MARCH

02

1843. Claret is preaching during Lent in Igualada (Barcelona), beginning the day before.

1845. Claret continues Lenten preaching in Mataro (Barcelona).

1861. Claret composes the little paper Reloj de la Pasion [Clock of the Passion], which is a holy card and a text partly taken from St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, and Claret feels that Jesus approves it.

THE CONSOLIDATION (1899-1906)

GENERAL RULES

In 1897, the first General Rule (as it was later named), had been published and was an organic and systematic compilation of the general norms of the Congregation. It was a summary of the rules, ordinances and notices emanating from the General Chapters and Fr. Xifre’s Circular Letters in alphabetical order. The book synthetically and systematically presented the pastoral and formative guidance, and the legal ordinances of the life of the Congregation from the beginning of its canonical existence, which were previously widely dispersed in several publications. It was a practical and pedagogical book that helped people easily find what they wanted. It would be the seed of what became the General Rule of later years and of the C.I.A. (Codex Iuris Additicii) and the basis of our congregational law. In addition to ensuring compliance, they were about giving the Institute its own features and character, serving as a hallmark. Later they were updated in the years 1900, 1905, 1906 and 1912. However, some of Fr. Xifre’s circular letters would not be included in that volume.

Martin ALSINA, CMF

V Superior General (1859-1922)

Manresa (Barcelona, Spain). He was a diocesan seminarian. He entered the Congregation at the end of his first year of theology. He was ordained a priest in 1883. Soon he began the work entrusted to him by his superiors as a formator. As a basis for spiritual edification, he demanded great loyalty and truth from his formandi. Simple, kind, serious and balanced, he was born with leadership skills. In 1894 he was appointed Superior of the School in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. In 1899, upon the death of Fr. Xifre, he was elected Sub-Director General. In 1906, upon the death of Fr. Clement Serrat, he was elected Superior General in the Chapter of Aranda de Duero, a position in which he would be confirmed in 1912, until his death occurred in Zafra on March 2, 1922. He greatly expanded the Institute with some thirty foundations, almost all in the two Americas. He accepted the difficult mission in Choco, Colombia. He put a strong emphasis on the apostolate of the press with the founding of publishing houses and important magazines like Ilustracion del Clero, Tesoro Sacro Musical [Treasure of Sacred Music] and Commentarium pro Religiosis.

Biography

I cannot still my voice

And would you, my Mother, have me, who am a brother of these luckless ones, look on indifferently at their utter ruin? Ah, no! Neither the love that I bear God, nor that I bear my neighbor, could stand it. For how can I say that I love God if, seeing my neighbor in this plight, I do not come to his rescue?…How can I have charity if I am silent at the theft of those most precious jewels that cost the lifeblood of a God, or at the sight of people setting fire to the house and heritage of my most loving Father? (Aut 158)

Ah, my Mother, I cannot still my voice on such occasions. No, I shall not be silent, even if I knew it meant that I should be cut to pieces. I shall shout, cry out, and lift up my voice to heaven and earth to remedy so great an evil. I shall not be silent, and when my voice is hoarse or mute from all my crying I shall lift up my hands to heaven, make my hair stand on end, and stamp my feet upon the ground to make up for my lack of speech. (Aut 159)

FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION

 

  • Do you feel committed to the reality of our world?
  • Do the needs of others affect your apostolic life?

“Woe to me if I do not evangelize!”

  • With a partner, write the new Decalogue of the evangelizer.

 

 

“The first means I have always employed and still do is prayer.
In my opinion, this is the greatest means that can be used
for the conversion of sinners, the perseverance of the just
and the relief of the souls in purgatory.”

(Aut 264).

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