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Hour of Eucharistic Adoration For New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve, 1901, was the beginning of the odyssey that
would become the Pauline Family. On that night a sixteen-year-old
seminarian, Fr. James Alberione, knelt in prayer for several hours.
On that night Jesus inspired in him a dream and a future. Since
1914, all Paulines spend New Year's Eve in Eucharistic Adoration,
remembering that evening when Alberione, their Founder, began the
journey to what would become the Pauline Family. A little
over 100 years later, James Alberione will be beatified, and the
more than 10,000 priests, brothers, sisters, and lay people who
call themselves Paulines will rejoice in this confirmation that
this humble man with great dreams was a gift of God to the Church
of the twentieth century. We invite you to pray with us on New
Year's Eve. The text of our prayer is below. It includes the story
of the young seminarian as well as the prayer of Pauline's for the
world today.
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Spend some time in silence, quieting your mind and your heart,
and offering your prayer to God.
From the autobiographical notes of James Alberione:
That night that divided the last century from the present one was
crucial for the specific mission and particular spirit in which
his further Apostolate would come to light and be lived out. After
the solemn midnight Mass in the Cathedral of Alba, exposition and
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament followed. The seminarians in
Philosophy and Theology were free to remain for as long as they
liked. AD #13
Tonight we commemorate that charismatic event which signifies the
beginning of the Pauline Family. We want to relive the experience
of Venerable James Alberione that took place on the night between
the centuries on December 31, 1900.
With a few moments of silence we offer to you, Divine Master,
those intentions we hold in our hearts.
On the eve of the Solemnity of the Mother of God, we want to entrust
ourselves to Mary. She lived in a most profound way in the presence
of her Son, Jesus. May she accompany us during this time of prayer
so that we may listen to the words of her Son and "do whatever
he tells us."
The story of the Founder's Night of Light:
Primo Maestro's experience on that evening now called the "Night
of Light" was truly an experience of the person of Jesus Christ.
Many things were running through the mind of James Alberione: the
teaching of Pope Leo XIII, the writings of Toniolo, his seminary
classes, the liturgies at the Cathedral. In his own words he tells
us:
Particular enlightenment came from the Host and a greater understanding
of that invitation of Jesus "Come to me, all of you" (Mt.
11:28); he seemed to fathom the heart of the great Pope, the Church's
call [for help], and the Priest's true mission. What Toniolo said
about the duty of being Apostles today and of using the means of
exploited by the opposition made sense to him. He felt deeply obliged
to prepare himself to do something for the Lord and for the women
and men of the new century with whom he would spend his life. AD
#15
The words "Come to me." (MT. 11:28) were engraved on
the Tabernacle. How intense James looked upon Jesus in the Eucharist.
That invitation to come was directed to the heart and mind of the
young seminarian. The desires of Jesus became his desires. While
contemplating his response to this invitation our founder no doubt
was filled with enthusiasm, fervor, ideas - the possibilities were
endless- he now more than ever had a focus for his priesthood. Yet
in the midst of the enthusiasm he tells us:
He had a clear grasp of his own nothingness, while concurrently
he experienced in the Eucharist "I am with you always"
(Mt. 28:20), and that he could count on the Host, on Jesus, for
light, nourishment, consolation and victory over evil. AD #16
The awareness of his littleness was not an obstacle. The promise
of Jesus "I am with you" (Mt 28:20) gave him the confidence
that set Him on fire.
The experience of Alberione lives on today, now, at every encounter
we have with Jesus Master. The teachings of the Church today, the
writings of Pope John Paul II the needs of the Congregation, our
Province and our community, the seemingly endless violence that
sweeps across our cities and world, the many opportunities for evangelization,
the crisis that threatens to tear our Church apart. these and many
more tug at the heart of every Pauline. In the midst of this Jesus
extends his invitation: "Come to me." With the weight
of the needs and cries of humanity upon us we too like young Alberione
experience our own nothingness and yet we trust in Jesus promise
"I am with you."
Response: I can do nothing by myself, but with you
Lord I can do all. All glory to you, to me heaven. 2x
The story of the Founder's Night of Light:
This night in the life of our founder was a profound revelation
of Jesus. He walked into the Cathedral of Alba that night a young
seminarian spending the night in prayer, he walked out changed,
a person with a mission, a goal and an awareness that he was not
alone.
Projecting himself mentally into the future he felt that in the
new century generous people would experience what he was feeling.
AD 17
He was to form an organization, an organization of religious. Here
efforts would coalesce; dedication would be total and the doctrine
purer. A society of people who would love God with all their mind,
all their strength and all their heart. AD 24
We too, this night, come in prayer as members of a community, the
call and response is individual yet mysteriously lived out in community.
May we allow the words of Jesus speak to us so that we will leave
this chapel changed.
Prayer: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, Open the eyes
of my heart. I want to see you. I want to see you. (sing twice)
Reading from the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 11 - Rest for the
Weary)
25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the
wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes,
Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27"All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father
except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and
I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light."
Prayer: Open the eyes of my Heart Lord, Open the eyes
of my heart. I want to see you. I want to see you. (sing twice)
Having been invited to sit at the Lord's feet and rest in his presence
we are now invited to give response.
Reading from the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 28 - The Great Commission)
16Jesus' eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee,
where Jesus had told them to meet him. 17They saw him
and worshiped him, but some of them doubted.
18Jesus came to them and said:
I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19Go
to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20and
teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you
always, even until the end of the world.
Prayer: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes
of my heart. I want to see you. I want to see you. (twice)
To ask yourself:
What is going on in my life and my heart?
What do I feel when I hear Jesus calling me to "come to him"?
Are my eyes open to see him?
In what ways am I being invited to a closer relationship with the
Father and Son?
How can I be Jesus to my sisters and brothers?
Intercessions:
Take time to pray for the needs of the world, of the Church, of
your family, and those needs of your own that you wish to mention
to the Lord. Also pray for those who work in the field of social
communication: for TV producers, screen writers, directors, actors
and actresses, journalists, writers, computer programmers, webmasters,
creators of computer games, theaters.
Sung Response for each petition: O Lord hear my prayer,
O Lord hear my prayer, when I call answer me. 2x
Sing a favorite hymn to close your time of prayer.
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