In later
years, the Consolata Missionaries went also to other parts of Kenya.
From Kenya
they spread to other African Countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique,
Somalia (for some time) and Uganda. Other African Countries that are now
benefiting from the missionary activity of the Consolata Missionaries are
South Africa, Congo D.R., and Ivory Coast; the Consolata Missionary Sisters
went also to Liberia, Libya and Guinea Bisseau. At present the Consolata
Missionaries are working not only in Africa, but also in various Countries of
America and Asia. Some of our sons and daughters have been attracted by the
spirituality and charism of Bd. Joseph Allamano, have joined the Consolata
Missionaries, and are now working here in Africa, in America, Europe and
Asia.
Bd.
Allamano's spirituality is appealing and recommendable: a holiness which does
not consist in extraordinary things, but in doing all our daily activities in
the best possible way; a spirit of prayer; deep devotion to the B. V. Mary
and to the Blessed Sacrament; concern for people; desire to share with all
people what we consider our greatest treasure, our Faith, etc.
To know
more about Bd. Joseph Allamano, this quiet but very active diocesan priest
who founded two Missionary Institutes (one for men, one for women), can
certainly be of help to all Christians in their striving to live their
Christian vocation to the full.
+ John
Card. Njue
Archbishop
of Nairobi
INTRODUCTION
We remember
Blessed Joseph Allamano as a great missionary, and we rightly think of him as
“A Father of Innumerable Christians”. This can be said in spite of the fact
that he could never personally go to mission countries. In his youth he had
wished to join a missionary Congregation, but his application could not be
accepted because of the poor health that continued to accompany him
throughout his life.. However, the Missionary Charism continued to burn in
him, and brought its fruits with the foundation of the Missionary Institutes
of the Consolata Fathers and Brothers, and then of the Consolata Sisters. He
has always been convinced that he did not engage in these foundations by
chance, or just because of the favourable conditions that had arisen at a
certain time, but as a response to the Missionary Charism he had been blessed
with since his early age. In fact, in a talk to his missionaries he said: “Oh
yes, I was thinking of the Missions when I was still a seminarian, but the
Lord, in his inscrutable designs has made me wait for the day and the hour”.
So, he is a
real missionary who, having been unable to go out to perform the desired
missionary activity personally, founded the two Institutes and, through his
missionaries, was able to evangelize so many people in different parts of the
world and become the “Father in the faith of innumerable Christians”.
This is
evident particularly here in Africa, where the Consolata missionaries started
their ministry in areas where people had never heard before any preaching of
the Good News. For instance, in Kenya, practically all the Catholics of the
eight dioceses that form the Nyeri Metropolitan Church can rightly call him
their father in the faith, as their ancestors were blessed by the great gift
of Christian Life through his missionaries.
It is in
view of the many spiritual children of blessed Joseph Allamano that this book
has been prepared. We hope it will respond to their desire to know more about
his life and to benefit from his rich spirituality. Its first part, “A Short
Biography of Blessed Joseph Allamano” is taken from the book “this I want you
to be” edited by Fr. Francesco Pavese, IMC, and Sr. Angeles Mantineo, MC. The
second part, “Aspects of Blessed Joseph Allamano’s Spirituality” is an
abridgement and adaptation from the same book. The original book was mainly
intended for the members of the two Institutes, while this work aims at
helping the Consolata Friends and Lay Missionaries, and all the people who
have somehow been blessed by the Allamano Charism, and desire to follow his footsteps.
That is why most of the parts of the original book, concerning the internal
life of the Consolata Institutes or the religious life at large, have been
left out.
May Blessed
Joseph Allamano continue to bless us and more and more inspire us with his
missionary spirituality.
Fr. Peter
Baudena, IMC
A SHORT
BIOGRAPHY OF JOSEPH ALLAMANO
By Fr.
Francesco Pavese, IMC, and Sr. Angeles Mantineo, MC
Joseph
Allamano, the fourth of five children, was born on January 21, 1851, at
Castelnuovo d'Asti (now Castelnuovo Don Bosco), in Italy, the hometown of St.
Joseph Cafasso and St. John Bosco. His father died when he was not yet three
years old, and his mother, Maria Anna Cafasso (the sister of the Saint), was
the major influence on his life. Joseph Allamano followed in the footsteps of
his uncle, St. Joseph, and devoted himself to the training of clergy. He was
a holy man, like his uncle; it was often said that he was "Fr. Cafasso
returned to life" and "an almost perfect copy of his great uncle and
predecessor".
With Don
Bosco. Joseph Allamano finished elementary school
in 1862 and that autumn entered the Salesian "Oratorio" at
Valdocco, where his regular confessor was Don Bosco himself. After completing
four years of intermediate school at the "Oratorio", he felt called
to the diocesan priesthood, and left Valdocco for the diocesan seminary in
Torino. Don Bosco perhaps had thought that Allamano would enter his own
Congregation, and gently reproved him: "You hurt my feelings -- you left
without even saying ‘goodbye’." Allamano responded timidly, "I
didn't have the nerve ..." He felt great affection for Don Bosco all his
life long, and did not want to displease him.
In the
Diocesan Seminary. His
decision to enter the diocesan seminary met with unforeseen opposition in his
own family. His brothers were opposed to this idea, even if his mother was
not. They were not against a priestly vocation, but they wanted him to attend
the "Liceo pubblico" (high school) before going off to the
seminary. Young Joseph was firm and told his brothers, "The Lord is
calling me now ... I don't know if he will still be calling me in two or
three years." In 1866 he entered the seminary. From his first year as a
seminarian there were signs of the poor health that would afflict him
throughout his life -- at times his physical frailty was a genuine threat –
but, on the whole, his seminary experience was very positive. Mgr. G. B.
Ressia, later the Bishop of Mondovi', was his classmate. Speaking about
Allamano, he said, "He was the first of our class -- and not just
alphabetically; he was first in studies, virtue, gentleness and generosity.
Everyone of us realized that he was the one closest to the heart of Jesus, that
he was Jesus' closest friend; none of us would have dared to compare with
him.
Forming
seminarians. On
September 20, 1873, Joseph Allamano was ordained to the priesthood. He wanted
very much to be involved in pastoral ministry but, instead, he was assigned
to the seminary, first as an assistant (1873-1876) and then as spiritual
director (1876-1880). Fr. Allamano had very different plans, so that, when
Archbishop Lorenzo Gastaldi gave him this assignment, he objected
respectfully, "I had hoped to be an assistant parish priest, and later
maybe a parish priest in some little village..." The Archbishop
responded kindly, "You wanted to be a parish priest? If this is all
that's bothering you..., I am giving you the most important parish in the
diocese: the seminary!"
As a
formator of candidates for the priesthood, he was distinguished by the
firmness of his principles and the gentleness with which he put these
principles into action. Everyone recognized his excellence as an educator: he
was a genuine "master of clergy formation". At the same time he
continued his own studies, and on July 30, 1876, the Torino Theological
Faculty awarded him a doctorate in Theology, and on June 12, 1977, university
teaching credentials. He was later appointed as associate member of the Canon
and Civil Law Faculty; subsequently he became the chairman in both of these
faculties.
Rector of
the Consolata Shrine. In October
1880 he was appointed Rector of the Consolata Shrine in Torino and, from that
time until his death, all his work took place at that Archdiocese's Marian
Shrine. This new assignment was not an easy one for the 29-year old priest.
He later told of his conversation with the Archbishop: "My Lord, I am
too young for this job", he said with filial trust. The Archbishop's
response was both fatherly and encouraging: "You will see that they will
like you even so. It is good that you are young: if you make any mistakes,
you will have time to correct them."
Fr. Giacomo
(James) Camisassa, a priest Fr. Allamano had known and respected when he was
the seminary spiritual director, was his first associate at the Shrine. Fr.
Allamano invited Fr. Camisassa to the Shrine, and the letter reveals
something of Fr. Allamano's pastoral plans: "You see, my friend,
together we can accomplish some good and honour Mary, our Mother and
Consolation, with our sacred worship." Their fraternal and priestly
collaboration lasted their entire lives. Each respected the other's work and
shared the same ideals. Their work together is a magnificent witness to and
example of two priests' friendship and pastoral collaboration. Shortly after
Fr. Camisassa's death, Fr. Allamano said, "He was always ready to
sacrifice himself to spare me". "With his death I have lost my two
hands". "We were together as one for 42 years". "Every
evening we spent long hours together in my study...". "We have
promised to tell each other the truth, and we kept this promise."
The Shrine
was physically run down and in spiritual decline. Fr. Allamano's leadership
initiated a revival. With Fr. Camisassa's active assistance, the shrine
became the artistic, marble and gold jewel we see today. Fr. Allamano took
charge of the shrine's pastoral, liturgical and social activity; gradually it
became a centre of Marian spirituality and Christian renewal in the city and
in the region. Fr. Allamano's special gift for counselling and comfort
contributed to this rebirth. People of all classes benefitted from his
insight and heart-felt concern. Cardinal Jean-Marie Villot remarked,
"Fr. Allamano was an exemplar of what a genuine priest should be; his
was a providential mission for a diocese like Torino. It was a mission of
counselling, direction, encouragement, admonition, and reviving souls through
the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He brought the joy and peace of God's
friendship to many, and encouraged people to work in the apostolate."
