Blessed Giuseppina Nicoli
Virgin
Liturgical memorial: 3 february
Oremus
O God, who gave Blessed Giuseppina, virgin, an evangelical spirit and a inner joy in the education of children, grant that through her intercession and following her virtues, we may proclaim you as a true Father of the poor in this world. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Liturgy of the hours
Giuseppina Nicoli was born in Casatisma (Diocese of Tortona), Italy, on 18 November 1863. In 1883, she entered the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. For almost her entire life, she educated children in Sardinia, first in Cagliari and then in Sassari. She also dedicated herself to activities on behalf of the poor. She was exemplary for her joyful spirit, her prudence and her justice. She went to her heavenly spouse on 31 December 1924, in Cagliari.
Office of Readings
From the Common of Virgins
Second reading
From the Writings of Blessed Giuseppina Nicoli
Charity, continuation of the Incarnation
Jesus wants his Incarnation to extend to all humanity, to each one of us. And he gives us the Eucharist. In this way, he not only remains in our midst, but he gives himself to each one of us, uniting his flesh to ours, his heart to ours, his soul to ours, forming us in Holy Communion as one in Him. He makes us divine. God has loved us so. See how God loves us, how he wants us to love one another. Because he has loved us beyond measure, let us not put limits on our charity toward our brothers and sisters. God wants it that way! “Love one another as I have loved you.” “Father, make them one, as I am one with you.” Thus he made the limits of charity infinite to make us understand that we will never have enough charity. Every profession has a name that indicates the occupation of the one who exercises it. Our profession is to be Daughters of Charity. These words signify much and we do not understand them sufficiently. Sisters of several institutes dedicated to good works are called “Sisters of Charity,” but we are called “Daughters of Charity”; this signifies that we spring from the Heart of God. We must show this with works. We must be the Guardian Angels of the poor and so every time they appeal to us, we must welcome them with kindness and spare nothing to help them. We no longer belong to ourselves: we belong to the poor; all our time must be devoted to them. When we are so disposed, we win the confidence of the unfortunate. In fact, one sees people coming to us who seem to be rich, but are actually poor, who lack everything. They do not dare make their destitution known to others, except to a Daughter of Charity. They can confide anything to her, knowing well that she understands every type of sorrow and poverty and will seek a remedy for all their ills.
Response: 1 Jn 4:19,21; Rom 5:5
R. We, for our part, love because God first loved us. The commandment we have from him is this:
* whoever loves God must also love his brother.
V. The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit who has been given to us:
* whoever loves God must also love his brother.
