Every October 19, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), Italian priest and mystic, who invited us to act “so that everyone sees what you carry, not only internally, but also externally. , the image of Christ crucified, model of all sweetness and meekness.”
Saint Paul understood that the Passion of Christ on the cross is “the most wonderful gift of God’s love, the force that can transform man and the entire world.”
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With that conviction, and after an intense spiritual search, he founded the Congregation of the Passion, whose members are known as Passionists. From that trunk, the female religious branch sprang and then the secular branch, which together make up the Passionist family.
Prayer and penance
Saint Paul of the Cross, whose given name was Pablo Francisco Danei Massari, was born in Ovada (Italy) in 1694. He received a careful education in the faith from his parents. While his mother awakened in him cordial piety for the Cross of Christ, his father frequently read to him the lives of the saints, so that Paul would always feel encouraged to be a better person. The family was dedicated to commerce and had a wealthy position.
At the age of 19, while at mass, the saint heard the priest preach ardently about penance and prayer. That homily deeply touched his soul and would change his life in many ways; it would be the spiritual push that encouraged him to consecrate himself to God.
Determined and full of fervor, Paul began to use all the means at his disposal to live holyly. They were times of intense prayer and serene youthful joy. God, little by little, was preparing his heart for greater things, which had to be done with a spirit of renunciation and humility.
A dream and a mission
Suddenly, one night Paul had a vision while he was sleeping in which the Virgin Mary appeared to him and showed him a habit with the emblem of a new religious community that should live under the model of the crucified Jesus Christ. Saint Paul told his bishop, Monsignor Gattinara, about that dream, who proposed that he do what the Virgin asked of him: he ordered him to wear a habit equal to the one in the dream, all black – the so-called “habit of the Passion” – .
After living as a hermit in San Esteban for some years, Pablo would be clothed with the habit that the Virgin showed him on November 22, 1720, at the age of 26. Later, in the Basilica of Santa María Maggiore in Rome, he would make his vows and a promise: to promote the memory of the Passion of Christ in the midst of a world that lived behind the value of Christ’s sacrifice.
Missionary of the Passion
Together with his brother, Juan Bautista, the saint undertook the mission of establishing the new religious community. Both were already dedicated to the service of the most needy and the abandoned under the name of ‘the Poor Brothers’, but now God asked them to take another step forward.
The brothers, through their work, had given special attention to the sick. The “passionists” – as they would begin to be called – asked for alms in order to help those who, with their pain, had joined the suffering Christ. The money raised was used to treat people in the infirmaries and give them something to eat.
When the new spiritual family began to take shape, Paul requested an audience with Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758), who would approve the statutes for this very new “Congregation of the Passion.” Its members dedicated themselves to a life of prayer, focusing on meditation on the Passion of the Lord, an undoubtedly contemplative seal; and to the proclamation of the mystery of the sacrifice of Christ, carried out by humanity. Shortly afterwards, in 1727, Paul and his brother – the Venerable John the Baptist of Saint Michael – were ordained priests.
In Rome, near the Pope
Pope Clement XIV (P. 1769-1774), successor of Benedict Saints John and Paul, which would become the Mother House of the Passionists. The Order preserves it to this day.
In 1771, Saint Paul of the Cross founded, together with Mother Crocifissa Constantini, the female branch of the Congregation.
In that place, Pablo de la Cruz spent his last days, until 1775, when he was called to the presence of God, at 80 years of age.
A saint and an Order for a world without love
On September 29, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI sent, through Card. Tarcisio Bertone, a message to the Passionist brothers on the occasion of the general chapter of the Order, held in Rome.
It reads to the letter: “Saint Paul of the Cross conceived the Passion of Jesus as the greatest manifestation of the love of God, capable of converting hearts more than any other argument can do. Indeed, only in the light of the cross can we approach the mystery of the Love of God.”
The Passionists have borne numerous fruits of holiness throughout their history, among which are Saint Vincent Maria Strambi (1745-1824), Saint Gabriel of La Dolorosa (1838-1862) and Saint Gemma Galgani (1903).
Patronazgos
Of the fugitives, so that they reconsider; of sinners who want to change their lives; of the confessors, of the merchants.
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If you want to know more about Saint Paul of the Cross, we suggest this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Pablo_de_la_Cruz.
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