 
FR. ALBERIONE AND VOCATIONS
Sr. Marialuisa Peviani, Sr. Lorenza Favetta, ap
We can deepen the
theme of Fr. Alberione’s care for vocations starting from his
fundamental conviction: God calls everybody, and to everybody,
without exception, must come the good news of vocation and must be
presented the various vocations. By helping each one to discover his
own place, we help him to discover his truth for the full
development of his total person. Several times he has affirmed the
primacy of the “vocation problem”, as he sometimes defines it, for
the Church and for the world. His stance is profoundly evangelical
because it does not stop at the problematic aspect of the need for
vocations: rather, he finds reason for greater thrust in the
commitment to reach all men through what for him is the “fundamental
work in the Church”.
Another
aspect of priority for Fr. Alberione is the
consideration of vocations as a sign from God: “our role is only to
know and help a vocation, not to create it”
.
Here, as in many other cases, it is evident that he bases himself on
a clear theology of vocation. Hence, he affirms:
“Vocation is
the work of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in a soul
for the good of the Church. I do not want to say the calling alone,
but our correspondence and consummation in Christ Jesus until
heaven. The Father intervenes: vocation does not start when you are
twelve, fifteen or twenty years old, but it’s in the mind of God;
it’s that special act of love when the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit convene, so to say, in eternal council. They convene in
their thought and decision: let us create a chosen soul for the good
of the Church and for the service of salvation of all mankind” .
Primo Maestro’s
love for vocations is inventive – as Fr. Roatta observes in a report
of his - and many are the means that the inspired imagination of
the Founder has known to find, from small ones to the founding of
stable Institutions like the Apostoline Sisters, the Pious Union
“Prayer, Suffering and Charity for all vocations” and the Sanctuary
of the Queen of Apostles in Rome.
What he says as
the result of his experience is always very actual:
“The problem of
the future…is at bottom the travail of every soul. Hence, it is
beautiful charity to help the young ask themselves the question:
“And you, what will you do?”. To let them understand that if it is
important to know how to select and guess well their career or
occupation, much more important is the choice of their state.
It’s a big
thing to pray and to enlighten souls for the solution of this basic
problem, it is exquisite goodness and meritorious charity. To work
for vocations means to serve the Church. The vocation problem is the
main problem of every man, the most actual and urgent problem of the
Church”
.
Regarding the concrete ways to exercise the vocation apostolate in
the Church, the Founder recalls directly the basic references of
the Pauline Family as true and proper vocation models.
“There are
countless methods and teachings about the care and search of
vocations. In the first place, however, we must look at Jesus, how
he has operated, at the Queen of Apostles, that is, of those called
to the apostolate and to all apostolates, and to saint Paul, who has
imitated Jesus so perfectly and so holily that we can say: he truly
was the model disciple”.
→ Basic for him is
reference to Jesus Master and Pastor, Way Truth and Life, the
first Called and the first vocation Animator.
“We invoke Jesus
Master and, generally, in invoking him we have this intention: to
live his life, therefore we say way, truth and life, that is, all
our being. In a special way, let us concentrate on this in our
thoughts and with this purpose: that Jesus may be our way, that is,
our way in looking for and forming vocations.
When we talk of
apostolate, in the first place, we must do it for ourselves. That
the Divine Master, when he left his private life, he said: “I am the
Way”, may he teach us the way that he followed. Secondly: “I am the
Truth”: the things that must be said about vocation, about its
loftiness, nobility, and value; about religious life and the
apostolate; the truth that may persuade. And thirdly, “the Life”:
that Jesus may accompany us with his grace and that we may have so
much grace in our hearts as to attract souls to God […]”.
→ Mary Queen of
the Apostles is another essential reference for vocation
spirituality.
“Mary is, as it
were, the mother of vocations, and it is She who helps in their
formation. We can say that the vocation apostolate, after that of
Jesus, began with Mary… Remember how she aided those vocations to
whom Jesus gave her as mother and how, what the apostles had not
learned and understood in three years, they understood when the Holy
Spirit descended, constantly invoked by Mary and by them as well”
.
→ Fr.
Alberione saw the necessity of announcing the “Gospel of vocation”
(Pastores dabo vobis 34) according to the spirit and the
tirelessness of saint Paul. He has always associated saint
Paul with the vocation dimension, seeing him exactly as the man
of vocations and as the great intercessor for vocations.
“How will they
hear the Word of God if it is not preached? Here, saint Paul clearly
asks (cf Rom 10,14 - 15.17). And how will it be preached if there
are no vocations who go to preach it?”
.
The vocation
prayer of our Father
We find here the
breadth and beauty of the ecclesial and universal vision of our
Founder: his attention to the entire people of God, to all
vocations and to the entire journey of the person: from the
blooming of the seed of vocation to its final completion; and the
call to responsibility and the collaboration of all
(family, school, Christian community) is clear.
Fr. Alberione
wants that all understand the appeal of Jesus Christ: “Pray to
the Lord of the harvest, to send laborers…” (Mt 9,38). In front
of the immense needs of the harvest, in contrast to the scarcity of
the forces at our disposition, it is necessary to arouse interest
and passion for the fate of the Gospel, so that no one may fail to
give his contribution and the Gospel’s invitation to mission may
resound everywhere.
We conclude with a
quick glance at Fr. Alberione as vocation animator.
- A
man of prayer and of listening to the voice of God,
he recommended:
“Above all,
take care of
prayer, because if you say a word, if you make an invitation, that
invitation or word is accompanied by the Holy Spirit, because it is
He who does the calling”.
- A
man of the Word and of the Eucharist,
he pointed the eyes of all to God’s faithful presence, to the “I
shall be with you forever” and recommended to “anchor yourself to
the Tabernacle”.
- A
man of wisdom,
he gave encouragement and inspired confidence, making use of the
creativity and spirit of initiative of every person. He was
committed to gradual progress, trusting completely in the work of
God within the life of the person and trying to collaborate with the
action of grace. He knew how to respect the signs of God and put
himself at the service of the free response of every one called.
In particular Fr.
Alberione proposed three means to understand the will of God:
“ a) Prayer,
so that the light of God may penetrate the soul […] b) Think it
over! The choice of state and the correspondence that follows is
the great problem of life. From its solution depends one’s peace on
earth and, ordinarily, eternal happiness […]. c) Get advice.
From a person who knows, loves and seeks your true good”.
Hence, the
criteria for vocation animation, according to Fr. Alberione, are
those that he has always indicated: freedom in operation,
involvement of the whole person and having a universal heart.
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