April 27, 2005Patron of the internet?
”What would St. Paul do if he were alive today? He would use the media to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in the fastest way and to the most people possible.
~Fr. Alberione
On Dec. 31, 1900, inspired by Pope Leo XIII’s prayer for God’s blessing on the church in the new century, a young seminarian made a New Year’s Resolution to do something for his Church. James Alberione would dedicate his work to St. Paul, who was a writer and a preacher.
After his ordination in 1907 for the Diocese of Alba, Italy, he first founded a printing school where young men could learn a trade as well as produce good literature. In 1914, he founded a religious community known as the Society of St. Paul (Paulist Priests), who would spread the Gospel message through modern media.
In his ministry, Fr. Alberione embraced all communications technology – from radio to television to motion pictures.
Fr. Alberione died in 1971 at age 87, with Pope Paul VI at his bedside. He died before the advent of the Internet, but many supporters think he would have embraced it as one more means to evangelize.
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Fr. Alberione was beatified on this date in 2003.
Wednesday, Fifth Week of EasterThey did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.
Luke 24:52-53
These are the closing words of Luke’s Gospel. It ends where it began – in the Temple.
At the beginning, Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist) is chosen by lot to enter the Temple sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
At the end, the disciples are “continually in the Temple praising God.” Our roots are very Jewish.
A few verses earlier, Luke described the disciples as “incredulous” when Jesus appeared to them. Now they do him “homage,” and are filled with “great joy.” Their faith is full and strong. They recognize what he is – the Lord Jesus Christ wondrously and fully alive, with them.
We, 2000 years later, continue that same faith, full and strong. We don’t know how many years lie ahead before the end is reached. It may be millions, perhaps billions.
As one bishop once noted, we are born into a time not of our choosing, given a task not always to our liking, and we find God there or not at all, for God is nowhere else.
Spend some quiet time with the Risen Lord.
