THE PAULINE FAMILY
Way, Truth, and Life
LIVING AND GIVING JESUS
The Pauline Family
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t the beginning of the twentieth century, God prepared a sixteen-year-old boy to undertake a work that would place the modern means of social communication at the service of the Gospel. The young man’s name was James Alberione. He was born in San Lorenzo di Fossano, a little town in the province of Cuneo, Italy, on April 4, 1884. Desiring to study for the priesthood, James entered a seminary in 1896. Together with his companions on the night of December 31, 1900, he spent the hours ushering in the new century in prayerful Eucharistic adoration. For James, already discerning God’s plan for him, this prayer became a light that would guide and give focus to his entire life. It opened up immense horizons regarding the needs of the Church and humanity. It invited him to approach God with his whole being, prompting within him a yearning “to do something for the men and women of the new century.” Young James continued to nurture the Lord’s urging deep within him. Years of attentive preparation for the priesthood followed. Prayer, study, and active involvement in seminary life matured into a great love for the Church, an understanding of Christ as
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the core of personal and collective history, and a conviction that progress was not an incidental cultural element but a valuable means to bring Christ’s message to the men and women of his own time and to direct every generation to Christ. The press, films, radio, and television were to become opportune gifts of God, “new pulpits” for announcing the Gospel. Father Alberione’s interior experience can be summarized in the two invitations of Jesus: “Come to me, all of you” (Mt 11:28) and “Go out to all the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15). From these invitations a contemplative dimension developed that was completely rooted in the mystery of Christ the Master, Way, Truth, and Life. From here an all-embracing apostolic impulse arose, with love for the Master impelling him to reach out to all humanity. The model Alberione looked to was St. Paul, Apostle of Christ, who lived in intimacy with Jesus and sought relentlessly to make him known. And from here a remarkable development of foundations and initiatives expanded, enriching the Christian community with new apostles and new apostolates.
GIVE JESUS CHRIST TO TODAY’S WORLD Father Alberione deeply lived this distinct gift of the Spirit. He felt himself the father of a throng of spiritual sons and daughters joined with him in responding to “today’s great needs.” In his heart these needs grew clearer with time: the announcement of the Gospel and promotion of human development through the evangelization of culture, using all the means progress offers; the liturgical and pastoral Christian animation of every human reality; vocational initiatives for sustaining every apostolate; and the sanctification of the family. To achieve these objectives and respond to the Spirit’s call, Father Alberione founded ten different Institutes, each one marked by the same spirit, great apostolic thrust, communion, and collaboration. This “family” comprises a religious congregation of men, four religious congregations of women, four 3
institutes of secular consecrated life, and a lay cooperator association.
what St. Paul would do if he were alive today.� The Institutes were founded as follows:
A GREAT TREE WITH TEN BRANCHES
1914: Society of St. Paul 1915: Daughters of St. Paul
The paulin From humble beginnings in 1914, the face and form of the Pauline Family gradually evolved, making concrete the all-embracing charism hidden in the heart of Father Alberione: to live and give the world Jesus Christ the Master, Way, Truth, and Life. He affirmed: “The Pauline Family was inspired by St. Paul to continue his work. It is St. Paul alive, but composed of so many members . . . doing
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1917: Association of Pauline Cooperators 1924: Sister Disciples of the Divine Master 1938: Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd
1959: Institute of the Queen of Apostles for vocations 1960:
Institutes of secular consecrated life aggregated to the Society of St. Paul: St. Gabriel Archangel, Mary of the
Annunciation, Jesus the Priest, Holy Family.
