"AT THE HEART OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE" THE CHARISM OF GASPAR DEL BUFALO AS THE BASIS FOR A LAY SPIRITUALITY By John A. Colacino CPPS TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................................ viii FOREWARD.......................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................. 4 Methodology of the Thesis. ..................................................................................................................... 9 A Theology of Canonized Sanctity........................................................................................................ 12 Application to St. Gaspar Del Bufalo.................................................................................................... 18 The Meanings of "Charism".................................................................................................. 19 The Charismatic Mission of Gaspar Del Bufalo.................................................................... 22 Theological Content of the Gasparian Mission..................................................................... 27 CHAPTER 1 ELEMENTS OF LAY SPIRITUALITY........................................................................................... 31 Lay Spirituality from the Second Vatican Council to the 1987 Synod of Bishops................................................................................................................ 32 The Elements of Lay Spirituality............................................................................................ 35 First element: Universality................................................................................................. 35 A theological perspective............................................................................................. 38 Second element: Specificity .............................................................................................. 43 Levels of specificity....................................................................................................... 45 Importance of the distinctions...................................................................................... 47 Third element: Secularity .................................................................................................. 49 Fourth element: Integration ............................................................................................... 55 Fifth element: Mission....................................................................................................... 63 Christological framework of mission ........................................................................... 64 The scope of the lay faithfuls' mission.......................................................................... 69 Charism and ministry in lay mission............................................................................ 73 iii Sixth element: Formation .................................................................................................. 78 The content of lay formation........................................................................................ 79 The context of lay formation......................................................................................... 82 CHAPTER 2 THE SOURCES OF GASPARIAN SPIRITUALITY..................................................................... 85 The Influence of Mons. Francis Albertini on St. Gaspar ...................................................................... 86 Humility in the Spiritual Doctrine of Mons. Francis Albertini ............................................................. 91 Justification for the Teaching ................................................................................................. 95 Humility in the Life and Teaching of St. Gaspar................................................................................... 98 Humility in Gaspar's Writings................................................................................................ 99 Evaluation of Gasparian Teaching ...................................................................................... 103 The Influence of St. Francis de Sales on Gaspar Del Bufalo.............................................................. 106 Principles of Salesian Spirituality........................................................................................ 107 Origin of the Salesian Influence........................................................................................... 109 External Evidence of Salesian Influence.............................................................................. 111 Internal Evidence of Salesian Influence................................................................................116 Salesian themes in the Writings of the Founder...............................................................118 Holiness of life according to one's state......................................................................118 Christian confidence and optimism............................................................................ 121 Indifferent conformity to the divine will..................................................................... 125 The primacy of charity............................................................................................... 133 The salesian spirit....................................................................................................... 138 Spiritual direction....................................................................................................... 142 Gasparian Sources and Lay Spirituality.............................................................................................. 146 CHAPTER 3 THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IN GASPARIAN SPIRITUALITY................................................. 153 Orientation to the Theology, Devotion, and Spirituality of the Precious Blood .......................................................................................................................... 155 The Ascetico-Mystical Meanings of the Blood of Christ in Gaspar Del Bufalo........................................................................................................................... 158 The Doctrine of the Three Ways iv in St. Gaspar del Bufalo ....................................................................................................... 159 The purgative way .......................................................................................................... 160 The illuminative way ....................................................................................................... 162 The unitive way................................................................................................................ 164 Text, Commentary and Evaluation of In omnibus divites factis in Illo ........................................................................................................... 165 In omnibus divites factis in Illo: Text and Commentary I........................................................................................................ 167 The blood of Christ as image of purification................................................................... 167 Theological Evaluation of the Text I.................................................................................... 176 In omnibus divites factis in Illo: Text and Commentary II....................................................................................................... 182 The blood of Christ as image of enlightenment .............................................................. 182 Theological Evaluation of the Text II.................................................................................. 191 In omnibus divites factis in Illo: Text and Commentary III...................................................................................................... 197 The blood of Christ as image of union ............................................................................ 197 Theological Evaluation of the Text III.................................................................................. 210 Gasparian "Devotion" and Lay Spirituality......................................................................................... 215 Excursus: Gaspar Del Bufalo and a Disputed Question of Spiritual Theology............................................................................................ 220 CHAPTER 4 GASPARIAN SPIRITUALITY AND CHRISTIAN MISSION................................................... 230 The Gasparian Mission and Commitment to the Blood of Christ....................................................... 231 The Mission, Apostolate, and Ministry of the Laity in a Gasparian Perspective............................................................................................... 238 Historical Perspectives......................................................................................................... 239 Theological Perspectives...................................................................................................... 243 Some terminological precisions....................................................................................... 244