On the occurrence of the 45th anniversary of his priestly ordination, H. E. Mons. Claudio Gatti has raised, before Jesus the Eucharist, this spontaneous prayer, because with the help of His grace, together with Marisa, he has always done the will of God with love and suffering.

Jesus the Eucharist, God our brother, it is to You that, at this moment, I give thanks and show my gratitude, because You have given us once more the joy and the possibility to exalt and praise You. For your will, we as your creatures, have been raised to the dignity to be your brothers. We pride ourselves to praise, adore, and let the Eucharist triumph. Today, more than ever, this thank is extended to all 45 years of my priestly life: 9th March 1963 - 9th March 2008. I thank You before my brothers, for in these 45 years of priestly life You have helped, protected and sustained me in such a way that, even thinking to my weakness, I can say: "Thank you, Jesus, for I have never betrayed you in all these years".
Ninth March 1963, I am prostrated at the altar feet, deeply moved and touched and while the others are singing the litany of the saints, I am conversing with You, my God. I did not know, at that time, that the Mother of the Eucharist was next to me, and she was praying for me together with Marisa. On that day You said to me: "You are priest forever in accordance with the order of Melchizedek", and to Marisa: "Your vocation is not a sacrament, but it is sustaining the sacrament". In the following years You let us understand that to be effective in his pastoral action, the priest needs to have a victim by his side. Along all these 45 years the priest and the victim have united their suffering and their pure, chaste, sincere love. You have given us many gifts and now, after 45 years, we offer You, contained in a big golden casket, studded with precious stones, the fruit of our work. Gold stands for the love You have taught us to live and practice, the precious stones stand for the sufferings that, under diverse names, You have given us as a gift. These sufferings in Your plans were required to let the Eucharist and the Mother of the Eucharist triumph and to revive the Church.
This marvelous triptych that makes one shudder to think of it, is by now at two third of its completion because Your grace has never forsaken us. And now, Lord, we are in the nearness of the third triumph, the triumph of the Church. They have blamed us of not loving the Church, but I, here before You, have no fear to state that nobody has so much loved it as me and Marisa. This is what You said, every time You have thanked us for everything we have done for the Church. It is our Mother and for us it is a suffering to still see it today hurt and humiliated by those people who are supposed to defend and serve it. Oh Jesus the Eucharist, Head and Founder of the Church, I entrust it to you, I place it in the ripped wound of your side, there it could be guarded, revitalized and again gallantly exposed to be light, guidance, comfort for the whole world. Only You, Lord, are able to render the disfigured face of the Church, young, beautiful, luminous and brilliant. Jesus, our brother, your life extended for about thirty-seven years. Doesn't this number say You anything? We too, by now, we are reaching the threshold of the thirty-seventh year in the mission, and this gives us hope. Allow me to draw close to yours, our thirty-seven years, where we have tasted all the gall bitterness that your ministries, unworthy to have this name, and the world have made us taste. For the second reading in today's Eucharistic celebration, I have chosen Paul's marvelous, vibrating, passionate passage, where, with frankness and suffering, tells of everything he had to bear for You. If I and Marisa, had had to do the same, allow me to tell You with frankness and without presumptuousness, the lines Paul wrote would not be enough. You have said that no saint suffered as we did, so it is right what I say, it is not presumptuousness. You have always said that humility is truth and You know that lies, deception and falsehood I abhor. Jesus the Eucharist, today, beyond the Church, I entrust You all the Clergy. You, God, are able to look into the heart of every priest, from the highest to the smallest authority and You allowed also me and Marisa to look into their heart. Just as You did, we withdrew, horrified and frightened. How is it possible, Jesus, that your priests have fallen so low? Bring them back to the purity of life, to the ministry generosity, to the suffered and crucified love essential for the shepherds. I, little servant of yours, with the Mother of the Eucharist, S. Joseph, grandmother Iolanda, Marisa, all the angels and saints, my brothers, my sisters, my children, and all the good and honest men on earth, bow before You and implore: "My God, save the Church and let it revive".
Bless, Daddy God, Brother God, Friend God, this letter you have asked me to send to 68 cardinals. While I was writing it, I felt You were with me, suggesting the words to me, for You know, and I cannot hide it that I was very tired and busy with many problems and humanly I could not have written that letter in such a short time and in such a clear and sharp way. We are waiting, praying, but please prepare the recipients path and hearts so they may read it in your light. Now, Jesus, bless all of us. To each of the people here go my thanks and my blessing, for they have withstood the enemy attacks and have defended the truth to be faithful to You and to this thaumaturgic place. They have even met with resistance and struggles within families, among relatives, friends and acquaintances. Each of them is a little apostle who has given testimony of You. See, oh Lord, that from so much shared suffering, the hope may rise that is assurance of realization, allow me to say at the earliest, of your plan. Thank you, Brother God, for you had the patience to listen to our small and poor words coming from people who love You.
To you, Jesus the Eucharist, true man and true God, the praise, honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

Rome, 9th March 2008
Feast of Priesthood

+ Claudio Gatti
Bishop ordained by God
Bishop of the Eucharist