The MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD Cup No. 30, April 2011 of the New Covenant JOHN MERLINI: the will of God is enough for Me by Fr. Francesco Bartoloni, C.PP.S. ohn Merlini was the most eminent Jcollaborator of Saint Gaspar and carried on his work. “How much I’ve been through!” he used to stay with amazement toward the end of his life. His not so brief life unfolded from the last tragic celebrations of the French revolution until the contentious festiv- ities marking the unification of Italy. He had good reason to say: “How much I’ve been through!” His was the astonishment of one who survives a storm at sea without injury and who attributes this to God’s grace. The astonishment was even greater in any- one who, having lived side by side with him, heard him utter these words. In fact, not only did he show Venerable John Merlini first became acquainted with St. Gaspar and the Congregation at St. Felix in Giano himself calm and imperturbable but he communicated calm to others with inimitable skill, such that caused THE ORDER OF LOVE those who knew him say that few peo- The Formative Vision of Ven. Giovanni Merlini See page 15 ☛ by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC Merlini: the will of God is enough for Me n our days, an unsettled time, of brief ers, mirrors the consistency between by Fr. Francesco Bartoloni, C.PP.S. 1 Iand fragmented thinking, in the cul- formative theory and “lived” life, and The Order of Love ture that we call the present, in which becomes its verification. The Formative Vision absolute value is given to the very Therefore, it seems to me stimulating to of Ven. Giovanni Merlini moment being lived, we meet the Ven. read, even though in summary, the by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC 1 John Merlini (Spoleto 1794 - Rome human, coherent and harmonious her- 1873), a wise man who does not build The work of Merlini itage that John Merlini entrusted to the as Moderator General his house on sand, but on rock; a house Family of the Most Precious Blood and his influence on us today which does not fall, though tried by (C.PP.S., ASC, USC). by Fr. Emanuele Lupi, C.PP.S. 5 every storm (cf Mt 7:24-29). The coor- dinates according to which we proceed ACTOR OF OUR ORIGINS Special notes on Venerable Merlini 8 in our life are the same with which we The New Foudnations help others proceed. We might also be John Merlini is the eminent actor and of Merlni Era “schizophrenic”, separating our person- witness of the “originating grace” of our France • America • England al lifestyles from the ones we support in Family, because he was beside St. Ga - by Fr. Emanuele Lupi, C.PP.S. 10 theory, but usually we follow an under- spar Del Bufalo from August 15, 1820, five years after the foundation of the ”In the same way, your light must shine...” lying vision according to which we pro- C.PP.S. Congregation at San Felice di by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC 12 ceed in our journey. Formative action, often, toward ourselves and toward oth- See next page ☛ T Continued from front page ☛ relationship characterized by a commu- to invent and build tastefully and artis- h e Giano (Perugia) (August 15, 1815), nion of exemplary souls. tically. Punctual, precise, an obstinate until December 28, 1837, the year of programmer, but at the service of an C Gaspar’s death in Rome. THE WISE MAN openness of mind and heart and an u insuperable democracy. He was a man p In addition, he was vice-director and We are becoming acquainted with a in flesh and bone, coherent with the general secretary beginning in 1838, giant of the spirit. A giant who does o principles he professed, inflexible in f to which, in 1847, Biagio Valentini, not frighten because he lives his seek- demanding more of himself than of general director, added the assignment ing of God and neighbor in the ordi- t others, indulgent in understanding oth- to replace the latter in the administra- nary course of life with a very human h ers more than himself. A clear man, e tion of the Congregation, because of and, therefore, extraordinarily spiritu- unwilling regarding compromise, al style; with a very humble manner N his poor health. From 1834 to 1847 he absorbed in prayer to the point of e resided in Albano as formation director and, therefore, incredibly elevated. w estrangement from reality, but so inserted into reality as to presume to C 1 o make all of it a prayer. One of his v biographers recounts: what is most e NEW PUBLICATIONS striking in John Merlini is his capacity n a to harmonize all resources and put all n