know your sisters, your institute, your province, but I would like to call attention to the dimension that theologically we call: “scatological dimension”. And in truth, we speak little in our times, in ours days. Religious life is a path to eternity, an experience of eternity enjoyed already in this fleeting time of our earthly history. As Saint Cyprian said: a consecrated person is already today what we will be tomorrow in God’s world. And this is the prophetic dimension of religious life. And I am sorry to remember that this is the reason for the crisis of religious life, when we lose the dimension of the eternal and of eternity. Without this dimension we become religious, religious without hope. When we lose hope we also lose joy… an example of this when we get lost in the statistics of the numbers of religious men and women, and we say by now we are few, by now, by now…. We entered the convent, we consecrated ourselves to God in religious life to live the life of the eternal, to be saints, to give our lives… and save our souls, and for the salvation of souls… and to abandon ourselves in the hands of Gentleman.

Another dimension that I would like to reflect with you in this important matter

moment in the life of Sister Norfe and the whole Church is the day you chose for your profession. You will make your solemn profession on the liturgical feast of the Virgin Mary of the Rosary, and the Gospel takes us back to Nazareth. With the narration of the “yes” of Mary Most Holy, of the “fiat”. Of the “yes” that changed the fate of humanity. Sister Norfe you have chosen the Gospel of Nazareth to accompany us in this celebration. Mary’s “yes” not only changed the plans of the Virgin Mary, of Saint Joseph, but it changed the lives of all of us, of all humanity. Yes, Sister Norfe, your “yes”, here today, in our presence will not only change your life… but will concretely add to the life of the institute, of your fraternity of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, with consequences in the mission of the Church, of the brothers and sisters I met in your mission. Here is the great mystery, as Saint Paul said: being God’s co-operators. Your “yes” will have its consequences. (just as our “no”s also have their consequences). And here comes an important dimension of your vocation, of the consequence of your “yes”: love for fraternity, for your community, for your sisters, and love for the Church.

From here spiritual “motherhood” is born, a theme very dear to our seraphic Father Saint Francis. And I remember the source is not people. The source is “Incarnate Word”. It’s in the Holy Spirit. Let us not forget that everything happens in the action of the Holy Spirit… In the patristic and theological tradition with ingenious depth Mary is called “Bride of the Holy Spirit”…. “The Holy Spirit will descend upon you, the power of Very high. The Holy Spirit made his home in Mary. And through your “yes”, dearest Sister Norfe, the Holy Spirit, in the radical nature of your baptism, will confirm you as “bride of Christ” forever. Mother in the Church. And I remember the words of the biographer of Saint Francis, Thomas of Celano: from the humility of the Incarnation to the charity of the Passion.

Finally,

I conclude dear Sister Norfe, reminding you that your consecration, your being religious is not synonymous with a single, solitary life. But it is a source of clear and intense love towards God which is transferred to all humanity, because it is love of the cross (as you chose the name of Sister Norfe of Jesus crucified. In a fruitful chastity, in the mission, in healthy relationships and in fraternal life. The act that you are about to carry out is grandiose, generous, but you are not alone… You have the Church, your mother, you have your family, the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, you have the Church of Cyprus that accompanies you, and finally you have the intercession of the holy founders. You have the intercession of the virgin Mary, Saint Joseph. With the prayers of all of us