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Fr. John Baptist Cortona, O.S.J.
CHAPTER 13
The Congregation's growth after Bishop Marello's
death. The father's spiritual testament to his children. Conclusion.
Previous Chapter • Contents
Bishop Marello's sacrifice of his life had been accepted
by the Lord, and it soon gained the choicest blessings for the
congregation, while preparing for its ultimate triumph. The facts
which follow are evident proof of this.
After the death of our esteemed founder, Bishop Ronco,
who already so loved our institute anyway, now took our interests
so to heart as to make them his own. He became our most authoritative
defender before the Holy See. Enthused about the growth of our
congregation, he asserted that "digitus Dei est hic." He
felt fatherly affection for all our brothers, so much so that one
day he was able to take satisfaction in asking our Father John
of blessed memory: "And do you at Saint Clare's love me?"
Bishop Giacinto Arcangeli, whose memory is also always
so dear to us, was Bishop Ronco's successor, not only in the episcopate,
but also in his esteem and love for our dear congregation. In fact,
soon after a year's time from his arrival in Asti, on March 18,
1901 he issued a decree giving our institute canonical status,
establishing it as a diocesan congregation, and allowing its members
to consecrate themselves to the Lord through profession of the
first religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
After this the congregation began to enlarge its
sphere of action, and several dioceses experienced the good fruits
it produced. Headed by Bishop Giacinto Arcangeli, several other
most reverend bishops therefore made persuasive interventions for
the Holy See to approve such a worthy institute having such a productive
apostolate. The Sacred Congregation of Religious gave a favorable
response to these interventions, and on April 11, 1909, it issued
our institute not only a decree of recognition, but simultaneously
also granted it final approbation. Our joy was tremendous on hearing
such happy news, and solemn thanksgiving was immediately offered
the Lord and Mary Mother of Sorrows to whose special intercession
the positive outcome of those petitions had been entrusted.
Finally His Holiness Benedict XV granted us a house
of our own in Rome where our procurator general could reside.
And now, full of life with an ever growing number
of aspirants, our congregation has crossed the seas to open two
important missions, one in the Philippine Islands, and one in Brazil.
To those esteemed confreres who, inspired by the love of Jesus
Christ, have generously left behind the comforts of their fatherland
in order to sail the ocean, goes through these pages a heartfelt
greeting from their brothers in Italy. A great distance separates
us from them, but a single love impels us, a single affection unites
us, and a single concern inspires us: the desire to proclaim everywhere
the kingdom of Jesus Christ and to make known to everyone our heavenly
patron St. Joseph.
This will always be our holy and sublime ideal. Every
evening, remembering them before the Lord, we will join our prayers
to theirs so that God may console them, bless their labors, and
increase the number of workers in His mystical vineyard.
* * *
At this point an important consideration captures our attention:
our apostolate will be ever more productive and the fruitfulness
for souls ever more abundant to the extent that we imitate St.
Joseph more closely and follow in the footsteps of our beloved
founder. Besides the numerous examples and teachings that we have
already had the opportunity of reading in these brief memories,
Bishop Marello has left us precious written documents, which are
like a father's will to his children and an expression of his spirit
filled with holy love for God and neighbor. These writings are
not many, but they are such as to make us feel all the fragrance
and supernatural beauty of his soul. This is seen spread throughout
more than fifty letters of his on various themes. The letters are
written in clear, simple, and somewhat concise style. Though in
first draft form, they are remarkably correct and smooth. They
reveal his uncommon learning. Here we will glean from these writings
the principal passages on the spiritual life and Christian wisdom,
presenting them in their original simplicity.
* * *
To begin with religious perfection, to which we are called in
a special way, look how our founder exhorts a brother to pursue
it, when the latter explains his difficulties in continuing the
studies he has begun:
"St. Paul, whom you desire to imitate, wrote these words: numquid
omnes apostoli, numquid omnes virtutes, etc., etc... Aemulamini
autem charismata meliora. If God should want to make you
a Saint like Felix of Cantalice, you would be indeed fortunate
and you would rank with him in heaven above so many great Doctors.
