Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The light radiating from the countenance of the Risen Christ shines on us today, especially in the evangelical lives of the five blesseds, who in this celebration are inscribed in the list of saints: Arcangelo Tadini, Bernardo Tolomei, Nuno de Santa María Álvares Pereira, Gertrude Comensoli, and Caterina Volpicelli. The diverse human and spiritual itineraries of these new saints show us the profound renewal that the mystery of Christ's resurrection brings about in the heart of man. This is the fundamental mystery that guides the entire history of salvation.” These are the words pronounced by the Holy Father Benedict XVI during the Mass he presided in Saint Peter's Square on Sunday, April 26, the Third Sunday of Easter, for the canonization of five Blesseds.
Recalling the Gospel of the day, in which Saint Luke tells of one of the Risen Christ's apparitions (Lk 24:35-48) in which, as had occurred in the case of those of Emmaus, He sat down at the table and ate with his disciples, “helping them to understand the Scriptures and to once again interpret the events of salvation in light of Easter,” the Holy Father explained: “Each community relives this same experience in the celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays... We gather around Him to remember his words and the events of Scripture; we relive his passion, death, and resurrection. In celebrating the Eucharist we communicate with Christ, victim of atonement, and from Him we draw forgiveness and life. What would our lives as Christians be without the Eucharist?”
The Pontiff then spoke of the newly proclaimed Saints, nourished with the Bread of the Eucharist, who “carried out their mission of Gospel charity in various areas, in which they worked with their specific charisms.”
“Saint Arcangelo Tadini spent long hours in prayer before the Eucharist. In his pastoral ministry, he always took into account the human person in his entirety and helped his parishioners to grow both humanly and spiritually.” This holy priest, willing to let himself be guided by the Holy Spirit and ready to take up the urgent needs of the time and find a solution, took on many concrete and courageous initiatives. “He reminds us that only in cultivating a constant and profound relationship with the Lord, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, will we be able to bring the yeast of the Gospel to our various activities and to every sector of our society.”
“Saint Bernardo Tolomei, as well, who began a unique Benedictine monastic movement, stands out for his love for prayer and for manual labor. He lived a Eucharistic life that was completely dedicated to contemplation and that was manifest in his humble service to his neighbor.” Re-elected abbot for 27 consecutive years, until his death, he obtained the pontifical approval from Pope Clement VI for the new Benedictine Congregation entitled “Saint Mary of Monte Oliveto.” During the great plague of 1348, he went to the monastery of Saint Benedict in Puerta Tufi, in Siena, to help the monks suffering from the disease, and he himself later died from the same illness. “The example of this saint is an invitation to us to convert our faith into a life dedicated to God in prayer and complete dedication to service to our neighbor, motivated by a charity that is willing to embrace even the greatest sacrifice.”
The life of Saint Nuno de Santa Maria, hero and saint of Portugal, was characterized by intense prayer and complete trust in divine assistance. A courageous soldier and great leader, he had a special devotion to Our Lady, to whom he publicly attributed his victories. At the end of his life, he retreated to a Carmelite convent that he himself had ordered to be built. This exemplary figure is offered to the entire Church as proof that “in any situation – even in times of war – one can practice values and principles of Christian life, especially if these are placed at the service of the common good and the glory of God.”
“From her childhood, Saint Gertrude Comensoli showed a special attraction towards Christ present in the Eucharist. The adoration of Christ in the Eucharist became the main objective of her life. We could almost say it was the habitual state of her life. Before the Eucharist, Saint Gertrude understood her vocation and mission in the Church: dedicate her entire life to apostolic and missionary activity, especially for the youth...In a society that was disoriented and many times wounded, just like ours, Saint Gertrude indicates a firm point of reference in God, Who in the Eucharist made Himself our traveling companion.”
“Another witness of divine love was Saint Caterina Volpicelli...For her, as well, the secret was the Eucharist. She counseled her first collaborators to cultivate an intense spiritual life in prayer and, above all, in vital contact with Jesus in the Eucharist. Today, as well, this is the condition for continuing the work and mission she began and that she has left as an inheritance to the Handmaidens of the Sacred Heart...Saint Caterina shows her spiritual daughters and all of us the demanding path to conversion that changes the heart at its roots and is manifest in actions coherent with the Gospel. Thus, it is possible to place foundations in order to build a society open to justice and solidarity, overcoming this economic and cultural instability that continues on a large portion of our planet.”
The Pope concluded his homily by encouraging the faithful to give thanks to God for the gift of holiness and to follow the examples of the new saints: “Let us allow ourselves to be attracted by their example, guided by their teachings, so that our lives may be hymns of praise to God, following the footsteps of Jesus, whom we adore with faith in the mystery of the Eucharist and serve with generosity in our neighbor.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 27/4/2009)
