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4 April 2003 – 4 April 2004

“A year of special sanctification for the Pauline Family”

Spiritual Animation Proposal for the Celebration of the Alberionian Year Forty years ago today, in 1963, Fr. Alberione invited the Pauline Family to celebrate “a year of particular holiness,” saying: “Holiness assures fruit in the apostolate. The love of God leads to love of neighbor. An abundance of prayer, of divine gifts and of love for God leads to the desire to remove of-fenses to God and to bring love and salvation to souls. One wants the heavenly Father to be loved by all his children, as Jesus loved: ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life for the ransom of many.’” “‘Those who are perfect would willingly lay down their lives a thousand times to please God.’ “True love of God rouses a person to pure, calm, ardent, constant and strong zeal–to the point of giving one’s life. Instead, when a person is not wholly united to God, dead to self and detached from everything, that individual’s zeal will be impulsive, erratic, turbulent, choleric: the person will seek him/herself, not God and souls. “Perfection is reached when, as St. Paul says, ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.’ “The first step toward allowing Christ to live in us is to know and believe in the whole Christ as Way, Truth and Life. To know, meditate, believe, imitate, feel, and love with all one’s mind, all one’s heart, all one’s soul, all one’s strength” (SP, January 1963). Today the Pauline Family wants to embrace the invitation to holiness extended to us by our common father in 1963–an invitation which he tirelessly renewed in every circum-stance. Our Founder’s beatification is a precious opportunity for all his sons and daughters to make serious progress on the journey toward holiness, embracing today with renewed faith and availability the requirements of following the Lord so as to carry out the mission en-trusted to us and cultivate a mentality and sense of “Family.” Our Common Objective: To accept with renewed hearts and lives the abundant riches of Fr. Alberione’s spiritual experience so as to learn from his journey of conformation to Christ the Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, the way to apostolic holiness that we are called to live as the Pauline Family. Fr. Alberione offers us an itinerary: Our Founder remained faithful to the essence of what he proposed in his first circular letter regarding the journey toward holiness (republished in SP, February/March/April 1965):

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“The process of sanctification is a process of conformation to Christ: ‘donec formetur Christus in vobis’ (“until Christ is formed in you”) (Ga. 4:19). Consequently, we will become holy to the degree that we live the life of Jesus Christ, or better, according to the degree to which Jesus Christ lives in us: ‘the Christian is another Christ.’ It is what St. Paul says of himself: “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” This is gradually realized in us until we reach the point of “the full stature of Jesus Christ,” just as a child slowly grows to adulthood. “Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In our spiritual work, we should make the effort to:

“a) imitate the holiness of Jesus Christ, who pointed out the way by means of his ex-amples and teaching: ‘be perfect’; “b) in a spirit of faith, according to Jesus Christ Truth: to think according to the Gos-pel, the New Testament, and the Church, which communicates it; “c) in grace, which is participation in the life of Jesus Christ, in the sacraments and in all the means of grace.

“Thus Christ Way, Truth and Life will be formed in us: ‘conformed to the image of his Son.’” Consequently, the Pauline way to apostolic holiness is “to live the life of Jesus Christ,” and the degree of our holiness will correspond to the degree that Jesus Christ lives in us. This is the great heritage that the Founder entrusted to the Pauline Family as early as 1932 by means of the text Donec Formetur Christus in Vobis (DF)1–a work he returned to time and again in all his writings and conferences. Allowing ourselves to be sanctified means allowing Christ Jesus to mature in our en-tire being “until he reaches full stature,” that is, until he is fully formed in each of us:

• Jesus-Truth questions our mind and, if we are ready to listen, fills us with his thoughts and judgments, leading us to adopt his mentality. The final result: sanctification of the mind.

• Jesus-Way works on our will, prompting it to make always more evangelical choices, making it a place in which he continues today the self-sacrificing lifestyle he observed while on earth. The final result: sanctification of the will.

• Jesus-Life penetrates the depths of our being and leads us to adopt his very own sen-timents, to the point of “habitual union” with him. It is Jesus-Life-within-us who wants to give himself to people today, by means of our energies.

• The goal is “that Christ might live in me”: Christ living in us makes us apostles and transforms into apostolate everything we do in the Church through the different forms of our specific mission.

Stages of the Alberionian Year: 4 April 2003 Celebrating the opening of the Alberionian Year

“The hand of the Lord is upon me” 1st Stage: Feast of the Jesus the Good Shepherd

1 J. Alberione, Donec Formetur Christus in Vobis, edited by the Pauline Spirituality Center, Generalate of the Society of St. Paul, Rome 2001. In this critical edition of the text prepared by the Founder and printed in 1932, the numbers in the margins refer to the pages of the 1932 edition. Thus the excerpts from DF suggested here for the various stages of the Alberionian Year refer to the pages of the 1932 Italian edition.

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5 April–11 May “The Shepherd who is Way, Truth and Life, the Divine Shepherd

2nd Stage: 12 May–7 June

Feast of Mary Queen of Apostles “With Mary in the Cenacle to obtain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit”

3rd Stage: 9 June–30 June

Feast of St. Paul, Apostle St. Paul: “the most faithful interpreter of the Divine Mas-ter”

4th Stage: 1 July–20 August

Foundation of the Pauline Family Profound self-examination on: “Why did you come here?”

5th Stage: 21 August–12 September

Fr. Alberione takes charge of Alba’s diocesan press “The year in which I was called to the mission”

6th Stage: 13 September–26 October

Feast of Jesus Christ the Divine Master “The Father himself sent his Son, the Master…”

7th Stage: 27 October–26 November

Feast of Blessed James Alberione “Formation should be modelled on the Divine Master”

8th Stage: 27 November–21 December

Fourth Sunday of Advent “We must follow this supreme Master”

9th Stage: 22 December–25 January 2004

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle “This period should lead to Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life dwelling in me, giving rise to a new person”

10th Stage: 26 January–29 February 2004

First Sunday of Lent “The divine will in everything”

11 Stage: from 25 March 2004 onward

Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord “Jesus is grace”

4 April 2004 Celebrating the closing of the Alberionian Year

“Create a practical program of light and life” Modes:

• The stages mark a journey of faith and reflection that takes full advantage of the spiri-tual/charismatic wealth of the Pauline Family.

• Donec Formetur Christus in Vobis is the basic reference text of this itinerary. • Each stage opens with a day of celebration centered on the spiritual experience of the

Founder, in harmony with the liturgical season and the feasts of the Pauline Family, so that the entire month or period that follows is colored by the spiritual characteristics of that theme.

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• The day of celebration itself could be lived as a spiritual retreat or as an occasion for special animation on the charism, or else these or similar events could be scheduled for the days immediately preceding the day of celebration.

• It is important that each one personally read the proposed texts, meditate on them, study them more profoundly, and give them continuity in personal and community prayer.

• Each stage should be lived as the Pauline Family or, if this is not possible, then as a community.

• The itinerary for the Alberionian Year is accompanied by a supplementary aid which is meant to foster a communal experience by focusing attention on the same themes and drawing from the same content. However, the aid can be adapted to meet the needs of particular circumstances.

• Circumscription superiors should bring this supplementary aid to the attention of their members as quickly as possible so that it can be integrated into each circumscription’s programming for the year.

The Supplementary Aid: structure, content, ways to use it

The supplementary aid offers our brothers and sisters orientations and content to help them better assume the style of Pauline apostolic holiness, which was our Founder’s first and greatest concern.

The aid contains 11 outlines, one for each stage of the journey, plus an appendix. The outlines for celebrating the opening of the Alberionian Year (4 April 2003) and its

closing (4 April 2004) offer material that can be used as a Liturgy of the Word or for an Hour of Adoration.

The appendix contains texts of Fr. Alberione to be studied more deeply during each stage, plus a proposal for meditating on and praying the Chaplet to St. Paul.

Structure of each outline: • Time period of the stage and the special day to be celebrated • Theme • Biblical texts • Texts of Fr. Alberione • Hints for Contemporary Living (the Word questions us) • Praying with Fr. Alberione

Content: • The texts of Fr. Alberione are taken from Donec Formetur Christus in Vobis. The prayers,

whose sources are always specified, are those that were used by Fr. Alberione and which he offered his children to help them on their spiritual journey.

Modes of use: Whether the outlines are used for a spiritual retreat, animation on the charism or a

prayer liturgy (all contexts to which they can be adapted with the proper stratagems), it is im-portant that:

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• a choice be made of the proposed material, keeping in mind the central theme; • time be set aside for interiorizing the material so as to facilitate a personal encounter

with the Word of God and that of the Founder; • the Family gathering include times of sharing on the proposed theme; • continuity be created among the different stages.

Abbreviations AAP Alberione alle Suore di Gesù Buone Pastore AD Abundantes Divitiae Gratiae Suae CISP Carissimi in San Paolo CVV Considerate la vostra vocazione PD Alle Pie Discepole del Divin Maestro SdC Spiegazione delle Costituzioni (Figlie di San Paolo) SdM Santificazione della mente SP San Paolo (internal news bulletin of the Society of St. Paul) UCBS Unione Cooperatori Buona Stampa UPS Ut perfectus sit homo Dei VC Vita Consecrata

4 April 2003

Celebrating the Opening of the Alberionian Year

“The hand of God is upon me”

Guide: This celebration of the Word opens the Alberionian spiritual year, the purpose of which is to “study more deeply the many-faceted personality of our Founder so as to better understand our charism and witness to it with greater transparency throughout the Church.” In celebrating the memory of the birth of Fr. James Alberione, let us contemplate with new eyes and grateful wonder the life of our Founder as a “sacred history” and, enclosed within it, the history of our religious Family. Opening hymn During the opening hymn, the celebrant, holding the Bible aloft, moves toward the altar in a procession made up of representatives of the Pauline Family, two of whom carry: Ø Fr. Alberione’s picture, which should be placed in a suitable location near the Word Ø a lamp, if possible the one symbolizing the Pauline Family, which is placed on the altar. The other members of the procession carry a symbol of their Institutes, which should be placed near the picture of Fr. Alberione, if circumstances permit this. Prayer

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Celebrant: God our Father, we thank you for calling us together to prepare for the beatifica-tion of our Father, James Alberione, by celebrating the wealth you poured out on our Family through him. May Christ your Son live in us and may we be grafted onto him so that, trusting in the wisdom of your will, we might communicate your Word of salvation to the world. We ask this through Christ our Master and Shepherd. All: Amen. Proclamation of the Word Paul acknowledges that he is the least of the apostles but that by the grace of God he has been entrusted with an unprecedented mission: that of enlightening people by bringing them in contact with Jesus, the way to the Father, the light that illumates and gives life. He knows that he must remain “the least of all” if the gift of God is to shine in all its fullness. Alberione too lived in his “flesh” the awareness that he was “the least of all,” but nevertheless over-flowing with grace (AD 350). From the Letter to the Ephesians (3:8-13) “To me, who am less than the least of all God’s people, he has granted the privilege of pro-claiming to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and of bringing to light how this hidden purpose was to be put into effect. It lay concealed for long ages with God the Creator of the universe, in order that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in its infinite variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. This accords with his age-long purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have freedom of access to God, with the confidence born of trust in him. I beg you, then, not to lose heart over my sufferings for you; indeed, they are your glory.” This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 78) Antiphon: Announce to future generations the wonders of the Lord.

Attend, my people, to my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in story, drawing lessons from of old. Ant.

We have heard them, we know them; our ancestors have recited them to us. We do not keep them from our children; we recite them to the next generation, the praiseworthy and mighty deeds of the Lord, the wonders that he performed. Ant.

God set up a decree in Jacob, established a law in Israel: what he commanded our ancestors,

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they were to teach their children; that the next generation might come to know, children yet to be born. Ant.

In turn they were to recite them to their children, that they too might put their trust in God, and not forget the works of God, keeping his commandments. Ant. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” says the Lord. “No one can come to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ Jesus alone is the Way, the style of Truth and the fullness of Life that all humanity longs for without realizing it. Feeling himself a debtor to the love of God, Fr. Alberione wanted to give this Jesus to our poor, proud world (AD 182). From the Gospel according to John (14:6-12)

“Jesus said [to Thomas]: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father ex-cept through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.’” This is the Word of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Brief sermon or else a time of silence Guide: The Founder shares with us his vocational experience, summing it up with these words: “The hand of God has been upon me.” Let us accompany his testimony with praise to our mighty and merciful God, singing, if possible, the chorus of the hymn, Grande e mir-abile, or by repeating our Founder’s heartfelt words, “Glory to God” (AD 183). Reader: “The hand of God has been upon me, from 1900 to 1960. The Lord’s will has been accomplished, despite the wretchedness of the one who was to be its unworthy and unsuitable instrument. Both at the outset and along the way everything came from the Tabernacle: light, grace, warnings, strength and vocations…. No matter what: Fr. Alberione is the instrument chosen by God for this mission. This is why he worked for God and in accordance with the inspiration and will of God. This is why everything was approved by the highest Authority in this world, and why he was followed by so many generous people…. I can assure everyone that everything has been done, only and always, by the light of the Tabernacle and in obedi-ence” (UPS I, 374-375). Response in song, using the chosen refrain.

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Reader: “I am a person deeply indebted to God and others! And on this occasion, the list of my debts has grown even longer. But I have also paid those debts…. I have neither silver nor gold, but I give you what I have: Jesus Christ, Way, Truth and Life” (SP, April 1936). Response in song Reader: “It might be helpful to go over some particular aspects of our beloved Congregation. I am coming to the end of my life and there is no point in deceiving myself; as well, I am speaking to you, brothers well qualified and endowed with many merits. As regards the com-ponent parts of the Pauline Family, I was guided every step of the way by obedience concern-ing their foundation, development, spirit, expansion and apostolate. In a matter of such great responsibility three ingredients have proved necessary: the assurance of divine inspiration, the advice of the spiritual director, dependence on legitimate superiors…. I have felt the hand of God; a fatherly and wise hand, in spite of my countless shortcomings, for which I recite, trust-ingly, in the Offertory prayer: ‘For my innumerable sins, offenses and negligences….’ Canon Chiesa played an important part, and after his death I found myself being directed by a vener-able priest in Turin…” (UPS I, 16-17). Response in song Reader: “At this moment I feel deeply indebted to God and others. Thus: 1) To God: We give you thanks for all your gifts, almighty God, living and reigning now and forever. a. Lord, I thank you for having created me, made me a Christian and priest, and for having

preserved and sustained me for 80 years. b. [I thank you] first of all for allowing me to make my Pauline religious profession accord-

ing to the Holy See; c. for the fact that, ever since 1900, I have practiced and preached devotion to Jesus Master

Way, Truth and Life, to the Queen of Apostles, to St. Paul the Apostle; for the beginning of the Pauline Family 50 years ago on 20 August 1914. Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. God has accomplished his will, despite the fact that I was a useless ser-vant instead of a builder…” (SP, March-April, 1964).

Response in song Reader: “Our guiding thought: action is nourished by prayer…. The principles that give us direction: a pastoral spirit, the liturgical apostolate, the instruments of social communication to proclaim the message of salvation. Everyone should feel themselves to be servants of the Church as a result of our vow of fidelity to the Pope. As concerns my poor person: here too, the Lord has followed his divine style: ‘God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God’ (1 Co. 1:28). The psalm says: ‘After the age of 80, time is a burden; it passes quickly and we vanish’; but we can add that through divine mercy we move on to heaven, where eternal life truly begins” (SP, March-April 1964). Response in song If this prayer liturgy is celebrated as an hour of adoration, a suitable time of silence follows for the examination of conscience.

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These questions of the Founder can serve as a guide:2 Ø Is there anything in which I take personal glory or about which I am complacent? Or do I

only and always give glory to God? Ø Am I truly seeking God’s glory? Ø Do I “rest” in my heavenly Father? Hymn Guide: A representative of each Institute approaches the altar and receives a lamp from the celebrant. The lamp is lit from the one on the altar and should be carried home to each Insti-tute as a sign of the beginning of this Alberionian year. Now that everyone has returned to their places, let us recite this prayer of our Founder, Fr. Alberione:3 Soloist: Jesus Master, may I think with your mind and wisdom. May I love with your heart. May I see with your eyes. May I speak with your tongue. All: Jesus Master, may I think with your mind. Soloist: May I hear with your ears. May I relish the things you relish. May my hands be yours. May my feet follow in your footsteps. All: Jesus Master, may my feet follow in your footsteps. Soloist: May I pray using your words. May I treat others as you do. May I celebrate the Eucharist with your self-immolation. May I dwell in you as you do in me, to the point that I disappear. All: Jesus Master, may I dwell in you as you do in me. Guide: “…This is your will: that a great light should shine forth from the then-threatened PF.” Other intercessory prayers may be added, to which the assembly responds: Lord, may a great light shine forth from our Family. After a suitable time of silence, the Founder’s spiritual testament can be read aloud: • Dear members of the Pauline Family, in our temporary leave-taking of one another: in

trust: to be all reunited in eternity. I thank all of you, women and men, for your patience with me; I ask pardon for what was not done, or done badly.

2 J. Alberione, Taccuini, 1964. 3 Cf. Che io ami con il cuore, edited by S. De Blasio, Rome, 1985, p. 26.

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Yet I am sure that the direction taken, in general, has been substantially in conformity with God and the Church.

• Jesus Christ, Divine Master, Way and Truth and Life as a way of life and devotion is of infinite value; may he enlighten the whole of religious perfection and the apostolate.

• Always follow St. Paul the Apostle, our Teacher and Father; always follow, love and preach Mary, our Mother, Teacher and Queen of Apostles. Benedicat omnipotens Deus, Pater et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus.

• My conclusion: with God’s grace, I have overseen the role of the apostolate from 1914 to

1968. Now I am 84 years of age; my life comes to a close in time and moves on to eter-nity; at all times I preach my faith and my hope in God and my love for him and for souls. Until we all meet again in eternal bliss.

(6 August 1967 – confirmed: 19 March 1989) Concluding Prayer Celebrant: God our Father, in the abundance of your glory, grant that our lives might be pro-foundly strengthened by your Spirit. May Christ dwell in our hearts by faith so that, rooted and founded in love, we will come to know the breadth and the length, the height and the depth of the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God (cf. Eph. 3:14-19). All: Amen Celebrant: “May the blessing of God and the gift of the Spirit be poured out lavishly on all the members of the Pauline Family.” All: Amen. Concluding Hymn

A second possible conclusion: After everyone has returned to their places, Paul’s hymn of praise in the Letter to the Ephe-sians can be proclaimed. All: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. Soloist: He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

All: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. Soloist: With all wisdom and insight

he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

All: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. Soloist: In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,

having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

All: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. Let us recite the Secret of Success with the same sentiments of our Founder, who directed everything to God.

Jesus Master, accept the pact that we present to you through the hands of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and of our Father, St. Paul. We must correspond to your sublime will, arrive at the degree of perfection and heavenly glory to which you have destined us, and perform the apostolate of social communication in a holy manner. But we see that we are very weak, igno-rant, incapable and inadequate in every way: in spirit, in knowledge, in the apostolate and in poverty. You instead are the Way and the Truth and the Life, the resurrection, our one and supreme Good. We trust in you alone who said: “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, you will receive it.”

For our part, we promise and commit ourselves to seeking wholeheartedly in all things, in life and in the apostolate, only and always, your glory and peace to all peoples. We trust that on your part, you will give us a good spirit, grace, knowledge, and the means for do-ing good. According to your immense goodness and the needs of our special vocation, multi-ply the fruits of our spiritual work, of our study, of our apostolate, and of our poverty. We do not doubt you, but we fear our inconstancy and weakness. Therefore, good Master, through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, extend to us the mercy you used with the Apostle Paul so that, faithful in imitating our Father here on earth, we may be his companions in the glory of heaven. Fr. Alberione’s spiritual testament can be read here, as in the first proposal.

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Concluding Prayer Celebrant: May God our Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives its name, strengthen your inner selves through his Spirit, according to the wealth of his glory. May Christ dwell in your hearts by faith so that, rooted and founded in love, you will come to know the breadth and the length, the height and the depth of the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God. All: All glory from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, to him who is able to do so much more than we can ask or even imagine, according to the power already at work in us. Amen. Celebrant: “May the blessing of God and the gift of the Spirit be poured out lavishly on all the members of the Pauline Family.” All: Amen. Concluding hymn

First Stage

5 April – 11 May

4th Sunday after Easter (Feast of Jesus the Good Shepherd)

“The Shepherd who is Way, Truth and Life, the divine Shepherd: this is the spirit of the Pauline Family.”4

Introduction

After opening the Alberionian Year with a celebration that helped us enter into harmony with our Father and Founder by means of a penitential liturgy that showed us how the story of God’s “divine mercy” must still be brought to completion in us, we now enter the heart of our spiritual-charismatic heritage by intensely living our common feasts.

In harmony with the liturgy, the Alberionian Year first of all puts us in touch with Jesus, who reveals himself as the Good Shepherd. The fact that this feast occurs so soon after the beatification of our Founder reminds us of how Fr. Alberione’s priestly vocation and his ac-tivities in the diocese of Alba rooted him in the pastoral spirit, understood as an expression of the vibrant relationship between Christ and his people. These are the roots onto which he wanted to graft the entire Pauline Family, according to its diverse apostolates. Thus this feast offers us the unique chance to begin the charismatic itinerary of our religious family from the pastoral perspective that should distinguish it. Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life, center of our apostolic spirituality, is a Master with the heart of a Shepherd.

4 Cf. AAP 1963, 617.

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The biblical texts proposed in this stage invite us to welcome Jesus’s revelation of him-self as the only true Shepherd. “I am” is the formula of self-revelation. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep; he knows each one of them and establishes a personal relationship with them that echoes the Covenant relationship. Jesus is prepared to give his life unconditionally for the sheep who already know him, as well as for those who are still hungry and confused. In the image of the Good Shepherd, each person in the Church who carries out the service of guide is invited to be the living image of Jesus the Shepherd, who blazes trails and offers his life. Such a person becomes an example or model of unconditional love, of care for others and of total self-donation. As a consequence, that person builds community around him/herself.

Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Gospel according to John (10:7-18)

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away–and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not be-long to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

From the First Letter of Peter (5:1-4)

Now I appeal to the elders of your community, as a fellow-elder and a witness to Christ’s sufferings, and as one who has shared in the glory to be revealed: look after the flock of God whose shepherds you are; do it, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have it; not for gain but out of sheer devotion; not lording it over your charges, but setting an example to the flock. So when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive glory, a crown that never fades.

Proposal of Father Alberione

One of the fundamental dispositions that Fr. Alberione demanded of all Paulines is the conviction that it is necessary to direct one’s life “toward heaven.” This is a requirment for everyone, but “even more so when one must be a model for others.” To confirm this, he re-calls the exhortation of Peter to the “elders,” shepherds of the “flock of God” like himself. A person can be called a shepherd if he/she reproduces the lifestyle of Jesus, the good and car-ing shepherd, according to the heart of the Father! DF pp. 13-14.

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The Need [to give direction to one’s life] The orientation of life toward heaven is necessary: for one who has deviated from the

path; for one who is not yet walking it it well (and even for one who walks it swiftly), and for one who has to choose a state in life. Deviations are easy due to the clamor of the world, of the passions, of the devil. Formation is necessary so as to live in Jesus Christ–“until Christ is formed in you”–and with even more reason when one must be a model for others: “setting an example to the flock” (1 Pt. 5:3).

Fr. Alberione believed it was necessary to direct one’s existence toward God, heaven.

And this holds true for everyone: - for those who have deviated from the path: so that they can quickly find the way back; - for those who are not yet walking it well: so that they will speed up or, if necessary,

correct their pace; - even for those who are walking swiftly: so that they will not slow down or wander off

the path; - and for those who have to choose a state in life: inasmuch as a precise point of refer-

ence is essential for this. All this gives rise to an absolute need: “Formation is necessary so as to live in Jesus

Christ–‘until Christ is formed in you’–and even more so when one must be a model for others: ‘setting an example to the flock’ (1 Pt. 5:3).” Forming Oneself so as To Form Others

To form people well is our first “duty.” We can form others if we are first of all living a process of self-formation. Self-formation must be the style that distinguishes the Pauline Fam-ily, which has a teaching role in the Church and thus a greater responsibility since it must be “a model for others”!

This style of self-formation is clearly underscored in the Instruction, Starting Afresh from Christ, n. 15: “If, in fact, consecrated life is in itself ‘a progressive taking on of the attitude of Christ,’ [VC 65], it seems evident that such a path must endure for a lifetime and involve the whole person, heart, mind and strength (cf. Mt. 22:37), reshaping the person in the likeness of the Son who gives himself to the Father for the good of humanity. Thus understood, forma-tion is no longer only a teaching period in preparation for vows but also represents a theologi-cal way of thinking of consecrated life, which is in itself a never-ending formation, ‘sharing in the work of the Father who, through the Spirit, fashions in the heart the inner attitudes of the Son [VC 66].” The Pastoral Spirit of Our Religious Family

While the icon of Jesus the Good Shepherd reminds us of the need to form ourselves so as to be a model for others, it also reminds our religious Family of its urgent and ever-fresh pastoral duty to help others encounter Christ Jesus and grow in him. In this regard, the tone and content of Peter’s exhortation harmonizes splendidly with Paul’s spiritual testament to the elders of the Church of Ephesus (Acts 20:18-35). The pastoral teachings of Peter and Paul, which spring from their conformation to Christ the Shepherd, converge in a single pastoral love that displays these characteristics:

• they serve the flock of God not out of constraint but voluntarily, out of love; • they have no desire for gain but instead are capable of great generosity, to the point of

self-offering;

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• they are models for the flock, and thus do not allow their authority to weigh on others; • they are moved by a pastoral love that makes them vigilant sentinels who foresee dan-

gers and expose themselves first to risks, because they know they are responsible for the life of the others.

The Founder reminds us: “The purpose of pastoral work is to help people live their Chris-tianity; to Christianize their minds, hearts and activities. Christianity is not a collection of ceremonies, external behavior, acts of submission, etc. It is a new life. It seizes the person so as to integrate and almost consecrate him/her” (Alberione, Notes on Pastoral Theology, p. 81).

Having become a model (pattern, form) for others, our Pauline Family lives a sole pas-toral spirit:

“Before it [the Society of St. Paul] was started, a book entitled Appunti di Teologia Pas-torale (Notes on Pastoral Theology) was published. It is a pastoral work. By ‘pastoral spirit’ we mean communicating to people Jesus Christ as he defined himself: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ It means uplifting and sanctifying the whole human being–mind, feelings and will–by way of dogma, morals and worship…. Who are our parishioners? The whole people of Christ and ‘the other sheep that are not of this fold’: they also need to be led to Christ, and there will be one fold and one Shepherd”–a single parish around:

• a single pulpit, the Pope; • a single table, the Eucharist; • a single authority;

all ‘conformed to the image of his Son, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ’…. “Let there be at all times the Divine Master’s prayer ‘ut unum sint’ (that they may all be

one). It is to be focused not on one institute alone but experienced throughout the whole Pauline parish whose confines are the world’s bounds and whose flock is just as much those who are already in the fold as those we wish to lead there” (UPS I, 376, 382).

