Holiness and Mission: the Congregation’s goals
1. “This is God's will that you be saints” (1 Thessalonians 4,3). God requires holiness from everyone, even from simple Christians who achieve it through observance of the commandments of God and the Church, the exercise of Christian virtues and the perfect performance of the duties of one’s state of life. If this is the will of God for all Christians how much more does he expect from those to whom He has given the holiest of vocations?
That you become saints: this is my principal concern and my constant preoccupation. It is not enough that God has given you a very special vocation nor is it enough that you enjoy its benefits and advantages. You must appreciate it and pursue the perfection it presupposes. This is our goal: to become saints, great saints, saints as soon as possible.
As men and women religious you have the strict duty to respond to your vocation. You need not be perfect when you enter religious life but your efforts to achieve holiness must be determined and relentless. Priests and aspirants to the priesthood must be even holier. St. Paul tells shepherds to be irreprehensible and examples of all virtue (Cf. Titus 2,7). As men and women missionaries your ideal is not just to be saints but exceptional saints. This is why you have come here; this is your first duty; the primary purpose of your vocation; the principal instrument of your apostolate. Your holiness must be special, heroic and on occasion great enough to perform miracles. The other gifts are not enough for you – there must be holiness, great holiness.
2. Embrace the Congregation’s purpose. The primary aim of the Congregation is the sanctification of its members. Let whoever joins our ranks embrace this goal. In the Constitutions[1] this goal – sanctification – was not an afterthought; it was specifically included because it is an integral part of our practical life. The Constitutions were not handed down from heaven but they enjoy the same authority as if they had been. They are the fruit of experience, the serious study of other rules and special prayer; they have been revised and approved by the authorities of the Church. Accept them as coming from the hands of God. A spirit of faith will make you respect each single word; it will make you love the Constitutions and observe them exactly.
If you really want to become saints the Congregation provides you with the means. Your shortcomings and the shortcomings of other can even help you reach this goal. St. Paul tells us: “And we know that in all things work for the good of those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8,28). And you are called to holiness and to a very special holiness. See to it that everything, including your defects and the defects of others, works for your benefit.
Note that the Constitutions always speak in the plural: the sanctification of missionaries. Everything in the Congregation is directed towards one goal: to make all of us saints. Not just some of us but all of us. It follows we must be committed not just to our own sanctification but to that of others as well. The whole community is committed to each member and each member is committed to the whole community. Whoever fails to become a saint harms not just himself but the whole community – he frustrates its efforts to reach its goal. Often we are self-absorbed and do too much by ourselves – we don’t even think of helping others. This does not reflect the family spirit that is so beneficial and motivates each of us to work for his own sanctity and that of others. Yes, each individual must become a saint but there must also be mutual assistance. We must look on the sanctity of others as if it were our own.
We must never let ourselves be held back by human considerations or by those who are less fervent. Never say it is not up to you to be the most zealous or meticulous in observing the rules. Each of us must begin with himself. If I expect perfection in others it is only just that I strive for it myself. Don’t you agree that if each of us worked to achieve this goal we would all soon be saints. Let everyone, even the most recent arrival, be determined to make progress in virtue without fear of standing out or being noticed.
3. First saints and then missionaries. You are here to become Consolata Missionaries. You cannot accomplish this unless you live and work to achieve the goal of the Congregation: the sanctification of our members and the conversion of people. And something I tell you over and over: souls are saved through holiness[2]. It is impossible to make others good when we are not good ourselves. No one gives what he does not have. We can administer a sacrament without being holy but convert a person – no. If an individual is not closely united to God in charity, God will not ordinarily allow him to touch the hearts of others – this would be asking for a miracle. Believe me, unless you yourself are aflame you cannot kindle a fire. If you do not possess the fire of charity you cannot spread it to others. You must never neglect your own union with God or sacrifice your own holiness for the sake of others.
Anyone who says, “I am here to become a missionary and that is all” is making a mistake. No, that is not all! We cannot transpose the two phrases: first we become saints and then we convert others. Missionaries, yes – but saints as well. Let each one reflect on the obligation he assumed when he entered the Congregation; think of the voice of God calling him to become a saint. Every day at Communion or when you visit the Blessed Sacrament renew your determination and say to yourself: I want to become a saint, I want to become a great saint, I want to become a saint immediately. I can do it, I ought to do it, I will to do it. Therefore, first saints and then missionaries.
