At some point in 2022 I came across the Latin phrase, Nunc Coepi, for the first time. I had actually been searching for something else online and among my Google search results was the website for the Oblates of the Virgin Mary and its founder, Venerable Bruno Lanteri. It piqued my interest, so I clicked the website and got sucked in. This is where I learned of Lanteri’s special affection for the phrase, Nunc Coepi. I was very moved by what I discovered about Venerable Bruno Lanteri and in particular this simple Latin phrase which means, “Now I Begin”. He says, “If I should fall even a thousand times a day, a thousand times, with peaceful repentance, I will say immediately, Nunc Coepi [Now I Begin].” It is the idea that every time we fall we must begin again immediately, not at some time in the future. We must pick ourselves up and begin again quickly so that we don’t grow weary and lose hope. It is most prudent to begin again, and again, and again. This idea of every moment being an opportunity to begin again makes the effort of renewal and restarting a bit more digestible, and a bit more possible. There is something about piccoli passi (small steps) that minimizes the overwhelm that can exist with beginning again after a misstep.

This phrase, Nunc Coepi, intrigued me. So I added it to my list of “writing prompts” and jotted out a few things that resonated with me. Then it sat, and it sat, and it sat. All of a sudden I began seeing this phrase in many different places. I saw several Catholic businesses producing merchandise with “Nunc Coepi” on them, I saw articles, and social media posts embodying this phrase. It was strange that I had never heard this phrase used and then all of a sudden it seemed to be appearing everywhere. Because it did seem to be appearing everywhere I sidelined it, feeling like everyone else beat me to the punch. The message had been shared and shared from Catholic businesses that have a far bigger reach than my small blog and fledgling shop, so I abandoned it altogether. Still the message of Nunc Coepi, and even more the way of life and teaching that Venerable Bruno Lanteri exhibited and expressed which led him to have a special affection for the phrase never stopped speaking to me and seemingly nudging me.

Reflecting on it over time I came to the conclusion that there must be a reason this phrase hasn’t left me, so I dove back in and started writing. I dug into the life of Venerable Bruno Lanteri, his upbringing, the forming of his faith life, a heresy that fractured a country and troubled Lanteri, and ultimately redemption. To Lanteri, Nunc Coepi wasn’t just a memorable little phrase, it was a reminder to keep moving forward, pointing oneself in the direction of a loving and merciful Father.

In this age of social media, instant gratification, and short quick fires that seem to shine brightly fast and subsequently fade into the abyss that is the overconsumption of online information, the temptation is very much alive to believe that once something has been mentioned or said and an idea or message has had ‘its time’ in the public eye then it becomes ‘old news’ and sharing about it again is just repetitive and unnecessary. The interesting thing about falling into this way of thinking (particularly as a Catholic) is that it’s contrary to the rich Tradition of the Church and the multitude of great Saints that have gone before us. Once we discover something about the Church or the saints and how they might lead us into deeper union and relationship with God the Father, we obviously are not encouraged to quickly learn something about it and move on. Instead we are given the gift of continuing to unpack more, and to go deeper into that relationship with God, the Church that has been established for us through Christ, and the Saints that have paved the way to Heaven before us.

I concluded that there must be a reason this message continues to present itself to my heart and my eyes. I’ve been learning more about the man who patently lived his life in accord with the sentiment of the Latin phrase, Nunc Coepi. He made this idea a key aspect to his pastoral approach, subsequently embedding it into the foundation of the religious order he established, The Oblates of the Blessed Virgin. To understand more about the magnitude of the phrase, Nunc Coepi, I think it’s helpful to know more about Venerable Bruno Lanteri first, as neither the phrase nor Lanteri is one-dimensional.