Father Alberione explained the ties joining the individual institutes: “There is a close relationship between them, since they were all born of the Tabernacle. They share one spirit alone: to live Jesus Christ and serve the Church. [The institutes are made up of] those who represent all, interceding before the Tabernacle; those who diffuse, as from on high, the teachings of Jesus Christ; and those who approach individual souls.” The Founder wanted the boundaries of his work to be the confines of the world. The members of the Pauline Family, wherever they were sent, were to “exercise the charity of Truth.” The Family grew. Based and broadened across a score of nations, it took on the face and color of distinct peoples and cultures. When Father Alberione died on November 26, 1971, the Pauline Family had become something of a sea of converging lives and languages where, according to an expression of the Founder, “an
abundance of riches in grace” opened new paths of evangelization and holiness. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Father Alberione received a unique mission from God, which he developed into what Pope Paul VI described as
“…one of the marvels of our time.” In the early third millennium (April 27, 2003), John Paul II beatified and offered Alberione as an example of holiness to all Christians. This recognition by the Church was for the Pauline Family a further stimulus to be the living and active memory of this exemplary priest’s charism in the Christian community, and now, 100 years after its foundation, in today’s world.
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Society of St. Paul
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o evangelize with the modern means and in the culture of communications is our commitment, vocation, and mission, our way to give Jesus Way, Truth, and Life to the world. Conquered by Christ and passionate about his word, we strive to make it reach our contemporaries through magazines, books, TV, radio, and the internet. We identify ourselves with the name of the Apostle Paul. He willed our very being,
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as our founder, Blessed James Alberione, affirmed. We aspire to be “St. Paul alive today.” He is our inspiration for carrying out a media-based mission of bringing the Gospel to all. Consecrated to God for this apostolate, we respond with the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and fidelity to the Pope. We live in communities composed of priests and brothers joined in fraternal and prayerful support in achieving our charism’s purpose.
WHAT DO WE DO? Immersed in the world of communications, Paulines involve themselves in diffusion of the Christian message, in harmony with the Church. Alert to all forms of communication, we create multi-lingual media materials in sound, image, and print: newspapers, magazines, DVDs, CDs, books, TV and radio programs, studio and film productions, a worldwide network of retail book and media
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centers, internet and web presence, etc. All have the scope of bringing Christ to every person and every person to Christ.
We identify ourselves with the name of the Apostle Paul. He willed our very being, as our founder, Blessed James Alberione, affirmed. We aspire to be St. Paul alive today. CONTACT SOCIETY OF ST. PAUL 2187 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel: (718) 761-0047 www.stpauls.us
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Daughters of St. Paul
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e are consecrated apostles of the Church, called to communicate the love of Christ to the men and women of our time. Daily we are nourished by our celebration of the Word and the Eucharist. Together as a community we listen with an open heart to humanity’s needs today. Following in the footsteps of St. Paul, we respond to the hunger for truth and for God that exists within every person. To this end we commit ourselves to finding new ways for the Gospel to reach the hearts of all.
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WHAT DO WE DO? Editorial Centers. We dedicate ourselves to communication—whether of the content of the faith or of human advancement through the formation of a culture of Christian inspiration. We effect this through the production of books, magazines, mini-media, music products, and DVDs. Centers of Diffusion. Our worldwide network of Pauline Books & Media Centers includes multi-media and virtual book stores. We organize media exhibits and book fairs in schools, universities, parishes, and at religious and cultural events. We conduct Bible missions and offer film retreats.
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Radio, Television, and Internet. In some countries we produce radio and television programs, and we collaborate with diocesan organizations in creating biblical, catechetical, and formative programs. Through our presence on the Internet and through social media, we walk with humanity in its search for Christ. Our Pauline Center for Media Studies develops and encourages media mindfulness within the context of culture, education, and faith formation.
Make yourselves the pen and the mouth of God, through Jesus Christ, our Master!
Blessed James Alberione CONTACT
DAUGHTERS OF ST. PAUL 50 St. Paul’s Avenue
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Tel: (617) 522-8911 www.pauline.org
www.daughtersofstpaul.com
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Pious Disciples of the Divine Master
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e are disciples of Jesus modeled after the women of the early Christian communities. With their charity and evangelical foresight, they served as a sure reference point in the life of the apostles, deacons, and itinerant preachers of the
gospel. We are a congregation of consecrated women following the Lord in attentiveness to the signs of the times. We live in community and dedicate our lives to the person of Jesus Master present in the Eucharist, the priesthood, the Church, and humanity.
