Archbishop Cassati's Homily Given at
the Opening of the Cause
for the Beatification of the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta
(Feast of Christ the King -- November 20,
1994)
1. Italian Portion -- English Translation
Praise be to Jesus Christ!
My dearest brothers and sisters, for Corato this evening it is certainly THE DAY. It is an evening of great importance; and, even if we cannot have present here all its citizens, your presence is particularly significant. You are the citizens of Corato ("the Coratini") who wish to honor one of your own citizens in a particular way because your Luisa was the first to honor you.
Starting this evening (we must add -- in awe and fear) we open this process, entrusting it to God that it will unfold conforming to all laws and rules but, at the same time, with the speed or slowness that God reserves for all his things.
God is not in a hurry like us; therefore, for Him a thousand years are like a day; a day like a thousand years. We are the ones in a hurry, and that is why we do so many bad things -- because we are always in such a big hurry. God is not in a rush. Time is in his hands; therefore, 'when and how' this process will conclude is known only to God. We only wish to place ourselves in his hands and say that we want to fulfill his Will because, if we do not dedicate ourselves, we are also going against the thoughts and will of our own Luisa, who had only one, single desire: to fulfill the Will of God. The FIAT that she continually repeated was an immense desire to do only the Will of God, and she presented her FIAT by sacrificing herself.
For many years, almost her entire life, she was bed-ridden, many times in great pain and overwhelmed with much of the Passion of our God, Jesus Christ. As a young child, even before her illness, she saw our Christ asking her for assistance in suffering the Passion, to carry the Cross; and she was willing. From that moment, the rest of her long life was a continuous sacrifice.
In our human terms we could ask: for what reason did this woman live her entire life bed-ridden? What could have been the reason for such a life? With today's mentality and the diabolical theories of euthanasia, someone would probably have killed her. For what did a bed-ridden life serve? For what did the life of a small woman serve, whom, among other things, upon her death, could not be made to lie in a coffin; and a special casket had to be made in the shape of the letter 'L' because her body could not be straightened? For what did that life serve? Humanly speaking, we must say that such a life was unsuccessful, a useless life -- but in the eyes of God it was the life of one who willingly climbed upon the Cross and, having known the Will of God said: "Here I am; your Will be done." Not for three days nor for three years but for sixty years on the Cross, bed-ridden.
This sacrifice, this gift, this offering enters directly into the Chalice of the Passion and Death of our God, Jesus Christ, in the Blood of Christ. And Luisa, with her sacrifice, becomes the one who makes reparation, who makes restitution for the sins of others. Therefore, this life becomes heroic. God wanted her alive because He was grateful for her sacrifice given freely. Before such generosity one should not marvel, then, if Luisa had particular visions, if Luisa also had some particular insights seen in her writings, if Luisa had been able to speak about God in a determined way, and if Luisa speaks about God as God Love, who immolates Himself for this creature, whom He has made to his image and likeness and who once was lost, to come Himself and take the trouble to bring him back. And, if God was so humbled, then, well spent were 'my more than sixty years in a bed of the Cross.'
You will see that it makes sense, then, and that it is no longer a useless life in the way men think. It becomes a most precious life because it collaborates the Crucifixion of Christ for the salvation of the world. We will never know if one day in the hereafter, when we arive at our Fathers house (if God wishes to receive us into his house), if maybe then we will see the value of the souls who have immolated themselves for Him. And, if the world is still standing, maybe we should give credit not to our techniques and to our people's skill in knowing always how to quarrel; but we should give credit to these hidden souls who sacrifice in order to compensate for the tide of sin in this world.
We saw the flood two weeks ago and the damage provoked by a small earthquake. If a small quake of that kind can bring about so much damage to all nature, what damage does a soul obstinate in sin do? Then we can realize and not be astonished if at a certain moment God asks: "Soul, will you give Me a hand?" That is the reason for the invitation to Luisa: "Soul, will you give Me a hand?" My Redemption is enough, but I need other souls to participate with Me in this Calvary, in this Sacrifice, because man never grows tired of offending God.
Therefore, my dear ones, we must try to see Luisa by her Light and not try to seek in her writings something that we might not be able to understand; and we will not understand unless we put ourselves in Luisa's Light. If we do not put ourselves in the Light of the God who asks of this soul reparation, suffering, sacrifice, the cross, calvary, blood and life, what restitution can I give to my God for the sins of the world?
If I see myself a rationalist, if I see myself a schemer, if I see that I want to reason like a man, I am off my path. With God either you love Him, and He takes you where He wants you, or our rationalization is of no use. God has given us intelligence so that we can love Him, not to engage in criticizing Him and debating his plans of Love. Luisa never did this; she offered herself; she sacrificed herself; and God loved and bestowed privileges upon her.