The Divine Goodness did not leave you without those gifts that
go into the making of a good religious and an active member in
the congregation of St. Joseph. If, in the likeness of the great
patriarch St. Joseph, you were to serve Jesus in humble tasks
inferior in dignity to those of St. Peter, remember that the
humble guardian of Jesus holds a higher place in heaven than
the great apostle. Be satisfied with the role Our Lord assigns
to you here below, and trust firmly with God's help, that you
will be able to discharge it in such a manner as to deserve a
great reward in heaven. To whom was it said: Ego ero merces
tua magna nimis? To the obedient and faithful Abraham."
* * *
He also wished that external activities not interfere with the
spiritual which should always take priority:
"Keep making all needed improvements on the farmhouse and
employ the help of the brothers in such a way that, without harm
to their spiritual life, you can also achieve some material advantage.
In a word, let intellectual and manual work counterbalance each
other as two means leading to only one end: the service of God
in imitation of St. Joseph."
* * *
Some brothers had asked permission to spend a year of voluntary
military service in Florence, in order to more easily learn the
Italian language well. Fearing danger to their spiritual welfare
in that far off city, he tells them:
"The two enlisted brothers who wish to go to Tuscany to bake
themselves with academic grammar remind me of St. Jerome's dream
where he saw himself being flogged for being more of a Ciceronian
than a Christian. A son of St. Joseph is more in need of learning
the language of the saints than of learning the pure idiom of Tuscany.
In that charming land called the garden of Italy, it is unfortunate
that while learning purity of diction one can lose the purity of
one's morals. More than in any other region, one gathers there,
along with nature's flowers, the flowers of classical literature,
while passing up the flowers of piety and virtue. And so the taste
for profane beauty easily prevails over the taste for the sacred.
Besides, an army barracks is no place where one can expect to learn
propriety of speech and treasure up the best phrases and the most
polished idioms. I thus consider a product of idle fancy and inexperience
this desire to spend one's term of service in Tuscany amid strangers,
rather than in Alexandria or Turin, near friends and benevolent
acquaintances, close to St. Clare's, in a favorable atmosphere
that has helped so many others preserve their vocation."
It is not to be concluded from this that he did not appreciate
and value true learning, for the tenor of his letter shows that
the only reason he is led to dissuade them is for their spiritual
welfare and their perseverance in their religious vocation.
* * *
Being joyful and witty by nature in a holy way, he wanted his
sons to leave behind all sadness, the enemy of sanctity, to serve
the Lord with a holy freedom of spirit:
"I rejoice that spiritual joy is still flourishing among
St. Joseph's priests... Away with scruples. They are the blight,
I say the blight of the spiritual life. Stifle every fancy from
the start. Do not turn back to retrace your steps. Do not run too
far ahead, nor stop too long to see whether the step was well taken.
Have confidence in God, who is near to correct our mistakes, unavoidable
as they are in spite of the best intentions in the world."
* * *
God is the boss, and we are His servants. His role is to reveal
His will, and ours is to follow it fully. The more closely we are
united to Him with this attitude of conformity and resignation,
the more perfect our love will be, for God's will is infinitely
holy and perfect, our source of peace and happiness even amidst
life's greatest trials. Here is how Bishop Marello describes the
resignation we should have in everything:
"The illness [of the brother about whom you write me] would
make me very sad indeed, if I did not realize that St. Joseph is
the infirmarian and that, while suffering by God's will in one
of its members, the congregation will enjoy better health in its
whole body. Let us always repeat that omnia cooperantur in bonum...
even in the smallest things."
And elsewhere:
"My heart aches at the news of the condition of health [of
the two dear brothers]. If our blessed God decides to call them
to Himself, it would only be to enable them to help us and the
congregation more effectively from above. This assurance comes
from our faith; but the voice of nature pleads strongly to the
throne of divine mercy to leave them with us a little while longer
so that they may first visibly edify their brothers here below
and render their work more fruitful. O Lord, inspire us with the
prayer that pleases You most, and then give us the grace always
to adore the decrees of Your will."