WHAT DO WE DO? Our day is spent in prayer: the Liturgy of the Hours, participation in the Eucharist, listening and reflecting on the Word of God, and prolonged eucharistic adoration. In charity we serve the presbyterate and religious, the People of God and the young
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in search of their vocation, through a biblical-liturgical catechesis that finds expression in the production and diffusion of whatever enhances the liturgy. With creativity we place various artistic skills at the service and enrichment of the liturgy: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and artisanship. All this we do so that the Christian community can live, pray, and celebrate the praises of God and creation in a communion of beauty and
dignity. Through our numerous Liturgical Centers of Apostolate, we help to sustain the ordained ministry with prayer and varying services of pastoral and vocational support. CONTACT SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER 60 Sunset Avenue Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel: (718) 761-2323 www.pddm.us
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Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd
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e are Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Pastorelle Sisters). Our name expresses our belonging to Christ and the grace of being participants in his pastoral mission. We live as sisters in small communities, sharing who we are and what we have in common. In simplicity and joy we animate the sometimes scattered People of God who are on their journey toward the fullness of life. Faithful to the spirit which inspired our founder, Blessed James Alberione, we try to give more space in our hearts to Christ Way, Truth, and Life, so that his mystery as a Shepherd offering his life to gather the dispersed children of God will live in us. We make an effort to help people rediscover in faith
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the love of the Father. Like Mary, mother of the Good Shepherd, we live a spiritual maternity. The example of the Apostles Peter and Paul inspires our participation in the building up, growth, and cohesion of the Christian community, as we seek to announce the Gospel to everyone.
WHAT DO WE DO? Working in tandem with pastors, we help to organize religious education programs for the baptized and non-baptized, offering a systematic formation in faith and Christian sanctification. We help train catechists and those carrying out various works of mercy. We serve as guides in the spiritual exercises and in animating ecclesial life
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within parishes and dioceses. Because the Church is a prophetic sign of salvation for all, we cooperate with those called to pastoral ministry in different forms and at different levels, that is, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, etc. In a world of global communication, we distinguish ourselves through interpersonal relationships, closeness with and care for the life of one and all, and animation in a pastoral spirit of the entire Pauline Family, of which we are a part.
I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.
Jn 10:14
CONTACT
SISTERS OF JESUS
GOOD SHEPHERD Via Trilussa 134
00041 Albano Laziale RM, Italy pastorelle.alb@libero.it
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Apostoline Sisters
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s Apostoline Sisters we declare that every life is a vocation; every life is loved by God, who calls and sends. Every vocation is beautiful. Every person has a gift. Everyone has a place—uniquely his or hers alone—in the Church and in the world. Our life is offered for all vocations, devoting particular attention to those oriented toward ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life, but embrac-
ing the reality of the Church as a whole. With the offering of our life, and through prayer, we accompany the journey — of young people who desire to know, respond, and live their own original vocation; — of those who have already declared their “yes,” that they might be faithful; — of those living through a period of vocational difficulty; — of everyone, that they may recognize and remain attentive to God’s call.
WHAT DO WE DO? We organize encounters of vocational orientation for young
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people, accompanying them in their stages of discernment and formation. We work with priests, educators, and teachers in parishes, dioceses, and seminaries. We organize and animate vocational days and weeks (comprising moments for prayer, catechesis, and exhibits). In the countries where Apostoline sisters are present, we maintain Vocational Centers for young people and educators seeking orientation and information, making multi-media vocational materials available.
Consider the beautiful vocation the Lord has given you: you have the task of working for all vocations…
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Blessed James Alberione
CONTACT
APOSTOLINE SISTERS Via Mole 3
00040 Castelgandolfo RM, Italy www.apostoline.it
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Institute of St. Gabriel Archangel
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e Gabrielites are celibate men who aspire to personal sanctification and an apostolate of Christian witness in the following of Christ. We profess the
evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience while remaining where we live and work in our secular situations. We are members of the Institute of St. Gabriel the Archangel,
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Doing whatever you do for God is prayer—whether you are walking, at home, at work, or in church. Blessed James Alberione
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whose very name is a clear reference to the Annunciation and the mystery of the Incarnation. We live fully purposed in freedom, initiative, and readiness in witnessing to our faith, under the sure guidance of the Society of St. Paul, to which our Institute belongs as an aggregated entity.
