"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!

The Story of St. Pacomius

While traveling on the Steamer "Re Vittorio" (24th June 1922), Don Orione told the story of St. Pacomius, a soldier who had became for the Christian’s charity.

As well as that, unity in diversity and multiplicity forms and maintains peace among men.  And one sole heart and one sole mind, in a multitude and a variety of faithful, is that which is celebrated in the Acts of the Apostles. This is the thing that, at the beginnings of our Holy Church, greatly edified the Gentiles, who said: "See how these Christians love one another!  They would be ready to die for each other." Thus reports the ancient Christian writer Tertullian in the Apologetic.

One ardent day in the fourth Century of the Christian era, a Roman soldier entered Thebes in Egypt with his legion. He was of a pagan family, and was called Pacomius. 

His companions, exhausted through fatigue and hunger, were already beginning to collapse around him, when out of the houses and nearby enclosures came men, women, children who, moved by compassion, brought help and, with delicate and patient concern, some of them treated the wounds and others provided food and meals to restore them. Pacomius asked who were those unknown people of charity, and the reply was that they were Christians. During that night Pacomius did not sleep, he meditated and wept.  He felt that he was coming into a great and Divine light, a great and Divine wave and life of the sweetest supreme charity.

Pacomius felt that only God, "Who fills everything with Himself," is the comfort of the soul and the true joy and happiness of the heart.  He felt enchanted by God and even liberated in God with the highest freedom of the Sons of God, and he felt that Christ-God was born in him, was alive in him, was burning in his breast: Christ had been raised up in him by the charity of those Christians, those brothers in harmony in the charity of the Lord.  Christ rose from the charity, and was Charity. Pacomius understood that, from the humanity of the truth and of the true Faith, Christian unity of minds was born, and from it also the strong desire to be a blessing to others. (…)

Pacomius did not sleep that night: Jesus was deep within him: He had taken him from an abyss of darkness to a light, to a new and divine life:  Jesus was calling him to Himself with the sweetest heavenly power of charity.  Pacomius them, not being able to resist any longer, and yet freely wanting to follow Christ, came out of his tent and, waving his sword towards Heaven, cried out:  "Oh God of the Christians, You who teach men to love each other so much, I too want to be one of Your worshippers!"  Not long afterwards that soldier received Baptism, and then became a Saint, joining the great St. Anthony the Abbot in leading into the solitude in Egypt those ranks of hermits, who for so many years cultivated the lands, activities and letters and, above all, holiness in fraternal and sweet charity.  That warlike soul, that had never been tamed by iron, had been conquered by charity.  Oh, how beautiful this virtue is!  Paradise itself would not be Paradise without charity, because a Paradise without charity would be a Paradise without God.

Any Place was Suitable for Hearing Confessions

For Don Orione, any place may be suitable for hearing confessions

On 9^th April 1929, Don Orione went to Carmine Great Basilica (Naples). Going out from the Basilica, he realized that his money and his train pass were robbed, so he had to go to the then Ministry of Communication for a procedure. 

There, he talked to an officer and preached him a short homily. The officer remained amazed of his words and said:

I have never heard such things, nobody has ever told me these things...

What can we do, Sir? - Don Orione said -: in the past, princes had preachers at home; this evening, Divine Providence has sent you a preacher to your office... 

            Don Orione was such a good preacher that by continuing to reason out with the ministry officer, this told him that he would willingly confess his sins:

Long time I have not done...

Just now! - Don Orione replied – because I am a bit like an errant Hebrew, maybe you could not meet anymore...

Then, the officer kneeled down …

            "You see - Don Orione would conclude the story - as God allows evil to get something good? ... The Lord and Our Lady of Mount Carmine have allowed that I lost my train pass, or it was stolen, for giving me the opportunity to save a soul at the ministry! ... When there is spirit of faith! ... Let money go away, but let’s save souls! ...[1]

 

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[1] Cf. Orlandi, Luigi, “La Gioia del Bene”, Messaggi di Don Orione 19 (1973) 29-31.