Reflecting on the fact that a large segment of humanity still does not know Jesus and is not a part of the Church, the Founder concludes:

“The real cause is the lack of stewards, the lack of apostles who, having become the voice of God, call the sheep to the fold of Jesus Christ and hasten the fulfillment of the Redeemer’s prophetic words, ‘that there be one flock, one shepherd’ (Jn. 10:16)” (UPS IV, 88). Hints for Contemporary Living

“Do you love me?” (Jn. 21:15) Only Jesus can show us the way to love him, him alone, our Friend who knows us to the

depths of our heart, which only he can change. After Peter’s faith was tested, he was offered this kind of love, the culmination and transfiguration of friendship. It was the most difficult kind of love because it required that he believe in the unbelievable: that he believe in his ca-pacity for love and friendship after he had acknowledged his great sin. Our Lord and Friend wanted to convert Peter to his merciful friendship and love. It was this ultimate “certitude,” this final “rock” that continued to keep Peter’s boat beached, preventing it from floating un-encumbered on the ocean of Christ’s steadfast friendship. Everything was over; enthusiasm had waned; the cross seemed to have eliminated every dream, and Peter returned to his former “certainties”: his boat, the sea, the fish….but this time too his net was empty; he had nothing to show for his daily toil. But on the other hand, neither was it possible for someone who had tasted the All to return to little and be content with it!

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But Jesus, his Friend, the Risen One, returned and once more invited him: “Throw the net out to starboard and you will make a catch!” (Jn. 21:6) It takes courage to start all over again after failing. Peter was afraid to make another mistake, to once more bitterly experience his nothingness. He was afraid of plummeting yet again into the shadowy abyss into which he had already fallen once because he had aimed too high…. No, better to have nothing: at least that much is sure. After all, who am I? Have faith, Peter! Have faith in your Lord! Don’t be afraid because of your sin. Revive your enthusiasm and start fishing again! Throw out your net, Peter, and open your eyes, because the Lord, your Friend, is near at hand! And Peter trusted in his Friend and emerged victorious. Weariness faded, joy returned and enthusiasm was rekindled in the soul of this fisherman of Capharnum. Christ had returned! He was here! All fears disappeared, this time for good, because every false certitude had vanished, every illusory dream was banished. Finally Peter understood: Christ was his sole certitude!

After Peter had bitterly experienced his nothingness, Jesus became everything to him–not only in desire but in actual fact. And then Jesus gave Peter the seal of his friendship so that he would never again reject him, so that he would continually follow the path of his friendship and love: “Do you love me? Lord, you know everything–you know that I love you!” (cf. Jn. 21:15-17) “Then Jesus added: Follow me!” (v. 19) Yet another call to friendship: and this time Peter did not hesitate because now his love and friendship were founded on rock, that is, on the triple acknowledgment of his poverty and Christ’s forgiveness. For Peter, this was the definitive call; it represented a sharp break with his past: he had to change his work and aban-don himself once and for all. Thus Peter, in love and friendship with his Lord, became a father and shepherd, because from that moment on he was obliged to not only gather people into the kingdom of God (in line with his work as a fisherman), but also nourish them as a father and shepherd in the pastures of Christ’s love and friendship. He had to offer them the best to the point of giving up his life for them, just as he had been taught by his friend and Lord, Jesus, who gave up his life for Peter so that he could do the same for others. The Word questions our life so as to become our life • Christ turns Peter’s plans upside down, proposing something seemingly impossible to

him. Let me ask myself: Am I ready to let myself be questioned by the Lord, or do I ex-pect him to adapt himself to all my projects?

• Jesus asked Peter to leave his boat, his life. I can ask myself: What fears prevent me from offering the Lord the total “boat” of my personal vocation and existence, so as to whole-heartedly welcome Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life into my life?

• The Master and Shepherd meets me in the daily events of my “liturgy of life,” my apos-tolic work, my time. Do I notice, pay attention to and discern every fragment of his pas-sage through my life “here and now”?

• It is easy to say we must love, but our love does not reach maturity as a result of state-ments and words. We can say that we truly love only when we have passed its greatest test: that of dying to ourselves. How am I concretely and realistically telling the Lord that I truly love him?

Prayer5 5 We offer here the third and fifth parts of the Chaplet to Jesus the Good Shepherd, inviting everyone, during the week of preparation for the Feast of the Good Shepherd, to pray one or two parts of the chaplet every day, medi-tating on the individual phrases. The Priestly Prayer found in John 17 could also be used.

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May you be blessed, Jesus, who died on the cross for us! You, the innocent One, died to restore life to the guilty sheep: “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” You nourish us with your life in Baptism, in Confirmation, in Penance, and in the Eucharist. May you live in every person with your Spirit! Bring back to your fold all those who are separated from you for they are like branches cut off from the vine. We pray to you for the Church, which you acquired with the price of your blood. May it spread throughout the world and be for everyone a sign of unity and salvation. We want to love you with all our mind, all our strength, and all our heart. For your love I want to spend myself totally for your people.

Jesus Good Shepherd, Way and Truth and Life, have mercy on us. Jesus Good Shepherd, who brought from heaven the fire of your love, give us your heart. Inflame us with the desire for the glory of God and with a great love for our brothers and sisters. Make us sharers in your apostolate. Live in us, that we may radiate you in word, in suffering, in pastoral action, in the example of a good life. We offer you ourselves as docile and faithful sheep to become worthy of cooperating in your pastoral mission in the Church. Dispose all minds and hearts to receive your grace. Come, divine Shepherd, guide us; may there soon be one flock and one Shepherd.

Jesus Good Shepherd, Way and Truth and Life, have mercy on us.

Other biblical texts that can be used as references: Ps. 23; Ez. 34; Jr. 23:1-6; Mk. 6:34; Mt. 9:35-36; Jn. 19:25-27; Jn. 21:15-19; 1 Pt. 5:1-5; Rv. 7:13-17.

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Second Stage

12 May –7 June (Feast of Mary Queen of Apostles – Vigil of the Feast of Pentecost)

“With Mary in the cenacle to obtain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit”

Introduction

The Liturgy of the Church accompanies our celebration of the Alberionian Year, facilitat-ing our encounter with Mary, Queen of Apostles, who plays a fundamental role in our spiritu-ality.

At the age of 80, our Founder thanked the Blessed Trinity for the fact that “ever since 1900 I have practiced and preached devotion to Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life, to the Queen of Apostles and to St. Paul the Apostle” (SP, March-April, 1964). And in AD he re-minds us that: “The world needs Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life. Mary gives him through apostles and their apostolates. She raises them up, trains them, assists them, and crowns them with good results and glory in heaven” (n. 182).

The biblical texts proposed below encourage us to contemplate the first Christian com-munity, which, wounded by the betrayal of Judas, stumbling as a result of Peter’s denial, and fearful because of the absence of its Lord, now gathers in the cenacle with Mary, who “com-forts the apostles,” fosters harmony and prayer among them and, while waiting for the Spirit, who will heal their infidelities, also guides them to apostolic maturity. The biblical passages also remind us that this eagerly-awaited Spirit is the paschal gift of the Risen Lord, the victor over sin and death. It is the Spirit who enables us to live the requirements of our baptism, transforming us in Jesus and making us a living communication of him. Listening to the Word and Meditating on It

From the Acts of the Apostles (1:13f.) “When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter

and John and James and Andrew…. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

From the Gospel according to John (15:26f.) “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth

who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.”

From the Gospel according to John (16:12ff.) “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of

truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glo-rify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

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Proposal of Father Alberione In the proposal of Fr. Alberione found in DF (p. 9), the baptismal commitment springing

from Easter and calling us to new life is expressed in the statement: “to put to death the old self so that Jesus Christ might live in us.”

This can be done through the spiritual exercises: true Christian-religious-Pauline exer-cises to be carried out during the week of one’s annual retreat and to be continued throughout the spiritual-apostolic year. In fact, according to Fr. Alberione, during the spiritual exercises every Pauline should “begin to practice and live the resolutions that [he/she] intends to follow in the future.”

Fr. Alberione proposes three types of exercises: • exercises in virtue, that is, the series of good habits essential to the Christian life; • exercises in prayer: the forms of prayer more greatly practiced. In the first place,

meditation on suggested biblical passages; then other forms of prayer, such as the Via Humanitatis, the way of the cross, the rosary, or other exercises prompted by one’s desire to draw closer to the Lord;

• exercises in “divine thoughts”: that is, the fruit of one’s reflections and meditations, as well as the attitude with which one remains in company with one’s thoughts, con-siderations and reflections, when these are focused solely on God.

Living This Liturgical Period

Let us live this liturgical period with the heart and dispositions of Mary in the cenacle, al-lowing ourselves to be guided by the following excerpt from the writings of our Founder, which offers us a broad vision of Mary Queen of Apostles. DF pp. 96-97 Mary Queen of Apostles

1. The Queen of Apostles–of her we are to believe: that she was the Mother of the Apos-tle of the Father, the Divine Word; that she became the Mother, Teacher and Queen of every apostolate at the birth of Jesus, their head; that she was proclaimed such from the cross; that she showed herself as such especially with the Apostles at Pentecost; that she has always been the inspirer and patroness of every apostolate of the word and of the pen, and the one who forms the apostles of every place and time.

2. To her we owe: enlightened and unlimited trust and love; the most heartfelt, expansive and tender devotion; the most common and constant practices [of piety]: the rosary, the Ange-lus, the three Hail Mary’s, the chaplet, the observance of Saturday, etc.

3. We must honor her by writing about her, by preaching about her, and by giving the ex-ample of devotion to her. Fr. Alberione’s Vision of Mary

Fr. Alberione cultivated a very structured vision of Mary, Mother, Teacher and Queen of Apostles. The role Mary exercised in the cenacle was prepared by preceding events in which the Mother of Jesus came to understand her office as Queen of Apostles. In our Founder’s vi-sion, Mary:

- was the Mother of the Apostle of the Father, the Divine Word; - became Mother, Teacher and Queen of every apostle/apostolate at the birth of Jesus,

their head;

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- was proclaimed such from the cross; - showed herself as such especially with the Apostles at Pentecost. Mary Queen of Apostles prepares our heart to receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit “brings

everything to completion.” All we are asked to do is humbly “cooperate with him by means of special resolutions and trusting prayer, coupled with an abundance of practices.” DF p. 100

“All this is accomplished in the Holy Spirit: for, as is true with regard to the life of Jesus Christ, so too the life of the Church–that is, the supernatural life of souls–is communicated, developed, perfected and consumed in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must carry out a twofold work so that Jesus Christ may be formed in us: to cooperate [with him] by means of special resolutions coupled with an abundance of practices.” Hints for Contemporary Living

Mary Queen of Apostles is the new woman–“virgin mother, daughter of her son”–who carries out her pilgrimage of faith6 in the light and warmth of the Spirit, who leads her from the “fiat” of Nazareth to the “Magnificat” of Ain Karin, to the vigil on Calvary, to the joy of Pentecost and to her assumption into heaven.

Following her example, let us carry out an existential lectio of the Word–our Master, Way, Truth and Life–who wants us to live the complexity and simplicity of the Marian voca-tion in every moment of our life “here and now” so as to free and transfigure our “yes” and gradually conform our entire being to Christ. Jesus, my Lord, lives in my life: in my mind, will and heart. The Word questions our life so as to become our life

My “Nazareth”: the place in which I am overshadowed by the Spirit “here and now,” at every moment of my existence:

• “In the sixth month (Lk. 1:26): How am I living the time the Lord has granted me: as wasted time, marked by the passage of minutes, hours, days, events; or as the “fullness of time” in which God is shaping history? Do I see the characteristics of this period of history as a call to be the protagonist of my “today,” of my freedom, of the “dignity of my vocation” (cf. Eph. 4:4)?

• “The angel Gabriel” (Lk. 1:26): The Lord sends “angels” also to me as intermediaries of his personal will for my life. Who have these messengers been up to now? How have I welcomed them? What have they told me? I feel that God is calling my name in a new way. Am I listening to him and trying to understand what he is saying? Enlightened by the Spirit, am I ready to embrace my own unique “salvation story” so as to experience and rejoice in God’s personal love for me: “The hand of God is upon me…”?

• “Do not be afraid, Mary” (Lk. 1:30): In the light of Primo Maestro’s experience, what happened concretely in me and around me when I heard the words “Do not be afraid” addressed to me?

6 Cf. Redemptoris Mater, n. 15.

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Let me reflect more deeply on my life of faith, my meeting with Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life, and the mystery of his Incarnation in me. What does it mean that the Son of God took on human nature for me? Does this help me feel profoundly loved and saved by Jesus? What are the consequences of this?

• “Nothing is impossible to God” (Lk. 1:37): With the help of God, let me retrace my personal history, recalling the times he remained faithful to his promises, above all in what seemed to be impossible circumstances.

• “Then Mary said, ‘Here I am…’” (Lk. 1:38): Reflecting on my “yeses,” let me re-examine my “history” of availability and fidelity to God, which is the foundation for reforming and elevating my life. Let me also examine my more negative history of closure and infidelity to God….

• Is the power of the Spirit able to generate Christ the Word, Way, Truth and Life in me as it did in Mary, to the point that I can give him to the world? Am I seeking to iden-tify and recognize the signs of Christ’s presence within me and offer them to the Fa-ther in a spirit of renewed readiness to do his will?

I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word! Prayer7 Holy Spirit, through the intercession of the Queen of Pentecost: heal my mind of lack of reflection, ignorance, forgetfulness, obstinacy, prejudice, error, perversion, and form Wisdom, Jesus Christ Truth, in everything.

Heal my heart of indifference, diffidence, bad inclinations, passions, overly sentimental feelings, attachments, and form good taste, feelings, inclinations, Jesus Christ Life, in everything.

Heal my will of lack of will power, fickleness, inconstancy, sloth, stubbornness, bad habits, and form Jesus Christ Way in me, new love for whatever Jesus Christ loves and for Jesus Christ himself.

Uplift in a godlike way intelligence with the gift of understanding, wisdom with the gift of wisdom, knowledge with the gift of knowledge, prudence with the gift of counsel, justice with the gift of piety, strength with the gift of spiritual strength, temperance with the gift of fear of the Lord.

7 In November 1930, the Founder wrote: “[I must] Incarnate Jesus Christ in myself and in the others through the work of the Holy Spirit.” This personal desire and commitment was transformed into a prayer to the Spirit that we can make our own. It would also be helpful to take advantage of the Prayer to the Holy Spirit and the third point of the Chaplet to the Queen of Apostles.

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Third Stage

9 June – 30 June (Feast of St. Paul the Apostle)

St. Paul: “the most complete and faithful interpreter of the Divine Master”

Introduction

In passing on to us his spiritual heritage, Fr. Alberione was always concerned to direct us to Jesus Master, the Queen of Apostles and St. Paul the Apostle. What is sure is that our origins lie in the Eucharist. It is deeply moving to hear again the following words: “The life of the Pauline Family comes from the Eucharist, but it is communicated by St. Paul. Thus our most fervent gratitude goes to Jesus, the Divine Master, in his sacrament of light and love; to the Queen of Apostles, the Mother of our apostolate and of every apostolate; and to St. Paul the Apostle, who is the true Founder of the Institute. In fact he is its father, teacher, example and protector. He created this family through such a physical and spiri-tual intervention that even now, when we reflect on it, we cannot understand it well, much less explain it. Everything is his. He, the most complete interpreter of the Divine Master, applied the Gospel to the nations and called the nations to Christ” (SP, July-August 1954). In fact, St. Paul united holiness and apostolate. To approach Paul with a renewed heart is to profoundly savor the wealth of the charism passed on to us by our Founder. The Pauline biblical texts proposed here can help us enter into Paul’s Christocentric ex-

perience, which can be summed up as “being with” (called), “living in” (personal and pro-found meeting), “spending himself for” Christ (total involvement) by means of a mission which he lived as a debt of love. This intense Christocentric-apostolic experience, lived by a human being like us, so fascinated our Founder that he proposed it to us as something essen-tial. The Pauline text most often cited by Fr. Alberione is Galatians 2:20. Its importance lies in the fact that Paul, immersed in the paschal mystery as the law of daily life, is not speaking about imitation of an external model but of “substitution.” Paul allowed Christ to dwell in him, to think with his mind, to decide with his will, to love with his heart. For Paul, Jesus is the pearl of great price–both a gift and a conquest–for whose sake it is worthwhile to leave everything. Because of this, Paul’s life is interlaced with motivations regarding Jesus, who made him his apostle and sent him to everyone. Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (2:19-20)

“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” From the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (3:7-11)

“Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Je-sus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his suf-

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ferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection of the dead.” Proposal of Father Alberione

The marvels worked by the Spirit in Mary were undoubtedly of the highest order. But who can reach those heights? This is why we need a model closer to our human stature. So Fr. Al-berione offers us the figure of St. Paul, who was, in fact, a person like us, with both positive and negative points; a person who allowed God to act in him, who handed himself over to the Lord completely, and who was transformed into another, “living” Jesus (cf. Ga. 3:1).

St. Paul will always be a model to inspire us because the Pauline Family must be “Paul living today.” He lived in an outstanding way the experience of being a “new creature,” a condition brought about through the work of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and which consists in allowing him to realize the values of Christ in us. A Pauline is worthy of this name by virtue of his/her intimacy with the Apostle of the Gentiles, who “was the most complete and faithful interpreter of the Divine Master.” DF pp. 168-170

The doctrine of St. Paul From passages scattered throughout the revelation of the Old and New Testaments, Paul,

instructed by Jesus Christ and enlightened at every step by the Holy Spirit, formed the body of doctrine which he called “his Gospel.” It is this “Pauline Gospel” which dogmatically, morally and liturgically we ourselves live; or, better yet, which the Church lives. Because he was the most complete and faithful interpreter of the Divine Master, Paul understood, gave and elaborated by powerful syntheses and strict logic, the Gospel, whole and applied, so that the Gentile world found what it was unconsciously seeking.

Thus his vision penetrated the depths of humanity’s original fall; in it he saw man become flesh; he saw sin, which imposes its laws on the parts of the body, causing them to produce fruits of death; then he saw the will–almost always too weak to free itself from slavery and completely powerless to attain justification–elevated to divine heights. Justice, in fact, is not limited to the natural law or to natural virtue, but is the divine holiness of Jesus Christ him-self, communicated to our souls through the Holy Spirit, thus conforming our will to the di-vine will. And from what does this communion with eternal justice derive? From the faith that St. Paul describes in his Letter to the Romans as having a supernatural power. Faith, working through charity, unites us to Jesus Christ, in whom holiness, the divine life, is incarnated.

It does even more: it creates in us a new being, animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ. United to him, abandoned in him in this life, we can and do accomplish what he did: in him we die to the flesh and to sin, to be reborn to the spiritual life. To put it more precisely: Christ alone lives, thinks, acts, loves, wills, prays, suffers, dies and rises in us. As the head of regen-erated humanity, Christ forms all believers into a Mystical Body whose members are inti-mately bound by the charity that animates one and the same life, in which only one heart beats, the heart of Jesus Christ.

Paul: model of our transformation in God Precisely because Paul lived in an outstanding way the experience of being “a new per-

son” through the work of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, each member of the Pauline Family can model him/herself on the Apostle. For Fr. Alberione, our commitment to becoming holy cul-minates in “our transformation in God.” This is the goal that Paul, in his continual efforts to

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respond to Christ, succeeded in reaching, and he recommended that we follow in his foot-steps: “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” This imitation is a transforming relationship in which life and mission are two sides of the same coin. Such a transformation should be lived as a gift of God and requires our faithful collaboration. DF pp. 11-12

The work of sanctifying our soul consists in our transformation into God: “that [we] be-come God” by means of the food that is Jesus Christ, nourishing ourselves daily on Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life. This is the food given by God to humanity: we must eat and as-similate it. God has spread out the banquet: “compel people to come in” (Lk. 14:23).

On the one hand, therefore, there must be grace: the Eucharist and the Gospel (Mass, Communion, the Visit); on the other hand, there must be cooperation, meditation, the exami-nation of conscience, confession, spiritual direction. “Not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Co. 15:10). “We are God’s co-workers” (1 Co. 3:9).

The Goal of Our Transformation Every member of the Pauline Family should reach the point of genuine divinization. For

this purpose, we have always had at our disposition the nourishment identified with the per-son of Jesus himself. We are invited to nourish ourselves with this food–Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life–on a daily basis because it is the food “given by God to human beings.” It is precisely this Jesus, our daily nourishment, who transforms us into himself, and we discover to our surprise the truth of St. Paul’s words: “we are transformed into the very image” of Je-sus, the image of the invisible God! Hints for Contemporary Living

In our journey of discipleship and transformation in Christ, Paul offers himself to us as an example of what it means to be a “new person” [in Christ] because he himself was seized and conquered by the Lord (cf. Phil. 3:12).

The Word questions our life so as to become our life • Paul’s life can be divided into two parts: before and after, the second stage beginning with

his meeting with Christ. In his letters he speaks about the first part of his life, underscor-ing how radically it changed after his encounter with Christ. Compare: 1 Cor. 9:1; 1 Co. 15:8-9; Phil. 3:4-9; 1 Tm. 1:12-16. What was absolutely new about this encounter with Christ is that it changed Paul’s view of things and his understanding of his life. Think back on the times in your life when you can say you met the Lord and he revealed himself to you.

• How did the love of Christ seize and conquer you? When did you surrender to him? Times of crisis, of doubt, of reordering your life, of making choices, including choices with re-gard to the Gospel proposal: in what direction are you truly heading?

• A fundamental question should echo in your life as it did in Paul’s: “What must I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10) This question prepares us to accept the Lord’s project and proposal. Reflect on your journey of discipleship and transformation in Christ: How have you re-sponded to him up to now? What times of crisis and what times of renewed vigor have you experienced “so that Christ might be formed in you” (cf. Ga. 4:19)?

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• Paul’s meeting with Jesus on the way to Damascus helped him realize that God calls indi-viduals so as to entrust them with a mission. How do you understand the mission God has asked you to carry out on his behalf? What must you do to concretize it and incarnate it more and more?

• “For me, life is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Ga. 2:20). In all simplicity, but at the same time with profound sincerity and transfiguring transparency, reflect on how these Pauline statements affect your life “here and now” in your community and in the Pauline Family.

• Paul speaks to you as parent to child, as he did with Timothy, offering you a number of criteria to ground you in your choice of Jesus Christ: 2 Tm. 1:6-11; 1 Tm. 1:18-20; 1 Tm. 4:8-11; 1 Tm. 6:11-16, 20-21). Seek to understand the “advice” Paul is giving you about your life and make it the object of your prayer so as to welcome this gift and experience it in your daily life, which should be transformed more and more in Christ.

Prayer Holy Apostle, who with your teachings and with your charity have taught the entire world, look kindly upon us, your children and disciples. We expect everything from your prayers to the Divine Master and to Mary, Queen of Apostles. Grant, Doctor of the Gentiles, that we may live by faith, save ourselves by hope, and that charity alone reign in us. Obtain for us, vessel of election, docile correspondence to divine grace, so that it may not remain unfruitful in us. Grant that we may ever better know you, love you, and imitate you; that we may be living members of the Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Raise up many and holy apostles. May the warm breath of true charity permeate the entire world. Grant that all may know and glorify God and the Divine Master, Way and Truth and Life. And, Lord Jesus, you know we have no faith in our own powers. In your mercy, grant that we may be defended against all adversity through the powerful intercession of St. Paul, our Teacher and Father.

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Fourth Stage

1 July – 20 August (Memorial of St. Bernard – Foundation of the Pauline Family)

Profound self-examination on “Why did you come here?”

Introduction

“On 24 July, Fr. Alberione, whom it seems was very impatient to implement the plans that had been seething in his mind for some time, rented a building in Piazza Cherasca. In that very humble edifice, the Society of St. Paul was born under the name of ‘The Little Workers’ Typographical School.’ But the long name was quickly shortened to ‘Typographical School.’ According to tradition, the date of foundation was 20 August, the Feast of St. Bernard…. On the evening of Saturday, 22 August, Fr. Alberione welcomed into his establishment the first person to join him, a boy named Desiderio Costa” (Luigi Rolfo, Don Alberione, EP, pp. 86-87).

“St. Bernard opened the house and is its guardian. Under the eye of the holy Abbot of Clairveaux, the mind and heart of the 12th century, God raised up religious of the good press. And God loved us. St. Bernard is the doctor of the religious life and thus the workers of the good press must first of all possess the religious spirit in abundance. St. Bernard strove to penetrate his entire century with the spirit of Jesus Christ and this is the mission of the Good Press: to shape the entire person according to the Gospel” (UBS, A. 6, N. 8-15 August 1924, cf. Primavera Paolina, p. 222).

“In his teachings, our Founder constantly reminds us that St. Bernard is the ‘godfather’ of our religious Family. This Father and Doctor of the Church reminds us that we must remoti-vate our vocation and faithfully follow the path along which the Spirit is guiding us so as to live our apostolic consecration ‘grafted onto Christ.’ Electricity operates at high and low in-tensities. Religious life is life at ‘high intensity’; it is the poetry of Christ’s personality; it gen-erates and nurtures acts of heroism” (SP, July 1957, pp. 1-3).

The biblical texts suggested for this stage can help us interiorize St. Bernard’s spiritual experience. His eyes fixed on Jesus, with radical faith and a blend of prayer and action he in-jected into history the leaven of the Gospel, which renews people and cultures from the inside out. Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (12:1-2)

“Therefore, my friends, I implore you by God’s mercy to offer your very selves to him: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Conform no longer to the pattern of this present world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, ac-ceptable and perfect.” From the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (4:20-24)

“But that is not how you learned Christ. For were you not told about him, were you not as Christians taught the truth as it is in Jesus? Renouncing your former way of life, you must lay

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aside the old human nature which, deluded by its desires, is in the process of decay: you must be renewed in mind and spirit, and put on the new nature created in God’s likeness, which shows itself in the upright and devout life called for by the truth.” From the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians (3:1-3, 5, 9b-10)

“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God…. Put to death, there-fore, whatever in you is earthly…seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its prac-tices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.” Proposal of Father Alberione

“The Pious Society of St. Paul should frequently reflect on the question: ‘Why did you come here?’” (AD 197)

“More and more, we feel the need to put in order, correct, elevate and sanctify our entire life in the light of eternity: ‘Why did you come here?’ ‘What good is this for eternity?’” (SP, 15 June 1935)

Announcing the year of special sanctification: “During this time, the beginning of a new year, the Lord invites us to examine ourselves more deeply on the question: ‘Why did you come here?’” (SP, January 1963)

“To put in order, correct, elevate and sanctify our entire life in light of eternity”: this is Fr. Alberione’s invitation.

