Virtues Activity

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CANOSSA ACADEMY

LIPA CITY
PAASCU ACCREDITED
SY 2021 – 2022 CANOS
SIAN HOME
LEARN FROM
PROGRAM

NAME: Orallo, Bianca Sciazy M. GRADE&SECTION: Grade 12 – St. Columban of Bobbio


CLASS NUMBER: G14 TEACHER: Sr. Aurea C. de Vera IV, FdCC

Reflective Reading:
It is true that Magdalene’s sanctity was not of the external, dramatic kind, which becomes
legendary, it is equally true that it was authentic and great. It was nourished and grew daily through
frequent acts of simple but solid virtue
Her humility which was so natural and humorous, was obvious to all. She left the life of comfort
she would have been entitled to, as a member of the nobility, to go and live among orphans and beggar-
women, placing herself at the service of the rejects of every social class. For herself she asked nothing.
Wherever she went, she was content to have the last place and in her houses she always asked for the
poorest cell (bedroom).
In Bergamo, although her daughters affectionately urged her otherwise, she insisted on being
given a room with coverings over the windows. When the Superior wanted to have them substituted with
glass, she ordered: “Leave them. We are poor and paper is enough for us.” One day, the Empress
Marianna, out of reverence asked to be allowed to lie down for a few minutes on the bed in that cell.
She lived as if she were the last of the Sisters, without ever allowing any distinction to be made
between herself and others. She even refused to have a prie-dieu (kneeler) in her cell and, in Verona, she
settled for a stone to pray on.
Her humility and love for poverty were born of and nourished by an intense CHARITYtowards
God and a sincere commitment to imitate Christ Crucified.
Her intimacy with God frequently led to extraordinary experiences of mystic union. As she
confided in her “Memoirs” on October 13, 1813, while in prayer “she felt at a certain point as if
enraptured in God. She saw Him within her like a luminous sun and was absorbed by the Divine Presence
to the point that she was unable to stay on her feet and had to lean against something; the strength of
heavenly joy was almost suffocating her.”
“Another time—as again she wrote in her ‘Memoirs’—she felt her soul being carried very calmly
and gently to become one with God…and she had the impression…that her heart was being taken and
united with that of God, to become one heart with that of Jesus Christ, although they remained two.”
However, her union with God was not always thus. Frequently it was simple prayer, but constant and
prolonged. As she again remarked in her “Memoirs”: “During this period…she was in a state of tedium,
boredom and temptation against faith, feeling oppressed and annoyed with everything.”
She reminded her daughters: “It is a grave mistake to rely on inner consolations: it is God we
have to seek, God alone and not His comfort. If He inebriates us with sensible joys, we should thank Him
and never take advantage of this; if He afflicts us with aridity, let us not complain about His ways.” And
jokingly, she concluded: “Come my daughters, if you like the sun, you have to put up with the moon as
well.”
“God, God alone, but completely alone!” she would repeat. “God alone in the aim, in the work,
God alone in the reward.”
A God to love with all one’s heart, in a concrete, intense manner. “I don’t know what kind of love
you have for Our Lord!—she wrote to a Sister—You care very much to be at His feet, to feel compassion
for Him in His sorrow, to meditate on His qualities, to open our heart in warm expressions of affection,
and yet you do not care or feel upset when He is offended by others?...You say I love you and this is true.
But would you believe in my affection if, on seeing you being attacked by a dangerous animal, instead of
defending you, I simply assured you that I care very much for you? If you really love the Lord, you must
then seek His Glory and not His consolations.”
And it is from this CHARITYtowards God that Magdalene’s LOVE for her fellowmen is born.
It is this theological charity which nourished and sustained her service, her willingness even to give up her
own life to help others.
1No part of this module maybe reproduced and/or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
without the written permission of the writer.
On one occasion, she sent a young woman to work as maid in a Milanese family. The son of the
master of the house tried to take advantage of her and the young woman had recourse to Magdalene, who