4. Haphazard holiness. The holiness Consolata Missionaries are striving for is not something haphazard – everyone following his own whims – it is a holiness spelled out in the Constitutions and directives of legitimate superiors.
Holiness is one – but it has different forms and there are various ways to achieve it. It would be a mistake for someone preparing to be a missionary religious to follow the Carthusian rule or the discipline of a diocesan priest. Each congregation has its own personality and its own means to holiness.
There is in the community a holiness that is too ordinary and untested. Let me explain myself: you are good, pious and obedient when everything is going your way but as soon as something goes against you your virtue falters. Holiness requires energy. The Imitation of Christ says: “You will make progress to the extent that you do violence to yourself.” I would hope that your sanctification was something solid and serious and not haphazard. Let this be your goal: devote yourself immediately with all your energy to acquiring genuine holiness and not waving your arms about with ephemeral longings. Face up to the little trials of everyday life and overcome them. Be strong and steadfast in the type of holy life you have chosen. It is not the one who starts well that will be rewarded but rather the one who perseveres to the end.
5. The extraordinary in the ordinary. The holiness I want for you is not that you perform miracles but that you do all things well. There is a striking passage in the Gospel: after Jesus had cured the deaf mute the crowds remarked, “He has done all things well” (Mark 7,37). Would it not have been more appropriate after the miracle to say, “We have seen wondrous things” (Luke 5,26)? And instead they say “He has done all things well!” This is the highest praise people could give Jesus. Not only in extraordinary things but in ordinary, common things he did everything well. These words should be written on our walls and when we die, on our tombstones: Bene omnia fecit – He has done all things well.
My remaining years are few – but even if they were many I would want to live them out doing good and doing it well.[3] I agree with what Cafasso[4] had to say: one must do good well and not make a show of it. Do good promptly, carefully and with good will. It is not enough to pray the rosary, one must pray it well. If we are studying we must study well. If we are working, we must work well. Everything we do during the day we must do well. Happy is the missionary who kneels in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the evening and can honestly say: I have done everything well! We must be happy to become saints in the ordinary way.
The Lord who inspired this Congregation has also inspired its practices and its means to achieve perfection and holiness. Saints are not saints because they have performed miracles rather because they have done all things well. Do not ask the Lord for the power to perform miracles – this is something He gives to whom He wills and it is not necessary for our sanctification. I don’t want this to become a house of miracles; we have so many other things to accomplish before we begin thinking about miracles. The miracle I want from you is to do everything from morning to evening well. They said about St. Joseph Cafasso “that he was extraordinary in ordinary things.” We seldom have a chance to do the extraordinary; but occasions to do the ordinary – we have these all day every day. It is more important to be excellent, fervent, faithful, conscientious missionaries than to perform 10,000 baptisms. You must excel in everything. Not extraordinary things – you must be extraordinary in the ordinary. Let us become saints without fanfare. It is not how many things we do but how well we do them! God is to be found as much in little things as He is in great things.
6. To do good well. And how can we do all things well? St. Joseph Cafasso offers us some suggestions. The first is that we do everything as the Lord would do it. We must model ourselves on Jesus and do everything as He would do it so that it is He who lives and works through us. We must ask ourselves, “If Jesus was in my place what would he do? Would He think what I am thinking? Would He say what I am saying? Would He do what I am doing?” I want each of you to be a living image of the Lord. All the saints strove to model themselves on the Lord. Another suggestion is perform every action as if it were the last one of your life. Whatever you do, do it so you are satisfied even if death were to strike you immediately afterwards. Finally do everything as if you had absolutely nothing else to do. Age quod agis [Do what you do – well]. Put your whole self into your present duty without thinking of what you were doing before or what you will do afterwards.
I always ask myself this question before the Lord: is the Congregation doing well? Is it carrying out His Will? All of you do the same thing but not in the same way. Our sanctification, especially in a community, depends on attending to little things. Big things don’t happen too often and they don’t affect everyone, moreover there is always the danger of pride. The little things, however, happen every day at every hour and they affect all of us.
Examine yourselves before God: do you realize that you can offend God in little things too? Venial sins: a small but deliberate lie; a voluntary distraction at prayer; a lack of fraternal charity; a distaste for the moral or physical defects of others; failures in poverty or mortification; unwillingness to obey superiors; criticism and grumbling – the curse of a community, etc. It is not enough to avoid these shortcomings, even though they are inconsequential; we must do better – we must do small things well. If we have not learned to do little things well we will come up short when big things occur. There are so many occasions throughout the day to perform little acts of virtue! Let this be your goal: avoid the smallest voluntary fault and practice little acts of virtue. It is the little things done well that makes a community perfect. Let the members of our Congregation achieve holiness through faithfulness in little things. May God help you understand this and give you strength and grace!