Our Founder proposes that we fix our gaze on the person of God the Father: the Creator, Provider, Guide and Purpose of everything. A Father who loves us and has showered us with gifts. It is important that our relationship with God the Father include the following disposi-tions: DF p. 17

a) Admiration: consideration–the first part of the Visit. b) Perennial, total praise from all creatures. c) Perfect love for him, “as infinite good, above all things.”

Fr. Alberione invites us to ask ourselves: “Why did you come here?” Jesus shows us the way we must follow: to fix our gaze on God, considering him our sole

and highest goal. Thus, giving glory to the Father becomes the primary duty of every person; the heart of each child of God must be filled with this desire and need!

“What must you do to carry out your apostolate? In the first place, you must have right in-tention: to give glory to God and attain personal holiness. This must be an all-consuming de-sire, to the point that you take no step, utter no word, do not even draw a breath that is not di-rected to this end: to give glory to God and attain personal holiness. See to it that nothing is lost with regard to time, thoughts, feelings, health. Everything must be directed to the glory of God and peace to all peoples; to holiness, the glory of God and peace to all peoples; to holi-ness and salvation.”8 8 Meditation of Primo Maestro, 1960, p. 20.

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On his part, the Founder asked himself toward the end of his life: “Is there anything in which I take glory or anything about which I am complacent? Do I only and always give all the glory to God? Am I afraid that I will run short of material goods or that they will be defec-tive in some way? Do I become discouraged during times of difficulty? Am I truly seeking the kingdom of God? Do I rest in my heavenly Father?” (Taccuini, 1964) DF pp. 25-26

1. Ultimate end: the glory of God. […] God is glorified through human beings and by human beings: on earth, with the praise and docility of the mind and heart to God; in eternity, with perfect knowledge, praise, and love of God–that is, through the person’s happiness. Thus, there is the supreme end and the secondary end.

2. The more perfect one’s knowledge and love of God is on earth, the more merit one gains. Knowledge of God progresses from ignorance and error to thinking like God in Jesus Christ. […] This state is reached by religious instruction and good reading, but even more by the infusion of faith, wisdom and knowledge of God.

3. Let us ascend from ignorance, from human knowledge, from hatred of mortal and ve-nial sin, and from self-love, until we reach the point of knowledge of God and pure love of him, making a little progress every day.

The love of God is perfected with the love of Jesus: what will separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing! Mary is the ladder; she receives grace from God and gives it to us; she takes away our self-love and replaces it with love of God.

Steps for “Climbing” to God

If our ultimate purpose is to glorify God in blissful joy and eternal praise of the Father, then we have a serious duty to get to know and acquire the wisdom of God, and to nourish our mind with reflections on eternal matters.

The Founder returns here to one of the aspects he most frequenly stressed: the need to know. And along with knowing, the need to love. Even more, it is the very person of Jesus as an integral Master that demands this dimension.

The process of acquiring knowledge is very broad: we start with ignorance or even error and, through a laborious apprenticeship of “religious instruction,” we steadfastly strive to ac-qire the “mind” of the Master until, in him, we reaches the point of “thinking like God” (cf. Lk. 2:49; Mt. 16:21-23). What we must do is “climb” by making the daily effort to elevate our thoughts and desires, “until we reach the point of knowledge of God and pure love of him, making a little progress every day.”

Fortified by the benevolent work of the Father, every believer is called to make or con-firm the fundamental option to respond to God, who binds the person to himself; to support his project of love, and to hand him/herself over to God as a “place” in which divine grace can fully operate.

Even more: in his goodness, the Father has also provided us with a very effective interme-diary to help us reach the heights of the spiritual life: Mary, the Mother of his Son and our Mother. Mary is our “ladder”; with her, it is easier to climb the steps to perfection. In fact, Mary receives grace from God and gives it to us; she takes away our self-love and replaces it with love of God. (DF p. 26).

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Hints for Contemporary Living

Through their experiences and teachings, Paul and Alberione show us that whether hu-man beings realize it or not the goal of our life is to come to know, experience and relish the profound meaning of our existence as participation in the life of the Creator. This mystery, revealed in the Bible, is preserved and sealed in the semantic and existential significance of a person’s name (cf. Is. 43:1; Lk. 10:20b).

Paul and Alberione invite us to discover our personal vocation and live the consequences of it so as to facilitate our journey of conformation to Christ, who dwells in us, to the point that he reaches full maturity in us (cf. Eph. 4.12; Ga. 2:20).

To discern, discover and choose our personal vocation in the perennial effort to pro-foundly transform our life means to grasp more and more the consoling certitude that we play a unique, valuable and fundamental role in the plan of salvation, and that our contribution is important to the building of that spiritual edifice in which we are “living stones,” erected on the living cornerstone of Christ himself (cf. Eph. 2:19-23; 1 Pt. 2:4-5).

Once we discover our personal vocation and strive to live it always more fully, it can be-come a criterion for discernment with regard to all our decisions in life. The genuine criterion for reaching the “truth that makes us free” (Jn. 8:32) is hope in our vocation (Eph. 4:4), which we must be ready to give an account of at all times and in all places (cf. 1 Pt. 3:15) so as to “shine like stars in the world, holding fast to the word of life” (cf. Phil. 2:15b-16).

In the light of these reflections, let us live more profoundly the contemplative dimension of our life, which enables us to feel that we are participants and co-protagonists in the “sym-phony of salvation.” Let us ask ourselves sincerely and forcefully the following three ques-tions so as to direct our lives always more toward the One who is the Principle and Founda-tion of our being, our life, our call and our mission:

• Who are you for me, Lord, here and now? • What do you want of me, Lord, here and now? • How do you want to live in me, Lord, here and now? May the one who began his good work in us bring it to completion! (cf. Phil. 1:6)

Prayer9 Lord, you have worked wonders of mercy in my life and your glory is revealed even more when you forgive those who humble themselves and trust in your goodness. Multiply your graces in me and balance these, along with the gifts I received for your glory, with my [attainment] of holiness and with the good of souls. In your new mercy, you know and can accomplish this entirely for your glory, eternal love and peace to me and to the souls to whom I have been sent. Change me, the greatest sinner, into one of your greatest saints and apostles so that, where sin once reigned, grace and apostolate and its fruit may abound to your glory and peace to all people.

9 In 1962, Fr. Alberione expressed his profound desire to live with his heart directed to God, seeking only and always his glory.

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Immense and further glory to you; immense mercy for me; immense glory to Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life; and immense devotion to Mary Queen of Apostles and St. Paul the Apostle.10

* * *

To seek only and always the glory of God: Fr. Alberione not only advised everyone to do this, but he felt obliged to live this recommendation first of all, in every circumstance. As witness to this, we have the promissory note drawn up around 1920 by Fr. Alberione and Fr. Giaccardo with the three divine Persons. Here is a reprint of that document: (insert picture of the promissory note here, if desired)

This promissory effectively illustrates their resolution, on the one hand, to focus solely on the glory of God, and on the other, their unshakable faith in the promise of Jesus (Mt. 6:33).

The top line sets forth their resolution: “To seek first of all the kingdom of God and his justice.” Signed: Fr. Alberione James; Fr. Giaccardo Timothy.

The bottom line stipulates the commitment of the Blessed Trinity: “Everything else will be given you in addition.” Signed: Jesus Christ; Father; Holy Spirit.

Fifth Stage

21 August – 12 September Fr. Alberione is placed in charge of the diocesan press

“The year in which I was called to the mission”

Introduction

For Fr. Alberione, 12 September 1913 was a “kairos”: the date on which he received a sign from God that made him certain he was following the divine will. It was one of the “new lights” that little by little illuminated his path to lead him to the “land” promised him by God on the night between the centuries, during which “he felt obliged to do something for the peo-ple of his time.” At last, Alberione discerned with greater certitude the direction in which the will of God was leading him. Not all the details of that journey were immediately clear to him; instead, “in moving along he was enlightened from time to time” (AD 202).

He knew that “the Lord lights lamps as little by little we move ahead and they are needed. He doesn’t light them all at once, at the beginning, when they are not necessary, because he 10 Alberione, Taccuini, 1962.

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doesn’t waste light. But he always provides it at the right moment” (CVV 247; SP, April-May, 1959, pp. 1-2). Alberione himself recalls: “One day, the authority of the hierarchy placed us on a path and apostolate different from that ordinarily followed. This happened on the evening when the Bishop of Alba listened to my sermon on the Name of Mary (12 Sep-tember). During that homily, I invited the faithful to establish the maternal kingdom of Mary, whose apostolate is to give Jesus Christ to the world.

“Immediately afterward, the Bishop summoned me and said: ‘I want to add another min-istry to your usual priestly duties. It will require hard work.’ He pointed out the path to me: the diocesan press. He guided and sustained me along that path with wisdom and strength for the next twenty years, in high and low points. Everything unfolded from that ministry. Now two venerable documents11 confirm that everything was accomplished under the light, guid-ance and approval of the Church and, more precisely, the ‘shepherd who guides the Church.’ This is the royal road: in Christ and in the Church. [To always proceed] according to the man-ner in which we were born and in which we live today” (SP July, 1957).

The Memorial of St. Bernard helped us focus on the roots of our vocation. This memorial of a historical event in the life of Fr. Alberione can help us interpret our journey in the light of his so as to see it as a “sacred history” in which even the most insignificant events form part of the providential plan of God. This awareness will certainly nourish our desire to harmonize our will always more with the will of God–a Father who loves us, who is constantly surpris-ing us, and who ensures that all things work to our good.

The biblical texts suggested here help us interpret this historical event as an important stage on our journey of faith toward the promised land. For Fr. Alberione, it was an exo-dus toward a particular charism to which the Lord was calling him. On this journey, he did not forget the promise of God or his resolve to obey him in a spirit of faith. The key to understanding Alberione’s journey can be found in Abram’s response to God’s command to leave his native land so as to head toward a future to be revealed to him by the Lord, and his subsequent departure toward this unclear future. Alberione was being called to be-gin something completely new. He lacked the means necessary [to perform this mission] but he was absolutely sure of God’s guidance and of his own desire to follow the divine path. The passage from Deuteronomy, addressed to the children of Abraham (Israel), is an invitation extended also to us, the children of Fr. Alberione, to never forget what God did for us and to have faith in what he still intends to do: a heritage that will make us “new apostles for new times” in the Church.

Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Book of Genesis (12:1-2)

“The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

From the Book of Deuteronomy (5:6-10)

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for

11 The two “venerable” and commendatory documents to which Fr. Alberione refers are: a document from His Holiness Pope Pius XII and a letter from Cardinal Valerio Valeri, Prefect of the Congregation for Religious.

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I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Proposal of Father Alberione

“When the time came to start, the Bishop struck the hour of God (he was waiting for the bell stroke), charging him to devote himself to the diocesan press. This opened the way for the apostolate. So, too, when the time came to expand, for when he saw how things were going, he consented to his request to give up his duties in the service of the diocese: ‘We shall leave you free and make do in some other way; devote yourself completely to the work you have started.’ He wept bitterly, since he felt deep affection for the diocese. But he had made his request over a year ago, and his spiritual director had stated that this was God’s will” (AD 30).

But thirteen years had already passed since the night during which he had come to a deeper understanding of the invitation of Jesus, “Come to me, all of you”; since he had re-ceived more light regarding the need for a new band of apostles to serve the Church and the people of the new century. Alberione experienced in a very personal way the “long pe-riods of waiting” in God. He knew that “to discover the will of God is at one and the same time simple and complicated, clear and obscure, sorrowful and pleasant, natural and won-derful, according to each individual case” (UPS I, 115). “The will of Jesus is very strong, constant and generous; it corrects our frailties, inconstancies and selfishness, and infuses us with his divine energy to the point that we can say with St. Paul: ‘I call do all things in the one who gives me strength’” (SP, December 1956). To discern and fulfill the will of God is the fundamental disposition asked of each mem-

ber of the Pauline Family. It is significant that our Founder presents the will of God in a warm and pro-active way, namely, as “the supreme law and the greatest act of love” (DF p. 19). DF pp. 19-20 [God the Father guides us] with his law

a) Eternal law: this necessarily has a purpose–to order and direct every action and movement…. How supremely wise is God’s every disposition. I must conform to this law by embracing the will of God as the supreme law and the greatest act of love. God the Father loves us

Believers see the Law not as simply a series of dispositions and rules to observe but first of all as a precious gift of God. They want to assume the will of God as the supreme law (su-perior to any other law and our sole point of reference) in their life and activities and as the greatest act of love (they want to embrace it as an act of love on the part of a loving Father and put it into practice with profound love). As a consequence, they continually and atten-tively “examine” and “instruct” themselves by remaining receptive and docile to the voice of God so as to perceive and do his will. DF p. 20

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Examination–Instruction The will of God is the great sun toward which the soul, like a sunflower, must always be

turned. [To see] the will of God: in one’s superiors; in circumstances; in one’s inner self. “Teach

me to do your will, for you are my God” (Ps. 143:10). Everything works to the good of those who love God

The will of God is the “great sun” toward which the human being, “like a sunflower,” must always turn so as to receive light, warmth and life. The itinerary for conforming our-selves to this will was traced out for us by the Divine Master himself: “My food is to do the will of God” (cf. Jn. 4:34)–an itinerary which he first lived and then proposed to his disciples: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” The “righteousness” that one should hunger and thirst after is precisely the will of God expressed in his directives.

Fr. Alberione too was hungry and thirsty for the will of God and he felt the need to reas-sure his children: “The Lord […] has charged me, the most wretched of all, to share with you his most wise and sweet will, our devotions, the grace of the Holy Spirit and our par-ticular life. I am positive that I accepted this duty because it was the clear will of God, manifested in the most reliable ways: no human will intervened. I am sure that in sub-stance I have taught what God wanted–from the spirit [of the Institute] up to economic administration. You will receive blessings, consolations and spiritual children to the measure that you follow and live the Pauline life as it is presented in the Constitutions, the customs [of the Institute] and general or particular exhortations. Others will listen to you to the degree that you yourselves are able to listen” (SP, June-July 1951).

Hints for Contemporary Living

To discern, choose and incarnate the will of God in my life “here and now” is the true journey I must make to fully realize the mystery of my existence, which is that of a person sent to carry out a specific mission. To discern, choose and incarnate the will of God for me personally means to “clothe” myself in the sentiments of the spiritual person, who discerns everything but judges nothing because that individual thinks like Christ (cf. 1 Co. 2:15-16).

To understand the will of God in the details of my daily life, as I strive to conform myself to Christ, who lives in me, is the most accurate meaning of Paul’s invitation in Rm. 12:2, if I am to truly be “a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” The “liturgy of my life” must celebrate the memory of all my “yeses” to God, which

make up my personal story of salvation, the “place” where I discern my personal and primary mission within the common fabric of the Pauline charism.

The Word questions our life so as to become our life • In my mission and apostolate, am I striving to become “a living sacrifice, holy and ac-

ceptable to God”?

• Are my mission and apostolate an important element in my unceasing efforts to conform myself to Christ, who lives in me?

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• Am I contemplative in action? Am I able to view developing circumstances and encoun-ters with others as “places” in which the Spirit speaks to my heart and points out to me my specific apostolate and mission in harmony with the others in my community and the en-tire Pauine Family, in the awareness that “if I am what I should be, then I will inflame the world” (John Paul II)?

• “First be, then do….” Am I an echo and incarnation of the truth of Christ, who dwells within me, or am I worried about many things (cf. Lk. 10:41), caught in a tepidity that generates a sadness typical of the spirit of the world and not peace according to God (cf. 2 Co. 7:10)?

May the Lord make our mission and apostolate “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:2)! Prayer12 May I see with your eyes. May I speak with your tongue. May I hear with your ears. May I relish what you relish. May my hands be yours. May I pray with your words. May I treat others as you do. May I celebrate [the Liturgy] as you immolated yourself. May I be you and you be me, to the point that I disappear. May you use my tongue to sing the praises of God through the ages. May you use my heart to love him. May you use this most wretched of all sinners to proclaim: “I am the Good Shepherd; what I desire is mercy.” Sixth Stage

13 September – 26 October (Feast of Jesus Christ the Divine Master)

“The Father himself sent his Son, the Master” Introduction

Jesus, Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, is the heart of our apostolic spiritual-ity. Our Founder was careful to point out that, for us, Jesus Master is not just one of many masters–he is our sole Master, the Way, the Truth and the Life. “From the very beginning, our Founder saw Christ as the ‘Master,’ the ‘Divine Master.’ To indicate the whole Christ, it was enough for him to say ‘the Master’ or ‘the Divine Master,’ a phrase which for him also in-cluded the great trinomial ‘Way, Truth and Life.’”13 Jesus is not the “Master” solely because

12 James Alberione, Che io ami con il tuo cuore, General Historical Archives edition, 1985, p. 26. 13 Giovanni Roatta, cited by Antonio Da Silva, “Sintesi delle relazioni del Seminario del 1984,” in Gesù il Mae-stro, pp. 21-22.

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he teaches or proposes an excellent doctrine, but because he is the Son sent by the Father to lead us back to him by becoming our Way, our Mediator.

The complete formulation of this Christological title, a Synoptic-Johannine fusion on the part of Fr. Alberione, took place toward the end of 1923 or the beginning of 1924. Fr. Al-berione was certain he was handing on to us, his children, the only wealth he possessed: Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life. The values that undergird our life derive from this light and the conclusion is clear: Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life is the point of departure, the route and the goal of the spiritual-formative-apostolic process. Thus our celebration of the Feast of the Divine Master during the Alberionian Year should be particularly festive in tone. The biblical texts offered here can help us live this central point of our charism in the

light of the experience and teaching of Paul. For him, to meet Christ means to live and work in him to the point of truly re-presenting him (making him present once again) to others. It is a dynamic process of conversion or ongoing transformation that will end only when we die. At that point, the Father will be pleased to see the fulfillment of his plan in us: that is, he will rejoice in the fact that we have been refashioned in the image of his Son. Paul is so convinced that God will complete this project of conforming us to his Son that he feels already justified and glorified through the power of his love. Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (4:18-19)

“Devotion to a praiseworthy cause is praiseworthy at any time, not only when I am there with you. My children, I am going through the pain of giving birth to you all over again, until Christ is formed in you!”

From the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (8:29-30)

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he pre-destined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Proposal of Father Alberione

The Founder clearly pointed out the point of departure and point of arrival in our spiritual journey: to put selfishness to death so as to allow Jesus to live in us to the point that we are transformed in him. He also underscored the figure of the heavenly Father, who awaits our conversion as a sign of our definitive return to him (cf. DF p. 99).

The Pauline way to attain this goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to form Jesus in us (Ga. 4:19) until he reaches full stature (cf. Eph. 4:13). DF pp. 35-36 Therefore…

Coming forth from the hands of God so as to glorify him in eternity, the human being has to make the long, trial-filled trip called life. The Father himself sent his Son, the Master, to point out the path to humanity, travel it with them and be their intermediary so that, in the end, individuals will be judged as to whether or not they conformed themselves to the Son of God in mind, in will and in life. This conformity must be accomplished in love because those who love will continue to do so and will be rewarded for all eternity. Those who do not love will remain estranged from God forever.

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The world is the imperfect kingdom of God because of human faults and because of weeds; eternity is the perfect kingdom of God even on the part of human beings, who will glorify him for all eternity. “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our like-ness” (Gn. 1:26). The image that was spoiled by humanity is restored in the Son of God and, through the Holy Spirit and a superabundance of grace, it will surpass the first in beauty.

The Father himself sent his Son, the Master… After having created human beings and

placed them in the world, God did not abandon them to their destiny. Far from it! In fact, he, our good Father, gave us none other than his beloved Son as a travelling companion: it was for this reason that he sent him among us and for us.

The Son, Jesus Christ, was sent as the Master: a Master not only and not principally be-cause he sits in the teacher’s chair and instructs us, but above all because he wove himself into the fabric of human life, assuming all the expressions of human thought and action.

To point out the path to humanity, travel it with them and be their way…. Here we see the “duties” the Father gave his Son to accomplish on earth: - to point out: this verb includes the idea of teaching, guiding, directing. It is easy for us to

see Jesus Truth in “the Master-who-points-out”; - to travel it: here we are presented with an itinerary; our Founder is thinking of Jesus Mas-

ter Way, the model for believers; - to be [humanity’s] intermediary: here we understand that the Master lovingly embraces

our human frailties; he is the Shepherd who carries the lamb on his shoulders. For us, Je-sus Master Life is a font of grace, energy and spiritual strength; he is our irreplaceable travelling companion…so that, in the end, individuals will be judged as to whether or not they conformed themselves to the Son of God in mind, in will and in life. This conformity must be accomplished in love. The gift the Father gave humanity by sending Jesus as Mas-ter was made with a specific goal in mind: to help human beings conform themselves to his Son, and the degree of this conformity will be the substance of the Last Judgment.14 From the human perspective, the itinerary is this: Christ, who is being formed in the per-

son, trans-forms that individual, who is consequently con-formed to him. It is a process that involves all the faculties and initiatives of the person. Christ’s “form” in us from the Pauline-Alberionian perspective

Given the significance Fr. Alberione placed on the Pauline way of being “formed” in Christ, it is important to ask what Paul means by this word. In the NT, the word “form” is used almost exclusively by Paul: it occurs 13 times and 10 of those times (a significant quan-tity) are in the Pauline letters. The word is used with various nuances: as a way of existing (Phil. 2:7); as a way of living that manifests the self-offering of Jesus (Phil. 3.10), as the char-acteristics of Jesus which are communicated to us (Phil. 3:21), as lifegiving communion with Christ to the point that we, as Christians, are conformed to his way of life and manifest the same characteristics. We resemble Christ to the point of truly becoming his image (Rm. 8:29).

14 In an important passage written in 1949, Fr. Alberione presents conformation to Christ as something attained by the Pauline at the moment of the Final Judgment: “When the soul presents itself to Jesus Judge, he will dis-cern himself in that individual: “conformed to the image of his Son.” He will present that soul to God, who will see its resemblance to the Blessed Trinity–a resemblance restored by Jesus Christ himself. He will take pleasure in this and the soul will sing for all eternity: Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit” (Introduction to Gesù Maestro Via, Verità e Vita, S. Lamera, Appunti, EP, Alba 1949).

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The phrase “until Christ is formed in you” can be paraphrased: “until Christ, who lives in you, can be seen and recognized by everyone.” If “form” indicates an interior way of existing that is manifested externally, then Paul uses the word to remind us of “the garment we must put on”–Jesus Christ (Rm. 13:14; Ga. 3:26-27). Our “garment,” that is, what can be seen of us, must be Jesus: his values, his behavior, all his features. Paul reminds us that the Father, in continually calling us to set out on “the trip called life,” also protects us by “clothing” us in faith, hope and love. Hope is like a helmet, while faith and love are the armor that protect our body and heart (1 Th. 1:3; 5:8). To possess the form of Christ Jesus, to consider him our “garment,” means letting ourselves be shaped by the values of faith, hope and love. In the thought of Alberione, the theological virtues correspond to Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life, who is formed in our mind, will and heart. Hints for Contemporary Living

Let us enter the school of the Divine Master and adopt an attitude of listening steeped with adoring, fruitful and creative silence. Let us nourish the desire to engrave on our heart and live the icon par excellence of discipleship: “resting his head on the heart of Jesus…” (Jn. 13:25). Jesus in the heart of John and John in the heart of Jesus, so as to understand, live and profoundly incarnate the experience to which Paul alludes in Ga. 2:20.

We must penetrate the Master’s heart and listen to him with our entire being. We must clothe ourselves in a spirit of listening and incarnate this quality in our life, so as to identify with the One to whom we listen; the One whom we meditate on and contemplate.

The Word questions our life so as to become our life

• To enter the school of the Divine Master means to become capable of silence, vigilance, availability, acceptance. What progress have I made on this journey?

• In what type of creative silence do I live my intellectual, psychological and spiritual life? Do I live this type of silence at all?

• Is the silence in which I immerse myself simply an absence of noise, daydreams, projects? Or is it a fruitful silence in which I lovingly and intelligently graft myself onto the person of Jesus Master so as to live his life, think his thoughts and share his attitudes, dispositions and virtues from the inside out, allowing his all-wise and transfiguring doctrine to build, fortify and conform me to him?

Prayer15 Master: your life traces out the way for me; your doctrine confirms and enlightens my steps; your grace sustains me on my journey toward heaven. You are the perfect Master, who gives the example, who teaches and strengthens the disciple to follow you. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

15 The prayer, To the Divine Master, which appears at the beginning of the chapter “The Illuminative Way” in DF (pp. 39-40) is a beautiful witness to the spiritual depth of our Founder, who is aiming at “the highest perfec-tion.” To reach this goal, he adopts the style of Paul, who placed himself entirely in the hands of the Master.

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so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.” “You are a teacher come from God” (Jn. 3:2).

1. Master, you have words of eternal life. Replace yourself in my mind and thoughts, you who illuminate every person and are Truth itself: I want to reason only according to your teachings, to judge only according to your judgments, to think only of you, substantial Truth, given to me by the Father: “Live in my mind, O Jesus Truth.”

2. Your life is precept–the sure, unique, true, infallible way. The crib, Nazareth, Calvary–all trace out the divine way of love for the Father, of infinite purity, of love for souls to the point of total sacrifice. Grant that I might understand your way, that every moment I might follow in your footsteps along the path of poverty, chastity and obedience. Every other way is broad…but it is not yours. Jesus, I reject and detest every way not indicated by you. I want what you want: replace my will with your will.

3. Replace my heart with your heart: my love for God, for my neighbor and for myself with your love. Replace my sinful human life with your divine, pure and supernatural life. “I am the life” (Jn. 14:6). So that you might live in me, I will give great care to holy Mass, to communion, to the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament, to devotion to the passion. May your divine life be manifested in my deeds: “so that the life of Christ may be manifested in our bodies,” as happened with St. Paul: “Christ lives in me.” Live in me, Jesus, eternal Life, substantial Life. Seventh Stage

27 October – 26 November (Feast of Blessed James Alberione)

“Formation should be modelled on the Divine Master”

Introduction

During this month in which we move toward the end of the liturgical year, we celebrate Blessed James Alberione’s “birth to eternal life.” In commemorating this final event of his life, let us focus on some of the “certitudes” that helped him mature as a person and priest. Significant among these is his vision of Jesus’ discipleship in Nazareth, in which he revealed himself as a true Master. This discipleship was already a “preaching ministry.” The years Je-sus spent in Nazareth might seem to have been a long waiting period, a time of “death.” But in reality they were a time of growth, of the joyous maturation of the mystery of his sonship, which he had already grasped when he stood in the midst of the teachers in the Temple. As an

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adult, Jesus profoundly lived the lessons he had learned at Nazareth and always remained the disciple of the Father. The reading to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus “learned obedience through what he suffered” (5:8) and Paul says very clearly that he was obedient to the point of death on the cross (Phil. 2:7).

