"Try to do a little bit of good everyday"

In his letter "Seeing and Serving Christ in Men ", Fr. Flavio Peloso teaches the core of the Charity of Don Orione and recalls a very sparing story: Don Orione taught how to see God every day.

The charity towards the neighbour is the best known characteristic of Don Orione, seen, however and above all, as apostolate and less as spirituality. We are more used to seeing charity towards the neighbour as an effect of the experience of God and less as a cause of the experience of God: way and pedagogy to God, precisely because it is “seeing and serving Christ in men”[1]. This is typical of the orionine pedagogy of holiness[2].

I would like to recall it through a significant event.

During the work of rescue following the Marsica earthquake (1915), a top official of the Ministry of the Interior, Ernesto Campese, went to see Don Orione:

“In fact, I was sent with trainloads of goods to Avezzano and I was struck by this worn out priest, who rushed here and there, bringing hope everywhere. I wished to speak with him, and, having approached him as he was passing, he invited me to follow him. But how fast he walked! To keep up with him, I tripped on a board in the ruins, and I could not avoid swearing. Don Orione turned to look at me; but, how odd! He was looking at me like my mother used to when, as a boy, I was naughty. Then he asked me: “Where are we in the matter of religion?” I replied: “A clean slate” and he: “Do you wish to get to see God?” I said: “Well! If he shows himself!” Don Orione said: “Try to do a little bit of good everyday”[3].

Charity makes you see God. This is the third way of the pedagogy of the orionine holiness.

    You can read the whole letter on the following link: http://host-lime.com/do/content_dett.asp?id=404

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[1] “Seeing and Feeling Christ in Men”, The Restless Apostle 121 and Writings 63, 227; “Serving in Men the Son of Man” The Restless Ap. P.132 and Writings 97, 251. The expression is repeated with many variations; the most frequent (more than 100 times) is:” Christ in the poor”

[2] With us orionines, a course of spirituality can be done not only is a house of Retreat or in the silence of a church, but also spending a few hours in a Little Cottolengo, or in the confessional, or among young people.

[3] Summarium, p.540. Ernesto Campese, who narrates this event, later became a faithful benefactor of the Congregation to which he left all his possessions, including his Rome town house, in via Maratta, 2a.

The Prodigal Son

            Al the end of a mission at Silvano Pietra, Don Orione preached about the Prodigal Son in an interesting, unusual and effective way. Fr. Malfatti related:

“The mission was coming to an end and did not portend an abundant spiritual harvest. But Don Orione, who had great trust in Providence, asked the parish priest to bring in ten priests that evening to hear confessions. Fr. Semino [the parish priest] hesitated, obviously not because he was worried about how to extend hospitality to so many confreres, but rather because he feared leaving himself open to a failure. Nevertheless, he sent a group of boys out on bicycles to the nearby villages to inform and to invite the ten priests.

When everything was ready, Don Orione carried out his original plan. He threw on a threadbare overcoat, placed a worn old hat on his head (it could well have been his), left the presbytery and crossed the square. He entered the parish church as the bells were ringing full peal to summon the faithful.

Seating himself in a pew he began a strange monologue about his own misfortunes: "Look at what a state I am in... Yet I had everything...  It's my fault that I wanted to leave my father's home..." He was, in fact, reciting the part of the prodigal son.

The people in the church were extremely curious and listened to him with a lively interest. Someone... sent out word and the whole village flocked in.

When he was certain that no-one was missing, Don Orione took off his threadbare overcoat, climbed into the pulpit and, using the parable of the prodigal son, dealt in a most effective way with the mercy of God. All in all his sermon lasted an hour and a half. No-one missed confession.

Fr. Malfatti remarked while relating this episode: "It is difficult to get priests to cry, but that evening everyone was crying, even the priests." And to the writer of these biographical notes he added: "During that mission Don Orione performed miracles. The good that he did was boundless."[1]

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[1] D. Sparpaglione, Il Beato Luigi Orione⁷, Roma, Ed. Paoline, 1980. [Unpublished translation].

The Pope’s Advice

          A private papal audience was something very important for Don Orione, that is why he wanted to prepare his heart to meet the “sweetest Christ on earth” by a good confession.

