James Alberione, the fifth son of Michael Alberione and Teresa Allocco, was born at San Lorenzo di Fossano (Cuneo, Piedmont) on April 4, 1884. In October 1900 he entered the diocesan seminary at Alba and on June 29, 1907, he was ordained a priest. On August 20, 1914, he founded in Alba the Pious Society of St. Paul for evangelization with the media of social communication. This foundation was followed by the others to constitute the Pauline Family: the Pious Society Daughters of St. Paul (the Media Apostolate), the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (the Liturgical Apostolate), the Sisters of Jesus, the Good Shepherd (Catechists), the Queen of the Apostles Institute, known as the Apostoline Sisters (the Vocation Apostolate): the aggregated institutes for lay men and women: St. Gabriel the Archangel, Mary Most Holy of the Annunciation, the Holy Family Institute; and for priests, the Institute of Jesus, the Priest: and the Pauline Cooperators, those lay collaborators who share in the spiritual and apostolic life of any of the Congregations and Institutes listed above. Several times he circled the globe to encounter his sons and daughters spread throughout every continent on earth and exhort them to live an ever more contemplative and apostolic life. The secret of his widespread apostolic activity was founded on an interior life that ever sought to realize the words of the Apostle Paul: “The life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me (Gal 2:20).
On November 26, 1971, at the age of eighty-seven, having been comforted by the visit and blessing of Pope Paul VI, Father Alberione left this world to return to the House of the heavenly Father. He was proclaimed Blessed on April 27, 2003 by Pope John Paul II.
Source: Daughters of St. Paul
Scripture (2 Tim 3:14-17)
Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Writings
(Year C). What keeps the fire of love burning? For sensitive souls, the first fuel is sorrow. It is the workshop of loving hearts. The saints reached the heights of love by passing through much adversity. The more that loving souls suffer, the more they love; they prove their love to God in sorrow. The love of Jesus for His Father and for humankind was never more manifest to us than when He accepted the cross, than when He stretched Himself out on the cross and allowed Himself to be crucified, than when He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. He Himself stretched out His arms. Behold Jesus, who, out of love, hangs from the cross with His arms outstretched.
When we have some sorrows, some pain, anything that makes us suffer. let us use this to love. "Lord, this is for You, in the desire to be with You, to live for You!" For those who are docile, the Lord prepares an infinity of things which serve to excite them to greater love. If I had to love before I sinned, then after the sin (as a result of which I am penitent and humbled), I have one more reason to love. How many sinners have found fuel for their love precisely in their sin. "Everything works together unto good," says St. Paul. And the commentary adds: "Even sins!"
Then there is a certain furnace in which even the green wood burns and bursts into flame. And if you spray the coals with water, they will flare up even more. The furnace of this divine fire is the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. How is it possible for a soul to receive Communion frequently, to participate in the Mass well, make fervent Visits, and not be warmed by this divine fire? And is it perhaps surprising if eucharistic souls feel inflamed with this love? It is necessary to throw every imperfection, all coldness, and our whole heart into this furnace, so that our heart may burn and be inflamed with love.
Another motivation which must increase the love of God in us is our lost end. Why else do we walk toward the goal, if not to reach the real, true, beatific union? That union which we will have in heaven, where we shall be immersed in God as coal is in the fire; heaven, where Love will be openly enjoyed, where we will be immersed in God, our eternal happiness! Each step, each aspiration, each desire for heaven, is love. For to tend toward the reward is
to tend toward God, because the reward is God Himself: "I myself will be your reward, exceedingly great." God did not want to make us happy only with music and the vision of the angels, the conversation of the saints and of the Blessed Virgin, but He wanted our happiness to be Himself-He who is the Light: "In your light, we will see light."
Thus, here on earth everything is a school of love. We shall never be able to reach certain degrees, certain heights-such as those of our Mother Mary-but we can always feed the flame of love in the ardent furnace of the heart of Jesus. Let us feel this flame of love. We cannot reach certain degrees, certain heights, but we intend to love God even with the heart of Mary, with the heart of Jesus. This flame is also nourished by replacing our interests with those of Jesus, our desires with those of Jesus: the glory of the Father, the exaltation of the Church, the conversion of sinners, the sanctification of religious, the preservation of innocence. Doing this, little by little our sentiments will be transformed and love will become a passion which absorbs all, transforms all, is nourished by everything, simplifies everything.
If we succeed in making a passion of the love of God, then this passion will absorb all the powers of our soul and will put our whole being at His service. Think of St. Francis Xavier on the shores of India, languishing with love. When a passion becomes strong, it absorbs all the other powers. So it is with love; it gains a hold on everything and nourishes itself of everything to burn more ardently. Let us always love; love everyone; love as the heart of Jesus loves! Let us love to prepare ourselves to die of love, as did Jesus, whose life and Passion are the fruit and testimony of love.(Spiritual Exercises)
Musical Selection
Thou, whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight; hear us, we humbly pray, and where the gospel-day sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light.
Thou, who didst come to bring on thy redeeming wing healing and sight, health to the sick in mind, sight to the inly blind, O now to all mankind let there be light.
Spirit of truth and love, life-giving, holy Dove, speed forth thy flight; move on the water's face, bearing the lamp of grace, and in earth's darkest place let there be light.
Holy and blessèd Three, glorious Trinity, Wisdom, Love, Might; boundless as ocean's tide rolling in fullest pride, through the earth far and wide let there be light.
Collect
By your infinite mercy, O God,
Blessed James preached the unsearchable riches of Christ;
grant that with the help of his prayers
we may grow in knowledge of you,
bear fruit in every good work,
and walk before you faithfully
according to the truth of the gospel.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
