At the Church of St. Giovanna Antida in the Circonvallazione Clodia community, the new Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, Bishop Alessandro Zenobbi, presided over the liturgical Mass in honour of the Saint.
We reproduce here the homily by Bishop Zenobbi, formerly parish priest of St Lucia, with whom the Sisters have strong ties
FEAST OF ST JOANNE ANTIDA
Dearest ones, it is with great pleasure that I celebrate this feast with you, knowing that this community is made up of sisters and brothers who are friends in the Lord.
The Word of God we have heard today sheds extraordinary light on the figure and mission of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leads us before the solemn scene of the Last Judgement:
“I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
“Whatever you did for one of these least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me.” (Mt 25:31–40)
These words are not merely a moral exhortation. They are the very heart of the Gospel. They are the startling revelation of a God who has chosen to hide himself in the poor, the little ones, the suffering.
It is only here that we can understand the holiness of Jeanne Antide.
She did not merely help the poor. She recognised Christ in the poor. This is the Christian difference. One may offer assistance out of human duty; but only evangelical love knows how to kneel before the mystery of Jesus’ presence in our brothers and sisters wounded by life. Saint Giovanna Antida always maintained a contemplative gaze.
Where others saw misery, she saw Christ. Where the world saw useless or forgotten people, she saw living members of the Body of the Lord.
This is why her service was so full of tenderness, so tireless, so maternal. She herself said to her daughters:
“Have a big heart towards God and towards the poor.”
She knew full well that a heart which does not open to the poor eventually closes itself off from God as well.
And at the same time she knew that only those who live united to the Lord can persevere in charity without growing weary.
Today’s Gospel is therefore a spiritual portrait of your Foundress. Every word of Jesus seems to recount her life.
“I was hungry…”
And she fed not only the body, but also souls hungry for dignity, for hope, for love.
“I was thirsty…”
And she brought the freshness of the Gospel in arid and troubled times.
“I was a stranger…”
And she herself experienced exile, precariousness, uncertainty, yet she never ceased to welcome.
“I was sick…”
And how many wounds did she heal with her consecrated hands and with the balm of compassion!
“I was in prison…”
And how many inner prisons did she encounter: fear, poverty, abandonment, despair.
This Gospel is a commission for everyone.
It is as if Christ himself were saying to us today: continue my compassion in the world.
The vocation, not only yours according to the charism of Saint Joan, is born here: in the mystery of a God who identifies with the least among us. This is what it means to be a Christian, and Saint Joan chose to be one to the very end.
Your charism remains prophetic.
In a world that often judges people by their efficiency, success and appearance, you are called to remind us that every life is sacred, every poor person is precious, every person is worthy of God’s love.
How much we need this witness today!
We need consecrated women who still know how to pause before human suffering without haste. We need communities that are houses of mercy. We need eyes that can recognise the new forms of poverty of our time: loneliness, depression, spiritual disorientation, the hunger for meaning, the weariness of life. I realise that so many poor people today do not hold out their hands on the street; they hold out their hearts in silence. We are called to be the presence of the Gospel right there. You, by virtue of your charism, are called to live every aspect of your apostolate in this way.
But all this, dearest sisters, will not be possible without the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the beauty of this commemoration celebrated on the eve of Pentecost. Pentecost is the fire of divine charity poured into hearts. It is the Spirit who makes it possible to love as Christ loves. Saint Jeanne Antide was a woman of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit made her strong in trials, free in persecutions, faithful in darkness, and ardent in her mission. She never lost her trust. For she had understood that God’s works do not arise from human strength, but from docility to the Spirit. Even today, the Church needs this fire.
Without the Spirit, charity becomes mere assistance.
Without the Spirit, religious life loses its splendour.
Without the Spirit, service becomes a burden and the heart grows cold.
When the Holy Spirit dwells in a community, then everything is transfigured: toil becomes an offering, poverty becomes freedom, prayer becomes breath, fraternity becomes prophecy.
Dear sisters, guard the fire of your origins. Do not let the joy of your consecration be stolen from you. Remain women in love with the poor and crucified Christ. The world may not always understand your life. But the world has an immense need for your life.
I ask today that Saint Jeanne Antide may accompany each of you and intercede for each of us, that Mary Most Holy, Mother of Pentecost, may watch over this religious family, and that the Holy Spirit may renew the miracle of charity today.
