Birthday of Mother Clelia, March 10
Life is a gift from God
We prepare to celebrate the gift of life and to ready ourselves for the feast of the Birth of Mother Clelia, a woman of deep faith and tireless love for God and others. In this triduum, guided by her meditations, we reflect on three fundamental truths: we are created out of love, in the image of God, and for God Himself.
Following the example of Mother Clelia, we learn to recognize our deepest identity, to contemplate the dignity of every person, and to orient our lives toward God with gratitude and love. This time of prayer and reflection prepares us to joyfully celebrate the birth of one who lived her vocation received from the Lord with intensity and devotion.
Day 1: March 7 – Created to love
From Mother Clelia’s Diary: God created me solely through the pure movement of his love! I was nothing and God gave me a place in his thoughts, and that is how I found myself in his mind and his heart! (…) With his paternal affection, he fixed his gaze on me without any prior merit of my own, without my asking or being able to ask for life. Therefore, I was looked upon by Jesus with special predilection; I was the object of his good will, creating me, this most ungrateful sinner, choosing me and embracing me, almost like a baby lying on his paternal bosom, supporting me, defending me, caressing me with singular providential goodness. I was looked upon by Jesus with a singular providential goodness. (pages 170-171)
For reflection: What keeps us going forward is the awareness of being loved by God for all eternity, created and wanted by God as his children, privileged to be the recipients of his loving care and his fatherly tenderness. This is our deepest identity as well as the source of our peace and tranquility in all the storms of life.
Let us pray together: O God, all-powerful Creator and Father of infinite tenderness, who has created us from a pure movement of your love, renew in us the free gift of your predilection, so that we might always live as your blessed daughters and, in thoughts, words and deeds we might give glory to your holy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Day 2: March 8 – Created in your image
From Mother Clelia’s Diary: God has created me in his own image, imparting to me a ray of his Divinity. He not only created me, but he continues this creation in every instant of my existence. As many as are the hours and minutes in my lifespan, so many times does He give me the gift of life, and all the people I need are given to me. (page. 171)
For reflection: Every human person is created in the image of God: this is the foundation of our dignity. Thus, the face of another person constitutes for each of us a call and an invitation to an encounter with the Other.
Let us pray together: O God the Father, who created us in your image and continually renew the work of your creation, renew in us the gift of your Holy Spirit, so that we may contemplate in the faces of our brothers and sisters the splendor of the image of your Son, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 3: March 9 – Created for God
From Mother Clelia’s Diary: How many times, O Lord, instead of serving you with grateful love, have I chosen to live as I pleased, as if I were the master of my own existence! I am ashamed and detest my great ingratitude, and I admire the patience you have shown in tolerating me for so long. I ask your forgiveness for the unjust way I have treated you. I resolve to be entirely yours in the future, and I beg you to help me achieve this, as you now ardently desire that I do so. (page. 171)
For private reflection: Our life acquires meaning and a positive direction when we clearly understand the purpose for which we have been created, which is God himself. Only in a loving relationship with Him does the human creature find the perfect fulfillment of all his desires.
Let us pray together: O God, who created us for yourself and inspire in us the desire to love and serve you with grateful love, fill our hearts with the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may belong completely to you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Feast of Mother Clelia, November 20 | With Mother Clelia, on the Path of Forgiveness
This year’s Novena in preparation for the Feast of Blessed Clelia Merloni is an invitation to embark, day by day, on a journey of forgiveness, reconciliation, and mercy. Inspired by the writings and life witness of Mother Clelia, we are called to acknowledge our weaknesses, embrace God’s forgiveness, and learn to forgive with the same generosity as the Heart of Jesus. May this novena help us transform our wounds into opportunities for growth, cultivate peace in our fraternal relationships, and bear witness, through concrete acts of charity, to the merciful love of Christ, following Mother Clelia’s example with humility, trust, and tenderness.
DAY 1: November 11 | Recognizing our need for forgiveness
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “O Jesus, You have indeed promised to forgive those who repent; here I am repentant and sincerely contrite… If there is a soul in the world in need of Your mercy, it is mine.” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: The journey of forgiveness begins when we find the courage to acknowledge our weaknesses before God. We do not need to hide our mistakes or appear perfect. Like Mother Clelia, we can humbly entrust ourselves to the mercy of the Heart of Jesus. Allowing ourselves to be forgiven helps us look at others with greater understanding, too.
Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, give us sincere and humble hearts. Help us recognize our weaknesses and welcome your mercy with trust. Amen.
Daily Commitment: I will spend a few moments in silence, recognizing what I wish to entrust to God’s forgiveness.
DAY 2: November 12 | Allowing ourselves to be loved by God’s mercy
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “Your Heart, even though offended, will always be the Heart of a father who has pity on His prodigal daughter who throws herself into His arms to beg forgiveness.” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: In Mother Clelia’s words, we recognize the trust of someone who returns to the Father and finds his arms open. Even when our hearts are burdened by mistakes, God’s mercy invites us to begin again. We are not defined only by our failures: we are beloved children. Welcoming this love helps us see ourselves and others with greater tenderness.
Prayer: Merciful Heart of Jesus, free us from discouragement. Teach us to return to you with trust and to recognize the tenderness of your love each day. Amen.
Daily Commitment: Throughout the day, I will repeat slowly and trustingly: “Jesus, I trust in your mercy.”