advised her to take refuge in a safe place. But the young man managed to find her and harassed her even
there. This time the Marchioness had the girl hidden in an unreachable place and the young man, on
learning that she was the girl’s protectress, burst into San Giuseppe’s convent, asking to speak personally
with Magdalene. Once in front of Magdalene he started shouting:
“I want to know where the girl is hidden!”
“Never.” answered the Marchioness calmly.
“What!” said the boy. “Even if you do not want to tell me, this weapon will make you speak!” and
he pulled out a gun, aiming it at Magdalene’s face.
“I don’t think,” she answered, “I don’t believe that you would go that far. However if you really
wish to, here I am. But the secret: never!”
She looked at him with a stern but maternal sweetness: “Poor Sir, how sorry I feel for you!” she
said.
Her CHARITY for the poor was boundless. She did not hesitate to go without food and clothing
to give them to those who were in need.
In Verona, a coal-woman, who was grateful for the Marchioness’ many acts of charity, on meeting
her one day in the street, covered Magdalene’s face and hands with coal marks as she caressed her again
and again. Frequently, Magdalene let filthy ragamuffins do the same. “You see,” she explained to her
daughters, “rich people have someone to love them and caress them. But these little ones have no one to
love them or look after them, and we must be good mothers to them.”
On another occasion, she heard that a woman, dying of consumption, wished very much to eat
birds. Magdalene felt it was her duty as mother to give the poor sick woman what she wished so much,
and called the gardener, urging him to go hunting. After he had come back with the birds, she prepared a
good dish and sent it to the patient.
For Christ Crucified, who gave His life for His brothers, Magdalene learned to have the most
delicate feelings and tenderness for the poor, the miserable, the abandoned, the least, in whom she saw the
face of the Lord.
And alongside the Crucified Son, Magdalene saw and loved Our Lady of Sorrows, “constituted
Mother of Charity beneath the Cross.” It is in the mystery of Calvary that Mary reaches the summit of
charity, and it was in this mystery of love and sorrow that Magdalene found herself immersed. She, who
placed at the center of her own and of her Institute’s spirituality, the loving contemplation and imitation of
the Crucified, could not exclude Mary who “stays beside Jesus on the Cross.” Both are inseparably united
in the same love and devotion.
Magdalene’s devotion to the Madonna (Mama Mary) was profound and lively. Her every success
was attributed to Mary; to her she entrusted every undertaking. She talked of her as a member of the
family.
Yet there is no trace of sentimentality in her devotion. In Mary, Magdalene saw the prototype of
those who take the Gospel seriously and try to put it into practice. From her she learned the most
enlightening and radical lessons of Christian life. In her she saw “the perfect model of the consecrated
soul” intent on “seeking God alone, wanting God alone, working only for God, spending herself totally
for Him.”
In Mary, she contemplated on Calvary, Magdalene also saw the one who, in accordance with the
will of her dying Son, opened her heart to universal maternity. Hence she found in her, understanding and
help, advice and comfort, succor and support, in both her personal needs and in those of her Institute. She
urged them that “Mary Most Holy is all heart for us…Through her we can obtain every grace from God.”
And again: “Mary Most Holy is the one who fixes up everything in our houses, which belong entirely to
her.” And concluded: “Those who place their trust on my dear Madonna have all they want.”
She felt that the eternal salvation of those who faithfully cultivated a filial devotion for Mary was
certain.
She left and abandoned everyone in the “Most Holy Heart” as if in a haven of refuge in which
every problem will find a certain and final solution. She therefore was able to urge her daughters: “Be
happy…after having experienced Mary’s help on so many occasions, how can you be worried or afraid?”
Another characteristic of Magdalene’s holiness, and of the spirituality in which she formed her
Institute, was JOY, the refusal of any form of sadness and fear. Her intimate, profound joy sprang from
her complete trust in God and in Mary and also from her natural inclination. “Forgive me,” she would
frequently repeat in the middle of the community recreation, “I’m from Verona”, and alluded to a popular

