PROPER OFFICES
BLESSED ARTEMIDES ZATTI
13 November
Blessed ARTEMIDES ZATTI, religious
(For the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and for the Volunteers of Don Bosco: optional memorial)
Artemides Zatti was born in Boretto (Reggio Emilia, Italy) on 12 October 1880. He very soon experienced a hard life of sacrifice, so that at nine years of age he was earning his living as a farm labourer. Under the constraints of poverty at the beginning of 1897 his family emigrated to Argentina and settled in Bahía Blanca. Here Artemides began to attend the parish in the care of the Salesians.
Advised to become a Salesian, he was accepted as an aspirant by Bishop John Cagliero and, now a twenty year old entered the house of Bernal where among other things he was given the task of looking after a young priest suffering from tuberculosis. Artemides himself contracted the disease. He was therefore sent to the hospital of San José in Viedma. Here he was looked after in a special way by the priest and qualified doctor Fr Evaristo Garrone. With him, he asked and obtained from Mary Help of Christians the grace of a cure, as on his part he promised to dedicate his whole life to caring for the sick.
He was cured and he kept his promise. In 1908 he made his perpetual profession. At first he began to be responsible for the pharmacy attached to the hospital. Later he had full responsibility for the hospital, which became the training ground for his holiness. This was in absolute dedication to his sick.
In 1913 he was the driving force behind the building of the new hospital which was then demolished in 1941 to make room for the residence of the bishop of the newly created diocese of Viedma. Without being discouraged he set up another. Like Don Bosco, he made Providence the first and safest source of income for his works. Suffering from cancer, he died on 15 March 1951. John Paul II beatified him on 14 April 2002. His mortal remains are in the chapel of the Salesians in Viedma.
From the Common of saints: for religious. Psalms of the day as in the Ordinary.
Office of Readings
Second Reading
From the Letters of Blessed Artemides Zatti
(Positio super virtutibus, Rome 1990, pp. 375-377, passim
Cf. Archivo Historico de las Misiones de la Patagonia)
Peace and perfect tranquillity
the prelude of that which God has prepared in heaven for all his chosen ones
As far as my not being able to go ahead with my vocation is concerned on account of having begun to study late in life, I will give you the answer which St Paul gave to the Philippians that «he who began a good work in me will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ », that is to say, that God who called me to the religious state will give me all that is necessary to follow him; where on the contrary he threatens me, if I do not persevere, with exclusion from the kingdom of heaven saying in the holy Gospel that “whoever puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God”; and if I am sick I always give thanks to God for my illness since I am certain it is for my benefit both spiritual and material that he has permitted it.
In any case, my dear parents and brothers and sisters, be at peace, and don’t think about me since as far as I am concerned I don’t want to return; and as far as God is concerned I am sure; because if I am in the Salesian Congregation I owe it to Mary the Most Holy Help of Christians who brought me here as she promised Don Bosco, telling him in a vision in which Don Bosco himself saw that in the future his colleges would be filled with so many people and he did not know where they would all come from and that he couldn’t deal with all of them himself, Mary told him that it was she who would bring all these people to free them from the many evils and dangers there are in the world […]
I am very happy to know that thanks to God you are enjoying good health, and I never forget in my poor unworthy prayers to ask our Good God to keep you in health of body, but even more in that of the spirit, especially when I think that in the world there are so many dangers and occasions to offend him! and to be corrupted!...
Ah! Truly I tell you, this thought torments me; but at the same time it doesn’t stop being a salutary one, since in this way I can find reasons to thank God for having taken me from the accursed world and brought me into this Holy Congregation, where I enjoy a peace and perfect tranquillity the prelude of that which God has prepared in heaven for all his chosen ones […]
I hope that the Good God will grant you all the graces you desire; and to this end all the prayers including Holy Communion, on the day of Saint Aloysius and the days before will according to your intentions. So please don’t have any fear or shame in asking for graces. Ask and you shall receive, and the more you ask the more you will obtain; because whoever asks much, receives much; whoever little, receives little; and who asks nothing, receives nothing.
Our Good Jesus has said this.
These graces which you will receive if you ask, don’t think that you obtain them through your merits. Certainly not! It would be a heresy to believe so; but you will obtain them through the merits of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Mary Most Holy and her great servant Saint Aloysius.