Retreat
Director. Along with
his work as Rector of the Consolata Shrine, Fr. Allamano was also the Rector
of the Shrine of St. Ignatius, on the hills near Lanzo Torinese. This shrine had
a Retreat House attached to it, which was well known as a spirituality
centre: St. Joseph Cafasso had preached there for many years. Fr. Allamano
saw it as a special place for the formation of priests and lay-people. A
close co-worker of his, Canon G. Cappella, said, "He was always eager to
direct retreats personally and, while he was directing them, he was also
participating in them. He used to say, 'I am not just a channel of retreat
grace for others, but a basin that gathers grace for himself as well' (...)
While he was its director, St. Ignatius’ House became a first-class retreat
house: there was never an empty room."
In the
footsteps of his uncle, Fr. Joseph Cafasso. In order to provide a model, especially for priests, Fr. Allamano
collected memories of Fr. Cafasso, published his biography and writings, and
promoted his cause of beatification, which he saw fulfilled on May 3, 1925.
He candidly admitted, "I started this process, not out of affection or
family bonds, but because of the positive effects this man's example could
bring about: people who learn of his virtues may be stimulated to become
better priests, Christians and missionaries." Canon N. Baravalle
confirmed this: "He never boasted about his family connection with the
Blessed, and during our discussions often remarked, 'As a relative I really
should not be involved in this affair, and this is certainly not the reason
why I am involved. I am doing this as the Rector of the "Convitto
Ecclesiastico" (Priestly College - Pastoral Institute for newly ordained
priests), a position he held before me. I teach and direct priests as he did,
and I feel it my duty to hold him up as an exemplar of virtue and holiness
for them.'"
After his
uncle's beatification, he wrote a circular letter overflowing with joy and
emotion to all Consolata Missionaries: "Blessed Joseph Cafasso is the
patron and the co-founder of the 'Convitto'. He is a light and example for
devout souls, especially ecclesiastics. But he is also our special protector
and "your uncle", as you say: honour him, therefore, and imitate
his virtues. I believe that with his beatification I have provided you with
an excellent means of sanctification; the beatification has been part of my
mission in regard to you."
Rector of
the "Convitto". Fr.
Allamano worked also to heal the breach caused in the diocese by the closing
of the "Convitto Ecclesiastico", where young priests were trained.
The Archbishop had ordered this closing because of controversies about the
teaching of moral theology. Fr. Allamano brought about the re-opening of this
institution in 1882 and was its Rector until his death. He was very concerned
with the spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation of young priests, and
made sure that his program was up-to-date. He emphasized the ultimate goal of
a priestly vocation: to save one's brothers and sisters. To the
"Convitto" residents, out of his conviction, he proposed also and
emphasized the missionary dimension of priesthood. He used to affirm that
"the vocation to the missions is essentially the vocation of every holy
priest. All it takes is a greater love for our Lord Jesus Christ, which urges
one to make Him known and loved by those who do not yet know Him and love
Him." Having convinced the Archbishop to reopen the "Convitto"
at the Consolata Shrine was one of Fr. Allamano's greatest accomplishments.
Apostle in
the local Church. Along with
everything reported above, Fr. Allamano was directly or indirectly involved
in a host of other apostolic works. He was canon of the Cathedral, a member
of various commissions and committees, and the religious superior of the
Visitation Sisters and of the Sisters of St. Joseph. He was very involved in
anniversary celebrations and worked hard helping refugees and priests and
seminarians drafted into the army during the First World War. Fr. Allamano
was able to cooperate in all sorts of apostolate. Canon N. Baravalle, who
lived with him at the Shrine, said: "The most modern forms of Catholic
apostolate, like the press and similar ones, were not just something he
admired, but something which he helped with what at those times were
substantial financial contributions." Mgr. G. B. Pinardi, the Auxiliary
Bishop of Torino, wrote: "During Fr. Allamano's life, there was no
single apostolic project that escaped the influence of the Consolata’s
'Convitto'."
Fr.
Allamano was a fervent supporter of Catholic journalism, not just in his
youth or at the height of his apostolate, but also in his old age and up to
the time of his death. Mgr. B. Caselli, editor of the Torino Catholic
newspaper, wrote, "Our Catholic newspaper always enjoyed his very
authoritative, heartfelt and moral support." Canon A. Cantono had this
to say: "He was a valid critic of our journalism work. He wanted it
agile and done well. He told me we should not be afraid to use modern forms
or technology".
Father of
Missionaries. Fired by
his intense apostolic zeal and a vivid understanding of the Church's mission,
Fr. Allamano's concerns reached out to the whole world. He felt the urgency
of Christ's command to take the Gospel to all peoples. He thought it
unnatural that the Church in Torino, that flowered with so many institutions
devoted to charity, should not have one solely dedicated to the missions. He
sought to remedy this situation, thus helping those who felt the missionary
call to carry out their vocation and encouraging this call in other people.
Founding a missionary Institute was not a sudden impulse; Fr. Allamano
conceived this idea after prolonged spiritual preparation and in the face of
considerable obstacles and contradictions. Undoubtedly the work of founding
the Institute was one of trial and fatigue for Fr. Allamano, who was already
deeply involved in Fr. Cafasso's cause and the work at the
"Convitto" and Shrine, as well as at St. Ignatius’ House.
In 1891 he
believed the right moment had arrived to found his missionary Institute of
priests and brothers, but he was only able to carry out this project when his
friend and classmate, Cardinal Agostino Richelmy, became the Archbishop of
Torino. In Card. Richelmy Fr. Allamano found someone who supported him and
shared his ideals. Delay came to a sudden end through the intervention of
Divine Providence. In January 1900, Fr. Allamano was close to death; he had
contracted a disease while assisting an old woman in an icy attic. He always
believed that his recovery was a miracle of Our Lady Consolata. He never
doubted that this was a sign that the Institute was to be founded. The
following year, on January 29, 1901, the Institute of the Consolata
Missionaries (priests and brothers) was born.
The
underlying motivation of this foundation was the deep-rooted spirit of Fr.
Allamano himself. Fr. L. Sales, his loving disciple and first biographer,
claims that the root cause of this missionary endeavour is Fr. Allamano's
sanctity. He himself once said: "Since I could not be a missionary
myself, I wanted to make it possible for those with this vocation to follow
it." There were also other circumstantial reasons for starting this
work: a desire to continue Cardinal Massaia's work, and the missionary spirit
and urgings of some of the priests living in the "Convitto". Fr.
Allamano himself says as much in a letter to Card. Richelmy on April 6, 1900:
"During my many years of training clergy, I must confess that I have
often encountered genuine missionary vocations." The final decision to
found an Institute of missionaries was taken only at the explicit command of
the Archbishop. Fr. Allamano responded to this command with Peter's words to
Jesus on the occasion of the miraculous catch: "In your name I will cast
out the nets".
On May 8,
1902, the first four missionaries left for Kenya: two priests and two
brothers. Others followed shortly afterwards. Soon becoming aware of the need
for female collaborators, Fr. Allamano obtained from the Superiors of the
Cottolengo Institute some Vincentian Sisters to go to Kenya and work
alongside the Consolata Missionaries. This collaboration began in 1903 and
lasted more than twenty-two years. However, because of difficulties arisen
between the newly elected Apostolic Vicar, Bishop Filippo Perlo, and the
Cottolengo Superiors, no more Sisters were sent after 1909. Those who were
working in Kenya quite gradually returned to Italy.
Fr.
Allamano suffered because of the difficulties, but was unable to forestall
their consequences. He felt forced to intervene to assure the necessary
presence of Sisters in the missions. At the urging of Bishop F. Perlo, with
the permission of his Archbishop, and on the advice of Card. Girolamo Gotti,
prefect of "Propaganda Fide" and especially because of Pope St.
Pius X's support, Fr. Allamano founded the Institute of the Consolata
Missionary Sisters on January 29, 1910. He later told the Sisters how their
Institute came to be founded. He was asking them to pray for Card. Gotti who
was very sick at the time and he said, "It was Card. Gotti who encouraged
me to found the Sisters. He told me 'It is God's will that there be Sisters.'
And I responded, 'But there are already so many Sisters'. 'Yes', he said,
'many Sisters, but few missionary ones'." Fr. Allamano also revealed the
Pope's involvement: "It was Pope Pius X who wanted your foundation; he
is the one who gave me the vocation of providing women missionaries". He
would continue with pleasure, and recount his conversation with Pope Pius X,
to whom he had spoken about his problems in finding female personnel for the
missions. The Pope said, "You yourself must found an Institute of
missionary Sisters, as you have founded one for men missionaries."
"But, Your Holiness", Fr. Allamano respectfully objected,
"there are already so many Institute of Sisters". "Yes",
the Pope responded, "but they are not exclusively missionary".
"But, Holy Father," Fr. Allamano continued, "I do not feel I
have a vocation to found an Institute of Sisters!" "If you do not
have it," the Pope said, "I give it to you". Logically Fr.
Allamano would then tell the Sisters, "You see, it was the Pope, not me,
who wanted your foundation. Therefore you must be 'Papaline' (faithful to the
Pope)”.
In later
years, other mission fields were entrusted to the men and women Consolata
Missionaries, in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia, and Mozambique. Today the
Consolata Missionaries are working in twenty-four Countries of the continents
of Africa, America, Europe and Asia.