7. To evangelize with holiness of life. Missionaries should both be and be seen to be holy: holiness of life speaks to people. People must be able to see God in missionaries. Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever sees me sees the Father” (John 14,9) and you in your turn must say: whoever sees me sees Jesus! The habit and the preaching do not make a missionary – there must be works. Your works bear witness to people. Let us say with Jesus: “For the work the Father has given me to accomplish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. The works I do bear witness to me” (John 5,36).
The devil is “the strong man fully armed” who dominates others with the chains of passion and superstition. Being sent by Our Lord Jesus Christ it is not enough to defeat him – we must possess the spirit of holiness. The missionary must pray more, practice greater mortification and be holier. He must be extraordinarily holy.
If a mission is not successful it might be our fault – we may not be fit instruments in the hands of God. I am not saying that this is always the case but certainly if we were really saints the Lord would use us to achieve greater things. Converting others is something altogether supernatural. The greater our intimacy and friendship with Jesus the more we can hope for his intervening grace. We must ask ourselves if our lack of success is not somehow due to our lack of holiness – after so many centuries of apostolate there are still so many parts of the world that are not Christian. We must be convinced of the need to be saints.
8. Saints are happier. Whoever gives himself genuinely and totally to the Lord will enjoy wellbeing and happiness even here on earth. The more we hunger and thirst for holiness, the more we hunger and thirst for God the happier we will be. The saints who experienced this hunger and thirst were the happiest of people. Their inner peace and heartfelt joy were so great that they could be seen and shared with others. About St. Joseph Cafasso it is written that just his presence and a few words were enough to lift the spirits of others. And about St. Vincent De Paul people said, “Vincent, always Vincent” meaning Vincent was always the same, always cheerful whatever happened in his life. He wasn’t indifferent or insensitive but that through God’s love he faced every situation with good cheer. When one’s heart is at peace, when one feels God loves him what can possibly upset him? One can repeat the words of St. Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8, 35.37).
9. Take the first step – courageously. We must begin immediately to make ourselves saints. We must launch without delay the work of becoming saints. We cannot be sure of having the same grace tomorrow that we have today. The grace you ignore now you will never have again. You may have other graces but not this one and you must account to God for this grace. Be courageous and take the first step. Today, not tomorrow. Here, in this house.
If you leave this house as simply good you will certainly not improve; you will not become saints later on. If you do not build up a reserve of virtue here, once you are in the missions you will not move forward in perfection rather you will go backwards. Here God provides a wealth of special graces just for you and for your sanctification.
10. To be practical. St. Ignatius Loyola tells us that people striving for holiness can be divided into three categories. The first category includes those who have a clear concept of holiness, realize its need and feel the desire to achieve it – but they stop at this point and go no further. You can see this from their lives. It is one thing to know and desire holiness and quite another thing to practice it. It is true that St. Teresa urges us to have great desires – but she means effective desires, desires accompanied by actions. The members of this first category live lives of abundant grace that they never use – at the end their hands are empty.
The second category consists of those who are not satisfied with simple desires; in their own fashion they take the first steps on the path of holiness. But they are not generous, they are attached to their little comforts, they lack the courage to experience total poverty; they make compromises with God. They study and work but they don’t overdo it; they obey – up to a point; they pray when it is absolutely necessary. In short they are satisfied with being good and are not eager to become saints. In this category you find the unreliable: those who try to correspond to grace, who love prayer and virtue but as soon as they encounter an obstacle, a spiritual or physical setback, they lose courage and never get beyond their good intentions.
The third category comprises those who do everything possible to become saints, they admit no delay and persevere in their commitment. They enter the Congregation with the proper motivation; they fully intend to respond generously to God’s grace; they ignore nothing that might lead them to holiness. They are strong, constant, generous people who have a goal – becoming saints. With unalloyed trust in God they move straight ahead in the midst of trials. The thought of what the saints and even more the Lord Jesus endured supports them in the dark hours they will surely experience. St. Ignatius says of them: “With great and generous hearts they bring all their enthusiasm to the service of God.” This is how we become saints. It’s not really so difficult. I am happy to believe that many of you are in this third category – and for this I thank the Lord. It’s not that the members of this third category won’t encounter setbacks, periods and even days without enthusiasm but they are determined to improve, to respond to grace and to become saints. Examine yourself before God: in which category do you fit? As religious and missionaries you have the duty to strive for holiness and therefore all of you should be in the third category.
