Spirituality

The self-revelation of Jesus, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” was an object of study at the beginning of the 20th century. Pope Leo XIII, through his Encyclical Tametsi Futura, taught that Christ is the “salvation of both individuals and of the society”, and then proposed the three dimensions of Way, Truth and Life as “three principles necessary for salvation”.  Alberione was touched by the programme of life presented by the Pope through these three principles; the Christology contained in this programme of life was pleasing to Fr. Alberione, and it instilled in him a special interest for Jesus, Way, Truth and Life.  The interest that Fr. Alberione had in Jesus Way, Truth, Life remained dormant in his mind till 1923. Meanwhile Fr. Alberione began to develop the concept “Master” due to his intimate experience with Jesus especially during the retreats that he made. From 1924 onwards, the structure of “Jesus Master, Way, Truth, Life” became common in the Pauline Family. Unifying Master and the three principles of Way, Truth, Life, Fr. Alberione defined Pauline spirituality as: “to live the Gospel integrally, to live in the Divin Master the Way, Truth and Life, and to live Him as he is understood by Paul” (UPS III, 187). Another definition offered is: “To live integrally the Gospel of Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life as he is interpreted by Paul, under the gaze of Mary Queen of Apostle” (UPS I, 51; AD 93).

According to Fr. Alberione, the spirituality of “Jesus Master, Way, Truth, Life” presents an integral view of everything. In this Pauline Method of Jesus Master Way, Truth, Life, there is completeness: It presents the complete Jesus, complete religion, complete human person, complete redemption, complete formation, complete apostolate, etc. (cf. AD 159). Pauline spirituality presents Jesus as truth to believe, Jesus as way to follow and Jesus life to share in. Such devotion, according to Fr. James Alberione, leads the whole person—mind, will, heart—to God.

There is also a special devotion to Mary Queen of Apostles and St Paul in the Pauline Family. Mary is Queen of Apostles because she has formed and sustained the Apostles and obtained for them the Holy Spirit; she did and continues to do all that the apostles did; she carried out all the apostolates: interior life, prayer, good example, suffering, etc.  St Paul, according to Fr. Alberione, is the faithful interpreter of Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life. It is from St Paul that the Pauline Family takes the spirit. Our devotion to St Paul has three specific scopes: to know him, to imitate him and to pray through his intercession.

Mission

When Fr. Alberione founded the Society of St Paul, the Church had already Institutes that used press as one of the means of evangelization. But the originality of Fr. Alberione was the exclusive use of the means of communication for evangelization. What urged Fr. Alberione to adopt the means of communication was the awareness that the traditional means of preaching the Gospel was insufficient to respond to the needs of the Church.

To diffuse the message of the Gospel through the means of the good press was the objective of Fr. Alberione at the beginning of his foundation. The progress of time saw the transition from Apostolate of the Press to Publishing Apostolate, and then to the apostolate using all the latest and fastest means of communication. This progress underlines the conviction of the Founder to communicate to the people to today with the means of today. He did not blame the media for corrupting people, but considered it a means at the service of the Church to redeem people. Fr Alberione realized that the pulpit alone is not sufficient, but we need to use the technology. He said, “Preaching by the word of mouth somehow corresponds to tradition; preaching in print somehow corresponds to Holy Spiriture (UCAS 1934, p.3).