Through
personal contacts, letters, and formation meetings, Fr. Allamano lavished his
most loving care on his sons and daughters. Convinced that the missions
deserved the best we have to offer, he was more concerned with quality than
quantity. He looked for well-prepared evangelizers, "saint in a
superlative way", and willing to give their lives for the missions. He
had as a motto: "First saints and then missionaries". For him this
"first" was not a matter of time but of priority.
He
encourages and blesses us from heaven. Fr. Allamano died on February 16, 1926, at the Consolata Shrine.
Today his remains are preserved in the church of the Mother-House of his
Missionaries in Corso Ferrucci, in Torino. Missionaries, friends of the
missions, and many pilgrims visit his resting place. Bd. Allamano's
sarcophagus is not just a tomb; it is an altar on which Mass is celebrated.
Bd. Allamano's sons and daughters have placed the remains of his close
collaborator and co-founder, Fr. Camisassa, next to his body.
Fr.
Allamano was beatified on October 7, 1990, by Pope John Paul II. The Pope
confirmed the tributes the new Blessed had received during his life and after
his death: "The Consolata Saint", "Provident Father",
"Formator and Teacher of the Clergy", "A priest for the whole
world". During the homily he delivered at the beatification, the Pope
said, "At this moment when his name is added to the list of the Blessed,
Joseph Allamano reminds us that, in order to be faithful to our Christian
vocation, we must share the gifts we have received from God with brothers and
sisters from every race and culture. We must proclaim Christ with courage and
coherence to everyone we encounter, and especially to those who do not yet
know Him".
Bd.
Allamano left a written last will and testament to his missionaries. It
included words of encouragement which can certainly be seen as addressed to
all people who intend to embrace his missionary spirituality: "I have
lived my many years for your sake; I have given my possessions, my health and
my life for you; I hope that, after my death, I will be your protector in
heaven".
ASPECTS OF BLESSED
JOSEPH ALLAMANO’S SPIRITUALITY
Introduced
by Fr. P. Baudena, IMC
INTRODUCTION
Blessed
Joseph Allamano did not leave publications on spirituality, but, thank God,
his thoughts about it were transmitted to us by the records of his
conferences. Every Sunday he held separate formation conferences for men and
women missionaries. These conferences are an inexhaustible source of first
class missionary spirituality and teaching. The spontaneity and simplicity of
these conferences are striking. They are more like spiritual conversations a
father has with his sons and daughters to prepare them for their future
mission. The contents of these conferences are preserved in sixteen
notebooks: 552 pages in Fr. Allamano's handwriting that have been preserved.
They constitute a legacy for the two Congregations he founded. When he handed
these notebooks to the novice master, Father Giuseppe Nepote, he remarked:
"The manuscripts of these conferences contain my real thought."
While Fr,
Allamano was speaking, his young missionaries took careful and accurate notes
of what he had to say. These notes are an almost verbatim record of his
conferences. He was aware of these transcripts and gave them his paternal
approval: "They represent the substance of what I have been telling you
in an informal way".
N. B.: What follows, as it is coming from the
records of the conferences of Blessed Joseph Allamano, contains his genuine
thoughts on spirituality.
His words
are printed in roman type, while the introductions and comments are in
italics.
THE PRIMACY
OF HOLINESS
A very
demanding spirituality
Blessed
Allamano was inviting his missionaries, and he is calling the lay Cristians
who desire to be inspired by his missionary charism and spirituality, to aim
very high, not just at a somehow good behaviour, but "at the fullness of
Christian life and at the perfection of love" as the Constitution on the
Church of Vatican II (No. 40) will say.
Let us
listen to him.
“This is
God's will: that you be saints” (1Thess 4:3). God requires holiness from
everyone, even from simple Christians, who achieve it through the observance
of the commandments of God and of the Church, the exercise of Christian
virtues, and the perfect performance of the duties of one's state of life. If
this is the will of God for all Christians, how much more does he expect from
those to whom He has given the holiest of vocations?
That you
become saints: this is my principal concern and my constant preoccupation. It
is not enough that God has given you a very special vocation, nor it is
enough that you enjoy its benefits and advantages. You must appreciate it and
pursue the perfection it presupposes. This is our goal: to become saints,
great saints, saints as soon as possible.
First saints and then missionaries. You are here to become Consolata
Missionaries. You cannot accomplish this unless you live and work to achieve
the goal of the Congregation: the sanctification of our members and the
conversion of people. Something I must tell you over and over: souls are
saved through holiness. It is impossible to make others good when we are not
good ourselves. No one gives what he does not have. We can administer a
Sacrament without being holy but convert a person, no. If an individual is
not closely united to God in charity, God will not ordinarily allow him to
touch the hearts of others; this would be asking for a miracle. Believe me:
unless you yourselves are aflame you cannot kindle a fire. If you do not
possess the fire of love, you cannot spread it to others. You must never
neglect your own union with God or sacrifice your own holiness for the sake
of others.
To
evangelize with holiness of life
Missionaries
should both be and be seen to be holy: holiness of life speaks to people.
People must be able to see God in his missionaries. Jesus said to his
apostles: "Whoever sees me sees the Father" (John 14, 9), and you
in your turn should be able to say: “Whoever sees me, sees Jesus”! The
religious habit and the preaching do not make a missionary; there must be
works. Your works bear witness to people. Let us say with Jesus: “The work
the Father has given me to accomplish, and which I am doing, testifies that
the Father has sent me. The works I do bear witness to me” (John 5:36).
The devil
is “the strong man fully armed” who dominates others with the chains of
passion and superstition. Being sent by Our Lord Jesus Christ is not enough
to defeat him; we must possess the spirit of holiness. Missionaries must pray
more, practice greater mortification and be holier. They must be
extraordinarily holy.
If a
mission is not successful, it might be our fault; we may not be fit
instruments in the hands of God. I am not saying that this is always the case
but, certainly, if we were truly holy, the Lord would use us to achieve
greater things. Converting others is something altogether supernatural. The
greater our intimacy and friendship with Jesus, the more we can hope for his
intervening Grace. We must ask ourselves if our lack of success is not
somehow due to our lack of holiness. After so many centuries of apostolate,
there are still so many parts of the world that are not Christian. We must be
convinced of the need to be saints.
Saints are
happier
Whoever
gives himself genuinely and totally to the Lord will enjoy well-being and
happiness even here on earth. The more we hunger and thirst for holiness, and
the more we hunger and thirst for God, the happier we will be. The saints who
experienced this hunger and thirst were the happiest of people. Their inner
peace and heartfelt joy were so great that they could be seen and shared with
others. About St. Joseph Cafasso we read that just his presence and a few
words of his were enough to lift the spirits of others. And about St. Vincent
de Paul people said, “Vincent, always Vincent”, meaning that Vincent was
always the same, always cheerful whatever happened in his life. He wasn't
indifferent or insensitive but, through God's love, he faced every situation
with good cheer. When one's heart is at peace, when one feels that God loves
him, what can possibly upset him? One can repeat the words of St. Paul: “Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword ? No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom 8:35.37).
To be
extraordinary in the ordinary
The
holiness I want for you is not that you perform miracles, but that you do all
things well. There is a striking passage in the Gospel: after Jesus had cured
the deaf mute the crowds remarked, “He has done all things well” (Mark 7:37).
Would it not have been more appropriate after the miracle to say, “We have
seen wondrous things” (Luke 5:26)? Instead, they say, “He has done all things
well!” This is the highest praise people could give Jesus. Not only in
extraordinary things but in ordinary, common things, He did everything well.
These words should be written on our walls and, when we die, on our
tombstones: “Bene omnia fecit”. He has done all things well.
We can
notice that Fr. Allamano was already saying the same things that the Holy
Father, Pope John Paul II, will say with different words in the "Novo
Millennium Ineunte" (No. 31): that holiness is not a sort of "an
extraordinary existence, possible to a few...but a high standard of ordinary
Christian life".
HOLINESS IN
FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
Blessed
Allamano made ample use of the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and of
various Saints. In particular he was fond of St. Augustine. From him he took
the following interesting explanation of the role of the theological virtues
in our endeavour towards sanctity. Let us listen to him.
St.
Augustine describes holiness as a house: it rests on a good foundation, is
constructed with the appropriate material and rises several stories. Thus it
is with our own holiness: it rests on the foundation of faith, it is built
with hope and crowned with charity. Faith is the foundation of holiness and
of every virtue.
FAITH
Doubly
blessed
Jesus once
said to His disciples: “Blessed are the eyes which have seen what you see.
Indeed I say to you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you
see, but did not see them” (Luke 10:23). It was extraordinary good fortune to
live at the same time as Our Lord, to know Him personally, to hear Him speak
and to witness His miracles. The patriarchs, kings and prophets of the Old
Testament never had this good fortune. They, like Abraham, longed to see the
Messiah: “Abraham, your father, nourished the hope of seeing My day; he saw
it and rejoiced” (John 8:56). He saw it, yes, but only in a vision; the same
thing was true of David and Isaiah: they described the life of the Messiah,
but they did so before the event.
The
disciples on the other hand saw and heard Jesus in person; they were familiar
with Him.
