Il Sorriso nella Croce: The Smile from the Cross.

After the initial pages, which include the Aims that we translated (see below), the new booklet by D. Eugenia Signorile,  Il Sorriso nella Croce (103 pages), is developed in ten chapters which describe the main stages of the life of Alexandrina da Costa in the autobiographical style of Solo per Amore! It ends with a brief epilogue.

It serves as a companion volume to a second improved edition of Croce e Sorriso, and is as attractive visually.

The aims of the book are attributed to a Blessed Alexandrina Group, which D. Eugenia runs.

Aims.
The knowledge of Blessed Alexandrina is spreading rapidly to the ends of the earth and amazes all in the great wonders wrought by God's grace and by the strength of the love of this great mystic.

The Group presents here a short biography that wants to highlight Alexandrina in her mission of soul-victim, a member of the mystical body of Jesus who continues the work of redemption (Paul, Col I, 24).

The object is to make the reader ponder the role of the soul-victim.

It is true that not every reader will be asked to offer himself as a victim soul!
But we are anxious that, in meditating on these pages, souls feel encouraged to capitalize on their own misfortunes by offering them in union with the love of Jesus for the salvation of souls.

On the role of a victim soul, Jesus said to Alexandrina:

"I, to save sinners, choose souls, put the cross on their shoulders and subject myself to help them carry it.

Happy the soul who understands the value of suffering! " L (10-1-35)

And to another mystical soul, who prefers to remain anonymous, He addressed with the following plea.

"MY PLEA FOR URGENT LOVE"

"To save the world

I need consecrated souls

who will be true co-redeeming spouses.

I do not have enough of them, I need them;

give me these souls.

Belong to the number of these souls!

My heart awaits you,

my heart begs you!

But know this well:

I, the crucified Spouse, espouse by crucifixion.

A spouse with a true heart serves her Spouse

loving everything that He loves.

Therefore souls consecrated to Me

should be lost in Me, and allow themselves to be consumed by Me and for Me.
They must have, as I have, a burning thirst for the salvation of souls

and the glory of my Father;

to love the cross

and redemptive suffering.

Don’t you want to belong to this number?

Can I demonstrate greater love

than asking it of you?

For you've you I have made Myself a victim:

be you, too, Hosts wholly consecrated! "[1]

Why this insistence on the request for victim-souls? Let us hear what Pius XII said:
‘This is a tremendous mystery, certainly, and about which we can never think enough: the salvation of a large number (of souls)  depends on the prayers and voluntary mortifications, by members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ set apart for this purpose!”

Also meditate on the fact that Our Lady of Fatima urged the three shepherd children to suffer for sinners. And with what commitment those small but great saints welcomed the invitation!

Fr Pinho, in his biography On the Calvary of Balasar says that Alexandrina, born in an era of reparation, is one of those souls who willingly offer themselves as victims of reparation and atonement.

Since then, the situation has continued to deteriorate: in 1940 Alexandrina humbled herself to write to the head of government (Salazar) and the Patriarch Cardinal (D. Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira) asking for legislation to control dress and conduct codes on beaches.

And today? There is no need to go to the beach to see so much immorality!
If we want to be truly Christians, not only in name, we must feel the impulse to love our brothers who live a life of perdition, and offer our sufferings in everyday life in a spirit of atonement and redemption, following the path that Jesus has chosen for us, which rarely is the one of victim soul.

Our commitment must be to love.

Jesus says, "My cross is sweet, if taken up for my love" L (l0-1-35); also, it follows, for love of ones brethren. And He added: "To the soul that loves Jesus passionately, Calvary is Tabor." S (27-4-51)

On arriving at the end of her Calvary, Alexandrina said: "To bear the pain you need to embed yourself in love." S (26-8-55)

This is what has compelled us to illustrate the figure of Blessed Alexandrina in this volume, highlighting her smile in the midst of so much pain.

The Group

September 14, 2010

Exaltation of the Cross
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Note - The letters L and S are the letters to “Letters to Father Mariano” Pinho and to “Sentiments of the Soul”.
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[1] Monier-Vinard, Cum Clamore Valido, Genoa, Marietti, 1954.