Eugene wrote in his diary:
It is necessary to collect the documents to be able to compose a summary of the life and ministry of Fr. Albini. We venerate on the altars somesaints who were not as favored as this servant of God.
Each of us knows how heroic his virtues were and we can attest to events that qualify as miraculous in all the lives of the saints. The general opinion of the clergy of Marseilles considers him a blessed. In Corsica everyone has always regarded him as a saint.
Works speak louder than words for all those who have known him or who have only heard about him.
The faithful flock to his grave to ask for his intercession, and a good number attribute graces and miracles to him.
Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 1 August 1841, EO XX
Venerable Albini and the Convent in Vico where he worked and is buried
Today the Mazenodian Family are united with this wish of St Eugene:
Prayer for his intercession:
O God,
who by Your Holy Spirit inspired Your servant Charles Albini
to dwell in intimate union of mind and heart with You,
and to be guided in his apostolic labors by You alone,
grant us to abide in You always,
so that all our thoughts, our desires and our dealings with others
be truly inspired by Your charity.
Humbly confident that You wish the merits of Your servant
to shine before all people,
we implore You to bestow upon us, through his intercession,
the special grace of …. which we seek from Your bounty
in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son.
Amen.
Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory be
Kindly notify the Postulator General directly, about any favor obtained. We will be pleased to receive any observation or suggestion. Please, send your messages to: postulatore.generale@omigen.org.
I have sat here this morning, fully mindful of what I wrote yesterday and wondering what the heck is wrong with me that I am not able to do this simple thing, what is holding me back? I read Frank’s words of “Today the Mazenodian Family are united with this wish of St Eugene” and groan within myself.
I suddenly think of the weekend more than 40 years ago, when I met Jesus and returned to the Church. I did not know it at the time, but I was on a “back-to-the-church” weekend outside of town. Saturday morning, they were holding Mass in the large meeting room, but I seemed unable to open the door to walk in. I who had braved the streets for so long was suddenly terrified of taking hold of the door nob and turning it. It was only later that I was able somehow to join the others for breakfast and the day’s meetings. What was I so afraid of back then? What am I so afraid of today?
I look at the prayer above: “Humbly confident that You wish the merits of Your servant to shine before all people, we implore You to bestow upon us, through his intercession, the special grace of …. which we seek from Your bounty in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son.” Perhaps I simply need to let go of the fear and say the prayer. And as I acknowledge this, I realise that the fear which seems to have a stranglehold on me is not about praying for the next step towards canonization of Venerable Charles Albini, but rather about an early morning therapy session that I will be enter into immediately following my morning prayer.
I think back to that Saturday morning more than 40 years ago and I remember the many who were at home praying for me while I was on that special weekend. I will carry Fr. Albini with me this morning, along with all of you who pray for me; not to open this approaching door for me, but simply to be there with me in prayer as I grasp the handle and turn it.