And are we
not also blessed? After showing Thomas His wounds, Jesus said: “Because you
have seen me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen me, but
still believe!” (John 20:29). We, therefore, are blessed if we have faith in
Him. Not just blessed, but doubly blessed. First because we believe without
seeing, and then because we really see and hear Him. It is not necessary to
see with our eyes or hear with our ears to be able to say that we see and
hear. Things are known also from history: we know what Jesus said and did
during His earthly life, as well as throughout the centuries through the
Church. He is with us forever until the end of time, especially in the
Blessed Sacrament, alive as He is in Heaven; here, with the eyes of faith, we
can see and hear Him.
Living by
faith
What does
it mean to live by faith? It means to conform to and model ourselves on the
dictates of faith. If this is the principle and rule of our life, we will
strive to do everything according to the dictates of this faith. We will
judge everything in the light of the faith; faith will provide the criteria
for our decisions. All Christians need faith if they are to be saved:
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). Through no merit
of our own, we were given this faith at Baptism. It restored us into the
supernatural order. The spirit of faith should accompany our every action
from morning till evening, by day and by night; it should be the living and
profound certainty that guides our daily life.
St. Paul recommends
faith to Timothy: “You, man of God … pursue faith” (1Tim 6:11) – in other
words, preserve and perfect it. How can we do this? Since faith is a gift of
God we must pray for it constantly. Before casting a demon out of a child the
Lord asked the child’s father for a profession of faith. The father asked
Jesus to increase his faith: “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). This
is something we must say repeatedly: help us believe! Or “increase our faith”
(Luke 17:5). St. Augustine urges us to pray the Creed often and well; it
contains the truths of the faith like so many precious pearls. We must live
by faith: “My righteous one shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38).
Practical
faith
You will
say that, thank God, you do have faith and you hold it dear. Well, you may
have an intellectual faith, but does it carry over into practice? It is not
enough to possess the faith. If our faith does not produce works it is dead:
“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).
All our
thoughts should conform to the faith. We should ask ourselves, if this
specific thought is pleasing to God. Yes, only God. Everything by, with and
from God! Get rid of useless thoughts! They give rise to criticism of our
companions, the decisions of our superiors, present or past events, the things
of this world, etc. What good is all this in the light of eternity? One day,
St. Benedict Joseph Labbre, ragged and dirty, was passing by an upper-class
gentleman and heard him say, “Poor unfortunate creature!” “No,” Labbre
responded, “I’m not unfortunate at all; I am in God’s good graces.” The
“gentleman” was judging according to the world’s criteria and the saint was
speaking according to the spirit of faith. The same could be said about the
false opinions others may have of us – what do they matter? “The one who must
judge me is the Lord”(1Cor 4:4).
Are all our
feelings guided by the spirit of faith? Do we have any feelings or
attachments contrary to this spirit? Our attachments may be trivial, but
still they block our total attachment to God. A heart filled with God
expresses itself in words: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
In
everything we do, the spirit of faith must be our guide, especially in those
of our activities directly connected with the service of God. During a
pastoral visit to a parish Bishop Gastaldi found dirty corporals and altar
linen, while the house linen was spotless. He addressed the pastor: “Do you
believe in the real presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament?” “Your
Excellency, you offend me,” the pastor replied. “No,” the bishop said, “do
you or do you not believe?” “Of course I believe.” “So much the worse; if you
believe, you have no excuse.” If I put the same question to each of you: “Do
you believe in the real presence of the Lord in the consecrated Host?” You
would surely reply, “Yes.” Then I could further say, “Why is your
genuflection so sloppy? Why do you let yourself be distracted? Why do you
find visits to the Blessed Sacrament boring? Why do you go all day long
without thinking of the Lord?” No; it is not good enough to have an abstract,
intellectual faith. Our faith must be practical, something that informs our
every action.
HOPE
Let us open
our hearts to hope
According
to St. Augustine we build the edifice of our holiness with hope. Note the
important role he assigns to hope. Generally speaking this virtue does not
enjoy the universal respect it deserves. We recognize the obligation to
believe but we are afraid of being too hopeful, too optimistic. We accept
discouragement as something beneficial that reflects fear of Lord.
This
certainly was not the case with St. Joseph Cafasso: he was a man of hope. He
possessed this virtue to an eminent degree. He had so much hope it was
contagious. When someone remarked that the gate to heaven was narrow, he
replied, “Fine, we’ll go in one at a time.” He could communicate hope even to
those condemned to death. He would give them messages to bring to Our Lady
and, after their deaths, he would exclaim, “One more saint! “ He even added,
“Those rascals are stealing heaven away from us!” He could convert despair
into the most beautiful trust. We must never despair of anyone. God’s mercy
is infinite. When people ask what St. Joseph Cafasso’s principal virtue was,
it is hard to answer: they were all principal. Some think the zeal for souls
was principal; others say his confidence in God was; and he did indeed have
enough confidence for himself and for others as well. Hope or confidence in
God was certainly one of his striking characteristics. I testified to this in
his beatification process. Some have a lively faith, but little hope; they
have trouble opening their hearts.
Let us open
our hearts to living hope. We should not just hope; we should “super-hope”,
hope against hope. When we have little hope, we are doing the Lord an
injustice. “He desires all people to be saved”(1Tim 2:4). Some people think
of their salvation as winning a lottery. People say: “I’m not sure whether or
not I will win the lottery.” Similarly, some say: “I’m not sure whether or not
I will be saved.” This is not the way things should be. We must count on
salvation, because the Lord knows our weaknesses; all we need is a little
good will. We should never be afraid of having too much hope. At the moment
of his death, St. Hilarion said to himself, “You have served the Lord for
seventy years, and now are you afraid of dying?”
We should
never say, “Who knows if I will be saved?” Rather, “I want to be saved and
will therefore correct my faults and not lose courage.” The fear of not being
saved comes from laziness. We must get up and work, as the saints did. We
must not lose courage because of our past sins. It is not a bad thing to
think of these past sins – it keeps us humble – but we should not be
obsessive; the Lord has forgiven us. The Lord will be pleased if we
concentrate on His kindness and mercy. Therefore, hope, and hope
energetically. In You, O Lord, I have hoped and I shall not be confounded in
eternity.
Our eyes
fixed on heaven
The idea of
heaven must always be in our mind. This thought has made saints; it has
filled the desert with hermits; it has filled religious houses with
consecrated people, and it has filled mission territories with zealous
missionaries. This thought can work great things in us. First of all, it
detaches us from this world. St. Joseph Cafasso used to say, “We must look on
everything down here in the light of our reward up there; if something is
ugly or painful, it will not exist in heaven.” The thought of heaven will
help us overcome the obstacles, sufferings, and trials of this life. When
boredom, fatigue, or inertia forces us to pass hours and days of darkness, we
can repeat the words of St. Francis: “The reward that awaits me is so great
that every suffering becomes a delight!” If suffering is not yet a delight
for us, it is at least bearable. Suffering lasts but a little while; our
reward lasts forever. St. Paul says, “For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2Cor
4:17).
The thought
of heaven makes it easier to acquire virtue and to respond faithfully and
generously to our calling: to be saints, great saints, the greatest saints
possible. The thought of heaven is something truly great that prompts us to
become saints. The years go by quickly and we will be fortunate if, at the
end of our lives, we can say with St. Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there remains only the
crown of righteousness which the Lord will award me on that day” (2 Tim 2:7).
Don Bosco had this slogan over his door: “Heaven is not made for the lazy.”
Not only is heaven not for the lazy, it is not for those who work only
half-heartedly for the Lord.
When you
think of those in heaven, do not think of abstractions; think of this or that
particular missionary who was faithful to his vocation. The Lord said: “I am
going to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). To reach this place we must
work and work very hard. It would be far too easy to win heaven now, so
quickly. No, we must work forty, fifty, maybe even more years. But the
thought of heaven should give us respite. Our reward is there, and it is
great. Let us think about this often.
A
storehouse of confidence
Really
outstanding and robust hope is called confidence. Confidence is, as it were,
the essence of hope. It is necessary to make up the disparity between our own
nothingness and the sublime religious, priestly and missionary vocation we
have been given.
We must
have an abundant supply of confidence if we are to inspire it in others.
Without confidence we can accomplish nothing. If we are diffident, we do God
an injustice. St. Joseph Cafasso called a lack of confidence the sin of the
stupid. It costs so little to trust in God! Why then should we not trust in
Him?
Everyone
needs confidence. It frees the wicked from their vices and puts them on the
path of virtue and courage: “I will get up and go to my father” (Luke 15:18).
It makes the lukewarm more enthusiastic and zealous: “The Lord is kind to
those who seek Him” (Lament 3:25). But it is even more necessary for the
zealous. They need it lest they become discouraged by what God asks of them,
lest they become dispirited by their frequent falls, sins or defects. When we
examine our lives and we find ourselves committing the same faults over and
over again, we could be tempted to say, “This is altogether pointless; I will
never get any better!” But I would ask, “Why do you find the same defects
over and over?” Because you are feeble! Do what you can and the Lord will
assist you! We are really foolish when we lack confidence.
We must
find the good in everything. St Paul assures us that “everything works for
the good of those who love God” (Rom 8:28). Yes, everything – even sin – if
there is good will. If we are humble we can turn everything – even sin – to
good.
Confidence,
Confidence!