The biblical text suggested for this stage concerns Jesus’s hidden life in Nazareth, during which he allowed himself to be educated by Mary and Joseph and thus corresponded to the Father’s plan for him. Let us contemplate through the eyes of Alberione the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth and the family atmosphere in which he was immersed. Let us allow ourselves to penetrate more deeply into the long period of Jesus’ hidden life, which pre-pared him for his mission and for the fundamental option that would characterize his exis-tence. This liturgical period offers us the chance to participate more profoundly in the dis-cipleship of Jesus, whose obedience bore the fruit of wisdom and grace.

Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Gospel according to Luke (2:39-40, 51-52)

When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favor was with him. […]

He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and with people.

Proposal of Father Alberione

The Founder presents our itinerary of growth in Jesus as a program aimed at modelling ourselves on the Divine Master. According to Alberione, the “teaching authority” from which we should learn is above all the recollected environment of the family of Nazareth, in particu-lar the humble carpentry shop. It is significant that Jesus began to teach from Nazareth be-cause it was here that he allowed himself to be formed by Mary and Joseph. DF pp. 14-15

The School of Nazareth “Until Christ is formed in you” (Ga. 4:19)

Formation must be modelled on the Divine Master–on his thirty years of private life. Therefore, it requires: 1. Flight: withdrawal from the world, which is a school opposed to that of the Divine

Master. During postulancy, novitiate and temporary profession, one should seek solitude and the company of the saints.

2. Internal mortification of the memory, imagination, pride, heart, etc.; external mortifi-cation of touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell, and the following of a schedule, a program.

3. Prayer: “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Hence, the need for reception of the most holy sacraments, devotion to the Blessed Mother and to St. Paul; the Visit; the ex-amination of conscience. St. Paul’s words are very clear: “Thus it depends not on human will

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or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rm. 9:16). It is necessary to enter the kingdom of mercy and submit to that governing authority or dominion.

4. The study of perfection: that is, one must want to acquire divine knowledge, perfect his/her will, and become holy. The “School” of Nazareth

The “lessons” the Master teaches us in the school of Nazareth fall into three categories: • rejection of a worldly mentality. The Founder calls this “flight, withdrawal from the

world”–an essential condition for this itinerary: a climate of recollection, of solitude in which we cultivate the company of the saints;

• profound attachment to Christ Jesus. Fr. Alberione uses the word “mortification”: a rig-orous external and internal self-discipline, which he says is essential;

• humble and assiduous prayer, in the conviction that we cannot do anything without the help of the Lord;

• “the study of perfection”: that is, the will to succeed, which involves effort; it means ap-plying oneself resolutely, steadfastly, to the work of perfecting oneself.

Everyone knows how much Fr. Alberione insisted that we meditate at length on the exam-

ples given us by Jesus in Nazareth. The Founder’s preachings and writings are filled with re-minders to enter this school. We are called to take the private life of Jesus as our model and meditate on the “mysterious chain” of his examples: “Jesus’ private life occupies thirty out of thirty-three years: thus it has the importance of ten to one. It is growth in age, wisdom and grace. It is a mysterious chain of obedience, of prayer, of sacrifice, of the domestic virtues” (DF, p. 42). The Lesson of Nazareth

Jesus’ private life in Nazareth was apparently limited to work and hidden prayer, but in reality he taught all humanity through his example.

“Jesus wanted to work. And what type of work did he do? A carpenter’s work; humble work. The heavenly Father sent his Son to work as a carpenter for many years on earth. What a mystery! And what a mystery it is to think that Jesus spent thirty of his thirty-three years leading a private life. Wasn’t he sent to communicate the message of salvation? First put your teachings into practice, then pass them on to others. Thus he taught us to practice humility and to carry out humble apostolates because our apostolate is not only sanctifying; it is not only a work of zeal. It also helps to redeem souls” (PD63, n. 491).

“The house of Nazareth was a house of recollection and silence…. There dwelt three very holy persons completely intent on honoring, loving and faithfully serving God….. [Jesus] loved to listen to Mary and Joseph; he was always ready to heed their dispositions…. It was a house of loving and operative silence. The house of Nazareth was a house of intellectual, spiritual and manual work. It was a house of prayer…. Houses modelled on this one will be-come houses of peace” (Alle Figlie di San Paolo, 1940-1945, pp. 204-209).

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Hints for Contemporary Living

Let us humble ourselves so as to penetrate the breadth, length, depth and height (cf. Eph. 3:14) of the mystery of our formation and configuration to Christ, who lives in each one of us according to the uniqueness of our being.

The school of Nazareth is presented to us and incites us to live and incarnate daily events in an extraordinary way, as John Paul II reminded us when he announced the Extraordi-nary Year of the Redemption in 1983. Let us model ourselves on the Divine Master, seek-ing and finding God in all things: in silence, in prayer, and in work that is assiduous, fruit-ful and balanced, never disjointed.

The Word questions our life so as to become our life • Do I consider my life to be one of continual formation in the “highest school of love”

typical of the quiet, recollected house of Nazareth?

• Do I truly live in the spirit of peace and consolation proper to one who understands the route of his/her formation, because I know that I am guided by God, whose teaching style is characterized by a powerful silence that helps me mature?

• Do I possess the freedom of mind and heart required to pursue a continual journey of growth and human/spiritual formation? Or am I enslaved by my work and by the concern to organize my projects?

• Do I want something “more” (cf. 1 Co. 12:31) or am I satisfied with what I already have, like the third servant in the parable of the talents (cf. Mt. 25:24-25)?

Prayer16

Jesus Christ practiced the individual, domestic, religious and social virtues. He made man and woman, the family and civil society, whole. He renewed the people of God. He glori-fied the Father in a befitting way. He lived a life of humility, obedience, prayer and work (cf. Lk. 2:39-52). May you be blessed, Divine Master, because you made yourself similar to us in order to make us similar to God. You repaired the ruin caused by the devil and our passions. You showed us that we can inherit divine happiness if we live a life similar to yours. Grant that we may know you, imitate you and love you. Glory to God in the highest and peace to humanity. Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life, have mercy on us. Mary, Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

16 Ninth point of the Way of Humanity.

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Eighth Stage

27 November – 21 December (4th Sunday of Advent)

“We must follow this supreme Master”

Introduction

During Advent, the liturgy urges us to await the Messiah, the hope of all peoples, who comes to restore dignity to every wounded person and every prisoner of evil; who comes to liberate human beings from every type of oppression. We know that the Lord has already come and that his long-awaited kingdom is even now in our midst. He is “God-with-us.” His love snatches us from the darkness of ignorance, which causes us to wander about in confu-sion. Advent invites us to open the eyes of our heart to Jesus, the Master who knocks on our door every day so as to flood us with his lifegiving light.

The biblical texts suggested for interiorization can help us root ourselves always more profoundly in the person of Jesus, our sole Master. He establishes the criteria of true fa-therhood and fraternity. This sole Master offers his disciples an amazing program of life–one that will change their way of thinking about and evaluating themselves and others. It is not a code of threatening rules: You must do this! On the contrary, it is a joyous an-nouncement: You are blessed! You are blessed because God’s love has reached you by means of the Son, who reveals his Father’s face to you. You can live as God wants you to live because he himself enables you to do this.

Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Gospel according to Matthew (23:8ff.)

You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.

Proposal of Father Alberione

Jesus, sent by the Father as Master/Shepherd, is first of all Truth for our mind. He re-vealed himself as Truth by “removing the veil” to manifest the salvific plan of the divine Trinity. [He is] Truth because he is the wisdom, the manifestation and the definitive revela-tion of the Father. [He is] Truth not only because of what he says about the Father, the Trinity and human beings, but because of who he is. In Jesus, we can know and “see” the Father and be incorporated into the Trinity.

Jesus Master Truth questions our intellect, which acquires the ability to grasp revealed truths, understand them through the light of the Spirit, and assimilate them. But human coop-eration is also necessary, which means we have a duty to “study Christian doctrine, particu-larly the Gospel.” DF pp. 49-50

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Jesus Truth 1. “I am the truth,” that is, Jesus is the Truth concerning the nature of human beings and

their destiny; concerning the nature of God and his attributes; concerning the nature of relig-ion and our duties….

3. We must follow this supreme Master because he is unique: “You have only one mas-ter.” Others are teachers insofar as they are conformed to him, for he has the most sublime teaching method, because he is God. Thus, we will have the grace to do what he teaches and we will please the Father in the use of our mind. “You will know them by their fruits.”

Jesus Truth invites us to follow him. Jesus revealed himself as the Truth: not a truth but the truth: the sole, eternal and unchangeable truth. He came to help us get to know “the truth concerning the nature of human beings and their destiny”: only he, the revelation of the Fa-ther’s thought, can show us the stupendous destiny that awaits us.

How does this apply to the life of the believer? We are called to follow this Master. Therefore, it is not enough for us to know his teaching. He is the supreme Master and thus he is unique among the masses of pseudo-teachers….

But God’s gift does not stop here. Since following the Master is something beyond our capabilities, knowledge of him will bring with it “the grace to do what he teaches”! Thus the steps we must take are clear: it is essential that we get to know the teaching of Jesus and then do what he proposes, confident that he will not fail to give us the help of his grace. It is not hard to see the whole Christ Jesus in this: he is the Truth that instructs us; the Way that leads us to take action, and the Life that assures us of his grace. This will result in a wonderful fruit: that is, we will please the Father in the use of our mind.

Each of us is invited to begin to assimilate the mentality of Jesus through a long and pro-found meditation on the beatitudes (Mt. 5:1-12). DF pp. 50-51 Jesus Truth [Eight beatitudes]

“Unheard of” truths, new to the world, eternal truths. The meaning of each one. To correct one’s entire way of thinking, feeling and living.

How to understand this “totally new” message

Fr. Alberione hastens to suggest several essential points to help us reflect on these totally new, “never before heard,” and above all eternal truths. It is very important to keep in mind the purpose of this meditation: “to correct one’s entire way of thinking, feeling and living,” that is, to lead the whole person–mind, heart, will–to the school of the Master, or better, Jesus Master Truth!

“Isn’t sanctification of the mind and heart the substance of the Sermon on the Mount?” (SP 1955) After meditating on the beatitudes, we are invited to meditate on what is known as the

“Sermon on the Mount” or “Discourse on the Mountain.” DF p. 51

The Discourse on the Mountain:

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The perfection of charity and of the virtues pointed out by Jesus over the Old Law. Sanctification of the spirit and of the heart. The essence of the priesthood. Two characteristics: the need for salvation; the need for humility.

This is another subject (Mt. 5-7; Lk. 6) regarding which Fr. Alberione suggests several

points for reflection, meditation and study. The two “characteristics” he lists are important: the need to allow God to lead us to salvation, and repeated emphasis on “the need for humil-ity.” Hints for Contemporary Living

Let us follow the order of ideas in the prayer to the Divine Master so as to learn how to liberate our mind and intellect from the profound and often hidden “securities” to which we cling.

We must begin to identify our orientations so as to understand the movement of our mind and intellect.

Self-centered individuals who believe they possess the truth do not belong to Christ. The movement of Jesus Master Truth is to leave self behind. If you want to be perfect, if you want to be an expert on the “word of the cross,” which is the “wisdom of the cross,” then you must renounce yourself by placing yourself in the hands of the Father! The Word questions our life so as to become our life

The Gospel passage that speaks about the tempting of Jesus is a privileged place for ex-amining our own life with regard to the existential orientation of Jesus Truth, which finds its “center of gravity” in doing the will of the Father (cf. Lk. 4:1-13). Jesus’ orientation is toward the Father, the reference point of his life. He does not debate the Father’s will, nor does he approach it with dialectical stratagems or other rational speculations. Instead, he embraces that will decisively: “I always do what is pleasing to him” (Jn. 8:29).

• In what direction is my mind and the essence of my being really moving?

• Is this movement prompted by the spirit of evil disguised as an angel of light (cf. 2 Co. 11:14), who urges me to seek wealth, vainglory, pride?

• Or is this movment prompted by Christ, who urges me to embrace the highest spiritual poverty, humiliations and humility, because only these virtues can help me “clothe my-self” with his sentiments, thoughts and Truth?

Prayer17 Jesus, Divine Master, we adore you as the Word Incarnate sent by the Father to instruct us in lifegiving truths. You are uncreated Truth, the only Master.

17 The first part of the Chaplet to the Divine Master.

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You alone have words of eternal life. We thank you for having imparted to us the light of reason and the light of faith, and for having called us to the light of glory. We believe, submitting our whole mind to you and to the Church. Master, show us the treasures of your wisdom, let us know the Father, make us your true disciples. Increase our faith so that we may attain to the eternal vision in heaven. Jesus Master, Way and Truth and Life, have mercy on us. Ninth Stage

22 December – 25 January 2004 (Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul)

“This period should lead to Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life dwelling in me, giving rise to a new person”

Introduction This stage encompasses the liturgical celebration of Christmas and Paul’s “birth to Christianity.” Thus we should live it with the joy and enthusiasm characteristic of a profound and total encounter with Jesus aimed at transforming us into “new persons,” new creations in our Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life. “The Pauline Family has a sole spirituality and that is to live the Gospel in its en-tirety; to live in the Divine Master inasmuch as he is Way, Truth and Life; to live the Gospel as his disciple St. Paul understood it…. ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me’: the mind of Jesus, the heart of Jesus, the will of Jesus. To be members who are alive and active in Jesus Christ’s Mystical Body” (UPS III, 187-188). The celebration of Christmas favors our meeting with Christ Truth/Light, who enlightens us: “We saw his glory, such glory as befits the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). The contemplation of this glory (= the reality of God) fills us with the desire to welcome him and live him completely, as Paul did. The biblical texts present the parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price, that is, Jesus himself among us. To discover him is a gift, but it also involves a search. God’s gift must be accepted in its totality. The wealth that is Jesus cannot co-exist with pseudo-riches. This was the experience of Paul (Phil. 3:7-11), which we re-flected on in the second stage of our journey. Conquered by the “pearl of great price,” Christ, Paul responded by allowing Jesus to incarnate himself in him. Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Gospel according to Matthew (13:44-45)

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.

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Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. From the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (1:15)

But God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles. From the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (3:12-14)

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not con-sider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Proposal of Father Alberione

After having made the necessary conversion journey to fulfill the Father’s plan, the disciple of Jesus is invited to set out resolutely on the “royal road” leading to the incar-nation and growth of Christ Jesus in his/her life. With great wisdom, Fr. Alberione initi-ates this step by means of a meditation on the parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price. By inviting us to reflect on these parables, it seems the Founder wants to say: “What I am offering you is truly a treasure, the most important thing in life, the gem for whose sake you must leave everything if you want to possess it and derive the maximum benefit from it!”

This results in a clear objective for each member of the Pauline Family: total con-formation to the Master and Shepherd, the consequence of his “incarnation” and growth in every aspect of the person. DF pp. 37-38 Incarnation

1. This period must incarnate in us Jesus Christ, Truth, Way and Life, giving rise to a “new person.” Supernatural life will lead to eternal life: “joint heirs with Christ.”

2. Jesus Christ is Truth for the intelligence; from this springs the need to study Christian doctrine, and in a special way the Gospel.

Jesus Christ is Way for the will; from this springs the need to imitate Jesus Christ, giving particular attention to Holy Communion.

Jesus Christ is Life for the heart; from this springs the need to invest ourselves with sanctifying and actual grace, especially through holy Mass.

3. As a consequence, let us divide the Hour of Adoration into three parts: the read-ing of the Gospel and of Christian doctrine, in order to honor Jesus Christ as Teacher; a comparison of our life with that of Jesus Christ, our model, through the examination of conscience; prayers, especially those that prepare us for holy Mass (the Way of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries). Purpose of This Period • This period must incarnate in us…. We are speaking about a gift, a present that is

given us; something beautiful that perhaps exceeds our expectations. This gift must

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be incarnated in us: it must penetrate our life profoundly; it must permeate our very essence and become an integral part of us.

• Jesus Christ, Truth, Way and Life. Not simply a single (even though important) di-mension of the person of Christ, but the whole Christ, in all his dimensions, as he de-fined himself (Jn. 14:6): the complete Christ.

• Giving rise to a “new person.” When Jesus-Gift is welcomed and lived, he brings about a new reality: a renewed person.

The process of incarnating Christ in ourselves

What does this incarnation process involve? The word is self-explanatory: Christ Je-sus takes flesh in a person. In the light of the biblical passage on the Incarnation of the Word of God, we cannot help but make reference to Mary, the Virgin Mother. Similar to what happened to her, Christ Jesus, the Master, is incarnated in the believer when he takes flesh in that person–in the Pauline who is docile to the Holy Spirit.

It is a slow, difficult, but regenerating transformation process in which everything, literally everything, takes on new color and significance. The forms and times of our spiritual life, of our “practices of piety,” shed any remaining formalistic aspects and be-come life. No longer “duties,” they have been transformed into desires of the heart. No longer peripheral and ineffectual acts, they have become the driving force behind our every thought, feeling, choice and decision. Hints for Contemporary Living

Following the example of Paul, we want to incarnate our unique existence here and now in the person of Christ, who has conquered and “seduced” us and wants to live al-ways more fully in us. Together with Paul, let us immerse ourselves in the very personal memorial of Philippians 3:12 in an attitude of discernment so as to contemplate and share the Apostle’s profound encounter with Christ. At this point in his life and hu-man/Christian experience, Paul has only one goal: to acquire “the mind of Christ” (cf. 1 Co. 2:16). Paul makes rapid strides in his ongoing formation, to the point of becoming a witness to Christian discernment because he was conquered by Jesus Christ. Like Jeremiah, he feels truly and almost “ontologically ravished,” fulfilled and sublimated by the fraternal and seductive love of Jesus. “I was crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me” (Ga. 2:20). Paul would not be the person he is if not for the object-subject of this mutual love. This love is not merely emotional, and thus by nature fleeting and changeable; it is a love that involves two protagonists, two “pro-found selves” that find their sole reason for life and subsistence in mutual self-offering. It is the logic of love celebrated in the Song of Songs; it is the logic of the eternal love of the faithful God in whom the entire story of salvation takes on the characteristics and quality of a spousal love, seductive and tender, toward every person, male and female, called from all eternity to be the unique and irrepeatable partner of the Trinitarian God-Love. The Word questions our life so as to become our life

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• Paul’s goal was to incarnate the mystery of his conformation to Christ and gradual

growth to full maturity in him to the point of “Christ lives in me.” Is this the goal of my discipleship: to incarnate the spousal logic of love proclaimed in the Song of Songs to the point that the beloved is transformed into the Lover?

• Does my life radiate the experience of an always more seductive and transfiguring encounter with Christ the Lord to the point that I have become the “fragrance of Christ,” or has my life fallen into a routine: monotonous prayers, liturgies, apostolic life and community life….?

• Paul’s meeting with Christ was the source new life. Read Eph. 4:17-23 and 2 Co. 5:14-17. Try to identify the “new things” Christ is attempting to introduce into your life.

Prayer Invocations to Jesus Master

Jesus Master, sanctify my mind and increase my faith. Jesus, teaching in the Church, draw everyone to your school. Jesus Master, deliver me from error, from vain thoughts, and from eternal darkness.

Jesus, Way between the Father and us, I offer you all and await all from you. Jesus, Way of sanctity, make me your faithful imitator. Jesus Way, render me perfect as the Father who is in heaven.

Jesus Life, live in me, so that I may live in you. Jesus Life, do not permit me to separate myself from you. Jesus Life, grant that I may live eternally in the joy of your love.

Jesus Truth, may I be light for the world. Jesus Way, may I be example and model for souls. Jesus Life, may my presence bring grace and consolation everywhere. Tenth Stage

26 January – 29 February 2004 (First Sunday of Lent)

“The divine will in everything” Introduction

We are entering the Lenten season–a favorable time in which to follow Jesus our Way and imitate his style of life. According to Luke, Christians are called “followers of the Way” because they follow Jesus. The Way is brought to completion on the cross, which leads to the highest glory. Without Jesus Way, we are lost and confused: “Hu-manity had wandered away from the path leading to heaven. Jesus Christ became our Way and said: ‘Come to me.’ ‘Learn from me.’ ‘I have given you the example.’ ….If people are proud, they should strive to acquire from the Master a love for true eternal

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glory, for the highest nobility, which is holiness: ‘those who humiliate themselves shall be exalted…’” (CVV 2/5). “Jesus concluded the washing of his disciples’ feet with the words: ‘I have given you the example; as I have done, so must you also do.’ These words sum up the essence of the religious life: to imitate Jesus Christ” (Alle FSP, 1946-1949, p. 463).

The biblical texts proposed for this stage can help us assimilate the fundamental op-tion of Jesus, who lovingly and joyfully offered himself to the Father, carrying out his will constantly and willingly to the point of the “highest act” of love. Following in the footsteps of his Master Jesus, Paul serenely set out on the road to Jerusalem because that was the will of God. Each of us must compare ourselves with the luminous Way that is Jesus, evaluating the models that offer us inspiration, so as to return to the sole Model who says: “I do only the things that please my Father…. I have given you the example.” Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Letter to the Hebrews (10:5-7)

For this reason, when [Christ] came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’” From the Gospel according to Luke (9:51)

As the time approached when he was to be taken up to heaven, he set his face reso-lutely toward Jerusalem, and sent messengers ahead. From the Acts of the Apostles (21:13-14)

Then Paul gave his answer: “Why all these tears? Why are you trying to weaken my resolution? I am ready, not merely to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” So, as he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” Proposal of Father Alberione

Sent by the Father as Master and Shepherd, Jesus defined himself as the Way. The meaning Fr. Alberione most frequently attributed to Jesus as Way was that he is our model, our example, the One who lived the Father’s plan to the supreme degree. One of the highest expressions of Christ as Way is certainly that of Jesus as the model of doing the Father’s will. This was his secret: to always seek and do what was pleasing to the Fa-ther (Jn. 8:29). DF pp. 114-116 Jesus, Way of Merit

1. Jesus is our model for doing the will of the Lord […] Doing the will of God is per-fection; doing the will of God is true love for the Lord; doing the will of God is the surest way to heaven.

2. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ did. His whole life was a thesis that can be summed up in the words: “As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your

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will, O God.” Thus the life of Jesus Christ can be summarized under this title: “The life of One who did the will of God perfectly.” […]

3. […] Therefore we must not seek our own will but rather the divine will in every-thing. Our will has been given to us so that we might choose the divine will: always, in everything, with full adhesion and humility. Conditions for doing what is pleasing to God

For the believer, doing the will of God is “perfection”; it is “the surest way [to heaven]”; it is an expression of “true love for the Lord.” Our will has only one purpose: “to choose the divine will: always, in everything, with full adhesion and humility.”

From this perspective, Fr. Alberione does not hesitate to list the four conditions that make a work pleasing to God: that it be good in itself; that it be performed with the right intention; that the person performing it be in a state of grace, and that it be carried out perfectly. The element common to every step is Jesus, the perfect model of every vir-tue and as such our constant point of reference.

Skipping over the first condition, which he considers to be obvious, Fr. Alberione moves on to illustrate the second condition: a work is pleasing to the Father if it is per-formed with the right intention. Right intention means focusing resolutely on the Father and seeking only his glory. This is possible if we allow Jesus Way to act in us, since he “aims solely at the Father.” Like him and with him, we too must seek always and only the glory of God. The Pact or Secret of Success is based on this certitude. Jesus: Model of Pure Intention DF pp. 45-46 With Purity of Intention

1. Right intention goes directly to God without deviations: to his glory, to the ful-fillment of his will!

2. Our Lord Jesus Christ aimed solely at pleasing the Father, not at his own glory. In fact, his actions met with many humiliations, up to the point of the humiliation of the cross….

3. Right intention is achieved: a) by condemning every vanity from the outset; b) by explicitly directing everything to the Lord; c) by atoning for every vain intention. Jesus: Model of Intimacy with God

The Founder urged us to penetrate this sublime dimension of the Master’s being by reminding us that “the third condition for a work to be meritorious is the state of grace,” which means “friendship and intimacy with God.” DF pp. 46-47

1. The third condition for a work to be meritorious is the state of grace. Grace means friendship and intimacy with God.

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Our Lord Jesus Christ lived in the most intimate union with God. The person of Je-sus Christ is the second person of the most blessed Trinity, and who can tell of the su-pernatural intimacy between the Son and the Father? Here we find ourselves contem-plating rather than meditating…. Jesus, Model of Method: to do our work well

Finally, if a work is to be done well, then “it must begin, continue and finish prop-erly.” In this too we must model ourselves on Jesus. Indeed, we must allow him to “do good” within us in all the circumstances of our daily life. DF pp. 47-48 Perfection

1. Fourth condition: that a work be done well. This means that the work must be begun, continued, and finished properly….

2. This is the way the Divine Master acted. The holy Gospel leaves us no doubt: “He has done all things well.”

How to begin: by offering our work to God, by accepting everything from his hands, by starting well, immediately and willingly. To continue under the gaze of God, with lov-ing application and energetic constancy. To conclude humbly, completing everything. The will of God in the details of daily life

It is obvious that we are speaking here about the concrete things that inspire the practical choices of each member of the Pauline Family on a daily basis. Note how care-fully the Founder chooses his verbs (to begin, to continue, to conclude) and adverbs (well, immediately, willingly, humbly). He also pairs nouns and adjectives in a balanced way (loving application; energetic constancy).

Alberione reminds us yet again: “Our House is the result of the will of God, other-wise it would be meaningless; it would be an insane project and you would not be here. It is spoken about with admiration, but even more admirable is what is not seen: the vo-cations and the hidden sacrifices of our cooperators. But these are not the result of hu-man actions: God, in his love, brought it about and the will of God guides and sustains [the community]. Everything is done for God alone. If we remove the will of God, even on the human plane, then all [the House’s] fecundity of life is removed; everything would be arid” (UCBS, a. 6, N. 8-15; cf. Primavera Paolina, p. 223). Hints for Contemporary Living

Fr. Alberione summed up the life of Jesus in these words: “It was the life of one who carried out the will of the Father perfectly.” This image of Jesus presents us with the concrete fulfillment of the essential attitude described in the first part of DF: “The will of God is the great sun toward which the soul, like a sunflower, must always turn” (p. 20). For us, in the school of Primo Maestro, to do the will of God, which is perfection,

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means to do that will at all times (cf. Dt. 30:19), in everything (cf. Col. 2:17), with total adherence (cf. Is. 9:7) and humility (cf. Rm. 12:3).