And in another place he writes thus:
"The news I have received is painful indeed! Dominus dedit,
Dominus abstulit. The Lord gave us good Bro. Theodore; the
Lord has taken him away. But we are comforted by the hope that
he will give him back to us in heaven together with the brothers
who, we can believe, are already shining with eternal light.
Let us also find comfort in the thought that if God asks us the
sacrifice of some beautiful flower from our garden, He will repay
us a hundredfold by causing many others to sprout under the heavenly
dew and by always lovingly defending them against the frost and
ice until He is ready to transplant them above."
He wanted us instead to rejoice in adversities:
"Deo gratias that the two government inspections did
not go totally well for St. Clare's. If everything had gone smoothly,
we might have had reason to be disturbed and to fear that, under
the appearance of safety, the enemy was lying in ambush. Let us
be glad, then, that our trials have not come to an end and that
there is no lack of adversaries to make us grow in confidence in
God. We know from experience that at the right time our difficulties
disappear, there is a change of heart in those who caused them,
and God's work moves on, surrounded with new favor."
* * *
He would kindly abandon himself to the embrace of divine providence,
as a baby does in the arms of his poor mother. "Live by providence" was
one of his favorite phrases. He is inspired with wonderful expressions
of this on the occasions of Msgr. Torchio's death and of St. Clare's
precarious situation at the beginning of the scholastic year:
"In this life joy and pain are forever alternating. The funeral
of a servant of God leaves us with a sense of peace in the hope
that he is now in possession of his eternal reward. On the other
hand, the opening of the school year at St. Clare's, instead of
bringing the expected joy to our hearts, causes us to fear an uncertain
future and fills us with a thousand forebodings. And yet, was not
the life of St. Joseph also a succession of consolations and fears?
Let St. Clare's, then, be like the house of St. Joseph. In the
midst of doubts and anxieties, let all hearts rest trustful and
secure. Let everyone repeat with St. Paul: Placeo mihi in angustiis
pro Christo. Even last year the future looked dark, and yet
providence brought back the sunlight."
And in another letter:
"During this month so dear to him, [St. Joseph] wants all
the notes to flow just right so as to lift our hearts heavenward
where there is nothing but harmony. Our holy patriarch wants us
to realize that in Bethlehem the hours of desolation and of silent
waiting were followed by comforting visits of angels to the accompaniment
of heavenly songs. I leave it up to Fr. Cortona to point out the
various analogies found in these two settings: Bethlehem and St.
Clare's."
* * *
He did not intend, however, to have an exaggerated trust to the
point of tempting providence and incurring debts without the moral
certainty of being able to totally repay them:
"As long as our total debt was counterbalanced by the value
of the house, it was possible to easily accept mortgaged capital
in the hopes of being able to somehow act as agent for it out of
our own personal resources, if worse should come to worse. However,
now that we are carrying an annual debt of almost seven thousand
liras, corresponding to a capital of 140,000 liras, it seems to
me that we should definitely stop and no longer reach for those
apparently generous offerings which could really become a liability
to the house... Rather than commit myself to more debts, I feel
obliged to put myself in better order with respect to the old ones
... so that we may not slip from the path of trust to the path
of imprudence."
And in another writing:
"The congregation, debts, providence!!! Three most significant
words which call to mind three important ideas that are not always
in perfect harmony with each other. With the help of faith, the
first and the last idea can be brought together in a nice melody;
but sometimes that one in the middle simply cannot be forced to
stay in tune."
* * *
His characteristic virtue is a charity that is meek, patient,
loving, kind, and takes to heart the spiritual and temporal needs
of his dear ones with more than a mother's concern. The virtue
of charity, God's firstborn daughter, the noblest affection we
can offer God and the most acceptable to our neighbor, shines most
beautifully in many passages of his letters:
"The letter I received ... shows me that during the month
dedicated to their patron, more than at any other time of the year,
the brothers of St. Joseph in true imitation of him miscent
gaudia fletibus: joys of the spirit because they have been
counted worthy to suffer dishonor; tears of the heart pierced by
so many thorns. I too share deeply in their common sorrows as well
as their joys. I join in the prayers for the souls of Fr. Baratta's
father and of Bro. Alexander's mother. On those departed ones who
have ended their earthly days in the Lord's love luceat perpetua
lux in regno coelorum. We shall pray to St. Joseph to obtain
health for the sick, and for all of us the grace to know and to
follow the divine will."