Father Bruno Lanteri grew up in Cuneo, Italy in a devout Catholic family, which gave him the strength and spiritual tenacity to avoid ever straying from the Catholic faith or depriving himself from a life of grace. His father, Pietro, became the primary and stalwart example of living the faith when Lanteri’s mother died at the age of four. After her death, the young Bruno’s father, “presented the four-year-old boy to a statue of Mary in their parish church, telling him, ‘she is your mother now.’ From this time, Lanteri maintained a deep and persistent devotion to Mary.¹

Later in his life, Father Bruno Lanteri expressed his devotion to the Virgin Mary saying, “I hardly ever knew any other mother than Mary most holy, and I have never received anything but blessings from this Mother, so rich in goodness.”²

In his formative years, Bruno exhibited his desire to dedicate himself totally to God, which ultimately led to his interest in the Carthusians – an enclosed (cloistered) religious order – as he was drawn to the monastic life, but he battled a pulmonary complication that caused him a variety of setbacks, thus his state of health prevented his entry when he was just 17 years old. Bruno then redirected his efforts to the secular priesthood and moved to Turin, Italy, where he spent most of his life and his priestly vocation took root.

At just 19 years of age, Lanteri met Fr. Nikolaus von Diessbach. His meeting with Diessbach would prove to radically impact his life. Diessbach, a former Jesuit (his order was suppressed in 1773), became Lanteri’s spiritual director and mentor. “It may truly be said that “this meeting was the decisive event which determined the direction of his entire life” (Guerber, 111).”

It was precisely during this time that the Church at large was experiencing the effects of the Jansenist heresy, a heresy that obscured the truth of God’s love and seemingly buried the notion that God is a God of love and mercy. To the contrary, Jansenism falsely purported that instead God is severely harsh and merciless.

Through his meeting and direction with Diessbach, Lanteri received healing from the personal suffering he experienced by means of the Jansenist heresy. With guidance from Father Diessbach, Bruno made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and thus the fountain of God’s infinite and unfathomable mercy was made known to him, a discovery that truly transformed him and became, in a sense, his life’s mission. Lanteri would henceforth incorporate a sense of hope and confidence in God and His abundant mercy through his preaching, writings, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and spiritual direction to others.

Additionally, as a student of the writings of the great saint and church father, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bruno Lanteri was bolstered by Eucharistic love, devotion to Mary, dedication to the Holy See, and thus an obedience to the Holy Father that Liguori taught and exhibited. As a result, God’s love and infinite mercy, without a doubt, had proven to be the healing hallmark of Lanteri’s mission. He brought hope to all those he came in contact with.

“We can never hope too much. The one who hopes for everything, obtains everything.”
-Venerable Bruno Lanteri

On September 1, 1826, Pope Leo XII approved the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, an initially small group of priests (led by Lanteri) that were motivated by their entrustment to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom Lanteri credits as the Oblates’ Foundress and teacher, in “reviving the Church in the wake of the spiritual ravages of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era.”³

Dedication to prayer and the Sacraments, a love for God’s Church and the Blessed Virgin Mary, spiritual study and reading, and engagement of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises were crucial in shaping Lanteri’s life and spirituality. As a result, the spirit of hope and resilience that poured forth from Lanteri and embodied the great mission of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, led to their fidelity, growth, and fruitfulness. This resounding spirit of hope and resilience could more succinctly be expressed through Lanteri’s hallmark phrase, Nunc Coepi, Now I Begin. This phrase, Nunc Coepi, was and is a constant reminder that we must get up and try again and again. Even when we feel unworthy or defeated, we must always allow ourselves to be open to the reception of God’s abundant love and mercy, which He chooses to give freely and lovingly.

Linked to this sense of hope was his call to constantly ‘begin again,’ summed up in the scriptural phrase, ‘nunc copei’ (Ps 76:11, Vulgate). His constant use of these words renders them a classically Lanterian expression whose sense is that whenever and however severely we may fall spiritually or morally, nothing is ever lost. In fact, we give the Lord yet a further opportunity to show us mercy. At such moments we “give God the glory of being good and mercifully forgiving with us, as one who never wearies of granting pardon” (Un’esperienza, 77). The one thing that matters is never to give way to discouragement but rather continually to begin again,” so that should I fall even a thousand times a day, a thousand times a day I will begin again” (Positio, 538). Thus he guides people “to serve God with a great and generous heart” (Carteggio, II, 164), to take new initiatives, to consider new possibilities, with courage and energy.⁴

Not only did Lanteri live and teach the phrase, Nunc Coepi, to encourage a constant renewal of mind, spirit, and effort, but he also encouraged and inspired “all who approach him to frequent reception of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the essential ‘channels’ of grace in the spiritual life. Through them comes grace and light; upon them our perseverance depends. In his letters he constantly reminds his directees of this, and invites them to a faithful practice of these two sacraments as the basis of all else.”⁵

When I first encountered the phrase, Nunc Coepi, it is precisely what I needed, a simple reminder of the nature of our spiritual journey, which in itself can often feel cumbersome, monumental, and even sometimes hopelessly impossible due to our nature of defects stemming from original sin. I was (and am always) in need of the simple reminder that all is not lost, Nunc Coepi. Begin again… and again… and again.