Attitudes on the path to holiness
11. Total, forceful and constant will. After reflecting on the reasons why we should become saints we will now turn our attention to the attitudes or dispositions necessary for someone seriously striving for holiness. The first of these is desire: the total, forceful and constant will to become a saint. A “total” will is one that sets no limits and fears no excess. Some may be afraid to be canonised but this is not something to worry about – the future is not in our hands; maybe others may possibly see to it. What we must strive to achieve is holiness worthy of canonisation. Let no one say: “I am satisfied with being good; I’ll leave the heroism to others.” No, No! Life in this house is the same for everyone – and it is a life that leads to holiness. It is not presumptuous to strive for holiness even great holiness. But it would be presumptuous to imagine we could achieve holiness without God’s help. If we put limits on our quest for holiness or measure our response to grace we will never even achieve ordinary holiness. One does not bargain with the Lord: it is all or nothing. Either we will become saints as He intends or we will not become saints at all.
The one with a “forceful” will is the one who says: “I want with all my strength and will strive to become a saint; I will take no chance of failing to achieve this goal.” Then the Lord will help. Weak will and halfhearted resolve will never succeed in anything. They will not even begin to tread the path of holiness – they are spiritually lazy and wishy-washy. The sluggard wills and doesn’t will (Cf. Proverbs 13,4). Today yes – tomorrow no. They mistake whim for will. They will pursue holiness as long as no effort or sacrifice is involved.
The one with a “constant” will is the one who never loses courage. Instability is, unfortunately, natural for us. We are so created that we need constant nudging. The least little setback can discourage us: a dry spell, a sacrifice that asks more than we are willing to give. This is all we need to give up on the path to holiness. During her long years of absolute aridity St. Teresa of Avila not only did not give up her vocation but sacrificed none of her goals either. And how many trials did St. Margaret Mary Alacoque endure? Her life was a series of trials – each more painful than the previous. But she did not give up; she overcame each trial with heroic perseverance. If these women could persevere through great sufferings can we not persevere when faced with the little setbacks that require the small acts of fidelity that lead to holiness. The grace of God that came to the aid of these holy women – and to all the saints – will come to our assistance; we too will achieve the highest degree of sanctity.
12. Trust in God. This is the secret of all the saints: trust God and mistrust ourselves; do not lose courage because of our limitations or the fact that the goal seems to recede into the distance. We must never lose confidence but have trust whatever the circumstances. We must persevere in the will to love God and serve Him with perfection and not let our failings destroy our confidence. St. Philip Neri used to walk through the streets of Rome crying out: “I am hopeless, I am hopeless!” To whoever asked what he was talking about he would reply, “I have no faith in myself, but I trust totally in God!”
If lack of self-confidence leads to discouragement it is an obstacle that can block our progress on the path of righteousness. Without confidence we are like birds whose wings have been clipped – birds that cannot fly.
Let us pray that the Lord make us fully aware of our nothingness. We should not pretend to be more wicked than we actually are. If we are cocky it is because we don’t really know ourselves. Only the mediocre and the second rate are self-important. Knowing one’s own nothingness and not being over-confident should underpin our trust in God. We should never be discouraged by our unwanted weakness – we should cling to Him, abandon ourselves to Him. He not only wants to make us saints but He can do all things. He can even build holiness on our weakness as long as – and I repeat – we have a sincere desire and a firm will to respond to His grace.
13. Training our character. Growth in holiness requires constant effort and the generous, good will to train our character and learn virtue. It takes time to achieve genuine virtue. With time and repetition we develop good habits – these are virtues – and with the exercise of virtue we becomes saints.
Others in the community may think of us as envious, stubborn or short-tempered and we are the only ones who do not or will not recognize this. No one should blame his lack of progress in perfection on his personality. The fault is more likely laziness; no personality by itself blocks our striving for or achieving holiness. Saints come in all sizes and sorts – every kind of personality. Some people excuse their shortcomings by saying “That’s just the way I am.” This is no excuse. We need not destroy our personality only reshape it. Though it may be a long and difficulty process it is something we must do if we want to improve and not be a burden to others. We must examine ourselves fearlessly and discern our tendencies and weaknesses. If we can overcome one defect we will overcome others as well. A single defect is always rooted in other imperfections.