Read this letter of holiday greeting which teems with tenderness
and kindness:
"Joseph
Bishop of Acqui
to the dear Sons of St. Clare's House
Peace and spiritual joy in Jesus our Savior
"With all my heart I thank you for your greetings and I wish I could return
each one of them individually with this letter as I do at the crib of the Infant
Jesus. One of you reminded me that in former years on this joyful occasion I
used to bring you a Christmas gift. Oh, how I would like to bring it to you this
year too if you were not so far away. Still, you do expect something from me
and I'll have to find a way to send you at least something sweet. Along with
the candy that can leave only a momentary sweetness in your palate, I should
give you as usual a more lasting gift to satisfy your sight and your devotion.
Yet what can I do about it? Ah, the Holy Infant comes to my aid. He takes it
upon Himself to come to you in my name. He wants to show you His beautiful face,
to bestow on you a heavenly smile. He wants to present to you His snow-white
lily, to raise His little hand to bless each one of you, to invite you to remain
always with Him as little lambs to enjoy His loving caresses. Welcome, then,
this Divine Messenger of mine as He brings you a far more precious gift than
you could have expected from me. Do not be afraid to ask for too much from Him;
on the contrary, ask for a very big gift. The more you ask of Him, the more He
will give you. His joy in bestowing His favors on you will be greater in proportion
to your desire to ask for them. Oh good Jesus, grant to these dear sons all that
they desire and even more than they desire. From the first day of the new year
resume with them Your divine chats so as to draw them to Your heart. Caress them
as Your little friends who have already learned to experience the sweetness of
Your love. Grant that they may become Your great friends in this life and may
later possess a throne of glory in Your kingdom of eternal life. Filioli mei
omnes dicite: Amen
Deo gratias."
We still have the image of the Infant Jesus sent with this letter.
It is a precious memento.
No less affectionate is this other letter:
"The visits, letters, and greeting cards that I'm receiving
these days remind me of my duty to direct special prayers to God
for the beloved family at St. Clare's. Yet my head is befuddled
with so many other thoughts contending and vying for first place.
During their recent visits Fr. Cortona and Fr. John added many
new ones to the old ones and now they are all in my mind, which
desires to put a little order to them and send them with a word
of recommendation to the Crib of the Infant Jesus. But hoc opus
hic labor. Lucky for me that the little Divine Child tells
me that He will come to my aid, sounding the call and summoning
all those thoughts to line up according to the order preordained
by His ineffable providence. Deo gratias. Although our minds
might be able to determine which things are good, they are always
an infinite distance away from that Mind which alone can make that
determination in an absolute manner. Humans may discern what is
good, but God discerns the greater good, the true good. Thus while
desiring the good, the saints always subordinated their judgement
to that of the One who, although granting us some of our good desires,
wants us to exchange them for other relatively better ones. Therefore
let us make our many wishes for the Feasts of Christmas and New
Year, but let us allow the good Jesus to hear them in that way
and to that extent that He knows better how to turn to His glory
and to our spiritual profit. However, we do want Him to hear that
wish around which all the others revolve: Salvator noster salva
nos. I close with this votive prayer and I remain
Most affectionately yours,
+Joseph Ep."
* * *
He was concerned about everyone and stated that he carried them
all in his heart:
"We are in God's hands and we would be wise to resign ourselves
to His just judgement. If I cannot go to Asti personally, I will
not fail to be present in spirit and to unite myself in prayer
to my most beloved at St. Clare's ... and to the others in the
sad list presented me. I commend them to the Lord with my whole
being. I will not name them here, but I keep them all present in
my memory and in my heart."
Let us listen to how he takes pleasure in the good performed
by his sons:
"He writes me so many good and beautiful things ... that
I can't help repeating a thousand times in my heart: Deo gratias.