WHAT DO WE DO? The “secular nature” is something “proper and peculiar” to us as consecrated laity. We act within the environment in which we live as “a leaven for the sanctification of the world” (Lumen Gentium, 42b). In this way the Word of God and its diffusion are free of every chain and can act everywhere, in many varied ways. Each one of us carries out his own occupation, without distinguishing himself by the way he dresses or in any other external manner. The Founder to the Gabrielites: “Every apostolate possible is open to you; none is
excluded. Each one chooses his own…” in a collaboration guided by the Society of St. Paul and harmonized with the apostolic breadth and spirit of the entire Pauline Family.
CONTACT INSTITUTE OF ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL 2187 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel: (718) 761-0047
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Institute of Our Lady of the Annunciation
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e Annunciationists are single women consecrated to God through the profession of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience. We live our total donation to the Lord in the secular world, that is, within our families, work environments, and various other commitments. We are called to be “imitators of Mary and wit-
nesses of the mystery of her Annunciation.” After her example, we strive to make of our lives in society today a prolongation of her “yes.” In the footsteps of St. Paul, we place ourselves at the service of the Gospel in association with the sanctifying and apostolic mission of the Society of St. Paul, to whose charism and guidance our Institute is aggregated.
WHAT DO WE DO? We obtain light and strength for our interior life through meditation on the Word of God and sharing in the Eucharist. Union with Mary supports us in the task of bearing Jesus to others in
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etc. We embrace every opportunity to do good, while preferring those which allow us to inform others about Jesus and the Gospel. In all of this, liturgical and personal prayer is the core and life support of our calling. The Annunciationists are currently present in twenty-two countries of the world.
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day-to-day human circumstances, with the spirit and determination of St. Paul. In transforming our life into apostolate, we commit ourselves to witness to the love and presence of Christ in the surroundings and situations familiar to us. Our field of mission is more than ample: parishes, families, schools, workplaces, factories, hospitals, our various professions, social media, the web,
They are persons on fire with the love of God, who transform their lives into apostolate. Blessed James Alberione
CONTACT
INSTITUTE OF OUR LADY OF THE ANNUNCIATION 2187 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel: (718) 761-0047
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Institute of Jesus Priest
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he Institute of Jesus Priest, whose members come from the diocesan priesthood, has a particular characteristic in the organic makeup of the Pauline Family. The reason for the existence of such an Institute finds its reference in Vatican II and in Church teaching. Besides Perfectae caritatis (no. 11) and John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation, Pastore dabo vobis (no. 81), the same Holy Father wrote as follows in Vita consecrata: “A precious function is carried out by secular institutes whose members belong to the diocesan clergy. They consecrate themselves to Christ through the practice of the evangelical counsels in keeping with a specific charism” (no. 10).
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From the time Father James Alberione (then a young priest) was spiritual director of the diocesan seminary of Alba, he maintained a particular attention for priests. The first magazine he founded in 1913, Vita Pastorale (Pastoral Life), testifies to this. It focused on a practical renewal of the pastoral and spiritual formation of the clergy. In 1958, along with his foundation of institutes of secular religious consecration, Alberione included the Institute of Jesus Priest. “It was born of the Tabernacle so that its members would live of Christ the Master, Way, Truth, and Life, with the help of Mary, the mother, teacher, and Queen of the Apostles, and in imitation of St. Paul the Apostle.” Paul is “…their patron,
model, and protector, and they maintain with him a continual communion of mind and heart to know his thought and work, to imitate his virtues, and to acquire his spirit.”
