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Riflessione: |

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An
unpublished Fr. Alberione
From the recollections of Sr. Assunta Bassi, fsp |
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Video:
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Dal Documentario: «Un
giorno indimenticabile»
Don Giacomo
Alberione celebra la messa in Santuario
in occasione del suo 80° compleanno
In occasione dell'ottantesimo genetliaco
del Primo Maestro il S. Padre Paolo VI ha inviato, un
venerato Autografo, che Sua Em. il Card. Ildebrando
Antoniutti, Prefetto della S. Congregazione dei Religiosi
ha letto, dopo la Messa celebrata dal Primo Maestro, nel
Santuario della Regina Apostolorum, il
4 aprile 1964 alle ore 10,30.
Versione .asf |
Versione .mov
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Testo: |
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ABUNDANTES DIVITIAE GRATIAE SUAE,
n. 63
ITA -
ESP -
ENG
-
BRA
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AN
UNPUBLIshed
FR. ALBERIONE
From the
recollections of Sr. Assunta Bassi, fsp
When I saw Fr. Alberione the first time, “so minute, so slender and
a little curved”, I felt a great delusion. But the words that he
said during our Spiritual Exercises lasting three days (1928) had a
strong impact on me: “Preaching using the Press is pastoral activity
just like the homily that is done in church. It allows us to reach
more people, even those who do not go to church”.
This discourse
introduced a novelty in the pastoral action of the Church, a novelty
for which the Primo Maestro has paid personally on account of
misunderstandings and suffering, even if supports and helps were not
wanting to him.
When in 1927 I
came to Alba, our Congregation was 12 years old. The Primo Maestro
was young (43 years old). He was a fascinator, but his own (priests
and young men) felt about him, along with veneration and affection,
also awe and a certain fear.
He gave the
impression of being rather rustic. He did not allow others to kiss
his hands. He was man of few words, always recollected in himself,
brisk.
His mind seemed
always to be “captivated” by a constant thought that did not allow
him escapes, even if at times with a smile he took part in our
recreations and in those of the boys and with pleasure listened to
jokes.
“Let us not lose
time!”, was one of the phrases he willingly repeated. His
preoccupation about “not losing time” has sometimes caused annoyance
because it seemed that he gave more importance to work rather than
to be welcoming to persons.
When the Primo
Maestro stood by “immovable” positions, I came to ask myself: “Does
he have reasons that make him sure or will he allow himself to be
influenced?...” and I made him know about my doubt: “Primo Maestro,
is this your own conviction or that somebody has referred it to you?
Pardon me, but I have this misgiving”. And he answered me only in
this way: “Oh, yes?”.
I have experienced
his humble participation in my suffering when, as an aspirant, I was
brought to the hospital. I have seen his merciful feeling toward a
diocesan priest afflicted with senile dementia who, after dropping
his pants under his cassock, stood there in plaza San Paolo in front
of our entrance and did not know what to do. With a very
understanding and respectful demeanor he goes to meet him,
accompanies him slowly to our parlor and like a mother puts him in
order and accompanies him again outside.
I could narrate so
many small episodes wherein the Primo Maestro has shown attentive
understanding towards the sick and worry for the hard work that the
Daughters doing propaganda were taking upon themselves. In the same
way that he expressed concern due to the dangers to which they were
exposed, both while doing it and inside their bookstores.
But the strongest
image in my mind about the Primo Maestro is when he is already
advanced in age, all gathered in himself, aware that he was chosen
by God for a mission for which he will have to render an account to
God himself. His frequent question veiled with sadness is: “What can
we do?”.
I see again the
flashes of light that transpired from his eyes when he hears some
good news about the apostolate or in his “outbursts of impatience”
in the face of resistance or slow footedness...
When there are
difficulties or there are objections relating to the “Pauline
charism”, he reacted with energy. It seems to me that his
temperament was prone to anger. I admired him for his capacity to
control himself. But when he did not succeed, I consoled myself,
thinking: the Lord allows limitations and occasions to fall even for
the Saints.
The Primo Maestro
gave the impression of being a “tormented” man that did not succeed
in making known his “thought” and “feeling”.
He continued to
tell us to look for the ways to reach the greatest number of
persons, with the fastest means so as to save time
and physical strength, but using more intelligence and making better
our prayer, especially the Hour of adoration in order to have a
deeper sensitiveness to the needs of mankind. One morning, we were
in the parlor and Fr. Alberione was talking about these things; at a
certain moment he said, lowering his eyes: “We must make well the
Hour of adoration because the needs of mankind become understood
when we are on our knees. We understand them in Jesus Christ”. Then,
looking up, he added: “Jesus Christ is the book on which
everything is written”!
I cannot describe
the expression on his face and the timbre of his voice when he said:
“everything is written”.
Then timidly he
began to make some proposals: “You could see, he said, if you can
approach those in charge of culture, of pastoral, the centers of
direction of various services and movements and by means of them
reach many others. For example: instead of going to propose a school
library in every classroom, make an appointment with the person
responsible; propose a stock of suitable and well-chosen books and
so through him furnish all the libraries of the various classes;
there are Publishing Houses that already do this. Or at least go to
the provincial education directors and propose the adoption of some
books for all the scholastic libraries of the Province”.
In his person,
apostolic anxiousness and deep conviction were strong: “Yours must
be a convinced apostolic work that tends to heal governments, the
school, the laws, the family, relationships between social classes.
The Pauline Family has a broad task and responsibility” (cf AD 63). |