Here I won’t go into the graces you ought to ask for, you know them well yourselves. I will only put one before you and it is that all of us can love and serve God in this world and then enjoy him for ever in the next. Oh! What happiness then, to be able to be all together, without any fear of ever being separated again!... oh, yes, this grace you really do have to ask for. And if some times we have to suffer something, be patient!... in paradise we shall have our reward, if we have suffered for the love of our Dear Jesus and we remember that the sufferings are temporary and the joy is eternal!
Responsory Eph 5, 8-9; Mt 5, 14.16
R/. You are the light of the Lord: behave like sons of the light. * The fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.
V/. You are the light of the world: let your light shine in the sight of men.
R/. The fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.
Concluding prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Morning Prayer
Scripture Reading Rm 12, 1-2
My brothers, I implore you by God’s mercy to offer your very selves to him: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance; the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world, but let your minds be remade, and you whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.
.
Short Responsory
R/. The law of God guides him, * his mind is fixed on God.
The law of God guides him, his mind is fixed on God.
V/. His steps will never falter
* his mind is fixed on God.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
The law of God guides him, his mind is fixed on God.
Ant. At the Ben. Whoever does the will of my Father, says the Lord, is my brother, and sister, and mother.
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Intercessions
At the beginning of this new day we raise our prayers to God our Father the source of all goodness so that all our plans and efforts may be in the service of that Kingdom for the spreading of which Blessed Artemides gave his whole life.
Guide our steps O Lord, along the right path.
God of life, you call everyone to the service of your kingdom so that all may feel themselves united by the bond of love:
– grant that our hearts may always be open to welcome your Word with courage.
God of hope, you have shown in the life of everyone the secret that evil can be conquered or accepted with love:
– renew our gaze of faith so that we may recognise you present in every situation.
God of expectations, you give everyone precious occasions in which to discover the true meaning of time and of human activity:
– grant that we may live the time given us with active faith and burning love.
God of joy, you can make the face of even those who suffer shine when they accept the mystery of the cross of your Son:
– grant to us, following the example of Blessed Artemides, eyes to see Christ transfigured in those who suffer in mind and body.
God of peace, you alone can satisfy every expectation in the hearts of men always searching:
– grant that our gaze may reach beyond the limited horizon of daily life to be absorbed in you.alone.
Our Father.
Prayer
O God, who in the humble and the little ones
manifest in a wonderful manner the great works of your grace,
we humbly pray that through the intercession of Blessed Artemides,
in our brothers and sisters who are suffering in body and in spirit
we may each day perceive more clearly the face of Christ,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Evening Prayer
Scripture Reading Rm 8, 28-30
We are well assured that everything helps to secure the good of those who love God, those whom he has called in fulfilment of his design. All those who from the first were known to him, he has destined from the first to be moulded into the image of his Son, who is thus to become the eldest-born among many brethren. So predestined, he called them; so called, he justified them; so justified, he glorified them.
Short Responsory
R/. The Lord is good; * he loves good deeds.
The Lord is good; he loves good deeds..
V/. His face is turned towards the upright man.
* he loves good deeds..
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
The Lord is good; he loves good deeds.
Ant. At the Magn. You have left all things and followed me; you will be repaid a hundred times over, and gain eternal life.
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Intercessions
To Christ the Lord who proclaimed yourself the Way, the Truth and the Life and raised up in the Church Blessed Artemides, we make our common prayer:
Guide us Lord on the path of holiness.
You have presented yourself as the way to be followed in order to achieve total fulfilment as people in the service of your kingdom:
– guide our steps on the right paths especially in the service of poor and abandoned young people.
You have made yourself known as the only truth which can give meaning to the many forms of emptiness in every age:
– support our efforts so that our desire to seek you even after we have found you may not be in vain.
You offered yourself as life for the world sacrificing your life until the total and supreme gift of the cross:
– grant that following the example of Blessed Artemides we may draw from your mystery of passion and glory the strength to imitate you in giving ourselves to those most in need.
You called Blessed Artemides to follow you on the path traced out by Saint John Bosco, as a missionary of the Gospel:
– bless those who are engaged in spreading your kingdom by proclaiming the Gospel, and give holy missionary vocations to the Salesian Family.
You promised your joy to the ‘good and faithful servant’ who worked in your service and that of his brothers and sisters:
– welcome all those who have worked in the Salesian Family and have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection.
Our Father.
Prayer
O God, who in the humble and the little ones
manifest in a wonderful manner the great works of your grace,
we humbly pray that through the intercession of Blessed Artemides,
in our brothers and sisters who are suffering in body and in spirit
we may each day perceive more clearly the face of Christ,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