WHAT DO WE DO? For Father Alberione, the members of the Institute keep “as their first and principal apostolate the one assigned them by their diocesan Ordinary. They accept this willingly in a spirit of obedience. They fulfill it in generous dedication, following the indications desired by their Bishop. They leave it, whatever the sacrifice, when their Ordinary asks them to accept a new or less gratifying task he judges convenient.” Beyond this, in keeping with their own inclinations, members are called to exercise an apostolate related to that of evangelization through the media in association with the Society of St. Paul. In this regard, the Founder once declared: “Your
apostolate not only aims at the progress of the individual soul, but at forming a new social mentality. Often we fall into the dilemma of wanting only to see fruit in a particular soul. But the greater fruit is that of affecting a larger mentality, a need far and wide producing urgent Christian sentiments and Christian life. New priests for new times.” CONTACT INSTITUTE OF JESUS THE PRIEST 2187 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel: (718) 761-0047
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Institute of the Holy Family
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ggregated by a particular gift of God to the Society of St. Paul, where the Pauline spiritual and apostolic charism was originally given life, the “Holy Family Institute is of secular consecrated life” for married couples. Its specific mission is the sanctity of family life through: — the mirroring of Christ the Master, Way, Truth, and Life, within a lived union of conjugal love;
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— guided help to engaged couples preparing for marriage; — psychological, moral, and material support of families in difficulty; — involvement and collaboration in parochial and diocesan initiatives for the family. Joined to the apostolic charism of Blessed Alberione, the Institute gives particular attention to a commitment to evangelization through social media and the instruments of communication. They are privileged forms of human, familial, and Christian promotion “so that Christ will live in every person in keeping with the spirit of St. Paul” (Statute 37).
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Let there be mutual help in sanctification; all of this through the practice of the holy vows observed in keeping with their state of life and with active participation in the life of the ecclesial community of which they are a part. Blessed James Alberione
WHAT DO WE DO? The specific end of the members of the Holy Family Institute consists in tending to holiness, allowing the sacramental grace of matrimony to be active through the couple’s reciprocal love and the Christian education of their children.
CONTACT INSTITUTE OF THE HOLY FAMILY 2187 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel: (718) 761-0047
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Pauline Cooperators
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e are an ecclesial lay association of the Pauline Family founded in 1912.
WHAT DO WE DO? We are involved in cooperating with the Institutes of the Pauline Family. With the intelligence, courage, and self-sacrifice of the Apostle Paul, we do our best so that the love God has taught us will have an effect on all whom we meet. With both the traditional and new technologies available, and our prepared pres-
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ence, we try to make this love reach every human situation and in some way positively influence the structures of our society. For this we commit a good part of our physical, spiritual, intellectual, and economic resources to the service of the Gospel. It is a collaboration made up of witness, offering, creativity, production, and the spread of cultural materials that encourage Christian life. We offer the Pauline Family support and help in increasing the knowledge and presence of Christ in society.
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The Cooperators were conceived to be persons who understood the Pauline Family. They were to form a spirit of union and intent with it. They would embrace and support, in whatever way possible, its two principal ends. At the same time, the Pauline Family would promote their Christian maturing and exemplary life, making them sharers in the good of the Congregations
and the merits of their apostolate. True friendship would be found in the mutual good exchanged.
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Blessed James Alberione
CONTACT
PAULINE COOPERATORS For information contact: The Society of St. Paul, Staten Island, NY
The Daughters of St. Paul, Jamaica Plain, MA Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, Staten Island, NY
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Pauline Spirituality JESUS MASTER, WAY, TRUTH, LIFE The heart of Pauline life is Jesus Christ as he defines himself in the Gospel of John: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” The Pastorelle were entrusted with a parallel veneration of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Father James Alberione wanted the Institutes of the Pauline Family to be anchored in Christ the Master, Way, Truth, and Life. He strongly recommended that we place ourselves in Christ’s school each day: docilely listening to his Word, ready to conform to it in obedience to the Father, and desiring to draw new strength and guidance from its wisdom. To achieve this, be26
sides other moments of communitarian prayer, every Pauline was to dedicate at least an hour each day in prayer before the Eucharistic Christ.