After
Confession, we should think of virtue and not of sin any longer. Cheer up; a
little love of God will fix everything. Never lose heart, always begin anew:
“Nunc coepi” – now I begin. I would say this is the motto of our
Congregations. If we have this confidence we will avoid the stumbling block
of anxiety and scruples. When we feel anxious or uncertain, we must turn to
the voice that provides tranquillity. St. Joseph Cafasso used to say, “We
must not be asking pardon at all times. Among intimate friends, we do not ask
pardon for each little fault. This is how our relationship with God should
be. The love of God washes away everything!” He would further say: “Lord, You
know that I do not wish to offend You and that I love You; therefore, if
something slips out of me, I do not even wish to ask Your pardon.”
You will
need this confidence in the future when you are in the missions. You will
become discouraged by your mistakes, the poor results of your apostolate,
loneliness, etc. But cheer up; have courage. “Whoever places his trust in the
Lord will be like Mount Zion: it does not move, it is stable forever” (Psalm
124:1). If you are not brimming over with confidence, you will be sad in the
missions. A missionary without confidence can accomplish nothing; he is a
torment to himself and to others as well.
Fear and
diffidence make it difficult to make progress in the way of the Spirit. Have
a big heart; otherwise you will accomplish nothing. You should not get caught
up in details; be relaxed. Jesus is the God of peace, not of anxiety. Let us
ask Him to give us peace, save us from scruples and help us preserve a
delicate conscience. Neither scruples nor doubt! Everything must be clear and
precise. We must go forward with that peace of spirit that dispels scruples
and doubt. This is the spirit I want you to have.
Everything
is in God’s hands
Confidence
shows a loving trust in Divine Providence which guides every step of our
life. Let us abandon ourselves to God and leave everything in His hands. He
is our Father and does everything in our best interest. We must never fear
for the future of our Congregation or any individual. In everything – even
little things – let us raise our hearts to God and trust in Him alone,
whatever happens. We do not base our confidence on our own human resources:
talent, strength, virtue, etc. or on the resources of others. We must do all
we can on our part and then, without fear, leave the rest in the Lord’s
hands. He never leaves something only half-done.
Trust in
Providence
We are
called to foster trust in Divine Providence: “Therefore do not be anxious,
saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we
wear?’” (Mat 6:31). The Lord who feeds the birds will surely find sustenance
for His apostles. If it is God’s will that we accept so many young
candidates, God will have to perform the same miracles He does at
Cottolengo’s Little House of Divine Providence. There they care for “poor
bodies”; here we care for “poor souls.”
In the
Gospel, Jesus warns us against being too anxious – this shows a lack of trust
in God and too great an attachment to the things of earth. Trust in Divine
Providence, however, does not mean we should not plan and seek to provide for
the future. Each of us must work for the common good; we should take care of
community property and not want more than we need. If you lead a life of
zeal, you will be blessed even materially by God: “Seek first the kingdom of
God and His justice and all this will be added unto you” (Mat 6: 33). When
you ask for your daily bread in the Our Father, think first of Holy Communion
and God’s Word, and then of the material bread. If God provides us so
generously with material things, how much more generous He will be with
spiritual things. I truly hope that our Congregations in general and each of
you in particular will have this sort of overwhelming trust in God: “Whoever
trusts in the Lord will not be disappointed” (Sirach 32:24).
LOVE
Finally
holiness is love
According
to St. Augustine, our house of holiness is crowned with charity. God and our
neighbour are the objects or rather two aspects of the single object of
charity: God in Himself and for Himself; our neighbour in God and for God.
Love for God is not just a sentiment; it is an act of the will. One can love
very much without feeling anything, possibly even feeling repugnance for the
object of one’s love. You can feel greatly and even shed tears without really
loving. Love of God is the first great commandment. When a doctor of the Law
asked, “Master, which is the greatest of the commandments?”, Jesus answered,
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul
and with thy whole mind” (Mat 22:36-37). Mark adds the words “and with all
your strength” (Mark 12:30).
According
to St. Thomas, holiness consists primarily of charity: “The perfection of
Christian life per se and essentially consists of charity.” Charity is
holiness: to love and to become a saint are the same thing. Where there is
love, there is everything. The other theological virtues are necessary
because they are inseparably joined to charity. One cannot love without
believing; one hopes for the thing one loves.
St. Francis
de Sales says as much: “True holiness consists in loving God; the more one
loves God, the holier one is.” St. Augustine says: “Love and do what you
will.” Anyone who loves God cannot offend Him and will serve Him faithfully.
Charity is the synthesis and perfection of all virtue. This is why St. Paul
says that charity is the “fulfilment of the Law” (Rom 13:10). Undoubtedly
without charity nothing else really matters. Even if we spoke the tongues of
angels, if we had the gift of prophecy and knew all the mysteries, if we
possessed all knowledge and had the faith to move mountains, even if we
offered up our bodies to be burned but did not have charity, it is of no
avail! (Cf. 1Cor 13:1).
Love as
friendship
According
to St. Thomas, charity is friendship between God and man. God has chosen us
from all eternity: “I have loved you with an eternal love” (Jer 31:3). He
takes pleasure in our company: “My delight is to be among the sons of man”
(Prov 8:31). God, in effect, loves us; He bestows His grace continually to
support us and make us saints; if we sin, He pardons us. When we are
afflicted, He says: “Come to me all you who labour and are burdened, and I
will restore you” (Mat 11:28). He has given us all we possess; He in no way
needs us, but is grateful for every act of virtue we offer Him and He rewards
us with abundant grace. We must be equally grateful to Him saying over and
over: “We give You thanks, O Lord, our God!” St. Jerome tells us to “desire
or not desire the same things our friend desires or does not desire is a sign
of true friendship”.
Love God
ardently
St.
Augustine says, “You have created us for yourself and our heart will not rest
until it rests in You.” How must we love God? We must love God ardently,
enthusiastically. St. Therese of the Child Jesus was twenty-four years old
when she was consumed by the love of God.
Our heart
is already very small; we ought not to divide it. St. Francis de Sales said
that, if he found a single fibre in his heart that did not belong to God, he
would rip it out mercilessly. What about us? Do we really love the Lord with
our whole heart? If Jesus put to us the question He addressed to Peter, “Do
you love me more than these others?” (John 21:15), what answer could we give?
Here is an examination of conscience I suggest you make. Let us ask ourselves
often, especially those of us who are missionaries, if our heart is free,
undivided, constant. The Lord gives us everything; do we want to hold back
something in giving ourselves to Him?
Let us love
God with our whole soul, that is, with our whole will, willing what He wills
and as He wills it. Let us show Him our love by avoiding evil and seeking
perfection. We often deceive ourselves in everyday life, especially in times
of trouble or aridity. Love of the will resists all things and remains firm
even in the midst of adversity. It is easy to love the Lord when all is going
smoothly, when love is comfortable. But to love Him when there is darkness,
when our spirit is clouded and our heart is cold, that is true love! We must
say with St. Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or anguish? […] No creature shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35.39).
To grow in
love
We grow in
the love of God through prayer: ask God often for charity, the queen
of all virtues. St. Augustine said over and over again: “Lord, that I may
love You.” And St. Ignatius, “Grant me, O Lord, Your love and Your grace, and
it will be enough for me!” Let us seek Mary’s intercession: she is the
“Mother of Holy Love.” Let us seek also the intercession of those saints who
were especially gifted with this love. Through meditation, too, we can set
the heart ablaze with love. We should meditate especially on the Passion of
the Lord. St. Francis de Sales said that Calvary is the training ground of lovers.
Every phrase in the Our Father is an act of love for God. So too is every
phrase in the hymn “Tantum Ergo”. The words “We adore the Sacrament”
constitute an act of love. To adore is to love. So too “faith makes up for
what the senses miss” helps us be content that we do not see; we perceive
nothing with our senses, but we trust in His word, and this is love. Again:
“To the Father, to the Son, praise and glory.” How many acts of love: that
God be praised, that all love Him, that from all places His Greatness be
acknowledged! All of this is love, pure love as long as we utter these
beautiful words from our very hearts.
We grow in
the love of God through our work: let us do things which please God.
As St. Gregory the Great teaches: “Action is the proof of charity.” Jesus
said, “If you love me, you will observe my commandments” (John 14, 15). The
measure of our love for God is what we do. Let us not be happy with just
saying the words; let us do the works! We especially must have a “thirst for
souls”, as did Our Lord. Through our everyday actions we can be collaborators
with the Redeemer. Everything here is designed to enable you to do good in
the future. In the missions, you must have a heart open to every weakness
and, therefore, full of the love of God. St. Francis Xavier was brimming over
with this love, and this is why he was so zealous a missionary. Anyone who
does not love will never succeed in doing good. You are blest; you have the
chance to be apostles in the missions if you are saints! And you will be
saints to the extent you are filled with the love of God.
We grow in
the love of God through purity of intention. Purity of intention is an
act of love through which we refer all our actions to God alone, to His
glory: “My God and my all!” The more perfect our purpose, the more perfect
our work. The Lord has said, “If your eye is single, your whole body shall be
full of light (i.e. all your works will be good before God)…If, however, the
light that is in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be!” (Mat 6,
22:23). How happy we would be if we referred everything to the Lord alone! He
alone can bless and console us; He can make all our works successful. It is
true that we dedicate all our thoughts, feelings and actions to the Lord
every morning, but this is not enough. We must renew this intention many
times during the day. We must be careful to keep our intentions pure: God
alone! To God alone honour and glory!