In other words, it means liberating our yes so as to say yes in everything; it means conforming our yes to Christ’s Amen to the Father (cf. 2 Co. 1:19). It means saying with Paul: “What shall I do, Lord? (Acts 22:10) and hearing the Lord reply: “You are my chosen instrument. I will show you what you will have to suffer for my name” (cf. Acts 9:15). The Word questions our life so as to become our life • Is my search to “do God’s will in everything” characterized by the holy struggle to

ontologically choose and existentially carry out the personal will of the Father, cloth-ing myself in the person of Jesus, who lives in me?

• Have I accepted the Father’s proposal to enter into the logic of Gethsemane where Jesus, the Divine Master, wants to teach me how to embrace the highest degree of love: to willingly lose my life and, in a spirit of growing interior freedom, to offer it to God so as to generously live and incarnate his will?

Prayer18 I beg the Lord to take away my own will and preferences so as to do whatever he wants, however he wants, in me and with all that concerns me, in life and in eternity. May the Lord freely act in me and use me as he wills, even reducing me to nothing if he so desires in matters concerning health, esteem, position, occupations, internal and external things. Everything only and always for the glory of God, for the eternal praise of his mercy, and in reparation for my sins. I ask for an increase of faith in the Father-Provider, in the Son-Redeemer, in the Spirit-Sanctifier. May my piety be inspired by, founded on and directed to glorifying the divine Mercy. God is everything! As a Christian, religious and priest, I belong to him. May I be a docile instrument in his hands at every moment, like Jesus Christ. I trust that I will be saved through the divine Mercy and through our holy Mother Mary, my hope.

18 Alberione, Taccuini, 1940.

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Eleventh Stage

1 March – 25 March 2004 (Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord)

“Jesus is grace” Introduction

As we approach the end of our Alberionian spiritual itinerary, carried out in the light of DF, we are invited to meet Jesus Life. To live Jesus Life is to live “grace.” The Feast of the Annunciation, the culmination of our journey, allows us to live this stage with the sentiments of Mary, who was brimming over with grace. In her, Life took on flesh and transformed her into a Tabernacle of life. Our Founder reminds us that the presence of Jesus Life in us “should fill us to the point that we almost do not feel our [human] nature any longer. This is the ideal. Nevertheless, it is the center of our devo-tion and the goal of all Paulines” (from a taped conference).

The biblical texts offered in this stage help us savor in an almost immediate way Paul’s experience and growth in Jesus Life. The words of Jesus in the Gospel of John remind us of the importance of “remaining in him” so as to live and bear fruit, apostolic fruit. These are the natural manifestations of a life rooted in Jesus Life. Listening to the Word and Meditating on It From the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (6:14)

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor un-circumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! […] From now on, let no one make trouble for me: for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. From the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians (1:24)

It makes me happy to be suffering for you now, and in my own body to make up all the hardships that still have to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church. From the Gospel according to John (15:4-5)

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Proposal of Father Alberione

The third aspect of growth in Christ Jesus, incarnated in us so as to be formed in our entire being, is the dimension of Jesus Life.

Jesus Life questions and touches the core of the believer: the person’s heart. How did we receive life? Through the sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross. And what kind

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of life are we speaking about? Supernatural life, our Founder declares. Then he adds: life is grace, which brings us to the heart of the matter: Jesus is grace!

It is precisely this “personal” aspect that interested Fr. Alberione. Jesus is grace; he is “full of grace.” He is the true Vine, transmitting his lifegiving sap to the branches. Consequently, the life of grace in the believer can be correctly thought of as “the life of Jesus,” that is, “Jesus-living-in-the person.” DF p. 55

1. I am the life: the supernatural life (as opposed to the mineral, vegetative, senso-rial, rational or angelic life).

The supernatural life in us is called grace. Sin is death: “You are reputed to be alive and yet are dead.”

2. Jesus is grace–“full of grace.” He communicates this grace in Baptism, strength-ens it in Confirmation, noruishes it in the Holy Eucharist, restores it in the sacrament of Reconcili-ation, and purifies it in the Anointing of the Sick: “I came so that they might have life.” “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”

3. The life of Jesus is lost through sin. The breath of this life is prayer; its nourish-ment, meditation; its illnesses, imperfections and defects; its resource, fervor; its joys, consolations; its languor, desolations. It finds [full] development in the saints and perfec-tion in Mary most holy. The secret of the spiritual life

The secret of spiritual-apostolic vitality is clearly evident here: to remain in Jesus, the healthy Vine. Those who remain in Jesus, like branches on a vine, bear abundant fruit. They receive the life of Jesus and are transformed in him. That life has very spe-cific characteristics. Like natural life, the life of Jesus in us has:

• breath: prayer; • nourishment: meditation; • illnesses: imperfections and defects; • resources: fervor; • joys: consolations; • languor: desolations; • development: fully reached in the saints and attained to a perfect degree in Mary

most holy.

There is no doubt that we are presented here with one of the key points of our pro-gram to cultivate the growth of Jesus, our Master and Shepherd, in us. What stupen-dous horizons open before us! Only think of what our prayer would be like if we were to reach the point of transforming it into the breath of Jesus living in us!

The same can be said of meditation, presented as the nourishment of Jesus living in us. It can be said of our defects, seen as illnesses that threaten the life of Jesus in us, and so on for all the subsequent terms, up to the point of developing the life of Jesus, which is the concrete measure of our growth.

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Effects of the Life of Christ in Us

“Day by day, we participate to an always greater degree in the life of God and of Je-sus Christ: God lives in us and we in him. He truly lives in us in the unity of his nature and in the persons of the Trinity. And this God works to the maximum, producing in us a supernatural body that perfects our natural body. He enables us to live a life that is not identical but similar to his–a Godlike life. He works in our entire being and all our faculties, making us his cooperators through divine promptings, in such a way that our days are filled with merits: ‘we in him and he in us.’

“Jesus Christ living in us: not only as God, but also as God-Man. He is the head of the Mystical Body; we are his members. He gives us movement and life. By means of his prayers and merits, he enables the Holy Spirit to work in us as he worked in the soul of Jesus. And we live in him because we are incorporated into him. He gives us new life and enables it to bear fruit–the fruit produced by a wild olive branch after it has been grafted onto a sound vine.

“Mary helps to generate us in Christ because she was made our Mother and we, through the unity of the Mystical Body, participate in all the good of the saints in heaven and on earth. This is what the dogma of the communion of the saints tells us. And this is eternal life. ‘O God, grant that we may participate in the divinity of the One who deigned to participate in our humanity, Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord’” (SP, De-cember 1956).

“There are those who have received invitations to climb even higher! I really want to tell you this. There are those among you who have received repeated invitations to climb higher, to a more perfect union with God, to what can almost be called a fusion of heart, mind and will with Jesus. A fusion of sentiments. The sentiments of Jesus are my sentiments. His will is my will. His thoughts are my thoughts. Indeed, it is Jesus who lives in my mind. I loan him my mind with which to think, but it is he who thinks in me. I loan him my heart so that, with me, he can love the heavenly Father and souls. I loan him my will so that I will desire what he desires in me. And not only do I loan him these faculties: if I am docile, it is he who lives in me. He lives in me, loves in me, wills in me, acts in me, carries out the apostolate in me. You are all called to this intimate communi-cation with Jesus. [You are called to be] living tabernacles; sisters who go from house to house carrying Jesus in your heart, which is a tabernacle. It is the fulfillment of the prayer to the Divine Master: ‘May my presence bring grace and consolation every-where’” (Sermon of Primo Maestro for a monthly retreat, 1960). Hints for Contemporary Living

The most striking point to reflect on in this final part of DF is our Founder’s defini-tion: “the supernatural life is grace,” “overflowing grace.”

This perspective helps us understand that living in Jesus Christ is, essentially, a re-lationship. It means “abiding in him.” The formula “to abide in him” comes from St. John but it also conveys Paul’s experience in Galatians 2:20, which echoed over and over again in the life of Fr. Alberione. The Word questions our life so as to become our life

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• The ultimate meaning of our pilgrimage is “to abide in him,” “to be found in him.” Is my entire life a liturgy in which each act is carried out for him and in him: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved” (1 Co. 10:31-33)?

• Does the phrase “to be found in him” mean that I have truly attained the interior freedom that transforms my life into prayer, contemplation, self-offering, praise, communion, discernment and service–to the point that I consider everything else a loss for the sake of Christ, until he himself is formed in me, in us?

Prayer19 Jesus, Divine Master, we adore you as the only-begotten Son of God, come on the earth to give life, the most abundant life, to humanity. We thank you because by dying on the cross you merited life for us, which you give us in baptism and nourish in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments. Live in us, Jesus, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that we may love you with our whole mind, strength and heart, and love our neighbor as ourselves for love of you. Increase charity in us so that one day, called from the sepulcher to the glorious life, we may be united with you in the eternal happiness of heaven. Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life, have mercy on us.

4 April 2003 – 4 April 2004

Celebrating the Closing of the Alberionian Year

Do not be afraid: I am with you. From here I want to enlighten.

Be sorry for sins.

“Create a practical program of light and life” Guide

We began the Alberionian Year with the celebration, The hand of God is upon me, during which we read the life of Blessed James Alberione as a sacred history. We con-clude this spiritual itinerary of the Pauline Family by embracing the missionary man-date in the same way our Founder received it from the Eucharistic Master on that sig-nificant paschal night.

Let us recall it here briefly: At the beginning of 1923, Fr. Alberione’s health began to fail. The doctors said that he would live, at best, another 18 months. Alberione himself relates: “In times of particular difficulty, while examining all his actions anew to see if

19 Third point of the Chaplet to Jesus Master.

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there were impediments to the work of grace on his part, it seemed that the Divine Mas-ter wanted to reassure the Institute, launched just a few years earlier” (Ad 151). In a subsequent dream, he seemed to hear the following words: “Do not be afraid. I am with with you. From here I want to enlighten. Be sorry for sins” (AD 152).

The directive of his spiritual father, Canon Chiesa, was clear: “Dream or otherwise, what you heard are holy words; make them a practical program of life and light for yourself and for all the members” (AD 154). This is the program we want to make our own at the conclusion of this Alberionian Year. Opening hymn President’s Introduction

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

May God our Father open your hearts through the grace of the Spirit of his Son. May he grant you his peace and joy, and send you into the whole world to bring every-one the knowledge of the Father that shines of the face of Christ, our Master and Shep-herd, Way, Truth and Life.

All: Amen. Listening to the Word of God From the Book of Genesis (28:10-15) In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.

Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran. When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set, he stopped there for the night. Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep at that spot. Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the Lord standing beside him and saying: “I, the Lord, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south. In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing. Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God Responsorial Psalm (144:1-9) Antiphon: Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised. I will extol you, my God and king; I will bless your name forever.

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Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever. Great is the Lord and worthy of high praise; God’s grandeur is beyond understanding. Ant. One generation praises your deeds to the next and proclaims your mighty works. They speak of the splendor of your majestic glory, tell of your wonderful deeds. They speak of your fearsome power and attest to your great deeds. They publish the renown of your abounding goodenss and joyfully sing of your justice. Ant. The Lord is good to all, compassionate to every creature. All your works give you thanks, O Lord, and your faithful bless you. Ant. From the Second Letter to the Corinthians (2:15-17; 4:5-6) Through us, the perfume of the knowledge of Christ is spread throughout the world.

We are indeed the incense offered by Christ to God, both among those who are on the way to salvation, and among those who are on the way to destruction: to the latter it is a deadly fume that kills, to the former a vital fragrance that brings life. Who is equal to such a calling? We are not adulterating the word of God for profit as so many do; when we declare the word we do it in sincerity, as from God and in God’s sight, as members of Christ. It is not ourselves that we proclaim; we proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For the God who said, “Out of darkness light shall shine,” has caused his light to shine in our hearts, the light which is knoweldge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God Gospel acclamation Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. Glory and praise to you, Lord Je-sus Christ! From the Gospel according to Matthew (28:16-20)

Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” The Word of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

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Brief sermon or silent reflection

If conditions permit, the sign of light used in the celebration opening the Alberionian Year can be repeated here. The celebrant invites everyone to approach the altar and light his/her candle from the lamp of the Pauline Family or from the Paschal candle, prepared ahead of time. This rite can be accompanied by an appropriate hymn. When all the partici-pants have returned to their seats, they listen to the words of the Founder with their lights in hand, and respond with the following words: Guide

Let us listen to the words of the Founder, who invites us to reassume the mission he received and who then sends us out to “be light,” according to the specific charism of each Institute of our Family. 1st Reader: “From here I want to enlighten.” In other words, I am your light and I will use you in order to enlighten; I am giving you this mission and I want you to carry it out. All: Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, we thank you for renewing our trust and ask you to give us the gift of your Spirit so that we may faithfully transmit you light. 2nd Reader: “The light that surrounded the Divine Master, the emphasis in his voice on I want and from here and the prolonged pointing with his hand to the Tabernacle, were interpreted as an invitation to take everything from him, the Divine Master dwelling in the Tabernacle; that this is his will; that a great light was to shine forth from the then-threatened Family…. Let everyone consider herself or himself to be a beacon of light, a loudspeaker of Jesus, a secretary of the evangelists, of St. Paul, of St. Peter….”20 All: Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, help us to grow day by day in the desire to live the paschal logic that we celebrate in the Eucharist so as to be communica-tors of your life to our brothers and sisters. 3rd Reader: “Feel the divine thirst for souls like Jesus Christ did. Make the dogmas, mor-als and worship of Jesus Christ known through the most rapid and fruitful means. Be progressive and feel progressive in Christ and in the Church. Souls are waiting! Let us see to it that the divine light reaches everyone, insofar as this is possible to us. This was the life of St. Paul: feeling that ‘Christ the Apostle lives in me!’ Accompany the Church today on her difficult journey. Always strain ahead, like Christ the propagandist, like Paul, the walker of God.”21 All: Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, grant that the thirst for souls that led you to the cross and that characterized our Founder be always more alive in each member of the Pauline Family so that they can satisfy the thirst for truth of our times.

20 AD 157. 21 CISP 979.

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4th Reader: “The mission carried out by Jesus was this: to make men and women chil-dren of God. May all people become God’s children! Yet the fact is that a great part of the human race lives without God’s grace….many people are not children of God. Of the approximately three billion human beings on earth today–a number which is in-creased by about forty million a year–how many are in reality dead, dead because they have no spiritual life, even though they seem to be very much alive, active and making progress in every direction! What then must we do…the whole Pauline Family? We must strive to do what our Divine Master did: ‘To all who received him, he gave power to become children of God.’ Make people children of God–this is everything! The Son of Man took on human nature that we might become children of God like him, that we might become his brothers and sisters, his co-heirs, and that, looking to our Father and Creator, we might say, ‘Abba, Father!’ and ‘our Father in heaven.’22 All: Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, infuse in the Pauline Family your own yearning and commitment to making all people children of God. Pause for reflection, accompanied by music 5th Reader: “Much progress was made over the past 45 years (1914-1959)…. But as long as something remains to be done, we have accomplished nothing. ‘Forgetting what lies behind, I strain ahead’: in spirit, in knowledge, in the apostolate, in poverty…. The Lord kindles lamps along the way as little by little we move ahead and these are needed. He does not light them all at once at the beginning, when they are not necessary, because he does not waste light. Rather, he provides it ‘at the right moment.’”23 All: Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, through the intercession of Blessed James Alberione, of Timothy Giaccardo, of Maestra Thecla and Mother Scho-lastica, we ask you to help us live a pilgrimage of faith that will enable us to take the step forward each day that you point out to us. 6th Reader: “The saint is not an exhausted, semi-conscious person, who is incapable of fulfilling his/her role in life…. For St. Paul, holiness is a sign of complete maturity, of the perfect individual. The saint is not a self-involved but a “self-evolved” person; the saint does not stop but lives the motto ‘forge ahead.’ Holiness is something positive: it is life, movement, nobility, effervescence. It is not a characteristic of a person who is ‘on the way down’ but of one who is ‘on the way up.’ But this will be true only and always in proportion to one’s spirit of faith and good will: the Lord is with us; we are God’s coop-erators.”24 All: Jesus Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, we trust in you: we know that you are wih us and that you want to enlighten others through us. Transform us in you and make us your faithful cooperators. Pause for reflection and a hymn The participants are invited to extinguish their candles. 22 Explanation of the Constitutions, English edition, p. 251. 23 CVV 247; SP April-May 1959, 1-2. 24 SdM 26-27.

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Guide

Let us listen to what our Founder had to say on the 50th anniversary of foundation of the Pauline Family,25 embracing his words as a renewed directive to us:

For the Pauline Family, there are no other ends than those for which Jesus car-ried out the Redemption. Let us live and act according to Jesus Christ: ‘For Christ, with Christ and in Christ.’ St. Paul said: ‘My life is Christ.’ Our fiftieth anniversary! It can be compared to the beginning of a discourse: it is a pre-announced plan that must now be confidently developed. The route was established in the Constitutions and was tested and consolidated through experience.

Our journey through time will be a happy one if the entire Institute and each indi-vidual religious always follows the route of humility and faith.

Today, through this Mass, I want to close the past 50-year period with the Te Deum and begin our future journey with the Veni Creator.

Let us live the religious life in complete and constant joy because it is a prelude to eternal joy. The life of each one of us and of the Institute as a whole is an ongoing story of grace upon grace. The purpose of the religious life is to attain sanctification and spirituality in Christ, and carry out an apostolate in keeping with the needs of the times. The prospect of heaven is always brighter if we are continually striving for per-fection.

May our praise be wholehearted and resounding; may our soul’s rejoicing be merry yet decorous.

Let me remind everyone that the works of God are accomplished by persons of God.

Singing of the Te Deum Concluding prayer

God our Father, in your plan of eternal love, you enriched our religious Family with the overflowing wealth of your love. Revive the gift that you infused in our Institutes so that we can communicate the wonders of your love with vigor, love and wisdom. We ask this through Christ our Master and Shepherd.

All: Amen. The President blesses the assembly, saying: May the Lord guide your hearts in love for the Father and in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

May you always move ahead in the certainty that the Lord is with you and is using you to enlighten others.

All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain with you always.

All: Amen. Organ recessional

25 SP, July-August 1964, 1-3.

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APPENDIX First Stage

Fr. Alberione’s Commentary on the Gospel of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18; Luke 15:4-7)26

Good Pastorelle Sisters, for some time now I have noticed how divine grace is work-ing in you, in your religious family: there is more light, more charity, more interior work, more pastoral spirit, a more intense and active pastoral life. What a beautiful, holy and merito-rious desire to have a group of Pastorelle Sisters in many parishes! Not a group of ordinary sisters who run nursery schools, but a group of shepherdesses who understand and carry out the mission I will now describe for you. St. Paul presents us with Jesus the priest. And the Divine Master presents himself as a shepherd: “I am the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11). This picture completes the magnificent idea of Jesus the priest and helps us understand his beneficial work in souls. Thus we want to study the Gospel passage in which Jesus brings together his teachings concerning the role of the shepherd. We will do this by reflecting on the individual phrases of this text. “Jesus told them this parable” (Jn. 10:6). Jesus Christ habitually spoke in parables–something the prophet had already indicated would be a sign by which to recognize the future Messiah (Ps. 78:2). To help us understand his apostolic ministry in the world, Jesus used this charming parable. Let us picture a shepherd: Shepherd…of the sheep (v. 2) but, understand well, not a hired hand to whom the sheep do not belong (v. 12); that is, a shepherd who is paid to take care of a flock that is not his. If the flock belongs to the master, then the hired hand is not very interested in the welfare of the sheep: “he has no concern for the sheep” (v. 13). Let us sup-pose that he owns the flock; in that case, he will make every effort to look after the sheep and see to their welfare. This is what Jesus does. All souls belong to him under many aspects: he is their Creator, Provider, Preserver. He ransomed everyone from the devil’s slavery, paying the price with his own precious blood. “You are not your own property,” says the Apostle. “You have been bought at a price” (1 Co. 6:19-20). Thus there is an intimate relationship between Jesus the Shepherd and his flock. He loves it. Here priests resemble the divine Shepherd because it can be rightly said that they are not only “hired hands,” destined to pasture souls in the hope of a heavenly reward; rather, they are true shepherds and in a certain sense “owners” of the souls they generate to grace and nourish through the sacraments. Therefore they must take an interest in these persons, treating them as very dear children. The Pastorelle Sisters and the priest/shepherd carry out a single mission; they have the same concern, the same purpose, and the same means. Each one in his/her proper place.

26 This text from 1947 is preserved in the Generalate Archives as document 271 and can be found in: AA.VV., Un carisma pasatorale. La proposta di Giacomo Alberione alle Suore di Gesù buon Pastore. Rome, 1985, pp. 146-158.

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The Shepherd in the Gospel is not only the owner of the sheep; he is also the owner of the sheepfold; thus he comes and goes as he pleases: “He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock” (Jn. 10:2). He certainly doesn’t have to enter the sheepfold through a window, like thief: “Anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit” (v. 1). When the shepherd appears, the gatekeeper imme-diately opens the gate (v. 3). Jesus did not appropriate to himself the title of shepherd; it was given to him by his heavenly Father: “This command I have received from my Father” (v. 18). The prophet Eze-kiel tells us the content of that command: “I will appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd” (34:23). The same must be true of us. God, God alone, calls [individuals] to the priesthood. And he calls the Pastorelle Sisters to the reli-gious life. At first glance, it seems strange that Jesus calls himself not only a shepherd but also the gate of the sheepfold: “I am the gate of the sheepfold” (v. 7). Yet that is how things stand not only because he is the sole gate through which people must pass in order to be saved: “Whoever enters by me will be saved” (v. 9), but with even greater reason because both priests and the Pastorelle Sisters receive their vocation from him: “You did not choose me; no, I chose you” (Jn. 15:16). The first talent of the good shepherd/shepherdess is to know the sheep and to allow them to get to know him/her. This is the test as to whether or not they are truly interested in the sheep. Because of this, the sheep are not afraid of them. Jesus manifests this talent to per-fection: first of all, “My own know me” (Jn. 10:14). It should be noted that Jesus knows his sheep individually; he has given each one a name and calls it by name: “He calls his own sheep by name” (v. 3). Nicodemus27 was amazed when Jesus, whom he did not know, said to him: “I saw you under the fig tree” (Jn. 1:48); yet Jesus could say something similar to every-one. The shepherd and shepherdess must also know their people. The Church obliges them to get to know their concrete situation. Woe to those who neglect this task! It is in our best interest and also theirs to do this. But the sheep must also know the shepherd: “My own know me” (v. 14). Here too it is interesting to note that this knowledge comes more from hearing than from sight: “The sheep hear his voice” (v. 3); “The sheep follow him because they know his voice” (v. 4). The voice of a stranger frightens them: “They will run away from him be-cause they do not recognize the voice of strangers” (v. 5). What an important teaching! It means we must not be satisfied with an external knowledge of the people we meet; we must get to know the souls of those who listen to us. We must make ourselves known through cate-chism lessons and the ministry of the Word, which was entrusted to us by the Master (Mt. 28:19). Every morning, the Good Shepherd must lead the sheep out of the pen. “He leads them out” (v. 3) to fertile pastures and clear streams: meditation and the sacraments. And the best way to guide the sheep is to precede them because they follow behind: “He goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him” (v. 4). They will not do this with a stranger: “They will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him” (v. 5). Another valuable teaching: we must lead our sheep through good example. Woe to us if we behave like the priests of the old Law! In speaking about them to the people, Jesus said: “Do whatever they tell you, but do not follow their practice, for they say one thing and do an-other” (Mt. 23:3). Did not Luke say, “I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught”? (Acts 1:1)

27 It is actually Nathaniel, not Nicodemus, whom Jesus is addressing in this verse.

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Yes, Jesus pastured his flock with his words, but only after he had first edified them with his example. Here is the true shepherd! Here is the true shepherdess! Fortunate are the sheep under such guidance, because they will find pasture (Jn. 10:9). But the sheep are surrounded by thieves on the one hand and wolves on the other. The thieves want to steal the sheep from their pen and take them back to their own sheepfolds: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (v. 10). The wolves want to snatch and kill them: “The wolf snatches them and scatters them” (v. 12). It takes courage and sacrifice to protect and defend the sheep; this is the test of the true shepherd and shepherdess. “The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away” (v. 12). Instead, the good shepherd and the true shepherdess risk their lives and even sacrifice them for the sheep: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11). The application to Jesus is ob-vious.

Souls are tempted in mind and heart. There are thieves who would like to snatch them from Christ’s sheepfold and make them followers of error; and there are wolves who would like to drag them into sin, which is death. The divine Shepherd came to earth to preserve souls from error and sin by making truth and grace available to everyone. This work of charity ex-posed him to death. The friends of error and vice nailed him to the cross and attempted to de-stroy him. But the Good Shepherd rose from the dead and entrusted his flock to priests, charg-ing them to care for the sheep in his place. They must do this with the same generosity Jesus exhibited: “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” And the Pastorelle Sisters willingly participate in this work, associating themselves to the important pastoral work of the priest. Meanwhile, Jesus insists on the great test of love that he himself gave for the sheep. No one was ever in the condition of being the owner of their life and therefore capable of sacrificing it, if they chose to do so: “I lay down my life for the sheep” (v. 15). If Jesus had so desired, he could easily have avoided this sacrifice! “I know my own and my own know me” (v. 15). “No one takes [my life] from me; I lay it down of my own accord” (v. 18). His death has a much higher value than ours. To carry out our duty, we must be willing to make the extreme sacrifice of accepting death, when this is what is demanded by the enemies of the sheep and by the divine Shepherd. There is still another danger for the sheep: that one might get lost: “He lost one” (Lk. 15:4)–an all too likely possibility! The sheep scattered while they were grazing, instinctively searching for the freshest and most succulent grass. And one of the sheep fell from rock to rock down a crevice until he reached the bottom of the valley. As soon as the good shepherd realized this, he left the other sheep in the sheepfold and went leaping from rock to rock down the crevice until he reached the bottom and found the missing sheep: “He went after the one that was lost until he found it” (v. 4). And when he found the lost sheep, the good shepherd did not vent his anger on it, nor drag it back up the crevice, beating it with a stick. No. He lovingly lifted the sheep to his shoulders and joyfully carried it back to the sheepfold: “He laid it on his shoulders and re-joiced” (v. 5). Imagine this vivid and touching act of the Redeemer, who told us a thousand times: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk. 19:10). He brought sinful human beings back to the heavenly “sheepfold,” from which they had been excluded by sin. It is up to priests to cultivate a love for sinners and do whatever they can to lead them back to the Church, to grace, to heaven. The Pastorelle Sisters, according to their sublime vo-cation, must do the same thing with equal love by transforming themselves into willing vic-tims.

