THURSDAY, MAY 20
Beginning of the novena to Blessed Rolando Rivi

“Brothers and sisters, it is with tears in my eyes that I prepare to speak about Blessed Rolando Rivi, who died a martyr for the faith. We weep for the death of this boy, strong as an oak, to honor and defend his identity as a seminarian. To the flash of hatred from his executioners, he responded with the gentleness of the martyrs, who, unarmed, offer their lives while forgiving and praying for their persecutors. The martyrdom of Rolando Rivi is a lesson in evangelical living.”
With these words, Cardinal Angelo Amato began his homily for the beatification of Rolando Rivi, held in Modena on October 5, 2013.
Let us prepare in faith and prayer to commemorate this blessed young martyr, who knew how to live as one risen from the dead.

For further reflection:
• Blessed Rolando Rivi

FRIDAY, MAY 21
Venerable Sergio Bernardini and Domenica Bedonni

The venerable Sergio Bernardini and Domenica Bedonni knew how to live ordinary life in an extraordinary way, fulfilling their vocation to holiness in marriage and bearing witness to what it means to live as people risen from the dead.

Sergio was born on May 20, 1882, and his life was marked by no fewer than seven funerals: within a few years, his father, mother, brother, wife, and three young children died. Left alone, he nevertheless never stopped placing his trust in the Lord and providentially met Domenica Bedonni, with whom he was able to fulfill his desire to establish a large Christian family. The life of Sergio and Domenica is a 52-year love story of marital love and holiness. The Lord granted them ten children: two married daughters, six nuns, and two priests. In Franciscan simplicity, Sergio and Domenica bore witness to the theology of the Beatitudes, always accepting God's will even in the most difficult situations.

For further reflection:
• Yes to love. The venerable servants of God Sergio and Domenica Bernardini

FRIDAY, MAY 21
Beginning of the novena to the Most Holy Trinity

The novena to the Most Holy Trinity begins on May 21, and its solemnity is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. The Trinity is a mystery that always inspires great wonder. Our faith and devotion cannot do without a constant and profound reference to the Most Holy Trinity. Let us even consider how often we name the Most Holy Trinity in the Eucharist, the Sacraments, or even in our daily prayers, beginning with the very simple sign of the cross in the morning.

Through these nine days of intense prayer, we have the opportunity to contemplate the entire work of salvation, which gradually reveals to us the intimate nature of God. “The Most Holy Trinity is not the product of human reasoning; it is the face through which God himself has revealed himself, not from the heights of a lectern, but by walking with humanity, throughout the history of the people of Israel and above all in Jesus of Nazareth». Keeping these words of Pope Francis in our hearts, let us prepare in prayer for the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (Sunday, May 30) and with profound joy reaffirm our faith in the one and triune God.

For further reflection:
• Pray, pray, pray
• On your word – May-June missal

SATURDAY, MAY 22
Saint Rita of Cascia

Today is a great feast in Cascia and beyond, because the Church remembers Saint Rita, the saint of impossible causes, the saint of forgiveness and peace; Rita teaches us to make our lives a masterpiece in God's hands, whatever our circumstances. She was a wife, mother, and nun, and always knew how to live as one risen: this is her strength and her lesson.

PRAYER TO SAINT RITA
O almighty and eternal God,
as you gave us a shining example in Saint Rita of Cascia
in union with you in prayer
in service and love for our brothers and sisters,
so that, through her intercession, overcoming
our selfishness and laziness,
we may imitate her and experience, in times of trial,
your merciful love
and her fraternal protection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who is God, and lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Amen.

For further reflection:
• Saint Rita, Augustinian nun
• Prayers to Saint Rita of Cascia
• A brief life of Saint Rita of Cascia

SUNDAY, MAY 23
Pentecost Sunday

Christians initially called Pentecost the period of fifty days after Easter. Apparently, Tertullian, a Christian apologist (155-220), was the first to speak of it as a particular feast in honor of the Holy Spirit. In the feast of Pentecost, the Church sees the birth of its missionary identity, considering it, together with Easter, the most solemn feast of the entire Christian calendar.

Let us reflect on the importance of the Holy Spirit through the words of Pope Francis: «The first gift of every Christian life is the Holy Spirit. He is not one of many gifts, but the Gift, the fundamental one. The Spirit is the gift Jesus promised to send us. Without the Spirit, there is no relationship with Christ and the Father. For the Spirit opens our hearts to God's presence and draws us into that “vortex” of love that is God's own heart... The first task of Christians is precisely to keep this fire alive, the fire Jesus brought to earth (cf. Lk 12:49), and what is this fire? It is love, the Love of God, the Holy Spirit. Without the fire of the Spirit, prophecies are extinguished, sadness replaces joy, habit takes the place of love, and service is transformed into slavery».

For further reflection:
• Prayers to the Holy Spirit
• The Holy Spirit and holiness
• The gifts of the Holy Spirit