- Romans 6:11-14 -
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in
Christ
Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey
its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as
instruments
of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been
brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as
instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because
you
are not under law, but under grace.
___________________________________________________________
God desires that each of his children grow in righteousness and reflect
the
nature of his Son Jesus Christ. He understands that maturing our faith is
a
lifelong process. Sometimes we will make mistakes and fall into sinful
patterns from which we must be restored. Our Father is pleased to draw us
back into a right relation****p because his grace is infinite. No sin will
ever be greater - or more frequent - than his capacity to forgive.
<<>><<>><<>>
February 22nd - St. Margaret of Cortona, Mystic
A penitent of the Third Order of St. Francis, born at Laviano in Tuscany
in
1247; died at Cortona, 22 February, 1297. At the age of seven years
Margaret
lost her mother and two years later her father married a second time.
Between the daughter and her step-mother there seems to have been but
little
sympathy or affection, and Margaret was one of those natures who crave
affection. When about seventeen years of age she made the acquaintance of
a
young cavalier, who, some say, was a son of Gugliemo di Pecora, lord of
Valiano, with whom she one night fled from her father's house. Margaret in
her confessions does not mention her lover's name. For nine years she
lived
with him in his castle near Montepulciano, and a son was born to them.
Frequently she besought her lover to marry her; he as often promised to do
so, but never did. In her confessions she expressly says that she
consented
to her lover's im****tunities unwillingly. Wadding and others who have
described her in these early years as an abandoned woman, either had not
rightly read her legend, or had deepened the shadows of her early life to
make her conversion seem the more wonderful. Even during this period
Margaret was very compassionate towards the poor and relieved their wants;
she was also accustomed to seek out quiet places where she would dream of
a
life given to virtue and the love of God. Once some of her neighbors bade
her look to her soul before it was too late. She replied that they need
have
no fear of her, for that she would die a saint and that her critics would
come as pilgrims to her shrine.
She was at last set free from her life of sin by the tragic death of her
lover, who was murdered whilst on a journey. Margaret's first intimation
of
his death was the return of his favourite hound without its master. The
hound led her to his body. It was characteristic of her generosity that
she
blamed herself for his irregular life, and began to loathe her beauty
which
had fascinated him. She returned to his relatives all the jewels and
property he had given her and left his home; and with her little son set
out
for her father's house. Her father would have received her, but his wife
refused, and Margaret and her son were turned adrift. For a moment she
felt
tempted to trade upon her beauty; but she prayed earnestly and in her soul
she seemed to hear a voice bidding her go to the Franciscan Friars at
Cortona and put herself under their spiritual direction. On her arrival at
Cortona, two ladies, noticing her loneliness, offered her assistance and
took her home with them. They afterwards introduced her to the Franciscan
Friars at the church of San Francesco in the city. For three years
Margaret
had to struggle hard with temptations. Naturally of a gay spirit, she felt
much drawn to the world. But temptation only convinced her the more of the
necessity of self-discipline and an entire consecration of herself to
religion. At times remorse for the past would have led her into
intemperate
self-mortifications, but for the wise advice of her confessors. As it was,
she fasted rigorously, abstaining altogether from flesh-meat, and
generally
subsisting upon bread and herbs. Her great physical vitality made such
penance a necessity to her.
After three years of probation Margaret was admitted to the Third Order of
St. Francis, and from this time she lived in strict poverty. Following the
example of St. Francis, she went and begged her bread. But whilst thus
living on alms, she gave her services freely to others; especially to the
sick-poor whom she nursed. It was about the time that she became a
Franciscan tertiary that the revelations began which form the chief
feature
in her story. It was in the year 1277, as she was praying in the church of
the Franciscan Friars, that she seemed to hear these words: "What is thy
wish, poverella?" and she replied: "I neither seek nor wish for aught but
Thee, my Lord Jesus." From this time forth she lived in intimate communing
with Christ. At first He always addressed her as "poverella", and only
after
a time of probation and purification did He call her "My child". But
Margaret, though coming to lead more and more the life of a recluse, was
yet
active in the service of others. She prevailed upon the city of Cortona to
found a hospital for the sick-poor, and to supply nurses for the hospital,
she instituted a congregation of Tertiary Sisters, known as le poverelle.
She also established a confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy; the members of
which bound themselves to sup****t the hospital, and to help the needy
wherever found, and particularly the respectable poor. Moreover on several
occasions Margaret intervened in public affairs for the aim of putting an
end to civic feuds. Twice in obedience to a Divine command, she upbraided
Guglielmo Ubertini Pazzi, Bishop of Arezzo, in which diocese Cortona was
situated, because he lived more like a secular prince and soldier, than
like
a pastor of souls. This prelate was killed in battle at Bibbiena in 1289.
The year previous to this, Margaret for the sake of greater quiet had
removed her lodging from the hospital she had founded to near the ruined
church of St. Basil above the city. This church she now caused to be
repaired. It was here that she spent her last years, and in this church
she
was buried. But after her death it was rebuilt in more magnificent style
and
dedicated in her own name. There her body remains enshrined to this day,
incorrupt, in a silver shrine over the high-altar. Although honoured as a
beata from the time of her death, Margaret was not canonized until 16 May,
1728.
The original "Legend of St. Margaret" was written by her director and
friend, Fra Giunta Bevegnati. It is almost entirely taken up with her
revelations, and was mainly dictated by Margaret herself, in obedience to
her directors. It is published by the Bollandists in "Acta SS., mense
Februarii, die 22". The most notable edition of the "Legend" however is
that
published in 1793 by da Pelago, together with an Italian translation and
twelve learned dissertations dealing with the life and times of the saint.
In 1897 a new edition of da Pelago's work, but without the dissertations,
was published at Siena by Crivelli. An English version of the greater part
of the "Legend", with an introductory essay, has been published by Fr.
Cuthbert, O.S.F.C. (London, 1906).
This version taken from:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09653b.htm
Saint Quote:
The missionaries will have to understand that they are stones hid under
the
earth, which will perhaps never come to light, but which will become part
of
the foundations of a vast, new building.
-Saint Daniel Comboni
Bible Quote:
Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the
kingdom. St. Luke 12:32
<><><><>
To Thee all Angels cry aloud
"He seeks not how each instant flies,
One moment is Eternity;
His spirit with the Angels cries
To Thee, to Thee, continually.
"What if, Isaiah-like, he know
His heart be weak, his lips unclean,
His nature vile, his office low,
His dwelling and his people mean?
"To such the Angels spake of old-
To such of yore, the glory came;
These altar fires can ne'er grow cold:
Then be it his, that cleansing flame."
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