DAY 3: November 13 | Acknowledging our mistakes and asking forgiveness
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: « During the evening recreation, before the bell signals
silence, any Sister who had in any way offended or grieved another Sister shall make a generous effort to go and seek out the Sister in order to reconcile herself to her…» (Manuscript Constitutions of Blessed Clelia Merloni, cap. XI, p. 84, art. 8)
Meditation: In everyday life, a harsh word or a thoughtless gesture can hurt someone. Mother Clelia encourages us not to let pride stand in the way of dialogue. Apologizing does not diminish our dignity: it is an act of responsibility and love. Sometimes the first step is simply to acknowledge our mistake and offer the other person a listening ear.
Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, give us humility to recognize our mistakes and courage to ask for forgiveness. Let dialogue and peace grow among us. Amen.
Daily Commitment: If I have hurt someone, I will find an appropriate moment to apologize sincerely.
DAY 4: November 14 | Welcoming forgiveness and renewing our lives
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “Once sins are forgiven they are changed into fountains of grace for the soul that committed them because they are perennial sources of humility” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: God’s forgiveness does not erase our history: it gives us the chance to live it in a new way. Even past mistakes can teach us humility and make us more attentive to the frailty of others. Grace invites us not to remain trapped by guilt, but to take concrete steps toward change. Every day can become a new beginning.
Prayer: Heart of Jesus, thank you because your mercy always opens a new path. Give us strength to learn from our mistakes and walk forward with hope. Amen.
Daily Commitment: I will choose one small, concrete change that will help me begin again with greater freedom and trust.
DAY 5: November 15 | Learning to forgive others
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: « He wants me not only to forgive wholeheartedly all the wrongs I have received from those who offended me, but also to do them all the good I possibly can…» (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: Forgiving does not mean forgetting what happened or pretending the pain does not exist. It means choosing not to let the hurt have the last word in our hearts. Mother Clelia invites us to move beyond resentment by responding with charity. Even a small act of kindness, when possible and appropriate, can be a first step toward renewed peace.
Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, help us not to hold on to resentment. Give us the freedom to forgive and the wisdom to choose acts of kindness with truth and prudence. Amen.
Daily Commitment: I will do something kind for someone without expecting anything in return.
DAY 6: November 16 | Healing the wounds of the heart
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “He wants me to pray always for those who are the cause of my suffering, never speaking of their faults. He wants me to love those who have offended me, as He has loved us.” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: Some wounds need time to heal. Forgiving does not mean denying the pain, but entrusting it to the Heart of Jesus without letting resentment govern our lives. Mother Clelia teaches us to pray even for those who have made us suffer. This path requires grace, patience and, sometimes, the courage to seek help.
Prayer: Jesus, meek and compassionate Heart, receive the wounds we carry within us. Accompany us on the path of healing and grant us peace that respects our own pace. Amen.
Daily Commitment: I will bring an unhealed wound into prayer and, if needed, seek support from someone I trust.
DAY 7: November 17 | Living charity in community
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “He wants us to put up with the defects and weaknesses of our neighbor and He made me understand clearly that I must do this. If then I must do it, I am not doing my neighbor a favor but fulfilling a sacred duty, or better, satisfying a debt.” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: In families and communities, we encounter different personalities, sensitivities and rhythms every day. It is easy to notice others’ limitations and forget our own. Mother Clelia calls us to practical charity, marked by patience, respect and gentleness. Welcoming differences does not mean ignoring problems, but addressing them without abandoning dignity or mutual listening.
Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, make us patient and attentive to one another. Teach us to speak respectfully and to build relationships rooted in charity. Amen.
Daily Commitment: Today I will listen patiently to someone without interrupting or rushing to judgment.
DAY 8: November 18 | Praying for those who have hurt us
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “With the prayer that He addressed to the Father about those who crucified Him, Jesus teaches us… Don’t seek revenge. Rather, show compassion by covering up their failings as much as possible. Above all, recommend them to God…” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: On the cross, Jesus shows us that mercy can extend even to praying for those who cause us suffering. Mother Clelia invites us to follow this example. Praying for someone does not mean approving the harm they caused or being obliged to resume a relationship. It means entrusting to God even what we cannot yet understand or resolve.
Prayer: Heart of Jesus, teach us to pray without a desire for revenge. We entrust to you those who have hurt us and ask for light, justice and peace for all. Amen.
Daily Commitment: In a brief prayer, I will entrust to the Lord someone with whom I have experienced conflict.
DAY 9: November 19 | Becoming witnesses of forgiveness
From the Words of Blessed Clelia Merloni: “Be the Apostle of my love, He tells me. Make everyone know that I hunger, I thirst, I die from my desire to be accepted by my creatures.” (The Diary of Mother Clelia Merloni)
Meditation: The forgiveness we receive from the Heart of Jesus is not a gift to keep only for ourselves. It is love we are called to share. Mother Clelia invites us to become apostles of Christ’s love, bringing hope where there are wounds and peace where there are divisions. We conclude this novena with a commitment: to make the mercy we have received visible through our lives.
Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, make us witnesses of your love. May our words and actions bring hope, reconciliation and mercy to those we meet. Amen.
Daily Commitment: I will make a concrete gesture of peace or reconciliation in my daily surroundings.