My Journey with St. Luigi Orione

Since I became a volunteer worker in 1995 at our parish in Payatas, Quezon City run by the Sons of Divine Providence Congregation founded by St. Orione, I have dreamed of travelling to his birthplace in Italy. I was therefore filled with great joy when I finally had the chance to visit Italy in 2011. That year, I was a delegate to the World Youth Day in Spain and I made a side trip to Rome.

 When I reached Tortona, I could not quite believe that I was looking at Don Orione’s monument, seeing his parish and standing on the land he trod. All these years, I had read about his life and his work only in comic books. Now, there I was, on the feast day of the Madonna, August 29, right at the place where he was born, where he grew up and now hosts the relic of the saint. I felt like I was on top of the world. Feelings of awe and happiness swept over me when I gazed at the body of the saint, the “boss”  I had worked for all these 17 years, whose life of service and mission of love have inspired me to help the poor, the disabled, the sick – young and old alike. I shed tears of joy and fulfillment.

 

The church was full of devotees – people from all walks of life – imploring the intercession of the saint. Its walls were filled with heart-shaped decorations. I saw the famous shoes – worn out from too much walking to reach the poor and the needy; shoes, pairs of which were often given away to the unshod. Standing there, gazing upon the body of the beloved missionary, I thought of the priests in my own parish and others I know who gave up everything and who continue to make sacrifices in order to guide us in our faith.  Like Don Orione, they live the life of Christ -- loving, giving of oneself, caring for the neglected and the rejected of society.

I felt extremely lucky that in this whole wide world, the Congregation chose the Philippines as a mission site and of all places, picked my own community in Payatas, Quezon City for their evangelization work. I was among the first youngsters to attend their catechism class. Before I graduated from elementary, I was already one of their volunteers. I had endured many difficulties and hardships in the process of deepening my faith.  There, inside the Church of Madonna della Guardia. I understood more fully the meaning of “sacrifice” -- that every act of giving is an offering of love so that each of us will feel Christ-like; that each offering of love makes us all feel we are God’s children, never to be forsaken.

There at Tortona, in his place of origin, I felt grateful that I’ve known Don Orione and that I became his volunteer worker. I also visited Cottolengo, the place for disabled children. And I remembered the years I spent in its local site in the Philippines. I continued on to Rome, to the Congregation’s headquarters where Fr. Joseph toured me and my friend Cindy to all the places where St. Orione started his missionary work. I felt favored and blessed.  Not all volunteers get this rare chance. Throughout the tour, I felt the presence of Don Orione.

 In his parish church in Rome, I prayed fervently that he would continue to guide me in my service to my fellowmen, that he would make me strong in the face of challenges that would come my way, that he would help me grow in my faith in and love for Christ so that like Don Orione, I may be a good servant.

Likewise, I offered a prayer for Don Orione’s congregation – that all his priests and religious will continue his work of reaching out to all sectors and serving all peoples with faith, hope and love. I prayed that St. Orione will continue to guide, inspire and strengthen all his workers, both religious and laity, that they may remain faithful to the vision and legacy of their founder and that their ranks will grow.

 I also prayed for the youth, that St. Orione will lead them closer to a life of service to God and fellowmen, that they will be committed to their faith and united in their desire to live the teachings of Christ. I offered a prayer of thanks for all those who helped me in my trip to Tortona and Rome, especially Fr. Martin Mroz and Fr. Orlando Norniella.

Finally, I prayed that the other volunteer workers will be given a chance to visit the places that were significant to the life and work of Don Orione, that the Congregation and its supporters will find the means to sponsor such meaningful and inspiring trips as I had taken for these others.

St.Luigi Orione, thank you for the experience.

St. Luigi Orione, make me like unto you.

St. Luigi Orione, pray for us. Amen.

~ by: Maria Lourdes “Malou” B. Ybanez- Sto, Niño Chapel