2No part of this module maybe reproduced and/or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
without the written permission of the writer.
poem of the Veneto region which described those from Verona as being “all mad”. “Blessed be the air of
Montebaldo!” she would exclaim, as she dismissed worries and tensions that appeared on the horizon.
She urged her Sisters to “always be jolly and to run towards perfection like giants…”
And she was the first to run. Her progress towards holiness, though difficult and heroic, seemed
easy and smooth, gentle and steady. She avoided any melodrama. She refuted any melancholy or sadness.
She rejected any lugubrious form of religiosity. The school of her holiness was Calvary, which she
defined as “the mount of lovers”. From the Crucified and from Our Lady of Sorrows she learned to give
herself completely to God, to serve her brothers with love, in a style of natural simplicity.
Magdalene was heroic in practicing all Christian virtues, but she stood out above all for her
humility and charity.
With this meaningful expression: “humility in charity”, Pius XI synthesized “the most beautiful
and exquisite feature of this wonderful woman, of this pure virgin”, in his speech of January 6, 1927, in
reading the Decree of the heroicity of her virtues.
On December 7, 1941, Pius XII, during the dark period of the Second World War, raised her to the
glory of Bernini proclaiming her Blessed. On October 2, 1988, she was canonized by St. John Paul II.

Complete the table below:


Virtues of St. St. Magdalene’s Way Other People’s Way of My Own Way of
Magdalene of Practicing the Practicing the Virtue Practicing the Virtue
Virtue
HUMILITY She shows her care to To be humble or practice Even if in certain
other. Her self- humility means to value situations I succeed in
righteousness is incredibly other people and their acting humbly, this may
harmful to our souls, and opinions without indulging well be the result of a
it is detestable to God. in self-pride. superficial and apparent
humility rather than of a
humility that is real and
profound. 
POVERTY (Choosing Magdalena was a Addressing I can practice my own
to be poor/simple) leading advocate for the poverty through teaching way of virtue by helping in
poor in her region after social justice, offering donating funds in
she witnessed first-hand equal academic children in schools and do
the plight of the poor opportunities, and my part to make sure
discreetly providing each child knows that
school supplies, snacks, there are people who
clothes, and other believe in them.
necessities.
CHARITY/LOVE For many centuries the Learning to love God by I can practice my own
TOWARDS GOD most obsessively revered obeying His Word more way of virtue by praying
of saints, Magdalene than our own desires. to God, telling God that I
became the embodiment This means doing things love him, love his
of Christian devotion, that He wants even if we creation, appreciate him
which was defined as don't feel like it. If Christand everything I have.
repentance. did what God wanted Him Just like what the Bible
to do because He loved says, to "pray without
Him, we should, too. ceasing."
CHARITY/LOVE Magdalene opened her Helping one another without Paying close attention and
TOWARDS heart to the Holy being asked to do so and listening to what your
Spirit who guided her to doing something for your neighbors are saying is so
NEIGHBOR the poor in other cities: neighbor does not always important. We may have
Venice, Milan, Bergamo, require much.  had very different
Trent. upbringings and viewpoints,
but we are all made in the
image of God, and each of
us has a story to tell. 
DEVOTION TO Mary Magdalene, a Consecrating their selves Praying hail Mary and
MAMA MARY woman who had lived a to Mary. angelus to give me an
sinful life, came to the opportunity to take a few
banquet and began to moments each day to
weep, her tears falling meditate on Mary’s
onto Jesus' feet, which humble obedience to God
she then wiped with her at the Annunciation.
hair, kissed, and Reflect on the ways you
perfumed with ointment responded to God’s will
from a jar. throughout the morning
3No part of this module maybe reproduced and/or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
without the written permission of the writer.
and ask Mary for the
grace and courage you
need to take on the rest
of the day.
JOYFULNESS Even in the face of all the They begin by being In still presence, I attend
difficulties she had to mindful of moments in the fully to every joyful
endure, she maintained day when we experience experience, starting with
her gratitude and delight joy. Starting with the simple joy of taking a
for God. happiness or breath. Starting each day
contentment. As people with an intention to savor
begin to notice and direct all the simple joys of life.
our thoughts to the Savor the ability to see, to
positive, the positive will hear, to feel, to taste, and
grow.  to touch. Savor the
beauty that is all around
you.

REFLECT

Among the virtues of St. Magdalene, which is easy for you to practice? Which is difficult for
you to practice? Why is it so?

Among all the virtues of Magdalene, the easiest for me to practice is humility and charity. As a
student of Canossa Academy, this school has helped me to nurture my attitude and perspective through
things in which I was able to practice good deeds with everything that I am doing. It helped me to extend
my compassion and empathy to others. Also, I know that those who practice humility are more likely to
consider others' beliefs and opinions. This is most likely because humility offers the opportunity to
become less self-involved and more attuned to the feelings of others. While the difficult virtue of
Magdalene that is sometimes difficult for me to practice is joyfulness. Sometimes I may be going through
a stressful time at work or school; I may be too hard on myself; or I may be experiencing a mental health
condition like depression or anxiety that result for me to be unhappy. This is because we were raised to
think that life is supposed to make us feel good. We may have been taught to avoid pain like the plague,
because negative events cause negative emotions, and negative feelings are not meant to be felt. Still,
whatever happens, happiness will always be a choice and that I will always choose, to be HAPPY and
live a happy life with God being at the center of everything I do in life.

4No part of this module maybe reproduced and/or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
without the written permission of the writer.
TRANSFER

Choose one virtue that you can commit to practice


faithfully for this semester. Cite also 3 concrete practices
that will help you to cultivate this virtue.

Virtue: PEACEFULNESS

My Practice of Charity: Peacefulness


1. Choosing the things that I will
invest my energy in.
2. Not letting the behavior of others
destroy my inner peace.
3. Making time for myself more and
reducing media consumption.

5No part of this module maybe reproduced and/or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
without the written permission of the writer.

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