Peacebuilding: Catholic Theology, Ethics and and talents to good use with the exercise of t Praxis, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY (Nov 2010) Robert his loving will. Typical of this is even his physical aspect. He appears severe Schreiter, C.PP.S. is co-editor and author of various to us and inspires uneasiness. Still, all articles in the book. the witnesses speak of him in enthusi- astic terms and say that it was a plea- Beyond Accompaniment: Guiding a Fractured Com - sure to speak with him. He was always munity to Wholeness, William Nordenbrock, C.PP.S., happy and friendly; it was a pleasure to meet him and live with him.2 Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN (Feb. 2011). In his Letters, St. Gaspar sang the praises of this holy Missionary, defin- Il Sangue di Cristo nella Teologia, V, Chiesa latina, ing him, among numerous statements greca, etiopica, slava, copta e armena, X secolo, a cura of esteem: “golden ecclesiastic”, “very di Tullio Veglianti, C.PP.S., Centro Studi Sanguis Christi, good companion”, “man of miracles”, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City (2010). “saint”. THE TWO ROOTS OF JOHN MERLINI If you are interested in these publications, please contact the Generalate. From this profile of “wise man” it seems to me we can deduce two para- digms of the formative vision that John Merlini applied in the areas of min- of the young men. On December 28, It seems to me that John Merlini is istries that he carried out for the two 1847, John Merlini was elected general precisely the wise man of the Congre gations of the Most Precious director, an office he held until his Scripture: he calculates every aspect Blood and in his missionary action death on January 12, 1873. He also held of problems to be faced as though he among and for the people of God. the responsibility of Superior of the must not await anything from women’s Congregation of the Adorers Providence. One has a right to help of the Most Precious Blood (ASC) from Providence, John Merlini used to THE ORDER OF LOVE founded in 1834 in Acuto (Frosinone) state, when one has done everything The rock on which John Merlini builds by St. Maria De Mattias. He would that is humanly required. His program the house and companions others in accompany that Community with motto is “a hundred measurements building it is the “great will of God” excellent care and devotion beyond the and one cut”: a good tailor, in fact, (cf Mt 7:21). He used to say: “I desire death of the Foundress. Two important measures the fabric very carefully only God’s will, and that suffices for details: on April 13, 1838, Francis de before proceeding to cut it. me.”3 Sales Brunner, a Swiss priest, is accept- It is interesting to listen to persons God’s will is the plan of love for every ed in Albano for a trial period under the who knew him. They describe John creature. Entering into this order of direction of John Merlini, who would Merlini as a personality who joined love means bringing to completion the form him in the spirituality of the the opposites in himself in an plan of beauty and the eschatological Blood of Christ. In parallel, from admirable synthesis. He was exuber- destiny to which the human person is March-April of 1824, John Merlini ant and at the same time inclined to called according to creation and assumed the spiritual direction of Maria reflection and thinking big. By nature redemption. The “will of God” is not De Mattias, whom he followed until he was an organizer with an extremely to be sought by questioning the pre- 2 her death on August 20, 1866, with a methodical personality, but also loved sent and future with doubts and contin- ual restlessness, nor being satisfied on be dark. From that moment, John person, without forcing or strong T Merlini is born as a Missionary of the tones, a vision accompanied by the h the edges of permanent indecision. For e John Merlini God’s will is experienced Society of the Most Precious Blood, a merciful power of the Blood of Christ. and accomplished with intelligent, sin- Society of Gospel Workers in the power He draws from it an anthropology of C u cere, passionate adherence to daily sit- of the Blood of Christ, and he is grafted the human, of the cross, of glory, of p uations that must be lived in the mea- so fruitfully into this plant that while he charity – that is magnanimous and sure of the Gospel so that the Reign of is regenerated, he regenerates it. The wise in the order of love. o f God will be present and may progress meeting with Gaspar and the sincere here and now in the order of love.