St. Annibale’s Relics and New Statue of Luisa
St. Annibale comes to Luisa Piccarreta’s house again
On Sunday February 4, 2018 – http://www.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/news/st-annibale-comes-to-luisa-piccarretas-house-again/320
It was with great emotion and joy that the parish community of S. Maria Greca
and the Little Children of the Divine Will welcomed the relics of St. Annibale Maria Di Francia
at Luisa Piccarreta’s house.
The relics were brought this morning at 10.00, almost recalling what happened when Luisa was still alive.
St. Annibale was linked to Luisa by a spiritual fraternal and sincere friendship that began in 1910 when Canon Maria di Francia met her for the first time. He went to her house after he became aware of the fame of spirituality that surrounded her.
For seventeen years, their spiritual friendship grew ever stronger, until the day of Father Annibale’s birth into heaven on June 1, 1927
“It is just great that our first meeting starts right here, where we gather, also where Father Annibale met and supported Luisa several times, celebrated Mass, prayed …” With these words the Rogationist Father Angelo Sardone, who brought the relics with Father Filippo, began his talk and greeted all the faithful who were there to pay homage to the Saint from Messina.
Many times Father Annibale went to Luisa’s house; and in his last years, the Archbishop of Trani appointed him Ecclesiastical Censor of Luisa’s writings. As he met her, the Divine Will penetrated more and more his soul and the more Father Annibale entered that spirituality, the more he became aware of the need to spread the writings:
“It is really necessary to make these writings known to the world now, and I believe they will do a great deal of good” he commented in a letter. In fact he immediately began to print the “Hour of the Passion” and worked hard to publish Luisa’s writings, but he left, however, unfinished the work because of his death.
The esteem that Father Annibale placed in Luisa was reciprocated by the confidence that Luisa had for him. In fact, she was deeply impressed by the wisdom, prudence and holiness of Di Francia and always addressed him with words of gratitude: “The Lord will reward you greatly for the work of the Hour of the Passion, may it be one of the most beautiful gems that will shine above your head.”
And when she learned the news of Father Annibale’s death she felt tortured because of suffering: she poured out in tears, but in the Fiat commended to Jesus that blessed soul:
“He was the only one left to me, to whom I could open my poor soul. How well he could understand me – it was to a saint that I would entrust myself, who had very much comprehended all the value of what Jesus had told me about the Divine Will… but – Fiat! Fiat! Fiat! everything ends down here.” (Vol.22 – June 1, 1927)
St. Annibale, a soul who was dear not only to Luisa but also to Jesus who granted him to shine in the Light of the Divine Will, in fact, in the same passage of the diary He comforted Luisa: “My daughter, courage, you must know that everything which that soul, so dear to Me, has done, all the knowledges he has known about my Will, have caused him to enclose as much light within his soul. So, each additional knowledge is a greater light that he possesses… Diving into the eternal light of his Creator, he found himself in the Celestial Fatherland, in which he will continue his mission about my Will, assisting everything himself, from Heaven.”
May these words be an encouragement for us to be aware of the great good that we acquire through the knowledge of the Divine Will. The example of St. Annibale could lead us to internalize them in our hearts so that, like Him, we can shine in the eternal Light of the Divine Fiat
With this hope we are preparing to experience this important week of spirituality, rich in teachings and moments of prayer that will end Saturday, February 10 with the consecration of our hearts and the entrustment of the entire community to St Annibale.
Fiat!
Antonella Bucci
Statue of Luisa Piccarreta at the Orphanage of St. Anthony in Corato
– 10.12.17 – http://www.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/gallery/the-house-of-the-divine-will-in-corato-89-years-from-its-foundation/69
From the Book of Heaven – October 7, 1928
Now, in order to be able to say what Jesus told me, I have to make a brief mention – that here in Corato a House has been founded, which was wanted and started by the venerable memory of Father Canonical Annibale Maria Di Francia, and which his children, faithful to the will of their founder, have executed and given the name of House of the Divine Will, as the venerable father wanted. And he wanted me to enter this House; and on the first day of its opening, by their goodness, his sons and daughters, the reverend mothers, came to take me and brought me into a room which is such that, as the door of this room is opened, I can see the Tabernacle, I can listen to Holy Mass, I am just under the gazes of my Jesus in the Sacrament. O! how happy I feel, that from now on, if Jesus wants me to continue to write, I will write always keeping one eye on the Tabernacle and the other on the paper I write on. Therefore, I pray You, my Love, to assist me and to give me the strength to make the sacrifice that You Yourself want.
So, as this House was about to be opened, one could see people, nuns, little girls – people coming and going, all in motion. I felt all impressed, and my Sweet Jesus, moving in my interior, told me: “My daughter, this group of people whom you see all in motion for the opening of the House of my Divine Will is symbolic of that group of people when I wanted to be born in Bethlehem, and the shepherds were coming and going, to visit Me, a little Baby. This pointed out to all the certainty of my birth. In the same way, this group of people, all in motion, points out the rebirth of the Kingdom of my Divine Will. Look at how all of Heaven echoes my birth, when the Angels, celebrating it, announced Me to the shepherds, and putting them in motion, made them keep coming to Me, and I recognized in them the first fruits of the Kingdom of my Redemption. So now, in this group of people, of little girls and nuns, I recognize the beginning of the Kingdom of my Divine Will. O! how my Heart exults and rejoices, and all of Heaven makes feast. Just as the Angels celebrated my birth, so do they celebrate the beginning of the rebirth of my Fiat in the midst of creatures. But, look at how my birth was more neglected, more poor – I had not even one priest near Me, but only poor shepherds. On the other hand, at the beginning of my Volition, there is not only a group of nuns and little girls from out of town, and a people rushing up to celebrate the opening, but there is an archbishop and priests representing my Church. This is symbol and announcement to all, that the Kingdom of my Divine Volition will be formed with more magnificence, with greater pomp and splendor than the very Kingdom of my Redemption; and everyone, kings and princes, bishops and priests and peoples, will know the Kingdom of my Fiat and will possess It. Therefore, you too, celebrate this day in which my sighs and sacrifices, and yours, to make my Divine Will known, see the first dawn and hope for the Sun of my Divine Fiat to soon rise.”