First “Blessed” of the Jubilee Year

Father Giovanni (John) Merlini, C.PP.S., was the third moderator general of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. His beatification ceremony at the Lateran Basilica in Rome on Jan. 12 was attended by C.PP.S. members. Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S., shares his reflection on the ceremony and the significance of Merlini’s legacy. 

I sat among the 2,600 faithful who filled the Basilica for the beatification ceremony, presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the secretary for the Cause of the Saints, attentive to hear what he would point out about John Merlini. He emphasized how Merlini combined contemplation/prayer and action as well as the friendships he fostered with his fellow Missionaries and with the people entrusted to him for spiritual guidance and accompaniment, especially St. Maria de Mattias, foundress of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. 

In recognizing the virtues of John Merlini, another aspect stood out for me: Merlini is a saint for everyday people! Whether as the moderator general of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (1847-1873), as spiritual director of Maria de Mattias, and of women and men of all categories, he was a man of discernment, of respectful dialogue, and a firm believer that in all things one must fulfill the will of God. He would say, “The day has twenty-four hours. Use them all for God.” Following in the footsteps of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, he was an apostolic missionary who preached the word of God to the great and to the small, advisor and friend of Pius IX, and a promoter of devotion to the Precious Blood. His beatification, now, is a blessing for all. 

One of the first things many people ask when they hear of a new blessed or canonized saint is, “What miracle did he/she perform?” The miraculous healing of a 68-year-old Italian man suffering from severe gastrointestinal bleeding that led to anemia and then to renal failure and heart disease, was attributed to the intercession of John Merlini.   

In light of this, we might ask ourselves: How does one achieve sainthood? 

I once heard this story about a catechist who was speaking to a group of grade school children. They were sitting in a church with beautiful stained glass windows. The question he posed to the students was, “Who is a saint?” The children sat in silence as they pondered the question. Then one young lad, looking up at the images of the saints on the stained glass windows on that sunny morning, answered, “A saint is someone who lets the light shine through.” Oh, that we could see all of reality and others through the eyes of a child! 

Like stained glass windows, every saint lets a different color of God shine through. God calls out people who respond to the needs of the times and places as models for following Jesus. Some stained glass windows depict saints for various blessings: Oscar Romero and Dorothy Day known for their compassion and defense of the poor; Alberto Hurtado of Chile who radiated joy as he advocated for the poor; and stewards of nature like St. Francis of Assisi. Others were “contemplatives” like St. Edith Stein (Benedict of the Cross); John Bosco, educator of youth; promoters of renewal and reconciliation in the Church, like Francis and Clare and Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; St. John Paul II, lover of the young and promoter of social justice. And scores of others through the ages. Some were honored during their lifetime, while others were scorned or even persecuted. Canonization often seems more like a hall of fame for high-profile persons in the Church.   

Sainthood seems to be out of reach for most of us. Yet, we read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:3-4: “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” 

Our path to holiness engages our own talents and temperaments, contends with our own strengths and weaknesses, and responds to the needs of our own neighbors and our particular moments in history. 

Pope Francis states in the apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et exultate”: “We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.” (#14) 

We rub shoulders daily with everyday saints, saints “next door”: parents who sacrifice for their children, hospital and hospice workers, caregivers, social workers who fulfill their duties with love beyond the job description. These are miracles in faithfulness, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, hope, joy, loving care, perseverance, patience, gentleness, and more. They witness to us with their faith and hope, inspire us in our efforts to be faithful. We should look to blesseds and saints as models who reflect the gospel values. We are invited to follow in their footsteps as they lead us into great intimacy and communion with God.   

Mother Theresa of Calcutta offers us a good description of what it means to be holy: “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.” In other words, God’s will is not to be identified with great achievements but with faithfulness in the daily routine of life. 

The saints are like stained glass windows … they let the light shine through with many shades of color and different hues. May the memory of those deceased and those living saints who surround us inspire us to be faithful sojourners and pilgrims of hope.    

Blessed John Merlini, saint of the ordinary, pray for us! 

Father Barry Fischer, C.PP.S.