Mission is
entrusted to those who love much
Love/charity
towards God is especially necessary for us who have a vocation and a mission
to communicate it. “I have come to cast fire on the earth and how I want it
to be kindled!” (Luke 12:49). How can we communicate this sacred fire if it
is not already burning within us? Before entrusting His flock to Peter, the
Lord asked him three times if he loved Him. Jesus will not entrust the
mission of proclaiming the Gospel to those who do not love Him, but to those
who love Him and love Him very much. It is not enough to love Him
half-heartedly; we must love Him totally. Only great love can enflame zealous
missionaries and enable them to bear willingly the sacrifices of an apostle’s
life; only great love will guarantee the success of our efforts. Everything
the Lord allows to happen to us is for our own good. We must say to Him from
our heart: “Thy will be done!” We must strive not just for conformity to
God’s will, but for genuine unity with it, which is something even more
perfect. Love conquers everything; love overcomes everything.
Let us see
if we follow these rules in our every day life. If so, the Lord will use us
to accomplish much good, just as He used St. Francis Xavier. If we carry out
the will of God always and with purity of intention, our days will be full:
from morning to evening there will be a continuous amassing of treasure in
heaven. At the end of our life, we will find that we have accomplished great
things, even if at present it does not look like we have done very much at
all.
THE WAY TO
HOLINESS
FIRST:
PERSONAL EFFORT
Blessed
Allamano was very clear in stressing both the need for personal effort and
for God’s help, and so for prayer, in order to attain sanctity.
Take the
first step courageously
We must
immediately begin to make ourselves saints. We must launch without delay the
work of becoming saints. We cannot be sure of having the same Grace tomorrow
that we have today. The Grace you ignore now, you will never have again. You
may have other graces, but not this one, and you must account to God for this
grace. Be courageous and take the first step, today, not tomorrow.
Persevere
in full, energetic, and constant will
Blessed
Allamano insisted that, after deciding with courage and determination to
become a saint, one should persevere in that effort with full, energetic and
constant will.
A person
with a "full" will is one who sets no limits and fears no
excess. Let no one say: "I am satisfied with being good; I'll leave the
heroism to others." No, no! Life in this house is the same for everyone
- and it is a life that leads to holiness. It is not presumptuous to strive
for holiness, even great holiness. But it would be presumptuous to imagine we
could achieve holiness without God's help. If we put limits on our quest for
holiness, or measure our response to Grace, we will never even achieve
ordinary holiness. One does not bargain with the Lord: it is all or nothing.
Either we will become saints as He intends or we will not become saints at
all.
A person
with an "energetic" will is one who says: "I want it
very much, and with all my strength I will strive to become a saint; I will
take no chance of failing to achieve this goal." Then the Lord will
help. People with weak will and half-hearted resolve will never succeed in
anything. They will not even begin to tread the path of holiness; they are
spiritually lazy.
A person
with a "constant” will is one who never loses courage.
Instability is, unfortunately, natural for us. We are so created that we need
constant nudging. The least setback can discourage us: a dry spell, or a
sacrifice that asks more than we are willing to give is enough to make us
give up on the path to holiness. During her long years of absolute aridity,
St. Teresa of Avila not only did not give up her vocation but none of her
resolutions either. And how many trials did St. Margaret Mary Alacoque endure?
Her life was a series of trials, each more painful than the previous one. But
she did not give up; she overcame each trial with heroic perseverance. If
these women could persevere through great sufferings, can we not persevere
when faced with the little setbacks that require those small acts of fidelity
which lead to holiness? The Grace of God that came to the aid of these holy
women and to all the saints, will come to our assistance; we too will achieve
the highest degree of holiness.
HOLINESS
NEEDS PRAYER
We have
heard how strongly Blessed Allamano stresses the need for personal, constant
effort to attain sanctity. But he also reminds us that, though very much
needed, this is not enough. In fact it is through prayer that we obtain God's
help, which is indispensable for any undertaking.
To live
well we must pray well
St.
Augustine tells us that to learn how to pray well is to learn how to live
well. They say that St. Martin's whole life was a ceaseless prayer: his eyes
and hands were always raised to heaven. One who prays will be faithful to his
vocation. Perseverance in one's vocation is a great gift from God; only
praying often and well will ensure it. I can affirm from my own personal
experience that those who pray keep their vocation. In Bishop Gastaldi's time
some people complained that seminarians spent too much time in prayer; they
should have devoted more time to study. But he did not agree. He later
remarked, "They tell me, my dear seminarians, that I am making you pray
too much. No, No! (His voice and gestures would become more emphatic as he
said this). I am making you pray too little!" I would say the same thing
to you: one can never pray enough.
St.
Augustine urged his disciples to be devout, to cultivate the spirit of
prayer. One might think that a Doctor of the Church, the greatest philosopher
and theologian that ever lived, would have urged his followers to study more.
But quite the contrary: he urged piety. The saints appreciated devotion and
preferred it to everything else; they knew well that "piety is useful in
every circumstance." Piety will unite us to God, and everything else
will follow; the Lord will give us the grace we need if we pray well. At the
moment of his death he said: “Charity and piety”. We know that words said at
the moment of death are sacred: they are a last will and testament.
Pray always
without tiring
Every
action, spiritual and material, must begin and end with God. This spirit must
accompany us every day of our life; only then will our lives truly belong
totally to the Lord. Certainly the primary, most excellent and powerful of
all prayers is the Mass. All other prayers point towards the Mass as their
centre. St. Thomas tells us that prayer elevates the mind, the heart and the
whole soul into the presence of God. Should we pray? The Lord urges us to
pray: we must "pray unceasingly without tiring" (Luke 18:1).
"Watch and pray" (Mat 26:41), and St. Paul, "Pray
ceaselessly" (1Thess 5:17). The Lord Himself gives us an example:
"In those days Jesus went off to the mountain to pray and passed the
night in prayer" (Luke 6:12). "Gripped with anxiety, He prayed more
intensely" (Luke 22:44). The apostles did likewise: "We, on the
other hand, will devote ourselves to prayer" (Acts 6,5).
The more
work you have, the more you should pray
Prayer is
especially necessary for priests and missionaries. St. Joseph Cafasso said
the priest must be a man of prayer. If a priest does not pray often, he is
not a genuine priest. And missionaries? What can they possibly accomplish
when they ignore the primary means to remain united with God? And how can we
accomplish anything worthy if we are not united to God? We can accomplish
more in fifteen minutes after prayer than in two hours without prayer. Our
words are worthless if God's Grace is not present. Our primary obligation -
and never forget it - is not to roll up our sleeves and work, but to pray.
St. Joseph
Cafasso further said, "It pains me to see priests who have too much
work!" The expression “to work is to pray" can be misinterpreted.
The one who works out of obedience or necessity, and does his work for God,
prays. This does not free him from the need for real prayer, even at the
expense of time spent doing apostolic work. Remember the words of St.
Bernard: “We should be pools as well as channels”. A channel allows water to
pass without retaining any for itself. Pools fill themselves up first and
then let the extra water pass on to others.
Listen to
what St. Paul has to say: "I planted the seed; Apollos watered it; but
God made it grow. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything,
but only God, who makes things grow." (1Cor 3:6-7). We are not the ones
who accomplish something; it is the Lord; if He does not bless our work, it
is all in vain. It hurts me to hear someone say: "I cannot pray. I have
so many preaching engagements!" This individual may be preaching, but he
is really shouting to the wind. Look at St. Joseph Cafasso: did he ever omit
praying his Breviary, the rosary, or making meditation because he had too
much to do? If he found no time during the day, he would pray at night. This
is how he composed those magnificent sermons and intense prayers to Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament.
Prayer must
be our priority
It is so
easy to confuse our priorities! First of all we must become saints: first
prayer and then good works for others. Let us love prayer. Pray, and pray
well. Never think that time devoted to prayer is time wasted. There are those
who say, "Nowadays we need action, action!" Yes, you should work,
but there is far more need of prayer than of work. We need God's spirit. This
is true in the missions as well: you will not be working alone out there. The
more work you have to do, the more you should pray. Some individuals no
longer pray and use their work for others as an excuse; but in reality they
are of no use to themselves or to others. I am telling you all this because I
want you to become men and women of prayer, from morning till night.
THE
EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY OF FAITH AND LOVE
Jesus
victim
I would
like you to meditate more intensely on this mystery of love. The Eucharist is
indeed a mystery of faith and a mystery of love! In the celebration of the
Holy Mass, Jesus becomes a victim for us and for our sins (Cf. 1John 2:2).
Every day and several times a day He sacrifices Himself for us. Mass does not
just represent the sacrifice of the Cross; it renews it: the same victim and
the same purpose. The way in which the sacrifice is accomplished differs. On
Calvary the sacrifice was bloody, but the Mass is not. It is beautiful to
think that each time we celebrate or participate in the Mass, we are once
again on Calvary at the foot of the Cross with Our Lady and St. John. Jesus
said: "Do this in memory of me" (Luke 22:19), and St. Thomas
defined the Eucharistic Celebration as a memorial of the Passion of the Lord.
