Welcome to our special program on the Year of Faith, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, a series
on the lives of Inspiring People and Witnesses of faith in the Catholic Church from
around the world. These holy people lived their ordinary lives in extraordinary ways.
They are examples of great holiness and virtue, and they invite us to follow their
paths to holiness. Their unique stories inspire us to be rooted in our faith. God
calls each one of us today to inspire our brothers and sisters and to be witnesses
of our faith. Last week we heard the heroic life, and works of Saint Gaspar Bertoni,
priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today we shall listen to the veneration that followed soon after his death, leading
to his canonization on 1st November 1989, the Solemnity of All Saints, at St. Peter’s
Basilica in Rome. xxx Right after an ecstasy that he experienced praying
before a Crucifix on 30th May 1812, he suffered a first attack of a dangerous
fever that brought him to the very threshold of death. Almost miraculously, he did
recover but for the rest of his 41 years of life he remained in poor health, all this
while giving a wonderful example of patience and heroic abandonment to God. Even
from his sick-bed, suffering indescribable discomfort, he became the "angel of counsel"
for countless people who sought him out. Many of these people were gifted human beings,
who were founding charitable works. They include Blessed Charles Steeb, the Servants
of God, Fr. Nicholas Mazza and Fr. Anthony Provolo - and others from outside the city,
who came to Verona to meet with him. An authentic image of Christ Crucified, with
nearly 300 surgical procedures on his right leg that he endured, he could not suffer
enough for the good of the Church and the salvation of souls. Once his nurse asked
him if he needed anything - and among his last words were: "I need to suffer". In
a vision of vivid hope in the Risen Christ, bearing the signs of His Triumph, and
supported by the Holy Spouses and Patrons, Mary and Joseph, he died a holy death,
at 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon, 12 June 1853. GASPAR BERTONI was born in Verona,
in the Republic of Venice, on 9 October 1777. He was baptized the following day, in
the parish church of St. Paul, in the Campo Marzo section of Verona. He had the
benefit of an excellent education both at home and at St. Sebastian's school. Here
young Bertoni came under the influence of Fr. Louis Fortis, who would in the future
be the first Jesuit General after the reinstatement of the Company of Jesus. From
the grace of his first Holy Communion at the age 11, Gaspar Bertoni was called to
a life of mystical union. He was ordained a priest on 20th September 1800. Fr Gaspar
established an Oratory in the form of a ‘Marian Cohort’, that had as its goal the
Christian and social formation of the youth. A solid spiritual and theological formation
of the young was always his clear objective. In 1816 he founded the Congregation of
the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ. An intense life of contemplation
was joined to a broad apostolate, including the Christian education of the youth,
the formation of the clergy and missionary preaching, in perfect availability to the
requests of the bishop. xxx During the solemn liturgical celebration
at the canonization of Gaspar Bertoni in St. Peter’s Basilica on 1st November
1989, Pope John Paul II spoke of the Spirit that inspires the saints. He said:
voice of Pope John Paul II Even today, the Spirit of Jesus continues
to inspire among those who accept the message the joy of the Beatitudes by the testimony
of his friends, the saints. Through them continues to work wonders in the human heart,
and attest his closeness to the poor and afflicted, to comfort, support and satisfy
justice to all those who are "called children of God and they really are." Us
today, contemplating Gaspar Bertoni, we are invited to rejoice and be glad, because
in them we see the mystery of eternal holiness shine of the Triune God, which to us
comes in a new actualization of the content of the Beatitudes. He has been
a fan of poverty, sensitive to suffering, caring for the abandoned, involved in anxiety
and the anguish of their brothers - witness of Christ's love. St. Gaspar Bertoni,
in the aftermath of the French Revolution, between economic and moral miseries of
Verona experienced by the Napoleonic conflict, ‘passed through the great tribulation
and put on Christ to be "like him". St. Gaspar Bertoni was a special grace, a "blessing
of the Lord". St. Gaspar Bertoni belongs to the ranks of saints, blessed,
servants of God, who miraculously developed in the Veneto region at the beginning
of the last century, in the midst of serious events of war, devastation and poverty.
Aware, like other chosen souls of that time, who was writing a new page of history,
and that was in training a new culture, he worked for a renewed evangelization among
the people. xxx Pope John Paul II also spoke about St. Gaspar Bertoni’s
life and works. He said: voice of Pope John Paul II St. Gaspar
Bertoni was convinced that preaching is facing ever-changing historical contexts and
demands, in situations of conflict and contrast, always with new ideas. St. Gaspar,
equipped for this special gifts of wisdom and discernment, committed his forces, despite
failing health, assiduous in preaching. On behalf of his Bishop he worked for the
formation and spiritual direction of seminarians, clergy and religious. Conscious,
then, that the Church's future lay in the education of young people, for condition
more exposed to the influence of the spirit of the time and most affected by poverty
and social impoverishment, Saint Gaspar realized that they had to be prepared, on
the one hand, to address new battles for the faith and the other, to enter into new
technical professions. For this he was oriented towards their education before giving
life to the young speakers, placed under the protection of the Virgin, then in the
same work involving other priest friends, who found themselves well to form the new
congregation of Stigmata. It is significant to note that St. Gaspar Bertoni
outlined a project of Christian life, which was scheduled for all, whatever the state
of life, the call to holiness of life, not only for priests, but for spouses, the
example of holy spouses of Nazareth, for young people, for workers and for any other
category of persons. His friends, the "Apostolic Missionary", in communion with the
Bishops of pastoral life, this had to preach the universal call to holiness, with
the understanding that the sacrifice of Christ, by his merciful Heart, from his wounds
flows for all the hope. St. Gaspar was able to lead many souls to be part of that
"great multitude", which we now contemplate with grateful and joyful heart. Pope
John Paul II exhorted the people to imitate the life of St. Gaspar Bertoni and to
ascend to the hill of the Lord: voice of Pope John Paul II "Who
shall ascend into the hill of the Lord / who shall stand in his holy place?" - question
the Church in the words of the Psalmist in today's solemnity. And he answers: "He
who has clean hands and a pure heart, / who does not say lies". Such a man was St.
Gaspar Bertoni. So were all the saints, whom we remember today. Together with them
we all "ascend the hill of the Lord" - the spiritual mountain.By P.J. Joseph
SJ FRIDAY, 18 JANUARY 2013