Poor Oblates of the House for the Aged, you are among the minor
priests. You are nothing and you enjoy none of those positions
that hold promise for the future. And yet Our Lord makes use of
you also for the good of souls. Yes, keep on saying: Servi inutiles
sumus; but keep on going forward to do the portion of work
which the divine will assigns to you day by day through its representatives.
And may others videant opera vestra bona et glorificent Patrem
vestrum qui in coelis est."
* * *
He wants discretion to be exercised even in devotional practices,
when these could be detrimental to bodily health. Here are his
actual words about the perpetual adoration that they wished to
institute at St. Clare's:
"The institution of the laus perennis would be quite
timely in our day. The main problem would be to arrange it in such
a way as not to harm the health of the participants and consequently
bring harm to others. Our Lord is so generous that He often prefers
to stay in the background and give a hand to others by giving priority
to works of charity over exercises of devotion; or rather, He bestows
on the former the merits and value of the latter."
He wishes the brothers to take advantage of the papal indult
regarding the Lenten fast, so as to maintain their strength:
"The papal indult is an act of kindness on the part of Holy
Mother the Church. Why not take nadvantage of it? Most of the brothers
have no health to spare... God knows this and has inspired the
Holy Father to mitigate the law of fasting for the faithful, St.
Clare's included. If there were no indult, the help of God would
be at hand to render obedience less burdensome. But now that it
is becoming too heavy and is lawfully being removed by the same
authority that lawfully imposed it, why should we be so stubborn
in our own judgement as to act differently than the other faithful
who feel in Domino that they can avail themselves of the kindness
of the Church?... At any rate, follow the judgement of the bishop,
as he must have already set down both general and particular norms
for the seminary and other communities who may have approached
him on the matter."
When St. Clare's treasurer wanted to decrease the already sparse
amount of food, our father bishop wrote this:
"I do not consider it wise to cut down on food. It would
be like expecting a bountiful harvest after having been sparing
with the seed."
And in another letter, along with his tender concern for the
brothers, he also shows his love for poverty:
"Economize, economize, but not to the point of depriving
the table of the food needed to keep a bag of bones going. One
can practice thrift in regard to so many superfluous things: turning
off the lights when not needed, buying only what is strictly necessary,
imitating a little of the spirit of St. Francis by foregoing costly
paraphernalia for the Church; and in so many other ways that don't
come to mind, but which the keen and observant mind of our industrious
treasurer ... is so quick to discover. With all these cuts you
will already be saving a good thousand francs a year."
* * *
Dear to him is obedience, the holocaust most pleasing to God and
the virtue that draws the Lord's blessings down upon us. In one
of his letters on the occasion of a Brother having abandoned his
vocation, he describes the evils of self-will and the advantages
of obedience:
"Poor fellow! He didn't learn to humble his own judgement, and he felt it
sweet to have his own way; but now he realizes that, far from being the master
of his own way, he has become its slave... One does not take such a decisive
step, with such openly deliberate and energetic choice, unless one has already
rashly begun to slide downhill.
"Ah obedience! Not the kind that sometimes wants to open
its eyes to take a peek at its own selfish interests, but the kind
of obedience that is called blind. How many graces does not obedience
draw down from heaven to keep us from taking a false step and to
guide us directly to our goal! Let us mourn the fact that not a
few brothers allowed the tender shoots of this virtue to wither,
while St. Joseph wanted it deeply rooted in their hearts. Let us
lament their fate and make it the subject of meditation for ourselves."
Even as early as 1885, it was discussed whether or not it would
be a good idea to accept parishes. Our father had decidedly thought
it inappropriate to accept them, since while charged with a parish
the Oblates would tend to be more concerned with its particular
needs, than with those of the whole congregation, and later because
that could lead to friction with the diocesan clergy. It was his
desire, however, that according to the spirit of the institute
and the wishes of the bishop, we accept temporary administration
of them:
"By all means, you must accept the administration of the
Castelvero parish. First of all, we must be consistent with our
principles and always arrange our accounts with divine providence
alone. Secondly, we must obey, even at the cost of great sacrifice,
the will of the bishop, who is in the hands of God and can be the
instrument for achieving certain advantages that far outweigh the
harm that one might want to avoid. For our part, let us always
tip the scales in favor of authority, and we can then be confident
that God, the supreme authority, will arrange those same scales
in a thousand different ways and on a higher level so that, without
the knowledge of others and sometimes even in spite of them, things
will turn in our favor."