However imperfect we may at present be if the Lord sees our good will He will gradually fill the void and provide us with an abundance of gifts. If we are determined to struggle against our defects Our Lady will cover them with her ample mantle.
Obstacles on the path to holiness
14. False motivations. Several things can block our commitment to holiness; above all, an improper goal. The Lord will not bless one who enters the Congregation for dishonest reasons; progress in holiness would be impossible – just as seed sown in bad ground will not take root. This holds true if the reasons for entering – though not dishonest - do not correspond to the Congregation’s own aim. Here the Lord gives his grace to those who are called to be Consolata Missionaries.
15. Dissipation. Another obstacle is dissipation or thoughtlessness – the result of a worldly spirit. A spirit as far from holiness as light is from darkness or fire from cold. The Lord asks us to make a clean break: “you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” (John 15,19) and He puts the same distance between Himself and the world: “I am not of this world” (John 8,23).
We cannot serve two masters: Jesus and the world. And even less can we strive effectively for holiness if we nurture worldly desires. We are here to be come holy, holy missionaries. This and nothing else must be our sole concern. Our ideal is to follow Jesus. To follow Him closely, with love and fidelity – this is what truly leads to holiness, this should be our only concern. Dissipation is like the wind that blows away everything in its path. One may be bodily present but mentally elsewhere. We can pass whole days in a state of distraction, our hearts empty of God, indifferent to things religious, serving God and doing our duty only half-heartedly. In such a state how can we possibly pray well or live in intimacy with Jesus? How can we become saints? Dissipation is almost always accompanied by flippancy, a tendency to make fun of everything, to avoid spiritual or profitable discussion out of human respect or the fear of appearing unusual. All this makes us overlook everything in our surroundings that could lead to holiness.
16. Lukewarmness. Being lukewarm too is an obstacle on the path to holiness. We are lukewarm when we waver between vice and virtue, when we want to fight sin and remain faithful but never really get started – it is too much of an effort. Lukewarmness shows itself in various ways: we commit venial sin repeatedly, deliberately and without much concern; we skip or cut short our prayers; praying becomes a habit that engages neither our mind nor our heart; we have no respect or love for our state in life – it’s almost as if we regret the choices we have made; we are more interested in worldly than spiritual pursuits. Lukewarmness is extremely dangerous and damaging! Listen to the words addressed to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm— neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Apocalypse 3,15-16).
17. Indolence. In the process of seeking perfection indolence is an obstacle akin to lukewarmness. Our weak human nature quickly loses its initial fervor and we start going backwards. This kind of listlessness shows itself in many ways: we are lackadaisical in observing the rule or taking part in community life; we quickly find excuses when mistaken or corrected; we belittle or make fun of other people’s fervor – it threatens us; we ignore the grace or inspiration God offers us; we do our work without enthusiasm or just to get it done; we are less than energetic in our efforts to overcome passion or achieve holiness.
18. Destructive criticism.[5] Destructive criticism, grumbling about superiors or confrères can prove an obstacle on our path to holiness. This is an ugly habit and I don’t want to see it in our Congregation. Some people resent authority and always see superiors in a negative light: they complain, judge and murmur. This is nothing but pride – unadulterated pride. Anyone with this attitude is not going to accomplish miracles in mission. I don’t mean that you should be disinterested in the community. No, the Congregation’s welfare or misfortune concerns all of us. If you think something is going wrong you should report it to the person in charge – this is a duty and an act of charity. But complaining in secret – no! Those communities where this attitude exists are indeed unfortunate. It is the beginning of the end. This is something I cannot repeat often enough. Let us pray that Jesus will make us humble of heart and spirit; let us pray Our Lady, the Consolata, that she will keep this curse – the spirit of criticism - far from our Congregation. Then all will be well; the Lord will bless the Congregation’s activities and they will prosper.
19. Disunity. Another obstacle on the path to holiness is partiality or disunity – the impossibility of bringing our diversity into harmony. Not infrequently this shortcoming is born of envy or jealousy. Feelings of envy cannot always be avoided but once they occur we must control them instantly lest they turn into hostility. We are all equals. There should be no distinction because of our origin; there should be no favoritism – we should be of one heart, in perfect unity. You are all brothers and sisters who must live together your whole life long. For the sake of fraternal charity do not expect that others will be without defects. We must correct our own faults and put up with those of others.
