by Fr. Francesco Cardarelli, cpps

Brothers, we need a great deal of spirit, because of the condition of the times we live in; and not only for us, so as to make up for our faults and progress in the ways of the Lord, but especially for so many souls, who blinded by vices at a great pace are walking toward eternal ruin; and we need this to shake them up and call them back to the sense of Grace. But where can we go to obtain this spirit if not in the unquenchable furnace of the Divine Heart? It is communicated in this mystical cell, for here is found that Wine capable of giving it to us; medicinal wine, the only one that can heal our infirmities; generous wine, the only one that can reinvigorate the strength of our souls; powerful wine, the only one that can make us strong to grow in virtue; wine, in the end, of heavenly confidence, the only one effective in inspiring us with fortitude… In this cell and with this Wine the Lord will assist and comfort us! Let us fervently and insistently beseech our beloved Jesus to be willing to apply to us the fruit of the divine Blood. Thus, we will participate in His own Spirit: Spirit of perfection, for us, Spirit of zeal for the honor of God, Spirit of charity for the salvation of souls

(Giovanni Merlini, Circular Letters n.18, p. 62)

“Rabbi, where are you staying?”, “Come, and you will see!” (Jn 1,38-39).

Like the first disciples, so was Giovanni Merlini: a saint, in fact, is one who knows how to live an authentic discipleship experience. In these lines, our Venerable reveals to us a truth that is in some ways paradoxical, surprising: we think, in fact, of the Missionary of the Precious Blood as a man without a permanent abode, a nomad of the Gospel who does not take root in any place because he has embraced an itinerant ministry that will involve him throughout his life; instead, the pioneer of the Institute wants to describe to us the home he never wanted to leave and even invites us to enter, to pause, to drink and, above all, to inhabit it… So yes, the Missionary has a fixed residence: it is the Heart of Christ! Giovanni Merlini found the secret of apostolic success, of leading a Congregation, of caring for so many souls, in walking the ways of this world without ever leaving that house; he writes these words to his brothers directly from there, wish that they too never leave it. He always had the foresight to know that the risk for the man of his time, a hundredfold in 2019, is to become efficiency-centered, which is the fruit of this world’s mindset that leads us out, and even away from the Heart of Jesus. The result? The spirit is diminished. We notice this when we trudge along, when our energy, our ideas are diminished, when we struggle to find joy in our present, when loving becomes difficult… at that very moment we return to the question: where does the Master dwell? This question is the lifeline that will always lead us back to that Heart which alone can offer us the lifeblood, the medicine, the vigor and the confidence, the right feelings, and which constitutes the weapon of all time against everything that hinders Life: The Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

“Nel Segno del Sangue” (In the Sign of the Blood) January/February 2019