BLESSED ALEXANDRINA’S WRITINGS
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The first letter to Fr. Pinho
It is natural that people are curious to know Bld Alexandrina’s story, but is equally natural that this curiosity leads them to her writings. In them she can be appreciated in her own words and, above all, what Jesus and His Mother want to say us can be revealed through those words.
Therefore, from now on we will place excerpts from her writings here. Today it is this letter to Fr Pinho, indeed the first letter that she wrote to him; next time it could be a page from “Feelings of the Soul” or from the “Autobiography”, and so on.
Already some traces of her style, perhaps the main ones, are defined here. These are: clarity, lightness, unpretentiousness, delicacy, a humanity of excellent quality, a piety full of good-sense. Unlike many other pages of hers, in this letter we hear only her voice, neither Jesus nor His holy Mother are invoked.
Balasar, 28th August 1933.Viva Jesus!
Dear Father Pinho,
How have you been since the 20th until now? The great pressure of work did not aggravate the health of Your
Reverence? I have always asked Our Lord for this; may my prayers be heard. As for me, I have been having great trouble with my heart; I have lost my strength and therefore I have asked my sister to write this letter for me so that I do not exert too much effort.
Now I have to thank Your Reverence for the booklet that you sent me (we do not what kind of book it was). It is not easy to imagine how delighted I was! Only one hour before I was crying because I felt so lonely, but then I got to thinking of the words that you spoke to me, these gave so much consolation to my poor soul; and with what affection you dealt with this poor patient! And now to think that I am so far from Your Reverence! But I recognize that I am unworthy of so great a grace, I mean that of being able to talk more often to you; but I see that Our Lord looks after me because He ordained that you, Rev Father, even in middle of so much work, could not forget me.
I received the Your Reverence’s letter and I read it many times. Reading it I felt myself growing stronger to love Our Lord and in the resolve to suffer everything for Him that comes from His most holy Will. I did not neglect, nor can I ever neglect, everything you asked of me. And I ask that you continue to have the charity to pray for me.
Will I have the consolation of having your visit on the next 16th? About the car, I hope that it can be arranged, but I hope, too, that Your Reverence does us the favour of letting us know for certain if you are coming, and at what hour, so that we can prepare ourselves; there could be difficulties on that day due to the festival of Our Lady of Sorrows in Póvoa; but in the event that you do not arrange the car, a nephew of Rev. Parish Priest of Cavalões, who is our cousin, has a very good motorbike that can carry people, and I think he will help you, if it is necessary – unless, of course, Your Reverence cannot ride on it, because of your current state of health. But if that is so, we will arrange a car. What I could not bear would be to be deprived of your visit! The time of your arrival must be what best suits you but if it is in the morning, we would like Your Reverence to lunch with us.
I ask for pardon for all my faults.
My mother and sister wish to be remembered to you; Your Reverence was not wrong, my sister was confined to bed for a while. I ask you to bless
Alexandrina Maria da Costa