20. Obstinacy. Another obstacle is stubbornness: clinging to our own ideas, the need to be right all the time, the need to dominate, the inability to admit mistakes. If we do not struggle against this kind of obstinacy we will never make progress on the path to perfection. Anyone who believes he is already perfect is a gravely mistaken and unhappy individual.
21. Venial Sins. Venial sins constitute the greatest obstacle on the path to holiness. Some venial sins are the result of our weakness: an unconscious reaction or a sudden flare-up of impatience, etc. These are weaknesses we must live with. If the will is in no way involved they are not even sins. We cannot entirely free ourselves from these shortcomings without God’s help. If we pay more attention to our behavior and serve God with greater fervor we can however reduce their number or willfulness. These weaknesses will not stop us from becoming saints; on the contrary they can become means to an end. They can reinforce our humility and bring us closer to God in love and trust – they can help our progress on the path of holiness.
Genuine venial sins involve an act of the will. For example, I may be well aware that nursing resentment against my neighbor is wicked and yet I do nothing to overcome it. I may realize that something I am saying is not true but I say it anyway. When these sins become a habit, when they are frequent and committed without a second thought we have reached the lowest level of lukewarmness; we have abandoned any effort to achieve perfection. The best thing we can do is wake up, pay attention to our passions, words and actions and pursue virtue courageously. We must repeat over and over: Yes. I want to save myself, I want to become a saint and since I am a committed religious and missionary I have all the means I need to make this wish a reality.
22. Temptations. All these obstacles to holiness can be temptations from the devil. Temptations are tricks the devil employs to lure us into sin and frustrate our efforts to achieve eternal happiness. What St. Paul and St. Peter have to say may be help us keep vigilant: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes” (Ephesians 6,11); “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5,8). The Lord’s ways are inscrutable. He permits the devil to tempt us but never more than we can withstand. “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10,13). To overcome temptation we must be vigilant, avoid dangerous occasions and quickly seek God’s help with humility and confidence. We must recommend ourselves to Our Lady, our Guardian Angel and all the saints. The Church suggests this prayer: “Visit, we pray You, Father, this dwelling, and drive from it all snares of the enemy: let your holy Angels dwell herein, to keep us in peace; and let your blessing be always upon us.”
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[1] Allamano is here referring to the Costituzioni dei Missionari della Consolata (1909) Article 1: “The Congregation has its purpose: first the sanctification of its members through observance of the religious vows and the Constitutions […]” this holds true for the Sisters’ Constitutions as well [Costituzioni delle Missionarie della Consolata (1913)], Article 1: “The Congregation has its purpose: first the sanctification of the missionary sisters through observance of the religious vows and the Constitutions […].”
[2] To avoid misrepresenting what Allamano is saying two things must be made clear. First: in the vocabulary of his time the word “souls” meant “persons”. “Person” is the word more likely to be used in our time and will be used here in this text. Second: when he speaks about converting/saving souls through holiness he is referring to evangelization through the witness of a holy life.
[3] Allamano made this statement on October 28, 1906 when he was 55 years old. He lived another twenty years – a long journey of commitment to do good and do it well.
[4] St. Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860) was the brother of Marianna Cafasso, the mother of Joseph Allamano. Allamano was involved in promoting Cafasso’s cause for beatification and edited two biographies of his uncle: one written by Canon Giacomo Colombero (1895) and another by Abbot Nicolis di Robilant (published posthumously in 1912). Allamano also published Meditazioni and Istruzioni from retreat material (1892-1893).
In 1836 the theologian Luigi Guala invited Cafasso to join him at the Convitto Ecclesiastico (Ecclesiastical Residence) and is considered its co-founder. The Residence was an institution for training young priests in the diocese of Turin. In 1848 he became the Rector of the Residence and Professor of Moral Theology – positions he occupied until his death. Cafasso’s moral theology followed the teaching of St. Alphonsus de Liguori. He trained many priests in spirituality and the apostolate – among whom was St. John Bosco. He was zealous in all his apostolic activities, a well known confessor and preacher of retreats for priests and lay people. He assisted prisoners and those condemned to death; his counsel was sought by people of every social class; he inspired and supported religious institutions. He was an outstanding example of Christian hope and a tireless preacher of Divine Mercy. Pope Pius XI beatified him on May 3, 1925 and Pius XII canonized him on June 22, 1947. In these pages he is usually referred to as “St. J. Cafasso” or simply “Cafasso.”
[5] In the past the word “criticism” in works of ascetical theology had negative connotations. It was the equivalent of “denigration.” Here we have added the adjective “destructive” to eliminate any ambiguity.