* * *
His spirit felt and tasted the sweetness of the Lord in holy recollection,
and he frequently lifted his heart to Him in prayer, which was
like the tender sapling springing from his faith, being nourished
by his hope, and receiving its fragrance from his charity.
Witnesses to this are the exhortations to pray that he gives the
brothers and the consolation he expects from their prayers in return:
"May my dearest ones at St. Clare's always beseech this divine
aid for me, and I will not fail to invoke upon the beloved brothers
of St. Joseph omne datum optimum quod de sursum est."
And in another letter:
"St. Clare's spiritual assistance has benefitted me before,
so that I rely on them more than ever for the success of my journey
of pastoral visitations which I will begin within a few hours in nomine
Domini."
And in yet another:
"On the occasion of my saint's day, I received many promises
of prayers and spiritual help. I wish to share all these kind offerings
with the dear Oblates, since they too are entitled to this treasure.
And just as I share omnia mea, the Sons of St. Joseph will
also share with me omnia sua. And so each will be able to
say: Omnia mea vestra sunt et vestra mea, according to Jesus'
prayer that his disciples sint consummati in unum."
* * *
His devotion to the great patriarch St. Joseph and his trust in
the intercession of this heavenly patron are evident in almost
all of his letters, and if not in the body, at least in the closing.
He wants the brothers to be inspired with this same devotion. Here
is an example:
"I unite myself in spirit to the dear brothers in the novena
and Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph-and I invoke upon all
a most generous blessing from that great dad of ours."
And in another place:
"I am also awaiting news about the celebration, which I imagine
was exceptionally beautiful and inspiring. Filius accrescens Joseph,
and the sons of St. Joseph must also grow, at least in devotion
to their holy patron."
And elsewhere:
"Let us wait for St. Joseph to give us the nod. This is his
beautiful month. Fr. Cortona is preaching his glories; the brothers
and the entire community are united in invoking his protection...
So we shall say to our great patriarch: We belong entirely to you,
and may you be all ours. Show us the way; support us at every step;
guide us where providence wants us to go. No matter how long or
short our journey, no matter how smooth or rough, whether by human
sight we glimpse our goal or not, whether our pace is slow or fast,
with you we are sure of always going along the right path."
In one of his letters, he writes:
"Eamus simul ad Joseph et oremus pro invicem; and
may our holy patriarch obtain for us from God every grace we need."
And again:
"God grant that we may always remain worthy of belonging
to this blessed family and of receiving from its Head our daily
nourishment."
"Be all of good heart under the fatherly mantle of St. Joseph, a place of
safest refuge in tribulationibus et angustiis, also for your most affectionate
+ Joseph Ep."
And in another writing of his:
"Protector noster adiuvet eos semper. May the aid
of this great protector be extended also to all the students and
may they do well in their examinations and receive an abundance
of divine graces in exchange for the consolation I received from
their affectionate letter."
And finally: "May St. Joseph shelter his devoted sons under
his fatherly mantle."
* * *
Great was his devotion to the most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Here is how he expresses the joy he experienced on learning that
St. Clare's held a solemn and ornate procession of the Blessed
Sacrament on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
"A word of congratulations to all of St. Clare's families
who zealously vied with one another in manifesting their faith
in Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, an exceptionally splendid manifestation
of faith engendering more intense acts of love. The splendor of
lights, songs, incense, and a hundred other beautiful things that
for one hour surrounded the King of Glory, is a symbol of the triumphal
feast which the souls of the elect offer the glorified Jesus."