St. Paul says the same thing: "Each time you eat this bread or drink
this cup, you announce the death of the Lord until He comes again" (1Cor
11:26). Compared to the Mass, martyrdom itself is not much, because martyrdom
is the sacrifice a man makes to God of his own life, whereas in the Mass the
Son of God sacrifices His own body and blood for mankind.
By
celebrating the Eucharist we render God the honour He deserves; we ask pardon
for our sins; we thank Him for the gifts He has given us, and we seek the
Grace we need.
Jesus,
living bread
In the
Blessed Sacrament Jesus is food: "I am the bread of life" (John
6:48). This is why He lives in our midst. He repeats: "Come, eat my
bread" (Prov 8:5) which is the bread of life. You who receive Communion
must thank the Lord for your intimate participation in the sacrifice.
You ought
to recognize the immense love Jesus has for us. Food is converted into the
flesh of the one who eats it; Jesus said: "He who eats me will live
through me" (John 6:57). He has shown His love by giving Himself
entirely to us. How can we respond to that great love? By returning that love
and giving ourselves to Him without reservation. St. Teresa said: "One
Communion well received is enough to sanctify a soul." After so many
Communions, how is it that we are not yet saints and still have the same
defects? We will always have defects, but we can bring to Jesus the sincere
desire and effort to improve. We should not forego receiving Communion
because of some weakness or little sin. You need not be a saint to receive
Communion; in fact we receive Communion in order to become saints.
We do not
receive Communion out of habit or for human considerations; we receive
Communion to express our desire for God and to grow in Grace. This is the
attitude we should have at Communion: the right intention, good will and
fervour. If you fetch water with a cup, you have only a cupful. If you fetch
water with a bucket, you will have a bucketful. This is how it is with
Communion. Let us imagine the Lord speaking to us as He did to Zacchaeus:
"Come down forthwith; this day I will stay at your house" (Luke
19:5). The Lord wants to come into us and we should desire the same thing.
With Samuel we can repeat: "You have called me and here I am" (1
Sam 3: 6). Our life should be Eucharistic. Our mind and heart have to be
continually focused on the Blessed Sacrament: not just before and after
Communion or during our visits to the Blessed Sacrament, but all day long:
when we study and when we work.
We receive
Jesus, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, as alive as He is in heaven. Let us
approach Him with humility; let us look into our heart and be humbled by our
defects; let us tell Him our desires. The Lord only asks for love; one who
does not love the Lord cannot expect love. Let us speak to Him as to a
friend, and tell Him what is in our heart. While looking at the consecrated
host, we should hear Him saying: “It is indeed I, Jesus”. Let us adore and
thank Him for His many gifts: His call and our less than perfect response.
Let us give ourselves totally to Him: heart, will, etc. Let us ask material
and spiritual favours for ourselves and for others; let us make acts of
reparation and consolation. Then our Communions will be fervent. We will live
our lives wholly with Jesus. Everything will begin and end with Him. Let us
immerse ourselves into this spirit of faith: let us spiritualize ourselves!
How happy we will be if we stay united to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! He
will be our happiness in this life and our reward in the next.
Jesus: God
with us
Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament is our friend; therefore let us treat Him as such. He
loves us and we love Him. Try to understand the mystery of His love for us:
as our friend, He receives us with affection, with eagerness, every time we
visit Him. We should respond to this kindness by frequent, eager visits, even
if they are brief. We must enter His presence with faith and love, happy to
be permitted this intimacy. Have faith and realize that He is there; make
respectful genuflections and avoid all distractions. When you leave church,
remain spiritually united to Him. Friends are always united. How happy you
will be if you are constantly united to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He
will teach you all virtues and will light in you the fire He brought to earth
and that through you He wants to spread. What happy missionaries you will be,
if you are filled with this love. Jesus will be your support, your comfort,
your everything.
THE LITURGY
OF THE HOURS
The best
prayer after the Mass
St.
Benedict called the “Liturgy of the Hours” the Work of God; for St.
Bonaventure it is an imitation of the heavenly choir. As the angels and
saints raise their voice in unceasing praise of God in heaven, through the
Liturgy of the Hours so the Church proclaims His praise here on earth. The
Hymn for the Dedication of a Church says this so well: "In the heavenly
dwelling place - praise sounds eternally - and with unceasing song - the One
and Triune God is exalted. - We join our praise to theirs, imitating beloved
Zion."
When we
pray the Liturgy of the Hours we must make the sentiments expressed our own.
When we pray the psalms we should bear in mind the words of St. Augustine:
"If the psalm sighs, sigh; if it prays, pray; if it rejoices, rejoice;
if it hopes, hope; if it fears, fear." How beautiful the Church's words
are! They are the words of the Holy Spirit. We would need entire days to
relish them properly. I remember that, when I was a seminarian, I resolved to
read all the psalms from the first to the last during my holiday. I managed
to do this, and found there was always something new to learn. Anyone
approaching Ordination should read the psalms through and try to understand
them in depth.
We should
follow the timetable the Church sets for praying the Liturgy of the Hours,
and never postpone prayer because we have too much work. To pray at the appropriate
time is a sweet burden. Regarding place, we should, if possible, pray in
church, the house of prayer. After Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours is the best
of prayers. Praising is one of our primary concerns: it is something we will
continue doing for all eternity.
THE WORD OF
GOD
Once more
we can notice that the way Blessed Allamano spoke of the Word of God was not
generally usual at his time. For us it is now normal, after Vatican II told
us that “the Church has the same veneration for the Word of God as for the
Eucharist”. But it was not so at that time.
God’s heart
in his Word
The First
Book of Maccabees reports a letter Areios, the King of Sparta, sent to
Jonathan, the High Priest. He offered friendship and assistance to the Jews,
but Jonathan responded, “We need none of these things, for we have the holy
books of Scripture in our hands to comfort us” (1Mac 12:9). Scripture was
enough to comfort them in the midst of their many tribulations. St. Paul said
the same thing to the Romans: “For everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of
the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). Paul is saying: Scripture
strengthens our hope and comforts us when we encounter life’s trials.
The saints
looked on Scripture as the source of their support. The early Fathers of the
Church, Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, etc. did not possess theology manuals.
The Bible was their only book. St. Jerome said that, without knowledge of the
Sacred Scriptures, life was worth very little. “In Scripture,” St. Gregory
the Great writes, “we must see the heart of God.” St. Augustine: “There is no
sickness of the soul Sacred Scripture cannot cure.” St. Charles Borromeo was
asked why he never took walks in the garden, and answered: “My garden is
Sacred Scripture.” The saints found life and comfort in Scripture. God’s Word
pierces our soul like a sword; it meets all our needs.
The Word of
God is useful, alive, and heart-warming
In itself
Sacred Scripture is the apex of excellence and supremely useful for us and
our ministry. St. Paul says as much in his letter to Timothy: “All Scripture
is God-inspired and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work” (2Tim 3:16). How very important Sacred Scripture is for us and
everyone else! In it there is everything: it is the Word of God; it is alive
and it is heart-warming. St. Jerome said, “We should never let the Holy Bible
fall from our hands; we should always fall asleep with this book in our
hands.”
Reading
Sacred Scripture awakens the love of God in our hearts. Lord, your words are
fire and as fire they bring us warmth. Look at the disciples of Emmaus who
walked along the road with the Lord and did not recognize Him: “Were not our
hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the
Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Our Lord’s words are fire!
On the
Fifteenth Centenary of St. Jerome’s death, Pope Benedict XV wrote the
encyclical “Spiritus Paraclitus”. He confirmed that all of Sacred Scripture
is divinely inspired and should be studied for our devotion and preaching.
Some years earlier Pope Leo XIII had published the encyclical
“Providentissimus Deus” to promote the study of Sacred Scripture which he
defined as divinely inspired. Let us bear in mind that, since Sacred
Scripture is the “Word of God”, we should both appreciate and study it. Our
library is especially rich in the area of Sacred Scripture. In the missions,
too, you will have a small library.
The Bible
is our book: it provides everything we need to become saints
Sacred
Scripture will make perfect all those who study it, and prepare them for good
works. It is a source of all grace and virtue; it provides everything we need
to become saints. It is a genuine treasure, a storehouse of remedies, in
which we find all we need. There are remedies for everything; we will find
all that is useful for ourselves and for others. When you confront a specific
problem or worry about the future, read the Holy Scripture and you will find
comfort.
I am
telling you all this so that you will continue to read Sacred Scripture
attentively and develop an affection for it. It is our book. Whoever reads
the Bible will have his spirit renewed. It is not enough to be familiar with
the inspired book; we should find delight and nourishment in it. St.
Augustine says we should interpret the Sacred Text for our own spiritual
benefit, and we can do this with a certain liberty since all applications are
worthwhile. The inspirations that come to us while reading the Bible may not
derive from the text itself but, if they are beneficial, we should follow
them.
Holy
Scripture! The more we read it, the more we study it, and the more we will
love it and find delight in it. In our Congregation, Holy Scripture has
always held first place, and this will always be true. This is our primary
study, the source of everything we study in theology, and something we must
continue to study throughout our lives. Read it daily in the missions; it
will be your comfort. When you are troubled, read the Bible. You must read
and meditate upon it. This is a school that never comes to an end. Let us
love Sacred Scripture wholeheartedly, especially the Gospels and the letters
of Paul. I want you to develop a great affection for Holy Scripture!
