Empathy has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the fundamental life skills and considered a central element because it forms the basis of many other skills essential for individual and collective well-being. To summarize the various definitions simply, we can say that empathy is the ability to perceive and share the emotions of others, to connect with others by deeply understanding them, to share in their suffering and joy, to sense their possible thoughts and respond to them appropriately.
If we look at the issue from a biblical perspective, it emerges that God, revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, is not a distant God or indifferent to the events of the world. On the contrary, he is an empathetic God; He allows himself to be involved in human history, because he loves the man and woman he created, he loves creation and walks alongside them, making himself present and concretely, in their history.
God’s empathetic nature is an invitation for every person to experience true and profound relationships: with God, with others, and with nature. God teaches us not to remain indifferent, but to participate with love and attentiveness in the life around us.
Observing the bond between the founder of the Consolata Missionary Sisters, Joseph Allamano, and one of his spiritual daughters, Sr. Leonella Sgorbati, this attitude becomes clearer. Although she never knew the Founder personally, Sr. Leonella deeply assimilated his charism of consolation, embodying it in her missionary experience. Thus, she developed a profound empathy with him, embracing his spiritual legacy and translating it into concrete choices, lived with generosity and total dedication, as an authentic and consistent daughter.
Her missionary life was a continuous offering, lived moment by moment, to the point of complete self-giving in martyrdom, faithful to the Founder’s teaching:
“…You must all have the strength of spirit to endure martyrdom; but remember: this is a grace that the Lord grants to those generous souls in making small sacrifices.”
Sister Leonella’s martyrdom was preceded by an intense interior experience with Jesus, God offered for the salvation of all, and by an intimate communion with St. Joseph Allamano. This bond was particularly evident a few months before her death when, pausing in prayer at his tomb, she opened her heart to him, saying:
“Give me the grace of true discipleship. Grant me the gift of truly offering my life to Him every day, moment by moment, with fidelity, truth, mutuality, and total union. I ask you to truly be your daughter in following Christ, in union with Jesus in the Eucharist. I consecrate myself here, in your hands, renewing my vows to the Lord.”
In conclusion, only someone like Sr. Leonella Sgorbati, capable of cherishing a legacy in her heart and entering into profound empathetic harmony with the Founder, can consistently welcome and value the gift she has received. It can be said, therefore, that she is a woman who not only shares Joseph Allamano’s passion for making Jesus known, but also inspires in others the desire to follow and proclaim him.
“I desire a form of communication that can make us companions on the journey of so many of our brothers and sisters, to rekindle their hope in such a troubled time. A form of communication that is capable of speaking to the heart, of generating commitment, empathy, and concern for others.” (Pope Francis)
By Postulation