This is something I feel we all need to be reminded of due to our aforementioned defective nature, our inherited inclination to sin. There is a great treachery associated with our sinfulness that can, if we are not careful, lead one into a downward spiral and loss of hope. This is not the message or story of Christ our Redeemer, though, nor the future that He has for us. That message of downward spiral and hopelessness is instead the message of the evil one. To combat opening myself to the tricks of Satan, I have found it incredibly helpful to refocus my energy and attention away from doom and gloom and instead toward small, but repeated renewal and hopefulness by way of calling to mind the need to begin again, Nunc Coepi.

“When it comes to our lives and those of others, we often focus on the things we do wrong. Seeing sins and mistakes can call us to question our own goodness and that of others and cause us to make judgments that are not true.

As important as it is to honestly face those areas of our life that need to be transformed and forgiven, we also cannot let them paralyze us. We need to get up quickly and try again – to try to be good, kind generous and loving. The longer we stay down, the more difficult it is to get up. We have to get up again and more and more quickly so that the grace of God’s forgiveness can affect our lives and those of others.”⁶

This notion of becoming paralyzed by our derailment is a very tangible reality to most, I presume. How easy it is to become overwhelmed by the times we fall. How easy it is to hone in on all the wrongs we have committed and to determine our own fate of hopelessness in a sense. When in reality, what is most advantageous for us is a quick and continual renewal of commitment to try again. This is not to ignore our wrongdoings (I would encourage anyone with this recognition to take those wrongdoings to the Confessional), but rather this is to overcome scrupulosity and the belief that we have no hope and could not be loved or forgiven –  lies fed to us by the evil one.

Like it or not, this life is a spiritual battle, and we are confronted on that spiritual battlefield daily. If a maimed soldier allows their body to remain in the open and unprotected space of warfare, they are sure to be further maimed, or worse they may suffer death. So too it goes with our spiritual life, if we allow our missteps, sins, and omissions of good to keep us down in the place where the initial injury occurred, that injury has the very real potential to metastasize and propel us into further decay. Instead, we should migrate our focus to acknowledgement, reconciliation, and renewal. Add to that powerful trio the outpour of God’s limitless mercies, and a reorientation to The One who redeems us is sure to follow, providing strength for the journey ahead.

On the surface the phrase, Nunc Coepi, might seem only to be a simple aid in our day-to-day spiritual journey. While it is that, it is simultaneously so much more than that, just research the effects of the Jensenist heresy in Catholic France. “The atmosphere of the Church in France was plagued by the disordered teaching of Jansenism, which emphasized the sinfulness, and human depravity of the person who was never good enough to approach the throne of grace to receive Holy Communion.”⁷ Imagine the detriment this false teaching might have had on the faithful at that time. I am left to conclude that the Catholic life under this damaging heresy must have felt impossible and hopeless. It very well could have led many to feel that a life striving toward this merciless and unforgiving (albeit a false portrayal of) Christ was utterly pointless. Once one feels something is pointless, the next plausible step is certainly abandonment.