We learn from the Lord how and what we are to do to make him known to all, in imitation of the Apostle Paul. Before the Eucharistic Jesus, we learn to read human history. Light from the Word helps us better understand the events of our time, sifting through various signs to effectively extend ourselves in
accomplishing our God-given mission. Engraved on the walls of our chapels are the three appeals Father Alberione intuited from Jesus Master: “Do not be afraid, I am with you. From here I will enlighten. Be sorry for sin.�
MARY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES We look to Mary for inspiration to know Jesus and make him known in the world of communication. We recognize her as the mother, teacher, model, and guide of every apostle. In the Cenacle, the Holy Spirit confirmed Mary as the queen and mother of those who would bring and announce Christ to the ends of the earth. Father Alberione insisted she be depicted in the act of being crowned as the Queen of Apostles. She
knew what it was to make Christ incarnate and give him to humanity. She presented him physically as the Lord of history, the Christ, the Word of the Father. 27
ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE Father Alberione singled out the Apostle of the Gentiles as our spiritual father and founder. “The Pauline Family came into being through St. Paul in order to continue his work. It is St. Paul alive today, but now made up of many members. We did not choose St. Paul. It is he who chose and called us. He wanted us to do what he would do if he were alive today: love God with all of our heart, mind, and strength, and our neighbor without reserve. St. Paul lived Christ: ‘Christ lives in me.’ He would use the greatest pulpits of modern progress: the press, film, radio, and television to preach and teach the unparalleled message of love and salvation found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” So that the love of God would reach the hearts of every man and woman, Paul made long missionary journeys. He used the communication means of his time. He faced perils of every kind. Everything was for Jesus and him alone. Following St. Paul’s example, we too of-
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fer ourselves entirely to Christ. Through our vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, our love for him knows no limit.
While the whole of the Word of God is the object of our meditation, we give privileged attention to the Gospels and Letters of St. Paul. Like Paul, we try to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in contemplative appreciation
of our mission. Our objective consists in announcing Christ through our life, striving at any personal cost to reach the largest numbers of people possible with the most persuasive and effective means of evangelization.
SECRET OF SUCCESS A Prayer of Blessed James Alberione From as early as 1919 the “pact” or “secret of success” has been for the members of the Pauline Family the prayer of trust and confidence in God. The prayer takes the form of a contract between the members of the Pauline Family and Jesus, the Divine Master—similar to a contract of collaboration with a very influential Partner. Two conditions are necessary for the human “partners” in this contract or pact: that we recognize our nothingness and that we count entirely on God. To meet the conditions of this pact, we are “to seek only the glory of God and the peace of men,” and, in return, we will receive an increase of holiness and the knowledge needed to carry out the mission entrusted to us by God. Often working in imperceptible but effective ways, the Lord gives abundant fruits so that we can progress spiritually and apostolically.
Jesus Master, accept the pact that we present to you through the hands of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and of our father, St. Paul. We must correspond to your sublime will, arrive at the degree of perfection and heavenly glory to which you have destined us, and perform the apostolate of social communication in a holy manner.
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But we see that we are very weak, ignorant, and inadequate in every way: in spirit, in knowledge, in the apostolate, and in poverty. You instead are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Resurrection, our one and supreme Good. We trust in you alone who said: “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, you will receive it.� For our part, we promise and commit ourselves to seeking wholeheartedly in all things, in life and in the apostolate, only and always your glory and peace to all peoples. We trust that on your part, you will give us a good spirit, grace, knowledge, and the means for doing good. According to your immense goodness and the needs of our special vocation, multiply the fruits of our spiritual work, of our study, of our apostolate, and of our poverty. We do not doubt you, but we fear our inconstancy and weakness. Therefore, good Master, through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, extend to us the mercy you used with the Apostle Paul so that, faithful in imitating our father here on earth, we may be his companions in the glory in heaven. Amen.
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Blessed James Alberione 31
www.alberione.org