MEDITATION:
A SHORT CUT TO SANCTITY
Blessed
Allamano gave great importance to meditation. He recommended half an hour of
it every day. He presented it, not just as mere reflection, but also as an
activity of the heart that reawakens an ardent love for God and so it becomes
real prayer. It is already very close to the “Lectio Divina”, not so much
practised at his time, but now very recommended by the documents of the
Magisterium of the Church, in particular by the twelfth General Synod of
Bishops held in November 2008, on “The Word of God”.
Meditation
warms up the heart
We must
reawaken within ourselves an ardent love of God and we can do this through
praying properly and practicing daily meditation, a fire that warms our soul.
I hope to convince all of you of the importance of meditation (mental
prayer); meditation should become a habit that you practice well and with
relish. It is absolutely necessary if we hope to foster a spirit of prayer,
grow in the love of God, and avoid sin. St. Alphonsus wrote that all the
saints became saints by practicing mental prayer; it is therefore the
shortest route to holiness. It is also necessary if we are to do good for
others; it is written: “Blessed is the man … whose delight is in the law of
the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree
planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose
leaves do not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3).
Meditation
involves reading a passage slowly, thinking about it and exercising our will
and affection to make practical decisions. We choose the passage that has
made the strongest impression, and think about it, at the same time making
acts of love, thanksgiving and praise. Meditation is a work of the mind, but
to warm the heart. It is not enough just to think about something; our
affection and resolutions are needed. Meditation must engage our total
concentration; we must place ourselves in the presence of God. We begin by
reading the passage that struck us; it is not necessary to meditate on each
single word; it is better to focus on one point in which the heart finds
nourishment and chew it over and over – just like a cow. We conclude our
meditation by making resolutions - few and practical - and asking the Lord to
help us keep them.
This
morning, for example, I meditated on the parable of the good seed and the
weeds. I thought: my heart is a field: is there good seed sown in it? Yes,
but unfortunately there are weeds as well. Weeds can be malice or some other
imperfection; weeds can be a reluctance to obey. O Lord, how many weeds there
are! Grant me the grace to root them out immediately; let me not tarry; let
me weed the field immediately. And then, is the good seed perhaps weak and
feeble? Oh, if it were only beautiful and healthy! Whatever I do today, I
want it to be good seed; therefore I will avoid this occasion or that
temptation. We must be committed to meditation and never omit it; if we
really delight in meditation, we will always find the time. St. Alphonsus
tells us that a day without meditation is a day wasted.
Bringing
the fruit of meditation into daily life
We know
that Jesus told us to pray always (Cf. Luke 18:1); we must be enveloped in a
spirit of prayer, just as our bodies are enveloped in clothes. We pray in the
morning and evening and at various times throughout the day; but these are
acts of prayer and not habits which create a spirit of prayer.
How is it
that after so many days, months and years of performing these acts of
devotion we are still so far from perfection? We are not just saying this to
be humble; it is the truth. There can be only one answer: either we do not
pray well or we haven’t attempted to make them fruitful. In a field or
vineyard it is not enough to plant good seed carefully; we must tend the
plants until they are ready to be harvested. The same is true of our
exercises of piety. It may happen that we perform them well, with care, but
we don’t think any longer of them after we have finished. We make our
meditation, decide on a resolution, but it is only a formality. We forget
about it for the rest of the day. We don’t even remember the topic of our
meditation. That is the reason why we gain so little from our prayer.
We should
leave our exercises of prayer as if we were coming out of a garden where we
gather bouquets of flowers that perfume the whole day. We must come out as
vases filled with precious liquid, which must be diligently preserved not to
be wasted, i. e., we must remember and feel the impressions and inspirations
of Grace; we must recall and practice the resolutions we have made.
We must
live in a spirit of recollection; we must avoid dissipation, and practice the
presence of God. Dissipation is like a wind that blows away everything in its
path. Certainly it takes time and effort to cultivate a spirit of
recollection, but it is something we must do.
DEVOTION TO
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Together
with the devotion to the Most Blessed Eucharist, the one to the Blessed
Virgin Mary has been one of the characteristics of the spirituality of
Blessed Joseph Allamano. Listening to him we can understand how deep was his
filial affection for her.
Marian
devotion is founded on the Gospel
I would be
failing in my duty and my special affection for the Blessed Virgin if I did
not take advantage of every possible occasion to speak about her. Our Lady is
the Queen of all missionaries. To speak about her is a blessing: we
collaborate with her in carrying out her prophecy: "All generations will
call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). There is no town or village without a
church, an altar or a shrine of Our Lady. Marian devotion is founded on the
Gospel. Was there anyone who loved and honoured Mary more than Jesus? At her
request, He performed His first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. The
Church applies to the Blessed Virgin the scripture passage: "Whoever
finds me finds life and the favour of the Lord" (Prov 8:35). Devotion to
Mary is a necessity. If you have no devotion - and not just devotion but
tender devotion - to Our Lady, you will never become saints.
To Jesus
through Mary
Our Lady's
intention was to cooperate with the Lord, lest her Son's blood be shed in
vain. With Our Lord she is the Co-Redemptrix; she too bore the weight of our
sins. Anything that wounds Jesus, wounds and hurts Our Lady. She has chosen
to give her name to our Congregation and help to save as many people as
possible. Anyone who wants to save himself and bypasses the Blessed Virgin is
making a serious mistake. You can only reach Jesus through Mary: “ad Jesum
per Mariam” - to Jesus through Mary!
Genuine
devotion to the Virgin Mary
Genuine
love of Mary is not a thing of sentiment; it is a readiness to do everything
the service of God and her honour requires. We must pray to and imitate the
Immaculate Virgin, above all in the purity of our intentions. We are the
favoured children of Our Lady, and one day we will be jewels in her crown.
Jewels, however, must be polished and, consequently, we must allow ourselves
to be polished and worked on, as precious gems are.
Mary is a
way to sanctity
Marian
devotion will make us saints. Anyone who wants to become a saint without Our
Lady is someone who wants to fly without wings. The more we turn to her for
grace and holiness, the more we please Our Lord. All the saints were devoted
to Our Lady. St. Jerome’s most beautiful homily is on Mary. It is hard to
believe that this rather rough saint could be so tender when he spoke of Our
Lady. St. Bernard said that Mary is a spring and a channel. She is a fountain
of grace; we need only draw from this fountain. She is a channel because all
graces come to us through her. What God does through His omnipotence, Mary
does through prayer. Our Lady is omnipotent through grace. In God and with
God she can do all things. She is the treasurer and dispenser of all graces.
The saints called her “prayerful omnipotence”.
Sons and daughters of Our Lady Consolata
Behind her
many titles there is but one Blessed Virgin; we especially should be devoted
to her under the title "Consolata". Is not Our Lady - under this
title - our Mother and are we not her sons and daughters? She is our very
tender Mother who loves us like the apple of her eye; she is the inspiration
of our Congregation; she has supported us both materially and spiritually
through many years, and she is always quick to respond to our needs. Our real
Foundress is Our Lady.
We must be
piously proud to belong to Our Lady the Consolata; many envy us. And many
more love us because we are Consolata Missionaries! Your name should be an
incentive to become all that you ought to be. Repeating the words of St.
Bernard, “Show yourself a Mother” is almost offensive! She does not need us
reminding her to be a Mother. It would be more appropriate for her to say:
“Show yourself to be my son/daughter.” We are the beloved sons and daughters
of the Consolata; but do we always act as such? Filial love is by its very
nature tender. Just as children are always turning to their mother, we must
have constant recourse to her, all day long. Anyone without strong feeling or
special love for the Consolata is heartless and, if there is one thing we need,
it is the heart.
The Rosary
We have so
often heard of the excellence of the Holy Rosary in itself and in the respect
both popes and saints have shown it. It has been a channel of spiritual and
temporal favours for us and all mankind, both in time and in eternity. The
Rosary is simultaneously a mental and an oral prayer. The oral part of the
prayer involves first of all the Our Father, which St. Augustine described as
a short prayer that nonetheless covers all our needs, … and then the Hail
Mary…
The Rosary
is also a mental prayer. It is the best possible meditation on the lives of
Our Lord and Our Lady, and this meditation makes the praying more sweet. It
is not necessary that we spend all our time thinking about the mystery; but
it would be better if we could. Nor it is necessary that we restrict this or
that set of mysteries to the day prescribed. In private recitation one is
free to do as one pleases. St. Augustine tells us that in meditation we must
give our heart free rein. Prayed in this fashion, the Rosary will nourish
both our heart and our soul; we should feel a new eagerness for this holy
prayer.
Some object
that we repeat the same prayer over and over! Love, Lacordaire tells us, has
but one word: the more it is repeated, the sweeter and newer it becomes. When
someone loves his mother, he does not seek new and different words. Can one
ever tire of saying the Hail Mary? We could go into ecstasy all day long by
just saying these words: “Hail Mary!” The repetition is only boring for
someone who does not love Our Lady, for someone without spirit. If I say it
with fervour the first time, I will say it with enthusiasm the second. Love
and respect this prayer and never think of it as a burden. Engrave it in your
hearts and make it one of your resolutions.
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