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Unfortunately, we are not dealing with just one wayward and confused sheep, but with thousands and thousands of them. In twenty centuries of Christianity, thieves and wolves have ravaged the flock of Christ, not through the fault of the Supreme Shepherd but due to the col-lusion of the sheep and also the indifference and laziness of some second-rate shepherds. Referring to this, Jesus sadly said: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold” (Jn. 10:16). But he immediately added: “I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (v. 16). This is the yearning of Jesus: that the sheep will listen to his voice so that there will be one flock, one shepherd. Here is the task en-trusted to the shepherd and shepherdesses. In general, we can say that the more zeal we have, the more quickly we will attain this magnificent ideal of a single sheepfold. Jesus prayed for this while he was on earth and he continues to pray for it in heaven: “That they all may be one,” and to this end he makes avail-able all his treasures of truth, grace and mercy. Shepherds and shepherdesses must use these treasures for the good of souls and the triumph of the divine Shepherd. As the Angelic Doctor tenderly pleads: “Jesus, Shepherd of the sheep! You, your flock in safety keep. Living Bread! your life supply; strengthen us, or else we die. Fill us with celestial grace, you who feed us here below!” (Sequence Lauda, Sion) The Pastorelle Sisters are souls who have penetrated the doctrine of Jesus, who have acquired the love of Jesus, who live united to Jesus, who belong totally and exclusively to Je-sus. They divide up into small groups and take up residence in a parish, considering the pa-rishioners to be their adopted children. They feel bound to these souls in life, in death and in eternity, animated solely by the hope of saving them all. They collaborate in the apostolate of the parish priest by instructing and looking after these souls; by destroying evil and replacing it with good; by converting and sanctifying; by leading individuals to a Christian life and a good death through love and the program of the parish priest. To die every day so as to be a means of salvation every day, not content with [helping others attain] a good death, but offer-ing suffrages for those who have passed to eternity. In the parish, they are sisters, mothers, teachers, catechists, consolers in every sorrow, a ray of light, a beneficial sun that shines unceasingly. Second Stage

The Mission of Mary Queen of Apostles28 On this first Saturday of the month, let us contemplate for a moment the statue of the Queen of Apostles that stands before us. May offers her Jesus to the world. This gesture re-veals her mission as Queen of Apostles and of every apostolate. The Archangel Gabriel an-nounced to her that she was to be the Mother of the Son of God and that the extraordinary Child who would become incarnate in her womb would be king of the world: “And of his kingdom there will be no end.” Jesus would rule not only the physical world but also the minds, hearts and wills of all people. At Mary’s response: “May it be done to me according to your word,” the Son of God descended into her womb and took on human flesh. Thus, Mary became the Mother of Jesus.

28 Sermon of Primo Maestro delivered in Rome on 23 October 1956. Cf. Pauline Spirituality: Devotions of the First Week of the Month, St. Paul Editions, pp. 434-440, English edition.

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Then at Bethlehem Mary gave Jesus to the world. First she had carried him in her womb as a host is carried in a ciborium, and then, at Bethlehem, she presented him in his crib for the adoration of angels and all humanity. Countless angels gathered around the crib to adore the Child and sing “Glory to God in the highest.” But the first adorers were Mary and Joseph. Then came the shepherds, who found the Child with his Mother. Mary showed Jesus to them and received their gifts. Later, she presented Jesus to the Magi. In the Temple she of-fered him to Simeon, who took him in his arms. After this, May fled to Egypt with Jesus, then returned with him to Palestine, where the little family settled in Nazareth. When the right time came, Jesus was revealed to the public by Mary, who asked him to work his first miracle by changing water into wine. It was on this occasion that Jesus revealed himself to be God, and his disciples believed in him. Thus it was Mary who launched Jesus on his public life and pre-sented him to the Hebrew people, fulfilling every aspect of her mission. If today’s Christians have the Church, the sacraments, the religious life, the priest-hood, grace and salvation, to whom are they indebted? In a direct way to Jesus and in an indi-rect way to Mary, because Mary is the Mother who gave us Jesus. And Jesus is everything for us: the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the Truth, and he preached the Truth; he is the Way, and with his examples he taught us to do good; he is the Life, who has infused into our soul the great treasure, the great honor, of being children of God. Let us reflect on three points:

1. Mary gives Jesus to the world. 2. Mary gives Jesus to each one of us. 3. Like Mary, we too must give Jesus.

1) Seeing that human beings had strayed from him through sin, God saw fit to create an immaculate woman, sinless and free from the consequences of Adam’s sin. She became the Mediatrix between God and humanity–not because she could atone for humanity’s sins through her own merit but because she gave the world the Savior, Jesus, who atoned for all sin and became the true Mediator between God and human beings. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, God preserved Mary from sin, making her blessed among all women…. What woman ever had such a sublime, holy and beneficial mission to humanity as Mary had? No member of the human race–neither among teachers of the most lofty subjects, nor among the rulers of nations, nor among those who pride themselves on be-ing benefactors of humanity, nor among the great inventors–none of these has brought hu-manity as much benefit as Mary has. The human race receives every good through Mary be-cause she gave Jesus to the world. 2) But we should not limit ourselves to considering Mary under just this aspect. We should also reflect on her role of giving Jesus to each one of us. If we so desire, we can re-ceive each morning the Host, Jesus himself: it is Mary who offers him yet again to each and every one of us. Each of us can, and does, possess the whole Jesus, even if he is given to hun-dreds and thousands of people at the same time. Each one can take as much as he/she desires of the treasures offered by Jesus without ever exhausting them. And in taking the maximum, one does not deprive anyone else of anything. It is Mary who gives us Jesus. She offers him to everyone at Baptism, at the age of reason, in first holy Communion and in every successive Communion. She continually gives us Jesus, who is light for the mind, sweetness for the heart and sanctity for the soul. Mary of-fers Jesus to us daily: every time we receive Communion, every time we make the hour of adoration, every time we participate in the holy Mass. She offers us Jesus throughout the day,

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almost begging us: “Take my Son. Take my Jesus! He will be your All. He will be your Way, Truth and Life.” Thus we should draw near to Mary and say, “Yes, Mother, fulfill your mission in me. Give me Jesus Way, Truth and Life. Fill my soul with more light, my heart with holier senti-ments, my will with greater strength. May I follow and love Jesus now, so as to then possess him in heaven. Give me Jesus. May he remain with me always. May I walk with him and for him, until I reach the eternal bliss of heaven.” Do we understand Mary’s mission with regard to us? It is revealed very well by the statue of the Queen of Apostles, which depicts Mary offering us Jesus, almost as if to say: “Take him. He’s yours!” In Mary’s arms, Jesus is portrayed in the act of preaching or bless-ing. In ancient times, two raised fingers indicated not so much the act of blessing as the au-thority of the teacher. We consider Jesus in Mary’s arms as either blessing us or as the Master teaching us. In his left hand, Jesus holds the Gospel. The Gospel must be our guide and our light. In it we find true supernatural treasures. When we go to church, let us turn to Mary and say, “Give me your Jesus!” in the su-preme confidence that she will do this. If we had travelled to the stable in Bethlehem with the shepherds, we surely would have asked Mary’s permission to kiss Jesus or hold him in our arms a moment. If we could do this today, how happy we would be! How fortunate St. Stanis-laus was to have the grace to hold Baby Jesus in his arms! We too receive him every day–not only in our arms but in our hearts. We must desire to behave with Jesus as Mary most holy did. Think of how gently Mary must have held Jesus, dressed him, swaddled him and fed him. With what love she must have knelt before him to adore him with a burning heart! In those moments, her heart ex-panded with a new and powerful love that reached out to all humanity. Let us consider the love with which Mary protected the Child Jesus during the flight into Egypt. Let us recall how she cared for him in his infancy, took him back to Palestine, and accompanied him as he passed through the stages of childhood, adolescence and adulthood in the house of Nazareth. May we too receive Jesus as Mary did and treat him as she did! Mary was the Mother of Jesus and she took care of him as a mother does, but at the same time she adored him, thanked him, loved him and prayed to him…. While she guided him, she prayed to him. How much she learned from Jesus! How carefully she preserved his words in her heart and medi-tated on them! How attentively she listened to his sermons and discourses during his public life and reflected on them, seeking to put them into practice! And how her love grew as she saw her Son redeem the world with his truth, his holiness and his sufferings! Let us promise Mary that we will keep Jesus in our heart, that we will offer him our mind, will, heart and entire being. 3) We must give Jesus to the world as Mary did. Called to give Jesus to the world, the priest and the sister consecrate themselves wholly to him out of love. They are called not only to love him with all their being, which is already a great thing, but also to help others love him. If a sister has renounced human maternity, she has done so to become a mother in a broader and more extensive sense–a mother of many children, of many young people, of many men and women, through the apostolates of prayer, suffering, example, word and the editions, using all the possibilities available to her in her condition and circumstances. Let her bring Jesus to the world!

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The sister is another Mary, and she must do what Mary did. First, she must keep Jesus with her, as Mary kept him in her womb for nine months, and then she must give him to hu-manity, as Mary did in Bethlehem and throughout his life. A holy sister helps others become holy. The sister who belongs entirely to Jesus gives him to the world. One need not remain alone because one is a virgin–indeed, the opposite is true! One becomes the spiritual mother of many souls, not just one! How beautiful is the prayer: “O Jesus, take all my merits, all my prayers and sufferings, and use them as you wish to help the most needy souls.” And then there is the prayer, “Divine heart of Jesus…” which we recite so often. In this way, the virgin becomes the mother of many souls; she is virgin and mother. The more virginal she is in mind, heart, will and body, the more of a mother she will be. In this way, she shares and replicates the mission of Mary. The heart of the virgin must expand to embrace all humanity. Some individuals feel the needs of only certain groups of people, for instance: priests, the sick, sinners…. This is all well and good but one’s heart must expand to embrace the whole Church, both militant and suffering. It must envelop all human beings: the faithful and non-believers, those who have accepted Jesus and those who do not yet know him, children, young people, professionals, teachers, soldiers, laborers, farmers, everyone! This is your apostolate: to be virgins and mothers. And the more one is pure or puri-fied, the more she will carry out the apostolate of Mary effectively, here and now. Whether one lives or dies, whether she is sick or healthy, whether she serves others or is served by them, she can always give Jesus to the world and carry out the apostolate. Some will perform the apostolate in one way, and others in another. But all must feel the obligation of spiritual maternity: the duty to give Jesus to the world. Therefore let us look to Mary, who gives Jesus to the world and to each of us. Let us look to her in order to learn our mission well, in order to learn our “duty” to give Jesus to the world through the apostolate. Third Stage

The Month of June Dedicated to St. Paul29 In the Society of St. Paul, it is customary to dedicate the month of June to St. Paul. To spend a month in honor of St. Paul means to pay him homage in three ways: 1) to meditate on his doctrine and examples; 2) to imitate him, especially in the virtues we need most; 3) to pray to him in a special way, both for our sanctification and for the apostolate, and to trust in his powerful intercession. It would be well to reread the book A Month with St. Paul. This text is a summary of the meditations made in 1928 when for the first time everyone celebrated the month of June in honor of St. Paul in a more solemn way. The book contains short meditations for every day, the fruits to be derived from them and the favors to be asked of St. Paul. Let us consider St. Paul under three aspects: as our teacher, model and provider. 1. As our teacher. St. Paul is called the “Doctor (teacher) of the Gentiles,” and he truly was the most faithful and profound interpreter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said

29 Regina Apostolorum, June 1954 and January 1957. Cf. Pauline Spirituality: Devotions of the First Week of the Month, St. Paul Editions, pp. 226-230, English edition.

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of him to Ananias: “This man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Even though St. Paul has passed to his eternal reward, he has not suspended his spe-cial mission as Doctor of the Gentiles but has rather intensified it. This is depicted very clearly in the sculpture “The Glory of St. Paul,” located above the altar in the church in Alba dedicated to him. In this sculpture he is surrounded by his disciples and admirers–St. Timo-thy, St. Thecla, St. John Chrysostom, etc.–and is portrayed in the act of pointing out to them the Divine Master. That was his mission: to apply the teachings of the Gospel to the needs of his times, according to the task that had been entrusted to him and which he fulfilled to the very end, when he crowned his life with martyrdom suffered in Rome, the center of Christian-ity, on the same day that St. Peter was crucified on Vatican Hill. Paul is the “Teacher of the Gentiles.” His life is a living, dynamic instruction, espe-cially for those in the writing apostolate or those who are involved in higher studies. His let-ters live and throb. This, too, was one of the reasons he was chosen as protector of the Con-gregation. 2. Secondly, let us consider St. Paul as our model. He says to us: “Imitate me as I imi-tate Christ” (cf. 1 Co. 4:16). He offers himself as an example–not an absolute example but an example as to how to imitate Jesus Christ, who alone is the absolute Exemplar of every per-fection. St. Paul says: “I have made myself a form for you.” What does this mean? It means this: When one has set up and impaginated a book, the “form” is placed in the machine (letter press), and on this form, from this pattern, many copies can be printed. The same thing hap-pens when one wants to make a plaster or cement statue. That is to say, first the form is pre-pared, then the plaster or cement is poured, and from just one form or mold many statues are made. St. Paul is our “form.” All Paulines, all members of the Pauline Family, must be shaped according this form. He is grace for us. The Lord points out this father to us. He sets Paul be-fore us so that we can imitate his virtues in the apostolate and in our personal lives. Let us al-ways consider him as our form, our pattern, our model of every virtue.

3. St. Paul is our provider. We can also call him a bursar or steward–a spiritual stew-ard, a heavenly steward. He asks the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Apostles, to give us the graces we need. He asks Jesus for these graces. He sees the needs of each and everyone of us. He looks into our minds and hearts and sees the needs of each individual. Let us imagine St. Paul’s piercing gaze. Now, from heaven, that gaze is even more penetrating and he uses it to scrutinize our soul and determine its state. He knows our thoughts and the needs of our heart. We must become St. Paul’s children like St. Timothy, St. Luke and St. Titus. These children of his became saints and apostles. They were happy to accompany him on his various missionary journeys and share his ministry. To spend the month of St. Paul well, we must resolve to do three things: we must learn about St. Paul by reading his life and letters; we must imitate him in the practice of the virtues we wish to acquire; we must honor him through daily prayer. All this can be done on a still greater scale by anyone who wants to dedicate an entire year to St. Paul. The year 1957-58 was already dedicated to him in a special way by the entire Pauline Family but this does not mean that an individual or community can’t dedicate another year to him because of a special need or so as to deepen one’s devotion to him. For anyone who desires to repeat this homage, we reprint here what was already printed in Regina Apostolorum concerning the aims of such a year. These are: 1. To show our gratitude to our Father, who has guarded, guided and enlightened us on our difficult journey over the years, especially in the beginning.

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2. To get to know St. Paul better. Much has been written concerning his sublime hu-man and spiritual personality, but much still remains to be said. “Know your Father”–his holy life, his apostolate, his doctrine, his influence with God. Get to know the “Apostle of Christ,” the “Doctor of the Gentiles,” the “Minister of the Church,” the “Vessel of Election,” the “Preacher of the Gospel,” the “Martyr for Christ.” Get to know the part he played in the dogma, moral life, liturgy and organization of the Church. 3. To imitate his virtues better. St. Paul was a true person of God; a person filled with grace to an exceptional degree; a person to whom God entrusted things in a special way; a person with a very special obligation to God; a person who was able to say: “the grace of God was not vain in me.” He is God’s troubador; the proclaimer of his glory; the promoter of his worship; the defender of his laws; the one whom God set apart for himself; the prisoner of Christ; the man who lived in Christ. 4. To pray to St. Paul for three reasons: a) because his influence with God is great, since it is in proportion to the work he did for the Lord on earth; b) because he is the father of our family, and a father is always concerned about his children; c) in order to obtain his vir-tues by means of our prayers. 5. To love the Apostle and obtain the grace that all Paulines, in every nation, may wisely and holily come to know to what they should conform themselves, what they should embrace and pass on [to others], and what they should avoid. Let us invoke the help of the Doctor of the Gentiles, our father and model. And now let us conclude with this beautiful liturgical prayer to St. Paul: O God, you know we have no faith in our own powers. May the prayers of the Doctor of the Gentiles de-fend us against all adversity. If anyone intends to dedicate a year to St. Paul or to repeat such a dedication and wants to read more about the points presented above, let them consult the circular letters printed in Regina Apostolorum during the first half of 1957. For a suitable closing of the year, see the two issues of January 1958. Fourth Stage

Sermon of Primo Maestro on the Institute’s 40th Anniversary of Foundation30

We are gathered here today to fulfill a threefold obligation. On 20 August 1914, the Pauline Family was launched with the celebration of a Mass, an Hour of Adoration and the blessing of a miniscule typography. There were only a few boys and the house was small; in fact, the chapel was so tiny that there wasn’t even enough room for the few people present. Now forty years have gone by and in this time we have received innumerable graces, for which we must thank God. On our part, we have often been unfaithful and have failed to cor-respond to God’s grace–hence, our obligation to perform acts of reparation. In addition, look-ing to the future, we have a responsibility to continue the mission entrusted to us by the Lord. Our fortieth anniversary: it is like a day of retreat, except that our examination of con-science does not cover just a brief period of our life but the entire arc of the past forty years. Then, looking to the future, we should make resolutions and pray to the Lord with great hu-

30 J. Alberione, Alba, 20 August 1954. Sermon for the fortieth anniversary of the Institute’s foundation. 12-page, undated booklet printed by the Daughters of St. Paul. It seems the meditation was addressed to the entire Pauline Family.

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mility and trust. We must strain ahead until we can say: “It is finished”; I have completed the journey marked out for me by God. 1. Thanking the Lord

Let us reflect on the past so as to sing “Glory to God” and learn the lessons it teaches us because history is a teacher of life. We have received innumerable graces of every sort: spiritual, supernatural, material and intellectual.

Among these, let us mention in particular the gift of vocations. This is the external sign of God’s hand on a person; his will, which determines the path that individual will follow in life. The fact that our Institute has many vocations makes it clear that the Lord wanted the Pauline Family. From all eternity, in his wisdom and love, he destined these particular indi-viduals to make up our Family. Vocations! At present, there are about 5,000 members in all our Pauline communities. We must also thank God for all his other graces to us, particularly the graces that re-gard our formation. Formation in the Pauline Family is a complex and ceaseless activity. We realize every day that we are still not capable of carrying out our mission and of doing the good to souls that the Lord desires of us. This formation concerns our mind, will and heart. We must develop our personality: our mind, through knowledge; our will, through virtue; our heart, through prayer and grace; our body, through the sanctification of all our senses. Those who live chastely with regard to their eyes, tongue and the rest of their body, will receive great glory at the final judgment. Let us also thank the Lord for the many graces we are not even aware of having re-ceived–graces that he bestowed on us at the beginning of the Congregation and that he con-tinues to pour out upon us every day. Everything was done by God and God alone. Why? Be-cause we had nothing–no material means. We never dreamed that the Lord would entrust this particular apostolate to us so as to meet the needs of this century. Everything concerning the life of the Pauline Family came from the Eucharist, but it was transmitted to us by St. Paul. [Everything came] from the Eucharist because Jesus is Life, but the sacred Host must be brought to us [by someone] if it is to enter our heart. And it was St. Paul who performed this task of communicating the life of Jesus Christ to us. When we say, “We are sons and daughters of St. Paul,” we do not mean, for example, that we belong to the Pauline Family in Brazil. Instead, we mean the same thing that is meant when one says: “That person belongs to Peter.” What does this mean? It means that this indi-vidual was born of Peter; he/she is Peter’s child. And our father is St. Paul: “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” Everything is his. The Institute was inspired by him. He is its father, its light, its protector, its teacher, everything, and for this we give thanks to God. Yes, our “thanks” to God today should be a heartfelt sentiment that springs from the depths of our soul. And let us join our thanks to that of Mary by reciting the Magnificat. 2. Atonement for sins committed

The First Reading for the Mass of St. Bernard explains what we must be. It says:

“[The just person] rises early to seek the Lord who made him and to petition the Most High. He opens his mouth in prayer and asks pardon for his sins. If the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own and give thanks to the Lord in prayer. The Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge, as

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he meditates on his mysteries. He will show the wisdom of what he has learned, and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant. Many will praise his understanding; it will never be blotted out. His memory will not disappear, and his name will live through all generations. Nations will speak of his wisdom, and the congregation will proclaim his praise” (Sir. 39:5-10). Right now, each of us should recognize that we are not all that we should be and that we have not done all that we should have done. When the priest offers the Host with the words, “Father, accept this offering,” let us complete his words with our own: “[in reparation] for my many sins, offenses and failings.” It would be very hard for us to list our many acts of ingratitude and the many times we failed to correspond to God’s grace over the past forty years. Who knows how much more the Lord expected of us and how much, in reality, we failed to do! We have to atone for the fact that we have not corresponded to the first end of the reli-gious life: to give greater glory to God. We must atone for the fact that we have not realized its second end: to become holy. We must also atone for our sins against humanity. Perhaps, on judgment day, we will have to acknowledge that we did not give people all the truth and light that we could have. We must atone for the fact that we have not always contributed to the spiritual and apostolic progress of the Pauline Family. We must atone for our sins as individuals. Have we always given good example? Have we always prayed as we should have? Certainly not all of us can say “yes” to this ques-tion. Each one must bear his/her responsibilities. Each one must make a personal examina-tion of conscience. But: “How can I repay the Lord for all his benefits to me?” (Ps. 116:12). How can I repair for the things that were not done for God and humanity through my fault? “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:13). I will take the chalice and, having nothing of my own to offer God, I will offer him the One who offered himself on the cross: Jesus Christ. His merits, his blood have infinite value and atone for all sins. On our part, all we must do is offer him our humility and trust. This should then be fol-lowed by the Miserere. 3. Our duty today: to renew our resolutions and accompany them with prayer

We must guard against the temptation to live on memories of the past and remain sat-

isfied with these. St. Paul teaches: “Not that I have already reached the goal, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining for-ward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Instead, what was our condition? Thus: “Look not upon my sins but upon the faith of your Church.” St. Paul says: “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” He extends this invitation to all the faithful and all his followers, but this is not enough for us because we are his children. Chil-dren share the life of their father. Consequently, we must live as he did. For us, his words to the Thessalonians are more appropriate because he reminds these children of his that he be-came their form (model, pattern): “We have made ourselves a model for you to imitate” (cf. 2 Thes. 3:9). Jesus Christ is the perfect original. Paul made himself our form so that, in him, we can be shaped to live according to Jesus Christ. St. Paul is not our form in the sense that we

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must be physical reproductions of him; rather he is our form in the sense that we must strive to acquire his personality–his mind, prayer life, heart, virtues, zeal–to the maximum. The Pauline Family, composed of many members, must be Paul alive today in a communal body. Some of our resolutions will be general, while others will be particular. General duties: we have always said that the Congregation is like a cart that moves ahead on four wheels: spirit, study, the apostolate and poverty. By means of this cart, we take the Gospel to souls and so we must remain on this cart in order to carry out our mission. Let us remember what the Congregation is and what the Pauline Family is. The Pauline Family was raised up by St. Paul to continue his work. It is St. Paul alive today, composed of many members. We did not choose St. Paul; he is the one who chose and called us. He wants us to do what he would do if he were alive today. And what would he do if he were alive today? He would fulfill the two great precepts as only he knew how to do: to love God with his entire heart, strength and mind, and to love his neighbor without counting the cost to himself because he lived Christ: “Christ lives in me.” He would use the greatest “pulpits” fashioned by modern progress: the press, cinema, radio, television; the greatest dis-coveries [to transmit] the doctrine of love and salvation: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. St. Paul made himself our “form.” When we place a form in the printing press, the sheets of paper that pass under it are printed according to that pattern. Here is another example: small statues are made by filling a form (or mold) with plaster. The original is Jesus Christ; the form is St. Paul. St. Paul says he wants to be our form, so we must form ourselves in him. That is, we must think, pray and zealously work for the health of souls as he did. Let us be true Paulines. Paulines! Thus our general resolution should be to become true Paulines. If we want to subdivide this resolution, then we can concentrate first on spirit, the first wheel of our cart. Let us work intensively to correct our defects, to remove imperfections and to build a “new person,” shaped according to God, in truth and holiness. Let us be humble, obedient, chaste, lovers of poverty, patient. Spiritual work, interior work, is our first and most essential duty. Without this, no person should be admitted to the novitiate or to profession. The second wheel of our cart: study. We must never stop learning. We must keep in step with today’s constantly-changing world; we must respond to its objections and give it the nourishment it needs, according to today’s mentality. Study! Study! Study the ascetical life, the catechism, our apostolate and especially propaganda. Study so as to write, to perform the technical apostolate always more perfectly, to carry out collective propaganda in a penetrating way. Third wheel: the apostolate. Learn wisdom through the intercession of St. Paul, St. Bernard and St. Pius X, who went to heaven on the day we blessed our first small typography, which at that time we placed under his protection. The Lord counts and blesses each of our steps; he has written everything in the book of life. Nothing is lost! Gained, yes–much is gained. Let us write; let us perform the technical apostolate; let us go out on propaganda. In the fourth place, let us ask the Lord for the grace of the spirit of poverty, which in-cludes health, good manners, character, all that concerns our food, residence, clothing and everything else necessary for life. Our poverty is somewhat different from the poverty practiced by other Institutes. It must lead us in particular to work as the Son of God worked in the little house of Nazareth. It is a poverty that results in fatigue; a poverty that procures; a poverty that performs charitable acts; a poverty that should enable us to obtain the means we need for our life and apostolate. It is a poverty that atones–a redemptive poverty, just as the poverty of the Son of God in the house of Nazareth atoned and redeemed. The sweat of Jesus’ brow was as precious as the blood he sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane.

