Blessed James Alberione

Opera Omnia

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PREFACE

Upon invitation of the very beloved Primo Maestro of the Pious Society of St. Paul, Fr. James Alberione, that I take down notes from the Hours of Adoration that he would have guided for us on the Sacred Scripture, in order to then arrange them and publish them, I wholeheartedly accepted, certain that the Lord would have blessed this work undertaken only out of obedience and pure desire to give glory to God and to obtain peace for men.
I tried to convey literally as far as I could the words of the Father, adding only, now here, now there, some saying or event taken from the Sacred Scriptures, from the Holy Fathers, and from the writings of the Supreme Pontiffs.
The book was written with all that simplicity with which it was preached, and I tried to handle, more than the literary vest, the most exact rendition of the Father's thought, adhering as much as possible to his actual words.

HOW THE BOOK IS DIVIDED. AS every Hour of Adoration is divided into three points, also the book was divided into three parts. The first part, that is, the first ten days of the month, is dogmatic and includes the first point of every Hour (Truth).
The second part is moral and includes the second point of every Hour of Adoration (Way). The third part instead is liturgical and includes the last part of every Hour of Adoration (Life).
For one who wanted to renew the full Hour of Adoration (mind, will, and heart), he should choose not the reflections of the day 1-2-3, which all three are dogmatic, but those of the day 1-11-21, and in the second
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Hour, he shall choose instead the reflections of the day 2-12-22 and so forth.
Each day includes:
1. Some biographical information about the Sacred Writers of the Holy Bible, in view of making them known, loved, and prayed to and thus to have necessary light to understand their writings and to practice them. During some days, these bits of information are wanting, due to the fact that concerning some of them there is no certain knowledge.
2. A brief notion about each of the 72 Books of the Sacred Scriptures that serves as introduction to their reading. Since, for brevity, it was not possible to treat separately each Book, this order was followed: all the books of the same author were grouped and treated together. Hence, one should not be surprised that some books, although very important, are treated very briefly.
3. The Reflection which includes not the whole Hour of Adoration, but only a third part of it. The first ten hours consider the Holy Bible in relation to faith; the following ten consider the Bible in relation to morals; those of the last ten days aim to inflame the heart toward prayer and veneration, in order to obtain the grace and strength to practice the divine teachings of the Holy Bible.
Each reflection is followed by the Example which demonstrates the effectiveness of the Bible, as well as the love that the greatest Saints had for it, while studying it, commenting on it, and defending it even to the point of giving their life for it.
4. A canticle or Hymn taken from the Sacred Scriptures, in the Latin language, so as to sing it in the manner of a Psalm, in praise and thanksgiving to God for having given the Holy Bible to humanity and for having taught, through it, the lost way of heaven.
5. A brief reading taken from the Old or New Testament so as to give the reader the convenience of immediately meditating on a passage of the divine Book and to derive from it a practical resolution for the day.
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6. A prayer in Italian, also taken from the Sacred Scriptures, to enable the reader, by using the same divinely inspired words, to pray and have the strength to practice what he has read and in order that the Holy Bible may be read, meditated on, and lived by all men.
7. A good deed to be done during the day to honor Jesus Master.
Hence, each day consists of seven parts. The essential points, so that the Hour of Adoration may be complete and in conformity with those conducted by the Rev. Primo Maestro, are: reflection with example, the canticle and prayer. The other parts can, however, serve as a very good instruction and introduction to the Holy Bible.

TO WHOM IS THE PRESENT BOOK ADDRESSED? - It is addressed first of all to the members of the Pious Society of St. Paul, near and far, so that all can read, meditate on and practice the wise and fatherly teachings dictated by their Father, in the presence of Jesus Master.
Secondly, it is addressed to all the beloved Cooperators of the Pious Society of St. Paul who want to conform themselves as much as possible to the spirit of the members of said Pious Society.
Furthermore, to all Priests and Pastors who desire to lead the souls entrusted to them to the pure source of truth and life, that is, to the Bible. They will be able find there material for ten very beautiful sermons and Hours of Adoration on the Sacred Scriptures.
Finally, it is addressed to all men, because all as children of God should know that their good Heavenly Father has sent them a letter: and that in the same is taught how to save themselves and reach Paradise.
Oh, if only the advice of Jesus: Read the Scriptures... They are exactly the ones that speak on my behalf could reach all and all could burn with love for Holy Scripture and read it, certainly all would find Jesus Christ and, with Him, the Truth, the Way, and the Life.

M. GHIGLIONE S.S.P.


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