But, the confessor’s speech was very long and Don Orione was in a hurry, so he shortened his confession. Then the Pope, maybe inspired by the Holy Spirit, advised him to say all his sins to the confessor.

Pius X and Don Orione are two souls who had much in common. They could see into the far distance, sometimes beyond the limits allowed to nature, as if a ray of God's light were passing through them.

Before going to a papal audience Don Orione never failed to do two things. These were to put his appearance in order and to make his confession. At St. Anna dei Palafrenieri he was able to shave, change his cassock and his shoes, put on a ferraiolo (cape) and a hat, as he intended to defer to everything that etiquette prescribed. Whenever he put these on he was able to present himself properly, even if all those items had been borrowed.

He left St. Anna's full of joy and entered St. Peter's to make his confession before going into the Vatican. As soon as he discovered that there were no confessors available in the basilica because it was out of the normal hours, he hurried off towards the church of Santa Maria in Traspontina in Borgo Nuovo and came up to an old Carmelite priest for confession. He had calculated on the few minutes he had available before the time set for the audience, but the good father began to go on at length with advice and exhortations. At every sin of which Don Orione accused himself there had to be a corresponding little sermon. The situation threatened to prolong itself beyond the time that he had set aside since Don Orione, who was such a “great sinner”, had many faults to confess. Looking at his watch once again and seeing that he would not be able to arrive in time otherwise, he cut short his confession and begged the confessor to give him an immediate absolution because he had to meet the Pope very shortly afterwards.

Once out of the church he hastily retraced his steps, went up the stairs and arrived, completely breathless, two minutes before the time stipulated.

When his turn came he went forward with a humble and devout bearing and prostrated himself in order to kiss the feet of the Holy Father, who said immediately: "You must have had a lot on your conscience if you felt the need to go to confession before coming to see the Pope." Then he added: "Another time, though, tell them all to the confessor." Smilingly he then made him get up and take a seat and spoke with him for an hour with fatherly kindness. 

No-one knew that Don Orione had been to confession. How, then, could the Pope have made that remark to him?[1]

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[1] D. Sparpaglione, Il Beato Luigi Orione⁷, Roma, Ed. Paoline, 1980. [Unpublished translation].

Jesus, Hear the Cry of Grief from the Crowds That Yearn for You!

            Saint Luigi Orione, a prophet of our times, proclaims that without Christ, the world is empty and vain. He encourages us, saying that “Christ is moving onwards: the future belongs to Christ!” This extract was taken from Easter greetings sent in 1935.  

… Christ is risen!

Brothers, let us rise with him!

Let us widen our horizons

and elevate our souls

to that which is the higher life,

which is light, beauty,

goodness, truth and holiness!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Christ is risen! Let us go to him:

he alone has the words of eternal life which makes us reborn;

he alone the law of love and liberty,

 from which all men and all peoples

 can hope for growth and salvation.

Brothers, the peoples are tired and disillusioned,

they feel that life is all vanity,

 all emptiness without God.

Are we at the dawn of a great Christian rebirth?

Christ has pity for the crowds of people,

Christ wants to rise again

and take up his post again:

Christ is moving onwards: the coming is that of Christ!

Christ is risen! I can see Jesus returning:

it is not a ghost, no,

it is he, the Master,

it is Jesus who walks on the muddied waters of this world,

so troubled and frightening.

The coming is that of Christ!

 Onward, onward, divine resurrected one!

The boat of this poor world

is letting in water on every side,

and will sink without you:

come, Lord, come!

Be awakened in every heart, in every family:

in all the regions of the earth,

O Christ Jesus, rise and rise again!

 Hear the cry of grief from the crowds that yearn for you:

see the peoples who come to you, oh Lord.

They belong to you, they are your conquest,

oh Jesus, my God and my love!

Stretch out, Church of the living God,

your great arms and

embrace the nations with your saving light.

Oh truly Catholic Church,

Holy Mother Church of Rome,

one, true Church of Christ,

born not to divide,

but to unite in Christ and give peace to men!

A thousand times I bless you, a thousand times I love you!

Drink of my love and my life,

oh Mother of my faith and my soul!

Oh that I could make,

from the tears of my blood and my love,

a balm to soothe your pain, 

to pour on the wounds of my brothers!