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So, our general resolution should be: interior and spiritual work; intellectual work and study; apostolic work and the exercise of poverty. Each of us can also make our own personal resolutions because although we live in the same Congregation we each have our own unique needs, graces, education, health and possibilities. Each of us received particular inspirations in Batpism, Confirmation and Com-munion. This means that each of us has a special resolution that we carry in our heart and put into practice from year to year. All this requires us to have recourse to the divine mercy. Looking at the people who are in the St. Paul House, in the Pauline Family; at the many tabernacles that were erected; at the number of houses that have been added year by year; at our various apostolic initiatives, we have to say: “The hand of God is [at work] in this.” It is not important who sows the seed or waters it by means of lessons and formation. What counts is the one who gives life and growth. There would be no point in watering a dried branch. What counts is God, who gives life to the plant, enabling it to draw nourishment from the soil. And so we come to prayer. Whether ours is a prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, repa-ration or supplication, it must always be: “to God through Jesus Christ his Son.” We must of-fer him the merits of Jesus Christ. Lord God, look upon your Christ, your Son, who, having become man, was nailed to the cross, from which he prayed for all of us. Look at his merits and have mercy on us. Throughout the rest of this year in which we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we ask you that the Pauline Family might continue to grow: first of all in spirit, then in persons and works. We must also humbly admit that even today, after so much time, we still do not know ourselves. Nor we do clearly understand what the Pauline Family is. Consider your vocation. At times, objections, questions and proposals arise that make one yearn to respond: “You don’t know what your spirit is.” Light comes from the Lord: let us trust him. Virtue comes from the Lord: let us trust him. Consolation comes from the Lord: let us trust him. And let us strain ahead, until we reach the point that we can say with the crucified Christ on our deathbed: “It is finished.” I have fulfilled what God wanted of me; his plan for me. Then: “Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my spirit.” Reflecting on the past, we can see that the first part of the divine promise has been fulfilled: “You who have left everything to follow me will receive a hundredfold in return.” We are sure that if we are faithful the second part of the promise will also come to pass: “And you will receive eternal life.” Fifth Stage

The Action of Divine Providence31 Providence worked in accordance with God’s ordinary method: fortiter et suaviter (“mightily and sweetly”). This method is to prepare the ways and bring them together accord-ing to His purpose, to provide the light and help needed, to make one wait in peace until His time comes, to begin always from the bare necessities, to act in such a natural way as to be unable to easily distinguish grace from nature, but, certainly, employing both. Conversely, it is not the case to force God’s hand. It suffices to be on the alert, to let oneself be guided, and to strive in one’s various duties to employ mind, will, heart and physi-cal strength….

31 Abundantes Divitiae Gratiae Suae–Charismatic History of the Pauline Family, Pauline Editions, 1998, nn. 43-45, English edition.

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The actions of a human being are so imperfect, unsound, inadequate and dubious that one is dutybound to put everything back into the hands of God’s mercy and to allow oneself to be guided. He never forced the hand of Providence but always awaited God’s sign. He started to pray for the Pastorelle Sisters in 1908, but this Congregation came into being only thirty years later. To tell the truth he was not used to taking notes, since he did not know what to say about many things; experiencing both repugnance at doing this and humiliation on all sides; he would more willingly leave everything in God’s hands, knowing that He will reveal all at the Last Judgment, for his glory. It happened at times that there was need for a serene and calm maturing of the things to be done. The Lord arranged for him to spend a few days in bed. Afte confining himself to his room for a day or two, he would come out refreshed. He submitted his plans to his spiri-tual director (who corrected and added, as needed) and, if required, to Church authority, and then set to work. The time was not always ripe, but the Lord made things known, leaving the work and the errors…to his servant. Then the Lord intervened to redress the errors and mis-takes and take over the work himself. Sixth Stage

Practical Devotion to Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life32

The devotion to Jesus Master is spreading gradually but continuously. It is a profound, sublime devotion that has to be understood in order to give our piety the depth and stability it should have. Let us ask Jesus Master to enlighten our minds to understand this devotion and grow in knowledge of it. Much grace is necessary for this! At the same time, let us work to progress in this. Every step we take toward a better understanding of our devotions is a step forward in the Pauline spirit. Jesus Master is presented to us as Truth, Way, Life. We say this ejaculation often, but we do not always reflect on its profound meaning. The figure of Jesus Master is currently under deep study and the first to profit from these studies will be the Paulines. In the meantime, we can understand this devotion in the following way:

1. Jesus Truth: Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of the Father; his personal, uncreated, eter-nal Wisdom. He became our Wisdom through the will of the Father. As St. Paul says: “God has made him our wisdom” (1 Co. 1:30). He gave humanity the great truths that form the ob-ject of our faith–from the truth about the essence of God, one and triune, to that of our eternal destiny and our sharing in the very happiness of God. Jesus Christ now communicates the gifts of his wisdom to us through the action of the Holy Spirit, of whom Jesus himself said: “However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told…since all he re-veals to you will be taken from what is mine” (Jn. 16:13-14). Now the Holy Spirit acts in us through the Church, the Liturgy and the sacraments. We honor Jesus Master, who became our Wisdom, by placing ourselves humbly at his feet and listening to what he left us in the Gospel and what he communicates to us through the

32 Sermon of Primo Maestro, delivered in Rome in 1948. Cf. Pauline Spirituality: Devotions of the First Week of the Month, Daughters of St. Paul, United States, pp. 333-339, English edition.

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Church. We honor Jesus Master by accepting and believing all his teaching, reaffirming St. Peter’s declaration: “You have the words of eternal life: we have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn. 6:69). Thus we practice the first theological virtue: faith. 2. Jesus Way. After the Last Supper, Jesus said: “I came from the Father and have come into the world” (Jn. 16: 28). He came into the world to raise up fallen humanity and place it on the level to which the Father had destined it. To do this, he chose to be the first one to live the life we are called to live. He wanted to be the first to follow the path that would lead us back to the Father. He reforged the bonds that had united human beings to God before the first sin was committed. Jesus atoned for our sins and restored us to friendship with God. He was pleasing to God even on the human level and he made us children of God in a mar-velous way. He transformed himself into our way to the Father by becoming our Mediator, our brother. Nothing we do can be good or pleasing to God unless it is done with Jesus, in Je-sus, through Jesus: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). And, in turn, the Father accepts as his children only those who resemble his only-begotten Son. Thus it is absolutely necessary that we imitate Jesus, our model, by going to the Father through him, making his adorations, thanksgivings, atonements and supplications our own so as to have something worthy to offer our heavenly Father. Therefore, let us honor Jesus our Way as follows: a) By following his examples and virtues, seeking to reproduce them in ourselves. Certainly, when we look at the life of Jesus, we cannot help but admire the perfect harmony between what he said and what he did. Even though our love for Jesus might be small, it should prompt us to try to resemble him at least to some degree by practicing in our daily life some of the wonderful examples he left us. Such imitation is already a fruit of love and will prove that love even more because it consists not of words or feelings but of doing what the Master wants of us: “Those who love me will keep my word” (Jn. 14:23). In this way, we will practice the third theological virtue: charity. b) Let us honor Jesus Way by going to the Father through him and by asking him to lend us his virtues, merits and all the good he has done, in the full knowledge that all that is his is ours because, by will of the Father, we have been grafted onto, incorporated into and identified with “Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord’” (1 Co. 1:30-31). This is the act of supreme trust and love that helps us reach the point of: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who live in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Ga. 2:20). Our transformation in Christ is brought about by the Holy Spirit in union with Mary most holy, because it is a continuation of the work begun the day of the Annunciation. 3. Jesus Life: Jesus is also Life. “In him was life, and the life was the light of all peo-ple” (Jn. 1:4). This life of light and grace makes us children of God: “To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12). Jesus draws life from the Father and communicates it to us: “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (Jm. 1:16). He is the Vine that sustains the branches and gives them life. We are those branches. Apart from him there is only desolation, death, sin and damnation. Jesus wants to be our life: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). It is also the will of the Father that we receive life from Jesus: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (Jn. 15:8). We honor Jesus Life by asking him for an abundance of his life, grace and holiness. Contemplating the magnificent virtue and holiness in the life of the Divine Master, we feel the

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need to resemble him, the need to pray to and petition him. We feel our wretched state even more keenly and realize that we are incapable of performing even the most insignificant ac-tions on a plane above our nature. Thus we turn spontaneously to prayer, for it is through prayer that we receive what we need and that we glorify Jesus by trusting in his goodness and mercy, confident that he will take care of all our requirements. And Jesus, called to fulfill in us his most ardent desire, will abundantly pour out his Spirit, who will work “until Christ is formed in us” (cf. Ga. 4:19). Here are some practical ways of honoring the Divine Master: 1) By learning about matters of faith and by asking an increase of this virtue. Let us love and serve God with our whole mind, for this is the first purpose for which God created us: to know him. The study of God begins with the catechism, which is the simplest and most beautiful treatise on God: Unity, Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption, Grace, Church…. We should deepen and broaden our knowledge of these fundamental truths year by year. Thus, catechism lessons should be highly esteemed. Theology is catechism in a broader sense. Get to know Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospel. Get to know moral, ascetical and mystical theology and the religious life. 2) By making our meditation, the Visit to the most Blessed Sacrament and the exami-nation of conscience according to the Way, Truth and Life method. To use the same method in formulating our resolutions, participating in holy Mass, preparing ourselves for communion and thanking God afterward. 3) By seeking to derive the following fruits from our monthly and annual retreats: the destruction of the “old self” and the substitution of the “new self” in Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life. Let us imitate Jesus Christ and unite ourselves to him. 4) Another excellent means of honoring the Divine Master is to follow the Liturgy de-voutly during the year. Through the Liturgy, which can also be called “the book of the Holy Spirit,” the Church continues the mission entrusted to her by Jesus Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19). 5) Who is the perfect religious? The person who most fully reproduces in him/herself the life of Jesus Christ; the person whose faith is purer, more heartfelt, more practical; the person who imitates not only the commands of Jesus but also the evangelical counsels and who reaches the point of: “It is Christ who lives in me” (Ga. 2:20). 6) Our Institute is a teaching institute. Its purpose is to give the world Jesus Christ–in other words, his doctrine, his moral teachings, the way to worship him. Let us unite ourselves to Mary, Queen of Apostles, who presented Jesus to the shepherds, to the Magi and to the world. When Christ is divided into parts, he cannot renew us. The whole Christ is resurrec-tion, life and salvation for the entire world. Let us carry out a complete apostolate–one that will lead us to holiness.

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Seventh Stage

Testimony of Paul VI33 We are sorry to have kept you waiting and we trust in your patience, but let us remind you that we too must exercise this virtue quite a bit in our many duties and meetings. But at the present moment we are truly happy to have this encounter with you. Beloved brothers and dearest children! Here before us we see the Pious Society of St. Paul, originally from Alba in Piedmont and now with a General House here in Rome. We know well that yours is not a simple institu-tion but a Family: the “Pauline Family,” made up of various religious institutes, which we are pleased to welcome here today and, as it were, pass in review. Before us is the Pious Society of St. Paul, now fifty-five years old: years of fervent activity and wide and diversified expansion. Here too are the Daughters of St. Paul, the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Queen of Apostles Sisters, as well as representatives of the three secular Institutes of Jesus the High Priest, St. Gabriel for men and Mary Most Holy of the Annunciation for women. A flourishing tree with a single root and eight branches! How happy we are to see you here today, to reflect on your endeav-ors, and to bless you all! We know about your activities, all of which are characterized by an apostolic spirit and purpose. Your principal apostolate is that of the editions, but you also carry out a liturgi-cal apostolate, a parish apostolate, a vocation apostolate, and an apostolate aimed at helping various classes of people live the Christian life more intensively. We remember well that you began your apostolate by making modern use of the stupendous instruments now used for what is called social communication and that this is one of the characteristic features of the Pauline Family: that is, it uses above all the press, but also the radio, cinema and now even records to carry out its apostolate. Each of these instruments is used for different services: books, periodicals, magazines, various editions of Sacred Scripture, liturgical publications, catechisms, religious instruction via correspondence courses, and so forth. And this blossom-ing of different forms of disseminating Christian thought and word goes hand in hand with the geographical spread of your work, which by now has reached every continent and many na-tions. It has taken on a missionary character and is blazing new trails everywhere for apostolic activity. If our observation is accurate, then two practical virtues distinguish your method of expansion and make it effective. The first is continuity, that is: constancy, perseverance, not doing things in an amateurish or improvised way. This seems to be one of the characteristics of your Founder: to give continuity to your various initiatives. And the second practical virtue is to disseminate them in a capillary way…. Here are these good Sisters who go everywhere. We said in an [earlier] audience that they make us think of busy ants, scurrying all around…. Again using a comparison from the world of nature, we can say they are like bees, who build hives and make honey, buzzing all over the place before returning to their central point. In the animal realm, these marvelous in-sects create a true sense of community and society among the living. The capillary nature of these Sisters’ diffusion, as we were saying, allows us to glimpse other virtues (of the moral and spiritual order, because the practical virtues are not enough) that sustain this work. These are virtues we willingly praise and recommend that you continually cultivate, namely: wise adminstration (the Gospel tells us we need to keep a re-cord of our accounts: prius computans sumptus!), a vigilant eye on the signs of the times (this 33 Papal audience of 28 June 1969.

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too might seem to be a simple matter), a yearning to bring nourishment and comfort to the people of today, a spirit of fidelity and sacrifice so as to use technical instruments effectively, and the charity of truth. How many people live without seeing what is going on around them! One would say they are shortsighted or blind. Don’t you see the many needy souls before you? Don’t you see the possibilities here for doing good? Don’t you see the desperate need to intervene in this situation? Don’t you see before you an appeal for charity? Don’t you see that this situation requires someone to sacrifice him/herself and serve? It is precisely this vigilance that the Gospel so strongly recommends: and this has al-ways been a virtue of your Institute. And then…and then…. We recall some details of our pastoral ministry in Milan, dur-ing which we were often asked to inaugurate beautiful buildings such as schools and so forth. On these occasions, the thought often came to mind that modern civilization creates magnifi-cent instruments, like one would create a beautiful piano, but it fails to create the person to play the piano. It creates schools but not teachers, or at least not teachers who do good to their students, to souls; teachers whom the students need for their life and salvation. We are better at creating instruments than genuine spiritual movements. Instead, Christianity is often stripped of instruments, but continues to have the virtue of the word and of grace–its primary dignity. And you have succeeded in uniting these two things: the instrument with the purpose and content it should have. With pleasure and admiration, we have noted the rapid and extensive growth of your work: personnel and initiatives have increased; impressive, consoling and unexpected results have been achieved; technical skills and content have been perfected. The Pious Society of St. Paul–with its various branches, the volume of its production and its dexterity at expansion–has become so great and vital as to constitute a significant feature in the life of the Church of this century. The Society of St. Paul is truly inscribed in the history and life of the Church. And we are happy to recognize this consoling fact and to bear witness to it before you, while praising the Lord. The spontaneous question arises: How has the Pious Society of St. Paul managed to achieve so much success in a such a noticeable way and in so short a time? The answer seems easy to us, although it is still full of secrets–secrets of the work of God’s kingdom. It seems to us that two factors came together to produce this magnificent re-sult, which promises even more beneficial results in its turn. Two wills were at work: that of a man and that of God; the will of a humble and faithful servant, and the fatherly, magnanimous will of the Lord, who has certainly blessed the great undertaking of the Pious Society of St. Paul to a singular degree. And now you understand us: we owe the building of your monu-mental Institute to your Founder, our dear and venerated Fr. James Alberione, here present. In the name of Christ, we thank and bless him. Here he is, humble, silent, tireless, ever vigilant, always recollected in his thoughts, which run from prayer to work according to the traditional saying: ora et labora (pray and work), ever intent on scrutinizing the “signs of the times,” that is to say, the most inspired ways of reaching souls. Our Fr. Alberione has given the Church new ways of expressing herself, new means to invigorate and broaden her apostolate, new ca-pacities and a new awareness of the validity and possibilities of her mission in the modern world, with modern means. Permit the Pope, dear Fr. Alberione, to rejoice in this long, faithful and tireless effort and the fruits it has produced for the glory of God and the good of the Church. Permit your children to rejoice with us and tell you today, perhaps as never before, of their affection and their promise to persevere in this work.

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Today, therefore, we would like to confer our cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice upon the venerated and venerable Fr. James Alberione as a sign of our benevolence and gratitude, as a comfort to entire Pauline Family, and as an encouragement to all who devote themselves to the cause of the Catholic apostolate through generous promotion and right use of the media of social communication. And allow us, dearest children, to fortify your courageous apostolic commitment with our best wishes. We know that the various Institutes that look to the Pious Society of St. Paul as their head have begun, or are about to begin, their Special General Chapters to adapt their Constitutions to the norms laid down by the recent Council. This is an excellent occasion for you all to come to a deeper awareness of your membership in the holy Church, not merely as devoted but passive children, but rather as active children consecrated to sanctifying her inte-riorly, to reinforcing her spiritual and social soundness, and to spreading her in an ever-new and dynamic way, for her good and that of the whole contemporary world. It is very important to have a clear awareness of one’s vocation. Thus you must renew your resolutions and pro-grams. You must fortify your hearts by clinging to Christ the Lord as did St. Paul, your in-spirer and protector, and ours too. In this he was and continues to be both teacher and exam-ple. You have embraced a great cause. And while every great cause is a source of spiritual energy and calls for love, dedication and sacrifice, at the same time it involves great responsi-bilities, important duties, and therefore also risks and dangers. Indeed, think of your own re-sponsibility. Those who make the apostolate–the powerful apostolate of the media of social communication–the purpose of their lives should always keep this responsibility before their conscience: that is, the responsibility to influence the souls and lives of other people, who, whether they be near or far, are our neighbors–neighbors whom we must love and serve as Christ loved and saved us. This sense of responsibility and this Christian love should always determine the criteria used in selecting and directing the material you communicate to others. You undoubtedly know what the Council taught in this respect, both about informa-tion and freedom of the press and communications. One has a valid right to seek and dissemi-nate information, but one must never forget the duties inherent in that right. The Council tells us that “the proper exercise of this right demands that the matter communicated shall always be as true and complete as charity and justice allow. This information should be communi-cated in a proper and decent way, which means that in gathering and publishing news, rules of morality and the legitimate rights and dignity of the human person must be held sacred...and the absolute primacy of the objective moral order must be respected” (Decree on the Media of Social Communication, nn. 5-6). Care must be taken to ensure that “each person strive to form and to voice worthy views on public affairs” (Ibid., n. 8). You, whose publications have attained such wide and popular distribution, should al-ways be vigilant in this matter. You should not only judge the interest that a certain item of news will arouse, but you should also consider the good or bad effects its spread could pro-duce, especially with regard to Catholic life, the growth of which you are dedicated to foster-ing. Following the directives of the responsible ecclesiastical authority will not only give your work greater credit, but also greater merit. May you not be deterred from the upright perform-ance of your apostolic service by certain opinions that deviate from professional and ecclesial loyalty, by interests that have nothing to do with the cause of the apostolate, by the search for prestige, or by anything else! Trusting in this, beloved children, and in the hope that each of you will be able to re-peat St. Paul’s assertion: “All this I do for the sake of the Gospel” (1 Co. 9:23), we whole-heartedly bless you one and all.

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Eighth Stage

The Sacred Liturgy: Advent Season34 Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the liturgical and ecclesiastical year, which can be divided into two parts. The first encourages us to reflect on the life of Je-sus Christ and his work to redeem us from error, vice and idolatry, especially self-adulation. The second leads us to apply the fruits of this redemption to ourselves, that is, to reflect on the truths that Jesus Christ taught; to study and imitate his holy examples, and to unite ourselves to him through grace, the sacraments, the Mass and prayer in general. Thus the first part of the year opens with Advent, during which we await the coming of Jesus Christ. This season, which lasts about four weeks, begins today. Then comes the birth of our divine Savior and his private life. This is followed by the beginning of Jesus’ public life, his preaching ministry, the sorrowful events of his life, his death and resurrection, and the Easter season. Next comes Jesus’ ascension into heaven and Pentecost: having returned to heaven, he gives the Holy Spirit to his Church, as he promised. During this time, we should remember the maxim in the Imitation of Christ: “Make every ef-fort to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.” We can say that the Church prompts us to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ each year by reminding us of it and by giving us the time to apply the fruits of the redemption to our-selves. But it is not a matter of simple repetition: it is a matter of making progress in this work. It can be likened to returning to school each year: we go to class but we do not always study the same material; each year we move ahead, we make progress in acquiring truth, doc-trine and knowledge, until we reach the “perfect age,” that is, complete union with Jesus Christ in heaven. Life prepares us for this bliss, for this perfect life that awaits us when our time here on earth is over. Thus the Church reminds us of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, that is, the birth of the Son of God Incarnate. At the same time she reminds us of his final coming, when he will return to judge all people, giving each one his/her reward or punishment according to that person’s merits. And on that day, who will receive a reward? Who will hear the invita-tion: “Come, blessed of my Father”? Those who on earth entered the kingdom of Jesus Christ: the kingdom of love, truth and justice. Today the Church invites us to prepare ourselves to enter this kingdom. Advent is a preparation for Christmas. On Christmas Day, Jesus opens his school of truth, holiness and love to all humanity. We should feel the need to attend this school. During this time, we should recognize the fact that we are ignorant, full of defects, inclined to evil, to following our passions, to sin. Let us acknowledge what we are and thus enter into a spirit of penitence. On these Sundays, the Church instructs her priests to wear purple vestments as a sign of penance. How many errors fill the minds of human beings; how many false doctrines are preached; how many erroneous maxims are repeated even among ourselves! Worldly maxims that can all be reduced to this: a consideration of only the present life and present goods, while we know that the present life is only a means for attaining eternal happiness. The spirit of the world lies in this: to prompt us to exchange the purpose with the means, that is to say, to induce us to seek happiness and satisfaction here below, as if we were 34 Sermons of Primo Maestro, December 1952–December 1953, Pauline Editions, pp. 5-10.

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created to live only a few years and that everything ends when we die. Instead, everything–eternity–begins when the present life ends. So let us recognize what we are. It was not just the world in general that needed redemption, that needed to beg the Savior to come: “Drop down dew, you heavens, from above and let the clouds rain the Just One.” Each one of us needs redemption; we all need this Master, who has made himself our Way, our Truth and our Life. In him is salvation, holiness, the religious life; in him is the priesthood; in him is everything. This leads us to three conclusions. The first is this: to follow the sacred Liturgy. As we said, during the course of the year the Liturgy prompts us to reflection on the life of Jesus Christ, Sunday after Sunday, week after week, like a great movie unfolding before us. So we contemplate the life of Jesus Christ by studying its details and listening to the words of eternal life that come from his lips. Each one should willingly use the missal when possible, that is, when we are not occupied with other practices of piety, as, for example, on ordinary days when we recite the prayers of the Mass and prepare for communion. But when we have the grace to participate in another Mass, then we should use the missal. Next, cultivate a great love for the Liturgy. The Liturgy sums up the laws that regulate the worship of God. Its specific object is this: [to give us] the words we must say to God and the ceremonies we must perform. Above all, the Liturgy is a continual instruction. Those who penetrate the Liturgy profoundly will grow in a spirit of faith, will come to better grasp the path to holiness, and will unite themselves always more intimately to Jesus Christ. Let us pay attention to the hymns and ceremonies; let us try to celebrate the functions as well as we can, in spite of our littleness, so that our celebrations will correspond at least slightly to the solemn celebrations in heaven, where Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest, is assisted by the patriarchs and apostles, the martyrs and saints, and the entire heavenly choir of angels. Let us seek to rise at least a little above the things here on earth and strive for the things of heaven. Those who participate well in these functions and enter deeply into the spirit of the sacred Liturgy can be sure that they will one day participate in the magnificent, eternal Lit-urgy of heaven. Let us also enter into the spirit of Advent. St. John the Baptizer is like a ring connect-ing the Old and New Testaments. Broadly speaking, we can say that he brought to a close the period of Old Testament prophecy by pointing out the Savior who was already in the midst of humanity: “There is the Lamb of God.” But how did he invite the world to receive Jesus Christ? Through penance. Withdrawing to the desert, he devoted himself to self-discipline and prayer. The crowds flocked to him there and he invited everyone to look within themselves, to ask the Lord’s forgiveness for the sins they had committed, and to prepare their hearts to re-ceive the Messiah properly while awaiting the day of his arrival. The spirit of Advent calls for humility: we acknowledge our great need for the Divine Master. Humility and a penitent spirit: let us admit our mistakes and sins. Humility and sup-plication: let us admit that we are weak, fragile, inclined to evil. During this time, we should ask the Lord in a special way to repeat his coming, that is, the Incarnation of the Son of God in today’s world, a sizeable part of which does not know or does not want to know the Savior. Above all, let us ask the Son of God to be born in our hearts and minds; let us ask him to transform us because everyone’s redemption lies in this: to become similar to Jesus Christ (“conformed to the image of his Son”).

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In this redemption lies our sanctification and salvation. During this time, we should often sing the hymn, “Drop down dew, you heavens, from above and let the clouds rain the Just One.” Let us now make our resolutions as to how we will spend the Advent season. Let us ask in particular for humility, a hatred for sin, the desire that Jesus be born in our hearts and transform us in him, and the desire to enter his school. Resolution and the hymn, “Drop down dew.” Nineth Stage

Conversion of St. Paul35 Today, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, let us examine the type of conversion we should ask for. This concerns the first point of the Chaplet to St. Paul, in which we ask for conversion from our principal defect. Also very appropriate is the final prayer of today’s Mass: “O Lord, having sanctified us through this mystery of salvation (which means: sancti-fied us through the Mass and communion, the mystery of salvation), we beg that we might always rely on the intercession of St. Paul, under whose protection you have placed us.” If the entire Church makes this petition today, then we above all should request it. The Church celebrates the conversion of St. Paul–the only conversion celebrated dur-ing the year. Why? 1) Because it is the model of every conversion due to its completeness and radicality; 2) because of the miraculous way in which it took place, even on the exterior plane (every conversion being a miracle of interior grace); 3) because of the great good done to the Church when Jesus Master transformed this adversary into an intimate friend, indeed the apostle who did more than all the others. Many times those who seem farthest from God be-come his most zealous advocates after they are conquered by grace. At times, the Lord’s big-gest adversaries have become the greatest apostles of good, of the truth, of the love of Jesus. The Entrance Antiphon is very striking: “I know whom I have believed and I am sure that he, the just judge, will guard what has been entrusted to me until the day of judgment” (cf. 2 Tm. 1:12). This means that we should entrust ourselves to God, who will reward us for the good we do. The just Judge takes note of every good action, so happy are those who fill the pages of the Book of Life with good deeds. But what of those who leave those pages empty or who fill them with black deeds? Let us remove all those black pages. Let us entrust ourselves to God and he will not fail to reward us. First Reading: “Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus which would empower him to arrest and bring to Jerusalem anyone he might find, man or woman, living according to the new way.” Saul, an ardent supporter of the Mosaic Law, had already encouraged Stephen’s mar-tyrdom and watched it take place. He did not yet know Jesus, but the Lord became his Teacher. Paul told the Galatians that it was “through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Ga. 1:12) that he received the Gospel he preached to them. He had never heard Jesus preach during his public ministry. Filled with overwhelming zeal for the Law, Saul incited others to martyr Stephen, then demanded authorization to go to the synagogues of Damascus to arrest those who believed in Jesus Christ. “As he traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light fom the sky suddenly flashed about him. He fell to the ground and at the same time heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, 35 Sermons of Primo Maestro, January–December 1955, Pauline Editions, pp. 31-37.