While the phrase may seem small, even insignificant, Nunc Coepi, really was revolutional to many in Catholic France and it didn’t end there. “According to a doctoral thesis written by Jean Gueber, S.J., Venerable Lanteri and his phrase Nunc Coepi, produced monumental effects for the good of Catholic France. Gueber cites a book written in 1832 by Abbe Gosset called Justification of the Moral Theology of St. Alphonsus Liguori. This work of Gosset, who later became a bishop and cardinal in France, became so well known and highly influential that it was taught in the seminaries. Within two years it marked a turning point in the pastoral approach of moral theology, particularly in preaching and in the sacrament of Confession. It brought moral encouragement and hope to the Christian who was trying to live a virtuous life, despite struggles, shortcomings and sinfulness.”⁸ [emphasis mine]

I share this historical tidbit as “This background is important because the influence of Gosset’s work points back to one person, Venerable Bruno Lanteri. The hold that Jansenism had on the Catholic Church in France was reversed within a very short period of time. Father Lanteri, through his writing, preaching and example, prepared the way for the moral theology and spirituality of St. Alphonsus Liguori to take a lasting hold on the Catholic Church in France.”⁹

A simple phrase rooted in ‘Truth in love’ was largely responsible for righting the ship of The Church in France. This is of note, particularly because it highlights the impact that one person dedicated to the Truth can have on the culture and the human person. The snowball effect that took place after that simple Truth rooted in love was enacted caused massive waves in righting the ship and extinguishing the threat of heresy. We, too, should be reminded that each of us in simple ways with dedication to the Truth of Christ through the Catholic Church, and steepened in love, can have monumental effects on the people, the culture, and the world around us. On my part, I know that I have been clinging to the hope of the constantly renewed opportunities to begin again and again. We must keep in mind always that we are invited into this spirit of renewal and that no matter what our wrongdoings might be, we must commit to receive forgiveness and Begin Again. Nunc Coepi.

Lanteri offered a pathway to the faithful to be able to enact this renewal of life as stated on the website of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, “Lanteri spends hours in the confessional and is open to receiving penitents at all hours of the day. Great numbers of clergy, religious and laity come to him for spiritual direction, and many others he reaches through the numerous letters of encouragement he writes.”¹⁰ Let us not forget the importance of the Sacraments in our renewal, namely Confession and the Eucharist.

I leave you with the encouraging written words of Venerable Bruno Lanteri in a letter to Sister Leopolda Mortigliengo, one of his directees. I encourage you to read this letter as if it were written not only for Sister Leopolda Mortigliengo, but also as if it was intimately written for you as I believe these words do ring true for each one of us as well.

“Say with courage: Nunc Coepi – Now I Begin and walk always in the service of God. Do not keep stopping to look back, because he who looks back cannot hasten forward. Do not content yourself with beginning this year. Begin every day, because each day and for each hour of the day the Lord taught us to say in the ‘Our Father:’ Forgive us our trespasses. Give us this day our daily bread. And do you not see that the enemy seeks to take away your tranquility and confidence in God, two dispositions so necessary for praying well? Take there the counsel of St. Teresa, “Let nothing disturb you”, not even your spiritual miseries, because these are the object and the foundation of the infinite mercy of God, which surpasses the malice of all the sins of the world!”¹¹

Remember always that God loves you!
Nunc Coepi,
Jackie

1. Wikipedia contributors. 2024. “Bruno Lanteri.” Wikipedia. March 24, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Lanteri.
2. “Fundamental elements – venerable Bruno Lanteri.” 2023. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. September 22, 2023. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/fundamental-elements/.
3. “History – Venerable Bruno Lanteri.” 2024. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. December 9, 2024. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/history/.
4. “Spiritual Direction – Venerable Bruno Lanteri.” 2018. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. December 18, 2018. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/spiritual-direction/.
5. “Spiritual Direction – Venerable Bruno Lanteri.” 2018. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. December 18, 2018. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/spiritual-direction/.
6. “Nunc Coepi – Venerable Bruno Lanteri.” 2020. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. February 12, 2020. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/nunc-coepi/.
7. “The Impact of Nunc Coepi.” 2020c. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. February 12, 2020. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/nunc-coepi/.
8. “The Impact of Nunc Coepi.” 2020c. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. February 12, 2020. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/nunc-coepi/.
9. “The Impact of Nunc Coepi.” 2020c. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. February 12, 2020. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/nunc-coepi/.
10. “Lanteri’s Traits – Venerable Bruno Lanteri.” 2017. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. April 19, 2017. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/lanteris-traits/.
11. “In Fr. Lanteri’s Writing.” 2020b. Venerable Bruno Lanteri. February 12, 2020. https://www.omvusa.org/bruno-lanteri/about-bruno-lanteri/spirituality/nunc-coepi/.