a journey of love, love generates love, a fertile celibate love

Abbreviations

Contents

Introduction

Quando il Signore mi chiamò allo stato ecclesiastico mi trovavo

al primo anno di legge all�Università di Malta. Adesso faccio il terzo di Teologia alla Gregoriana. L�esame per il baccellerato è andato maluccio, da tre voti ho avuto due col vix; perciò tra quel che è in me ed il rigore degli esami, la speranza di ulteriori gradi è molto ridotta. In Diritto Canonico forse ci riesco di più. Siccome nelle mie communioni una delle prime grazie che chiedo al Signore, è appunto di farmi conoscere la sua volontà, credo che il ri uto motivato, mi sia stato da Lui suggerito� (DPA

1De Piro, a receiver of love

2De Piro, a giver of love

The one reason De Piro brought out against his becoming priest showed that he was conscious of the existence and power of his sexual needs, �1. The animal instinct of the conjugal life� 2. and so the fear that during my celibate life, in the struggle between spirit and matter the latter might have the upper hand.�142 When Joseph was deciding in favour of his going to St Joseph�s, Malta, and on the other hand against his studying at the �Accademia�, he mentioned another two needs which he felt he had to educate in him:

3De Piro generated a Society:

evangelisation and the charitable institutes in Malta

�� he, who has suffered so much for me, a

sinner.�

After the Society was started in 1910, De Piro continued living both �the rst� and �the second particular words�, but exactly because the Society was then founded there was a change of circumstances and there was therefore the need of another �particular word�. And the Lord provided him with one: �If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the workers labour�.

�If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the

workers labour.�

The Lay Brothers

4De Piro and the Society:

evangelisation to the Maltese migrants and the ad gentes countries

Appendix IThe Founder�s Charism or

the Charism of a Founder and

The Foundational Charism or the Charism of Foundation

Appendix IIFurther Reading

Appendix IIIIndividual Spirituality