When he learned that, due to remodelling in the Casabianca parish,
the Blessed Sacrament had been solemnly transferred to the little
chapel of our farmhouse, this is how he expressed his delight:
"The solemn enthronement of the Blessed Sacrament in the
farmhouse chapel was so vividly described that, while reading it,
I thought I was witnessing an enlarged scene of good Zaccheus.
Bro. Philip represented the fortunate guest of the Savior. And
he was not the only one: there were many other Zaccheuses, more
or less small of stature, to share with him his joy, each one applying
to himself the sweet words of Our Lord: in domo tua oportet
me manere. Deo gratias."
* * *
He shows admirable sensitivity in so selflessly turning down the
offer of having a coadjutor brother as his personal attendant.
Although he was the founder and could freely assign the brothers,
he sacrifices his personal advantage for the good of the whole
congregation:
"I spontaneously and wholeheartedly thank you for your good
will in so generously offering a replacement for Leo who departed.
It is an offer whose value is increased by the great sacrifice
of the one offering and of the one who would allow himself to be
offered. The congregation's willingness to give up or rather to
lend me one of its dearest brothers, and the individual's giving
up even for a time the delights of the house of St. Joseph for
my benefit are very valuable to me. Yet how could I be so selfish
as to quickly and lightheartedly accept such a precious gift, without
first making certain that this gift could not cease to belong to
St. Joseph? I have to be fair and divest myself of my self-interests
as bishop in order to examine the greater good for each side. When
asked to give an impartial judgement on this, I would be inclined
in favor of St. Clare's. I will say more. As I am writing, so many
things to consider are coming to mind that, were I able to communicate
them to Fr. Cortona face to face, I might hear him withdraw his
proposal. If out of generosity he should fail to do so, it would
then be up to me to do it in his name in order to be fair. To come
to a conclusion then, I'll say that Bro. ______'s leaving St. Clare's
is of temporary benefit for the congregation and of possible future
harm, while his arrival here at the bishop's residence in Acqui,
though beneficial to me in certain ways, also presents difficulties
for me in other ways... This is what I would have to explain personally
in order to hear Fr. Cortona himself tell me: 'You're right; I
agree.'"
* * *
And now as these few pages are about to draw to a close, let us
remember that we have the very great honor of being called by the
tremendous goodness of the Lord's will to imitate St. Joseph as
religious in this congregation to which our father bishop consecrated
his thoughts, affections, possessions, and his entire life.
Let us recall our total unworthiness and the blessings with which
the Lord has willed to enrich us at this stage of our life. When
we do this our lips will spontaneously pronounce these words of
gratitude: "You, Lord, know very well how undeserving I am
of this grace. You know every fiber of my heart and You mark its
every beat. Receive this hymn of thanksgiving not only from my
lips, but also from those of my confreres. Formed in the salvific
shade of this congregation and shrine, we have received Your special
love."
From our secure port, let us also keep our eyes fixed on what
surrounds us. Clouds have been brewing over God's Church and a
storm is trying to wrench the faith from Christians' hearts. Such
war is being waged against the Pope and the Church. Such evil and
ruin is aimed at weak souls. Many are slothful, as the wolf with
his insidious claws wreaks havoc among souls, and the masses are
seduced by the masters of irreverence and deceit to pursue the
dream of possessions and pleasure.
Let us especially watch those tender infants who gaze at us with
innocent eyes and stretch out their hands for us to save them;
and those who like flowers freshly blossomed await the care of
an able gardener to preserve them; and the youth who are desirous
of religious instruction for strength in life's battles. Let us
add new victories to the congregation's former ones. Let us save
others by living holy lives as our founder desired, by praying,
sacrificing, and working diligently.
Like St. Joseph, let us bring Jesus to the hearts of all and particularly
to these tender young plants, since this is the task to which our
founder wished us to be dedicated. It will be a difficult, taxing,
and tiring work, which months and years later may leave us little
consolation. Let us not be discouraged. God will repay our efforts
with rich interest. The good seed sown will bear fruit at the proper
time. Children of our tears will be there to console us in our
last days, to repair the ingratitude of a thankless world, and
to prepare us for the victory of eternal glory for which our souls
so yearn. Qui custos est Domini sui glorificabitur.
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