I hope that Luisa's writings may penetrate the hearts of men in one way or another and also be understood. We certainly have an immense responsibility because Luisa is not a Saint like all the others. Luisa was a Saint placed on the Cross. On the Cross, Christ received insults; Christ was ridiculed; Christ was scorned; and, therefore, we should not be astonished if she has received some of those things as well. It was necessary for her in order to be more like the Crucified Christ. She had asked to participate in his Passion.
My dear ones, Luisa's phenomenon, although she was born, she died, and was buried in Corato, is a phenomenon difficult to explain. They love her more outside of Corato. The New World loves her more. That truly becomes a problem and an incessant prayer for us -- that they truly understand the thought of Luisa, the writings of Luisa, and that it be understood, above all her spirit, because today we live in a world where sorcerers, fortune-tellers, spiritists and many others say that they see God, the Madonna, the Saints; and so many others who say they see the devil. We are in a world full, very full of these realities, of these miseries; and it becomes easy for us to run to the place where there is a fortune-teller; and it is easy to run to the place where some fellow has said that he sees Jesus Christ, that he sees the Madonna. We have flocks of people, even in our city, who run right and left, back and forth in search of those who have seen the Madonna, who have seen Saint Michael, who have seen Christ, in search of those who sweat blood, who sweat this, who sweat that. We go about in search of emotion; but the Faith -- our religion -- is not emotions. We cannot be emotional people who follow fortune-tellers, visionaries, people who even go after the devil!
My dear ones, open your eyes because the world, and maybe even Corato, is full of people who run to and fro. To understand Luisa, we must go, I repeat, to one point alone: the FIAT, Your will be done! We have no other choice. That "Your Will be done" meant for her an entire life upon the Cross; FIAT, I accept. And then we can say that we are in tune.
Now, I do not know if I will be able to explain myself, but I would like to say a few words to these friends who have come from America because, as I have said, even there, the name of Luisa and her writings has spread among them and is still developing among very many. But, perhaps it is over there that there could be a greater danger, in that they could misunderstand her. Let us hope that I will be successful in explaining myself a little.
2. English Portion
Dear Friends,
I thank you because this evening you are here for the opening of the Cause for the Beatification of Luisa.
There is something particular in that we don't know why or how, but the name of Luisa "La Santa" is very well known in your country -- more than here. I hope that you will continue to love her but, at the same time, be careful because Luisa "La Santa" is not easy to understand; it's not easy to understand her writings, her offering, her position, and also what she said referring to God, referring to the Angels, to God the Creator, to God and his Will.
I hope that you are always prudent and also intelligent because we have the responsibility to be careful, and careful not to try our Faith.
In the States there are some who don't understand too much about what she wrote, but they are doing a lot of propaganda. Be careful not to go away from our Church because Luisa offered her life totally for the Church. Be careful, also, to seek really what is spoken in the books about her position, her proposition and also when she speaks about the Lord and about the Will of the Lord.
I don't know why, but certainly in the States there are many people who love Luisa. What it means, I don't know; but there is only one preoccupation for us; and, at least if not for us, for me, the Bishop who is responsible now for the Cause of Beatification, to be sure that our Faith or the name of Luisa will be stronger and also more clear.
You have to do some work to understand what she wrote and also be careful not to falsify what she wrote. The principal work of Luisa was only that, the Will of God at every moment, always God's Will.
This has to be our point, and also the thing that we have to do -- everyone to be in love with God and also ready to offer our sacrifice for his Will.
Thank you for your presence here, and Luisa will accompany you as you go back to your homes.
3. Archbishop Cassati finished his Homily in Spanish.
(The following is part of his address in Spanish)
"I would like for those who speak Spanish to also know that the name of Luisa is continuing to spread in Mexico and among Spanish-speaking people also in the United States. ...
... we are pleased that you have come all the way here. We must also have the obligation of advising and asking you all to be in conformity with the Will of God which is manifested through what the Church teaches, and not by what others teach in Luisa's name. Everything must be in conformity with the teaching of the Church and not with the personal interpretation of 'what I want Luisa to say.'
Luisa spoke and wrote in a manner all her own, but she spoke about God and wrote about God. And now we are not the ones to interpret Luisa so that she says what 'I want,' for my own interests.
Archbishop Cassati concluded by thanking Spanish-speaking visitors for their presence, saying that when they returned to their own countries and homes, they should know that, here in Italy, he and those working with him are trying hard to do the Will of God, and don't want anything to take place that would reflect badly on Luisa's name and cause a setback to the Cause for her Beatification.