Today the whole Pauline Family scattered throughout the world is celebrating the memory of its humble birth, which Fr. Alberione described in this way: “On the afternoon of 20 August 1914, an hour of adoration in which our first dear aspirants participated was followed by the blessing of our first small house and typography”. This tiny seed was destined to become a big tree.
On this 99th anniversary of the foundation of the Pauline Family, which opens the last year of preparation for its Centenary, the pace of our spiritual exercises underwent a few small changes. During Morning Prayer, we praised the Triune God for the miracles of grace he continues to work in us, thanked him for the overflowing riches he has poured out on the Pauline Family, and begged him to call new apostles to renew the Church and the Pauline charism.
Following the line initiated in the preceding days of holding up “witnesses to the faith” for us to contemplate, today Fr. Emilio Cicconi, ssp, who will also be our guide tomorrow, focused on the prophet Elijah and invited us to first of all thank the Lord for the abundant graces we have received in these years. He then urged us to imitate Elijah and come out of our “cave” to stand before the Lord, who wants to entrust us with a “renewed and extraordinary mandate for the Pauline apostolate.” It involves moving ahead decisivelylike Paul, Alberione and Thecla-trusting that we can do all things in the One who strengthens us.
We felt the hand of God upon us and thus, during our Eucharistic adoration, we begged him with bold faith for a new Pentecost that would enable us to empathize with humanity and with everything that is human, discovering afresh our call to “inhabit” this particular moment of history, proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel to the people of today through all the means of communication.
We want to thank all of you for your solidarity, your prayers and the many messages you have sent us. We feel your presence in a very special way today.
Ariccia, 20 agosto 2013