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Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, sir?’ he asked. The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.’ The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless. They had heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground unable to see, even though his eyes were open. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. For three days he con-tinued blind, during which time he neither ate nor drank. “There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias to whom the Lord had appeared in a vision. ‘Ananias!’ he said. ‘Here I am, Lord,’ came the answer. The Lord said to him, ‘Go at once to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a certain Saul of Tarsus. He is there praying.’ (Saul saw in a vision a man named Ananias coming to him and placing his hands on him so that he might recover his sight.) But Ananias protested: ‘Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. He is here now with authorization from the chief priests to arrest any who invoke your name.’ The Lord said to him: ‘You must go! This man is the instrument I have chosen to bring my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I myself shall indicate to him how much he will have to suffer for my name.’ With that Ananias left. When he entered the house he laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Saul, my brother, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the way here, to help you recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and his strength returned to him after he had taken food. “Saul stayed some time with the disciples in Damascus, and soon began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. Any who heard it were greatly taken aback. They kept saying: ‘Isn’t this the man who worked such havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoke this name? Did he not come here purposely to apprehend such people and bring them before the chief priests?’ Saul for his part grew steadily more powerful, and reduced the Jew-ish community of Damascus to silence with his proofs that this Jesus was the Messiah.” When we knelt before the altar in Damascus that portrays the Baptism of St. Paul by Ananias, we prayed that everyone would receive this grace: to undergo a little more conver-sion every day: “Convert us, O Lord, our salvation.” Let us work to convert ourselves a little each day. See how profound St. Paul’s conversion was? Saul, the enemy of Jesus, was trans-formed into such an intimate friend of the Lord that he reached the point of living in him: “It is Christ who lives in me” (Ga. 2.20). “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or peril?” (Rm. 8:35) “For I am certain” (Rm. 8:38) that neither death nor life will separate me from Jesus Christ. And in fact, neither death nor life could accomplish this: neither his fatiguing ministry, nor the prisons he sanctified, nor the chains he bore, nor the shipwrecks he experienced, nor the scourgings he received. “I am certain,” he says. “I am sure!” He was sure of the grace of God; he was sure he would receive strength from Jesus Christ. Not even death could separate Paul from his Lord. Here [in Rome] we are close to the place where St. Paul offered the extreme proof of his love for Jesus Christ. No one loves more than the one who gives up his/her life for the be-loved. Here Paul, the Lord’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles, shed his blood, after having car-ried out a tireless work of evangelization in many parts of the world. In fact, his labors were in line with the vocation he had received. “He is the instrument I have chosen” and his voca-tion was “to bring my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel,” to the extent that the Jews would accept his preaching. The Letter to the Hebrews is a monument to his affection for his fellow Israelites. Complete conversion! At first Paul wanted to chain and kill all the disciples of Jesus and he incited the enemies of Christ to stone Stephen, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and

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worked many wonders. But then he was transformed into a tireless apostle, the most zealous of the apostles. See how he is depicted in our painting? His hand is on his breast, almost as if to pro-claim: “Who will separate me from the love of Christ?” (Rm. 8:35) And at the same time he seems to say: “Who is weak and I do not share their weakness; who suffers disconsolately and I do not suffer profoundly with them?” (cf. 1 Co. 9:22) This is like saying, “I feel the needs and the sufferings of everyone.” Oh! If only St. Paul were alive today, what means he would use to move from one part of the world to another so as to win souls for Jesus Christ! If conversion is to be complete, it must begin with the mind. Our examination of con-science must first be directed to our mind, then to our heart, then to our life, and then to our body itself. Who can be humble without first thinking humble thoughts? A person might genuflect and even prostrate him/herself and still be proud, still want to be admired and loved. Of what value are the genuflections of the proud? They bend the knee but not the head, that is, they do not make an act of faith and do not abase themselves before Jesus, saying, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” What genuflections we make at times! Even externally, they sometimes reveal our lack of faith. They are hasty signs that are not accompanied by heartfelt sentiments: the intention to humble oneself is missing. Internal conversion: we must change our thoughts and feelings. Jesus said: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart” (Mt. 11:29). A person can sit on the throne of St. Peter, as Pope Pius X did, and yet remain a humble son of Riese. In the same way, one could be a coal merchant or a goatherd and still be proud and envious. We mustn’t wash a glass only externally but also internally. Thus conversion should begin in the mind and heart and radiate outward. Humble people ask advice; they have no trust in themselves and so they willingly pray. If we need something, then we should ask for it: this is the purpose of prayer. We find it hard to pray, but we must take the initiative because by doing so we show that we are hum-ble, that we feel the need for God, for advice, for inspiration, for mercy for our sins. We show that we need the Lord to keep his hand on our head to prevent us from falling off a cliff. How do we show initiative in prayer? By beginning to pray as soon as we wake up in the morning, not waiting until we are in chapel and are obliged to follow the practices of pi-ety. [We show initiative] by beginning to pray ahead of time. [We show it] in the apostolate through the ejaculations we recite while going from place to place–this is already prayer. We can also recite ejaculations as we walk up and down streets, not limiting our prayer to long trips, which naturally leave a lot of time for this. Take the initiative! When this is missing, one does not feel the need to pray. Prayer becomes an external practice: we easily tire of it and try to cut short the times set aside for it. Here is how the Lord can identify those who belong to him. Jesus said to Ananias: “Go at once to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a certain Saul of Tarsus. He is there praying.” How will Ananias recognize this person? How will he be able to tell if he is ready to receive the grace of baptism and become the Lord’s disciple? Jesus said: “He is pray-ing.” This is how vocations arise; this is how we draw God’s blessing down on our lives; this is how we reach holiness. It could be that we have to bear the humiliation of our shortcom-ings, but no matter what our errors, if we pray we will rise again and climb to even greater heights in the apostolate. Each day, we should ask the grace to convert ourselves from pride, envy, greed, sen-suality, laziness and curiosity. Each day we should work to convert ourselves a little more. How should I convert myself today? What resolution did I make to Jesus after communion this morning? What did I promise him in my last confession? We should work to convert our-

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selves a little at least every week. If our confession is not also a conversion of life, then per-haps we should worry that we are lacking some necessary dispositions. Every morning, let us ask St. Paul for the dispositions we need to begin the day well and to correct the defects we still have. Let us ask him for the dispositions we need to begin the week well by making a firm resolution after confession, so as to improve and convert our lives. Tenth Stage

To Die to Sin36 It might happen that after meditating on penitence the temptation arises: I won’t eat or sleep anymore; I will use the whip on myself and remain in chapel even during recreation pe-riods. Common life! Common life is your greatest penance. Go to recreation when it is time for that; eat like everyone else. Practice the common life and charity, and carry out your office as fully as you can, corresponding to your vocation through a good preparation for your future ministry and through the exercise of that ministry when you are sent out and reach your desti-nation…. The Lenten season urges us to practice self-discipline, a word that has two meanings: one negative and one positive. For example: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves” (Mk. 8:34). Yes, self-denial with regard to things that satisfy us on the human level. “And follow me” (Ibid.), and love me. These persons do not love something else; they love me. To not love other things; self-denial with regard to other things: this is the negative part. “And follow me”: the positive part. This is what self-discipline is all about. We must not be negligent: the negative part; we must diligently do what must be done: the positive part. This is because it is hard to do good. Consequently we must make an effort when it comes to praying, studying, practicing the common life, carrying out the apostolate. This is self-discipline in the positive sense. Positive self-discipline: we do not love the things we shouldn’t love. Instead, we love the Lord with our whole heart, above every other thing. Yes! In this way we continually practice self-discipline when we carry out our duties, our office. Self-discipline is necessary. Necessary! Let us practice self-discipline with regard to the mind: not bad thoughts but good thoughts. Self-discipline with regard to the heart: not bad desires but good desires. Not pride but humility. Not attachment to earthly things but attachment to Jesus; the desire for holiness. Not envy but goodness toward everyone. Not tepidity but fevor, diligence. This is the type of self-discipline we must practice: both the negative and the positive dimensions of it. Is self-discipline necessary? Yes, it is necessary if we are to observe the evangelical counsels. To observe the evangelical counsel of obedience means to discipline our will and judgment. To observe chastity means to discipline our entire body. At the same time, it leads us to love God.

36 To the Good Shepherd Sisters, Opera Omnia Alberione 9/II, Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, 25 January 1984, pp. 56-64.

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The observance of poverty involves self-discipline because we must eat the food pre-pared for everyone inasmuch as this is possible; follow the common schedule inasmuch as this is possible, and carry out the offices entrusted to us inasmuch as this is possible. This type of self-discipline is necessary in order to live the religious life well and ob-serve the evangelical counsels as we should. The religious life always involves self-discipline. For example, it is already an act of self-discipline to obey the rule that tells us not to go any-where alone or not to deal with a certain person or persons alone. If one writes a letter and is required to hand it in without sealing it, then that person is practicing self-discipline. Self-discipline is always necessary if we are to observe the substance of the evangelical counsels. However, this self-discipline yields an important fruit: it helps us grow in the love of God. The more we remove selfishness, which is a lack of self-discipline, the more our heart is filled with love for the Lord. And we can make great progress in this love of God, which consists in doing his will. This is love of God, true love of God: to carry out his will! Self-discipline is necessary so as to avoid falling into sin. We should not let our gaze wander everywhere but should use our sight for good ends: for example, to read our school texts, our prayer books, our meditation notes. Our gaze should never rest on things that could lead us to evil. This doesn’t mean we should walk around with our eyes closed, but it does mean that we should avoid looking at dangerous things. Self-discipline with regard to our eyes. In the same way, if we hear conversations or songs that are not good, then we should avoid them. Let us listen attentively, instead, to the advice we receive, or to what is said to us in the community or in the confessional, as well as to all the things that can help us make pro-gress. Let us discipline our tongue by speaking when it is necessary to do so, by speaking the truth, and by remaining silent when it is not the time to say anything or when it concerns things that would be better left unsaid. The same is true with regard to disciplining our sense of touch: let us be self-composed; let us maintain a dignified posture and behave exteriorly with the decorum and consideration for others appropriate to a person consecrated to the Lord. The same is true of taste. At times we try to discipline our sense of taste by ingesting things we don’t like, for instance medicine, while renouncing the things we find pleasing. But it would be best of all to eat whatever is set before us without showing any preferences (cf. Lk. 10:8), in all simplicity, so as to serve the Lord and glorify him. As St. Paul says: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Co. 10:31). The same should be true with regard to rest. Let us discipline our body by working diligently. Let us not perform penances that drain our energy. Instead, let us use all our strength for the Lord. Let us desire strength so as to give it all to the Lord, so as to serve God and the apostolate! We should not throw money away or use it for empty purposes. At the same time, if we happen to have money, then we should use it to do good works. In the same way, if a per-son is smarter [than others], should that person take some kind of medicine to lower his/her intelligence? To reach the point of some mental illness? No! We should thank the Lord for our intelligence and use it to serve him, to understand things better and explain them more clearly, to penetrate truths, doctrine and the wide variety of subjects studied in school. We should also use our intelligence to understand the people we meet through our apostolate. We should use it to understand our means of apostolate so that it will yield the maximum fruit for God and for souls.

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Self-discipline means proper self-governance, self-mastery. The more we master our-selves, the less we will be governed by our senses and the more we will be guided by the Lord. Self-discipline with regard to the imagination. Our imagination can lead us to remem-ber certain things we saw or words we heard, but if these are deeds and words that would be better forgotten, then we should not to follow where our imagination leads us. It is easy for us to remember things we saw or read, but if these were not good things, then we should direct our imagination elsewhere: for instance, to our studies, to the thought of holy things. If our imagination helps us think about the things of heaven, if it helps us picture Jesus dying on Calvary, or in the manger, etc., if it helps us remember the events recounted in the Scriptures or the lives of the saints, then it performs an excellent service. To reject bad fanta-sies and foster good ones is a twofold self-discipline. The same can be said with regard to the future. We can think about many good things we want to do in the future, for example, we might yearn to reach a certain degree of holiness, etc. And when these plans for attaining holiness are well regulated, then they are also very meritorous. If, however, we fantasize about doing something bad in the future, for instance, accomplishing a small act of revenge, then something is wrong. It is meritorious to suppress or conquer the desire to do something bad in the future. Consequently, self-discipline must be our constant companion. In general, this rule should apply to our entire life. You have left your families for Je-sus, who gathered you together here. To leave one’s family is an act of self-discipline; it is a sacrifice. How many times your thoughts must turn to one or another member of your family. To leave one’s family is a sacrifice, but you did this to unite yourself more closely to Jesus, to walk the path of holiness and the apostolate–here is another act of self-discipline! When we turn away from what is evil, or even what is less good, so as to pursue what is best, then we practice a twofold self-discipline. Let us draw encouragement from three things. First: Jesus crucified. Let us picture the sufferings Jesus endured during his passion: the scourgings, the spits of the soldiers, the crowning with thorns, the condemnation to death, the road to Calvary, the crucifixion, his ag-ony and death. Jesus loved us to the point of dying for us: “He loved me and gave himself for me” (Ga. 2:20). If Jesus denied himself and suffered so much…what can be said of us, who want to love him in return? Should we leave him alone on Calvary? No! We must follow the crucified Jesus. Second thought: the Blessed Virgin. Picture her at the foot of the cross. Holy Mother, pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Think of what it must be like for a mother to watch her beloved son in agony. A mother who watches her son condemned to death, nailed to a cross, knowing that he is completely innocent–such a mother’s suffering is inexpressible. “You too will be pierced to the heart” (Lk. 2:35). We want to resemble Mary, who is the Queen of Martyrs. So let us practice self-discipline in small things. We know that we are not capable of great acts of self-denial, so let us make the small, necessary acts of self-denial as these opportunities arise during the course of our day. At times, it might mean accepting poor health; at other times, internal troubles or disillusion-ments, or humiliations, or rebukes, or reminders. Let us accept these mortifications, which are very small in comparison to what Mary suffered. We are capable of doing only these small things, but let us do them with great love and offer them with this sentiment to Jesus, who suf-fered so much and gained so many merits for us. Third thought: our patrons, St. Peter and St. Paul. Both saints suffered martyrdom: Pe-ter by crucifixion; Paul by decapitation. They loved the Lord to this point! But they only reached this point after many years of apostolate; after many years of preaching and prayer;

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after many years of seeking souls, working for their conversion and founding churches. How many times they were imprisoned! How many times they were beaten with rods, slapped around and spit upon! How many times they had to bear the cold, the heat, hunger! How true it is that the apostolate often calls for sacrifice! Let us reflect on how generous our patrons were! Whatever we do is always very little compared to what our great patrons–those great shepherds of souls–did; but let us at least do the little we can with great humility and love. In this way our lives will become always more holy; we will spend a good Lent and we will re-ceive more abundant graces at Easter. If we live the Lenten season well, we will be greatly blessed during the Easter season, particularly Easter Day itself and the Feast of Pentecost. The Lord will repay us generously for our every act of self-discipline and the Holy Spirit will fill us with his gifts of wisdom, knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude and fear of God. The gifts of the Holy Spirit–yes! So let us sanctify this Lenten season so as to accept and receive the gifts of Easter more abundantly. Eleventh Stage

Mary, Queen of Apostles37 The most holy Virgin is honored, invoked and venerated under the title of Queen of Apostles. And we intend to imitate her in her great and unique apostolate, which is on a level all its own. In fact, no one could ever carry out an apostolate like Mary’s. She was such a great apostle that God could not make another greater than her, because he would not be able to make a mother greater than the Mother of God. Therefore, let us turn to our Mother. We can never get together without inviting her into our midst. And let us meditate on this thought: Why is Mary called the Queen of Apostles? For three reasons: first, she carried out the apostolate to the highest degree; second, she inspires and supports vocations; third, she protects all apostolates. Mary carried out the apostolate in a superlative way. The apostolate consists entirely in this: to do good to humanity. Now, every good done to human beings is a participation in the Supreme Good: God, Jesus Christ. Mary gave us the whole Christ. Even back in the Old Testament, God mentioned Mary and revealed her to us as an apostle, for in the Garden of Eden he declared: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head” (Gn. 3:15). That is, you, satan, have made woman fall, but I will raise up another Woman who will crush your head by means of her Son. And indeed, by giving the Savior to the world, the most holy Virgin crushed the head of the serpent. Through his death on the cross Jesus overcame Satan, but at the foot of the cross stood Mary, united to him in his redeeming sacrifice. Mary is portrayed as a stem that bears a flower; a branch whose fruit is Jesus; a virgin who gives birth to a Son. She is portrayed as the one who brings humanity all good, because she has given us Jesus, who brought us the Redemption, the priesthood, the religious life, heaven. Indeed, in him is every treasure: “in him are all the

37 Spiritual Exercises, vol. 8, 1947. Cf. Pauline Spirituality: Devotions of the First Week of the Month, Daughters of St. Paul, English edition, pp. 252-256.

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treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Therefore, Mary brought the most sublime Good to humanity. If we have anything, if we are saved, we must thank Mary. At the moment of the Incarnation, the angel sent by God proposed this mystery to her. He proposed it; he did not impose it. The salvation of the entire human race lay in Mary’s hands. Everything depended on her yes or no. In his writings, St. Bernard urges Mary to say yes, because otherwise we would not be saved. In fact, if Mary had not said yes, we would not have had Jesus, and without him we would not have received any other good. But the Virgin said yes. And at that moment the Son of God took on flesh; he became the Son of Mary, our companion in life, the price of our redemption, food for our souls and our heavenly reward. Therefore, what did Mary give the world? In giving us Jesus, she gave us everything. Could any apostolate be greater than this? Mary is the Mother of God. She is immaculate and full of grace precisely so as to be an apostle for us, for our salvation. In her virginal womb, she formed the Host who would re-deem us, the Victim who would sacrifice himself for us. For the Jews, the purification ritual involved the redeeming of children, but the Son of Mary was not redeemed because he had to be immolated. He is the Victim and the eternal Priest. Mary fulfilled the redemption ceremony only externally, in accordance with the law, but her intentions were far more sublime. On Good Friday, in fact, she accompanied her Son to Calvary and united herself to his sacrifice. On that day, Mary’s sorrow was as immense as the ocean, yet she willingly made this offering because it was the will of God. The Son of God became incarnate so as to die and Mary suffered tremendously as a result of his volun-tary and bloody death. The first Mass at which Mary assisted was truly of incalculable benefit to all humanity. Mary exercised her role as mother with regard to Jesus until he died; then she took care of the Church, represented by John, to whom Jesus had said from the cross, “Son, behold your Mother.” From that moment on, Mary embraced the Church and the Church embraced Mary. She gathered the apostles together, prayed with them, obtained the Holy Spirit for them, and supported them as they took their first steps. She carried the Church in her arms, and the Church will continue its journey in the arms of Mary. She will triumph over all its enemies and heretics, whatever their names might be: Albigensians, Turks, Modernists or Communists. She will crush the head [of evil] not just once, but continually. Every time hu-man beings gather to fight against Christ, Mary intervenes in the battle and overcomes God’s enemies. She inspires the Doctors of the Church, multiplies priests and vocations, helps the Pope and protects the Church. Mary brought and continues to bring to the Church the greatest fruit of salvation and ever-new outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Even more than Queen of Apostles, we should simply call her “the Apostle,” just as we call her the Co-redemptrix. Je-sus is the Apostle of the Father, and Mary is the Apostle of the Son. The term and position of apostle gives purpose to all Mary’s other titles and privileges. Redemption began with her, and from her we will receive final salvation. One category among Mary’s children attracts her special concern and care–apostles, because they work for the salvation of souls and continue Christ’s mission of good here on earth. This means that we too are the object of Mary’s particular graces, attention and care. The Virgin is also “the Apostle” because she inspires, forms and protects all apostles in their ministry. She helps them with her grace and obtains abundant fruit for them, filling their hearts with joy and preparing others to receive their words. Finally, when apostles are at the point of death, Mary is there to comfort and sustain them: “No one who acts as I dictate will ever sin” (Sir. 24:21).

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Mary protects all apostles and all apostolates. Thus we should never envy anyone or be jealous of the good they do. Instead, let us pray to Mary for all religious congregations and for their vocations. Practical conclusions. Say the Chaplet to the Queen of Apostles. Recite the rosary to the Queen of Apostles: the first joyful, fifth sorrowful, and 3rd-4th-5th glorious mysteries. Once in a while read the Mass of the Queen of Apostles and books that speak about her. Remember to observe the First Saturday of the month in honor of our Queen. Then imitate her virtues: prudence, zeal, love for God and for souls. Let us ask her to help us in the technical apostolate and on propaganda. Mary prepares hearts. Many initiatives, launched with great uncertainty, later enjoyed abundant and unexpected success thanks to Mary’s blessing. Mary is not a stranger or a wealthy woman whom we invite into our home once in a while. She is the Mother who is always with us. She has saved us both physically and spiritu-ally. She continually helps us in an almost miraculous way. We live in the midst of the world without being contaminated; we successfully carry out an apostolate that is filled with many problems, and yet we no longer notice these extraordinary graces because they have become ordinary to us. Mary gives us her maternal assistance us every day. So let us offer her our un-ceasing prayers of praise and supplication daily. Love Mary. Help to prepare an ever-more beautiful throne for her by means of our Church.38 Let us all contribute to this project, each in her own way. Indeed, no one would want to be deprived of the grace of this Mother. And Mary will prepare a beautiful throne of glory for us in heaven, close to her heart.

The Chaplet to St. Paul39

I

Soloist or Reader: I bless you, Jesus, for the great mercy granted to St. Paul in changing him from a bold persecutor to an ardent apostle of the Church. Ga. 1:11-17; Phil. 3:4-8 Ø “See how profound St. Paul’s conversion was? Saul, the enemy of Jesus, was transformed

into such an intimate friend of the Lord that he reached the point of living in him: ‘It is Christ who lives in me’ (Ga. 2.20). ‘Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or peril?’ (Rm. 8:35) ‘For I am certain’ (Rm. 8:38) that neither death nor life will separate me from Jesus Christ. And in fact, nei-ther death nor life could accomplish this: that is to say, neither his fatiguing ministry, nor the prisons that he sanctified, nor the chains he bore, nor the shipwrecks he experienced, nor the scourgings he received. ‘I am certain,’ he says. I am sure! He was sure of the grace of God; he was sure he would receive strength from Jesus Christ…. Oh! If St. Paul were alive today, what means he would use to move from one part of the world to another so as to win souls for Jesus Christ! If conversion is to be complete, it must begin in the mind.”40

38 Allusion to the Queen of Apostles Sanctuary, which was still in the planning stages. 39 Composed in 1917, this is one of the Founder’s first prayers to St. Paul. In it, we reflect on Paul as a model of the consecrated apostolic life. 40 Sermons 1955.

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All: And you, great saint, obtain for me a heart docile to grace, conversion from my principal defect and total configuration with Jesus Christ. St. Paul, the Apostle, pray for us.

II Soloist or Reader: I bless you, Jesus, for having elected the Apostle Paul as a model and preacher of holy virginity. 1 Co. 7:7, 32-34 Ø “Chastity is the greatest love.”41 Ø “The vow of chastity is a way to give God all one’s affections, to burn with love for God,

to feel our heart more closely united to the heart of Jesus: ‘in Christ Jesus.’ Listen well: this is how to make progress.”42

All: And you, St. Paul, my dear Father, guard my mind, my heart and my senses, in order that I may know, love and serve only Jesus, and employ all my energies for his glory. St. Paul, the Apostle, pray for us.

III Soloist or Reader: I bless you, Jesus, for having given through St. Paul examples and teach-ings of perfect obedience. 2 Co. 1:17-24 (cf. Ga. 2:1-2) Ø “Obedience is the greatest freedom.”43 Ø “To give God one’s freedom through obedience: those who make the vow of obedience

give the Lord what is most precious to them.”44 Ø “For greater tranquility and trust he has to say:

- “That both the beginning and the continuation of the Pauline Family always proceeded in a twofold obedience: to inspirations received from the Lord in the Eucharist and corroborated by his Spiritual Director, together with the express will of his ecclesiasti-cal superiors.”45

All: And you, great saint, obtain for me a humble docility to all my superiors, for I am sure that in obedience I shall be victorious over my enemies. St. Paul, the Apostle, pray for us.

41 CVV p. 519. 42 To the FSPs, 1946-1949, p. 45. 43 CVV p. 519. 44 To the FSPs, 1946-1949, p. 45 45 AD 29.

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IV Soloist or Reader: I bless you, Jesus, for having taught me, by the deeds and by the words of St. Paul, the true spirit of poverty. 2 Co. 8:9; Phil. 4:11-13 Ø “Poverty is the greatest wealth.”46 Ø “In practicing poverty, the person turns his/her gaze toward heaven and leaves everything

behind so as to race ahead unencumbered. St. Paul says that those who race in the stadium do not weigh themselves down with bundles and backpacks. Instead, they wear only the essentials so as to run more swiftly.”47

Ø “At times there were urgent and serious needs, and all human resources and prospects were exhausted. We prayed and we sought to drive out all sin and every fault against pov-erty. And unexplained solutions arrived.”48

All: And you, great saint, obtain for me the evangelical spirit of poverty, so that after having imitated you in life, I may be your companion in heavenly glory. St. Paul, the Apostle, pray for us.

V Soloist or Reader: I bless you, Jesus, for having given to St. Paul a heart so full of love for God and for the Church, and for having saved so many souls through his zeal. 1 Co. 9:19-23; cf. 2 Co. 5:14, Rm. 1:5, 15:17-20 Ø “We must keep up with the times. We cannot say that 1960 is 1930 or 1914 or 1915! We

must do good to people today. Those who lived before us have already reached their des-tinations: they are either saved or lost. We must do good to those who are living today, and we must form the Paulines who are living today. The word ‘Pauline’ must also be un-derstood correctly, that is, the Gospel as St. Paul saw it. This spirit has no particular ‘na-tive soil.’ It is universal. Therefore, no one has exclusive rights to it.”49

All: And you, our friend, obtain for me an ardent desire to carry out the apostolate of the me-dia of social communication, of prayer, of example, of activity and of word, so that I may merit the reward promised to good apostles. St. Paul, the Apostle, pray for us.

46 CVV, p. 519. 47 To the FSPs, 1940-1945, p. 390. 48 AD 166. 49 Explanation of the Constitutions, English edition, p. 263.