Blessed James Alberione

Opera Omnia

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duties: to redirect all faults on the indifference or the hostility of the people.
In general, there is no adequate training for the spiritual care of women.
From this follows the inability to lead this creature to strong virtues, that inability of not knowing how to duly use her energies: on the other hand, let us say it immediately, these energies are often ignored much. Hence follows also that of leaving her atrophied in dryness or is wasted in petty things, narrow talks, in sweet nothings. How many times is a devotion, mostly sentimental, something I would call a pastime, is the entire pious heritage of certain ladies!? Would that God wills that one day the Lord would have nothing to reprove us. Perhaps, however, if we dedicated a day to judge us dispassionately, to let us come face to face with ourselves, under the light that burns in front of the Most Holy Sacrament, or that which shall be lighted by our deathbed, we ourselves would find some accusation against ourselves. The more that God in angelis suis repperit pravitatem?7 Let us train ourselves to good pastoral care of women through ardent piety and study.

HEADING II
PIETY IN THE SPIRITUAL CARE OF WOMEN

His Holiness Pius X, receiving in special audience a representation of priests of the Apostolic
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Union,1 on 18 November 1912, addressed to them a precious discourse. Among other things, he said: Distracted by numerous occupations, it is easy to forget the things that lead towards perfection of priestly life; it is easy to fall into the illusion of believing that, caring for the souls of others, one works also on his own sanctification. Let not this flatter anyone, though, because nemo dat quod non habet;2 and in order to sanctify others, one has not to neglect any of the means proposed for our own sanctification. Neither is there any doubt regarding this truth: You priests have to be what you want others to become through your ministry. To let others become saints as much as we are is something that is relatively easy: more, no. It is true that God may make use of other means, of readings, inspirations, examples; but the ordinary means is this: to make use of the priest, like a channel of precious waters. This is for all the faithful: but here we see this truth underlined, referring ourselves to the spiritual care of women.
Man has preeminence as to strength of the mind and of the arms, woman has the preeminence of the heart and of sacrifice. One who observes the distribution of virtues would find its confirmation immediately: I cite as an example the distribution that took place, two years or so, in Padova and at the Academy of France. In this last, the first prizes were all given to women, in this order:
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First prize: (L. 6,000) to the Little Sisters for the Assistance of the Sick of Mauriac.
Second: (L. 5,000) to Miss Rochebilard.
Third: to the domestic helper Maria Bergnon.
Fourth: to Miss Arnaud.
Fifth: to the farmer Maria Jaffeux.
Women make up the devote gender and in general they have to be led much further in the ways of the Lord: let the master then be more enlightened, more experienced in the ways of the spirit. St. John of the Cross,3 St. Teresa, Frassinetti, St. Alphonsus,4 along with many other theologians and masters of the spirit, left on this matter serious words and also severe admonitions. Vulgar eyes see little of these delicateness, but minor or major holiness is something that remains. God shall eternally have a minor or greater glory, the soul a minor or greater happiness: glory and happiness whose reason is repeated by the priestly heart.
Other considerations are not wanting either: There is no controversy that to listen to the confessions of women is the most dangerous and fatal barrier reef that God's minister meets in the stormy sea of this century. Thus says Frasinetti in that book that would bring great advantage if every priest read it: Manuale pratico del parroco novello (Practical manual for the new parish priest) (Genova - Tipografia della gioventù - L. 1.50). It becomes even more true if to the confessional were added some exterior
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relations. The spirit of piety uncovers the dangers where simple prudence would not suspect: the spirit of piety communicates a sacred horror even to the shadow of evil: this sacred horror, corroborated by divine assistance, is the safeguard.
Neither would a last observation be useless: if not for one thing, it will at least benefit the broad formation of the priest. He who has a profound piety shall often raise these questions: do I work enough for others? Do I avail with women according to the order established by the Divine Providence? - Delicateness of conscience matters to them. Not only that: in their prayers, particularly in the recitation of the holy office and in the visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament, he shall know how to recommend to the Lord this very important part of his ministry. In defeat, he shall find comfort, in victory he shall remain humble, in work he shall have constancy: inasmuch as if there is the ministry where it is necessary to exclude enthusiasm, to arm oneself with patience, to establish himself in humility... he is this. Women, with the changeability of their hearts, with the petty talks of their gender, with the affectionateness of their character, with the straw fire that burns fast and soon is extinguished, shall prove it right. Those who had experienced it could tell.
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7 Cf. Jb 4:18: “With his angels he can find fault.” DA has reperit.

1 Association of diocesan priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, founded in France in 1862, by the honorary canon of Orléans, Msgr. Lebeurier. It was spread also in Italy beginning from 1880 (MM).

2 “No one can give what he does not have,” a juridical adage.

3 Reformer of Carmel and mystical writer, Juan de Yepes, was born in 1542 in Fontiveros, near Avila in Spain and died in Ubeda, Jaén, Andalusia on 14 December 1591. Being poor, he went to the Jesuit schools and in 1563, after having shown proof of his inability in the various trades to which the family, poor in means, tried to train him, at twenty-one, he entered the Carmelite monastery of Medina. Soon, however, he was disillusioned due to the negligence of the monastic life wherein the Carmelite convents had fallen into. He studied at the University of Salamanca where, in 1567, he was designated prefect of the Carmelite students. In the following autumn, he met Teresa of Jesus, 27 years older than he was and because of this she used to call him her “little Seneca,” or his “half man”. The fundadora who had in mind the extension of the reformation to convents for males of the Carmelite order, saw in that young friar, physically insignificant, an ideal associate for bringing ahead her courageous project. She talked about it and convinced him. The reformation began on 28 November 1568 in Duruelo (Avila), where John was already for two months, having become the first Discalced Carmelite. In 1571, he also became the first rector of the first college of reformed Carmelites in Alcala, an assignment that he would assume (1579) also in the college of Baeza founded by him with the motto: “religious and student - but primarily religious”. In 1572, Teresa wanted John to be the ordinary confessor of the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in Avila, where she was the Prioress. There, John exercised a fruitful ministry until, on 2 December 1577, during the most difficult period of the conflicts between calced and Discalced Carmelites, he was forcibly carried away and jailed in the prison of the Toledo convent. “To suffer and then to die” was John's motto during those eight months in jail. He fled from there during the early hours of 17 August 1578, after which Teresa was very worried for him, ignoring where he might be.

4 Alphonsus de' Liguori, lawyer, priest, founder of the Redemptorist Fathers, was born in Marianella, near Naples, on 27 September 1696 and died in Pagani, near Salerno, on 1 August 1787.