In line with our itinerary, today we considered The Sources of Inspiration for Alberione’s Concept of Integrality as presented to us by Fr. Giuseppe Forlai, who described the three models of the priesthood from which Fr. Alberione drew inspiration in making his foundations: the missionary-prophetic model, the pastoral model and the sacramental model. Each of the Congregations of the Pauline Family prioritizes one of these models, which complement one another and all together constitute the wealth and beauty of the Pauline Family.
After offering us his reading of the icon of the Dormition, Fr. Forlai then explained to us how Mary, Queen of the Apostles and image of the Church, is our model of integrality, the apostle who lived to the full the incomparable features of hiddenness and intimacy with Christ.
In the afternoon, Fr. Antonio Pitta, a biblical scholar and expert on St. Paul, discussed several elements typical of Pauline mysticism. He said that for Paul, mysticism is life in the Spirit, a profound interior experience, an ongoing and progressive relationship with Christ that is not characterized by the exceptional but that is lived in the circumstances of daily life. According to Paul, mysticism is the transformation of one’s life in Christ–conformity to him. It is a process of Christification.
