The spiritual legacy of Don Bruno Belfi
A devoted priest. He gave prominence of time and attention to prayer and the cultivation of his devotions to him:
- "to the Most Holy Trinity: to the Father of heaven for his infinite mercy, to the Son who wanted to reveal, in the Incarnation, the Father's mercy, to the Holy Spirit who is the marvelous gift of the Father and of the Son for every creature that presents itself on the shore terrestrial;
- to the Immaculate Virgin: for her maternal protection;
- to the Guardian Angel: diligent prompter of good on the roads of exile;
- to the dear deceased: who never cease to encourage in the ways of good" (Hymn of thanks by Don Bruno on his 80th birthday)
A priest faithful and passionate about his ministry. The mediator who gives everything to reach everyone. He has two daily commitments:
- Confession: He recorded every Radio Maria program on tapes divided by theme: catechesis, spirituality, sacraments, devotions, current problems, thematic conferences, etc. During the meetings in the confessional where he was unable to answer the penitents' questions, he would go up to his room and take the tape corresponding to the problem addressed, hand it to the penitent for him to listen to and reflect on personally and then, eventually, if he still wanted to talk to him again. How many young people have you trained with this method.
- Visiting the sick. Every month he visited about 100 sick people to whom he brought the gift of reconciliation, that of the Eucharist and to several others also his homily from the previous Sunday which he punctually recorded by placing a small tape recorder on the ambo where he preached.
Don Bruno Belfi's path to holiness
Don Bruno Belfi = a gentle giant
Giant: because he is tall, silent, mysterious, surly in character, with a severe and unconfidential gaze.
Good: because he is a faithful, passionate, creative priest in offering the fruits of his priesthood to the faithful, above all from the confessional and from visits to the homes of the sick.
In his Spiritual Testament, Don Bruno states that what he has been and has done in his life must not appear: "Let there be no speeches, which would add nothing to the work done in so many years of silence. Of what remains of what was so-called mine, a beautiful bonfire, a tribute to the burning bush that illuminated my path".
In the funeral homily, the Vicar General of the Work addressed those present who packed the Basilica of San Giuseppe al Trionfale: "I ask you young people, families, brothers and sisters present here in this Basilica, but I would also like to ask the more than 100 sick people whom Don Bruno visited every month for confession and monthly communion: who did you meet when you approached the last confessional of this Church, in these days full of fresh and fragrant flowers? What was that great man who spent hours sitting inside that confessional able to convey to you? Whom did you expect dear sick people in your homes every month? A man of great dialectic, of evident critical skills, a man of broad and multifaceted culture? Hear how he describes himself in his spiritual testament. Listen to what he hoped to be able to convey to you when he met you: “Poor words, engraved solidly in my heart as solid are my mountains; disputed perhaps by many, disputes which, however, do not affect this worker of Christ in the slightest"... And he signs himself: "In my hand: Bruno, as well as Wolfango (without contesting the registry office) Belfi, priest of Christ, of very few talents, but all exploited with the grace of God". He had composed it on June 13, 1995 on the 75th anniversary of his birth ”.
Don Bruno appeared on the outside as a man, a priest, apparently poor, solitary, severe, but those who had the grace to know him, to enter into harmony with him, discovered him rich inside because he was a man entrusted to God; abandoned to God all his life so that He would make of him a channel of grace and mercy that would reach where only He knew the need, the waiting. A man solidly built inside by a Word, that of the Lord, which makes one live and resist even against the strongest and most catching temptations. A man who cared about how God saw him and judged him, because he was aware that what matters in the life of a Christian and a consecrated person is what God thinks of you...others can also get the wrong idea about you, they but God! Don Bruno: a man who let God take care of his life and his life.
In his spiritual testament, Don Bruno describes his suffering over so many years: "The painful experience of so many years may have taught us that it is not the definitive judgment that of men, who live on the same road and taste the same fruits, but trusting of Christ, of his mercy, of his grace, humbly accepting suffering in all its aspects and forms, confirming the offer of silence with prayer. In fact, the word does not always have its effectiveness in clarifying: sometimes it confuses, sometimes it scatters, sometimes it destroys, while admitting the diversity of ends in subjects, already so complex, on the existential level. Humble prayer recomposes, in the long run, the various parts, the different horizons, granting the gladness of the heart, while remaining in adoration at the foot of the cross, next to the Crucified Lord, because there is the certainty of the Easter dawn" (Addition to the text of the last will of 13.06.1995. Rome 13.06.1996).
Again from his Spiritual Testament we take the song of his "magnificat" to God and to men for the good received throughout his life:
“THANKS to the divine mercy for such a great call, for the infinite donations in all the days of this mission.
THANK YOU to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mother, for having guarded the heart from so many dangers.
THANKS to the Guardian Angel, diligent and tireless protector of my steps, for his continuous, precious and loving custody.
THANK YOU for the loving and vigilant intercession of my deceased loved ones, always in my steps, especially present in the hour of pain.
THANK YOU to my spiritual guides who, in silence, supported me, guided me in the ways of the Lord, so that I was a diligent and generous worker, even if endowed with very few talents, inside and outside the beloved Congregation.
THANK YOU to the souls chosen by Christ for his sequel, who have been able to listen humbly and docibly to the suggestions of a poor wayfarer.
THANK YOU for the prayers of so many good brothers and sisters who in secret, without any pomposity, recharged the spirit with ever new energy, even when the gossips tried to blur the horizon, always sincere, charging for errors and arbitrary evaluations.
THANK YOU to all, known and unknown (whom I will know at the coming of the Kingdom of salvation), who wanted to take charge of shadows and storms, real or presumed, to remove the obstacles in the hard earthly pilgrimage; so that the ultimate goal was always present in the mind and heart.
THANK YOU from the depths of myself to those who, with evangelical availability, have spent time and money to find two meters of land for my temporary rest while awaiting the angelic trumpet of the resurrection.
THANK YOU also to those who will be sincere, at least in the face of death and will not pronounce praise, who know of human convenience, but are "liars". I will remind them one by one to the merciful Lord.”
His Spiritual Testament closes with a prayer and an acclamation:
“A tear for the departed evaporates;
a flower on the grave withers;
a prayer, on the other hand, reaches the heart of the Most High” (St. Augustine).
HE IS RISEN, HALLELUJAH! (Addition to the spiritual testament, 13.06.1996/XNUMX/XNUMX).