Canticle Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the
Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the
Lord.
Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless
the
Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever.
Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever.
Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for
ever.
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November 6th - Bl. Nuno Alvares Pereira
Blessed Nuno Alvares Pereira died a Carmelite monk in a Lisbon monastery.
Nuno Alvares Pereira was born in 1360 at Bom Jardim near Lisbon, Portugal.
He married at age 17, and was named commander of Portugal's armies when he
was 23 by the Grand Master of the Knights of Aviz, who became King John I.
These Portuguese knights took up arms to keep from falling under Spanish
domination. Under Blessed Nuno's command, the tide was turned and Portugal
triumphed at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, when the Castilian forces
were defeated by a smaller but better-organized Portuguese army. After the
death of his wife, Nuno became a Carmelite monk in a monastery he had
founded in Lisbon. Called the Constable, he is one of the great heroes of
Portugal.
The first military campaigns of Nuno Alvares Pereira were, according to
his
own words, simple skirmishes on the borders of Portugal. He was an
impetuous
and brave young man who soon showed himself to be an excellent leader.
On a certain occasion, for example, a great Castilian fleet had appeared
in
Lisbon to blockade its port and invade the city. One day Nuno Alvares came
upon 250 Castilians who were coming ashore from their boats. He gathered
60
men and went to face them. He and a few knights charged them in an attack,
but the rest of his company remained behind in fear.
His horse was wounded and fell on his leg, trapping him. When the
Castilians
saw the Portuguese commander in this position, they took courage and made
a
strong counter-attack. But when the rest of the Portuguese combatants saw
that Nuno had continued to attack the enemy, even from the ground, they
took
courage and began to fight, entering the fray with great fury. Although
the
Portuguese were outnumbered four to one, under Nuno's command they put the
Castilians to flight and killed almost all.
On August 15, 1243, Nuno was admitted into the Carmelite Order as a simple
monk under the name of Nuno de Santa Maria [Nuno of St. Mary]. He became a
great religious, just as he was a great soldier. With him in the monastery
was a priest who, before his ordination, had been a soldier and served
under
Nuno's command. When he used to pass, the monk Nuno would kiss the mantle
of
the priest as a sign of respect for his dignity. In his turn, the priest
used to say that one of the greatest honors of his life had been to serve
as
a page of the Constable.
During the last year of his life, Nuno was visited by King John I, who
embraced him for the last time. The King wept, for he considered Nuno his
closest friend, the one who had put him on the throne and established with
him the Royal House of Bragança.
When Nuno realized his last hour had arrived, he asked that the Passion of
Our Lord from the Gospel of St. John be read aloud. He expired as the
lector
pronounced Our Lord's words from the Cross: "Ecce Mater Tua." [Behold Thy
Mother] Blessed Nuno was renowned for his devotion to Our Lady and did
much
to spread the devotions of the rosary and scapular in Portugal.
On his tomb one can read this epitaph:
"Here lies that famous Nuno, the Constable, founder of the House of
Bragança, excellent general, blessed monk, who during his life on earth so
ardently desired the Kingdom of Heaven that after his death, he merited
the
eternal company of the Saints. His worldly honors were countless, but he
turned his back on them. He was a great Prince, but he made himself a
humble
monk. He founded, built and endowed this church in which his body rests."
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
The episodes narrated in this selection are very significant.
First, in the monastery, there was the beautiful reciprocity of respect
between the Constable - now a monk - and the priest - formerly a page.
When
the priest used to pass, Nuno would rise and go to pay homage to him as a
priest. The latter was honored to have been a page of Dom Nuno Alvares
Pereira when they were in the world. The Catholic spirit is one that
rejoices in recognizing the superiority of others. In that time such joy
was
manifested in signs and addresses of mutual respect and admiration, which
added great valor to Christian Civilization.
Second, you can see how Dom Nuno went to battle with the energy of his
whole
personality, communicating his courage to all the others. He was the
opposite of that kind of soft, sentimental usher we know from so many
churches, the kind who appears timid and fearful, turned primarily toward
his small spiritual interests. Dom Nuno showed how the true Catholic
warrior
should carry himself and fight with courage, communicating strength to his
companions.
Third, the adieu of the King to Blessed Nuno was also magnificent. At that
time you can see that persons had no fear of death. It was frequent for a
man to have a presentiment of his approaching end. If he were strong
enough,
he would visit his close friends and relatives to say farewell. Likewise,
the persons who knew him would be advised so that they could come to visit
and say a final adieu. Everyone took this naturally, because people had
faith. The persons who would remain in this life used to ask favors of the
one who was dying: "I ask that you recommend me to Our Lady." "When you
will
see my patroness, please remind her that I still need this and that."
It was a time of courtesy, and people even used to die politely and
elegantly. If someone was leaving this earth, the polite thing to do was
to
visit him and say farewell. He would express his gratitude, give or
receive
some good counsel, show his esteem for the last time. This was why the
King
went to visit Blessed Nuno. Dom John wanted to manifest his friendship for
Blessed Nuno Alvares Pereira. Seeing him, the King wept, they embraced,
and
then each one went his own way. Nuno Alvares died, and in Heaven prayed
for
the King, his friend.
It was a time of graceful manners. You can see how such elegance and
virtue
go well together and bestow a mutual excellence, one to the other. This
excellence comes from the tranquility that exudes from a society of souls
that lives with its eyes directed to Heaven.
Let us ask Blessed Nuno Alvares Pereira to give us his courage and his
piety
to fight for the cause of Our Lady and the Holy Church so threatened in
our
days, even when we must fight against great odds. Also let us ask Our Lady
to restore Christendom and establish her Reign, so that those magnificent
values that existed in the time of Blessed Nuno can once again shine in
society.
Saint Quote:
If the Lord should give you power to raise the dead, He would give much
less
than He does when he bestows suffering. By miracles you would make
yourself
debtor to Him, while by suffering He may become debtor to you. And even if
sufferings had no other reward than being able to bear something for that
God who loves you, is not this a great reward and a sufficient
remuneration?
Whoever loves, understands what I say.
-Saint John Chrysostom
Bible Quote:
Above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. Col. 3:14
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ABANDONMENT TO THE DIVINE WILL
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; Do with me what
You will. Whatever You may do, I thank You: I am ready for
all, I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, And in all
Your creatures- I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into Your
hands I commend my soul; I offer it to You with all the love of
my heart, For I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself to
surrender my self into Your hands without reserve, and with
boundless confidence, for You are my Father. Amen
(Brother Charles de Foucauld)
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