Lord, give thine angels every day
command to guard us on our way,
and bid them every evening keep
their watch around us while we sleep.
-John Mason Neal
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December 1st - Blessed John of Vercelli, OP (AC)
(also known as John Garbella)
Born at Mosso Santa Maria (near Vercelli), Italy; died at Montpellier,
France,
in 1283; cultus approved in 1903.. He studied at Paris and was ordained
priest
before 1229. He taught canon law at the University of Paris. While he was
professor there, Jordan of Saxony (who was a friend of Saint Albert the
Great)
came to Paris, and John saw one after another of his best pupils desert
their
careers to join the Dominicans. He seems to have considered them quite
objectively, without reference to himself, until the day an interior voice
spoke
to him that it was God's will for him to join the Dominicans. No one can
say
that John did not respond with alacrity; he dropped everything and ran
down
the
street. ("Let me go; I am on my way to God!") Jordan received him happily
and
gave him the habit.
In 1232, John was sent to Vercelli to establish a convent there. He built
this
and several other convents in Lombardy as houses of regular observance.
While
provincial of Lombardy, he also became inquisitor. It was a particularly
difficult moment. His brother in religion, Peter of Verona, had just been
killed
by the heretics in Como. The entire countryside was in a state of war,
with
roving bands of heretics and robbers. It was the task of the new
inquisitor
to
try to bring order out of this chaos, and what John did was remarkable,
considering the situation. In spite of his heavy labors, which included
the
supervision of 600 friars in 28 different cities (he reached them only by
walking), John of Vercelli established the ideals of study and regular
observance in all of his houses.
It was the good fortune of John of Vercelli to live in an age that was
well
peopled by saints. He formed a close friend****p with Saint Louis, the king
of
France. Several of his tasks in the order, particularly the Commission on
the
Program of Studies, he shared with Saint Albert the Great, Saint Thomas
Aquinas,
and Peter of Tarentaise (the future Pope Innocent V). In such company one
would
need to have a superior set of talents; John did.
In 1264 the chapter of the order met at Paris. Blessed Humbert had
resigned
as
master general of the order. John went to the chapter hoping that he could
resign as provincial of Lombardy. Instead of escaping one office, he fell
heir
to a still more difficult one. He was elected master general in 1264 and
served
in that capacity until 1283. John was then a man in his sixties and was,
moreover, handicapped by a crippled leg. However, he accepted the office
which
would require him to walk, not only all over Lombardy, but all over
Europe.
It
took a brand of courage and obedience that was little short of heroic.
During the generalate of John of Vercelli, the relics of Saint Dominic
were
transferred to the new tomb that had been prepared for it by Nicholas of
Pisa.
When the transfer was made, John of Vercelli fixed his seal on the tomb;
the
seals were still intact on their examination in 1946. During the
translation
of
the relics, according to the account in the "Vitae Fratrum", when the body
of
Saint Dominic was exposed to view, the head was seen to turn towards John
of
Vercelli. John, embarrassed, moved to another part of the church and gave
his
place to a cardinal. Whereupon, the head of Saint Dominic was seen by all
to
turn again in John's direction.
On the death of Clement IV, John of Vercelli was very nearly elected pope.
Being
warned of the possibility, he fled in fright. However, his good friend
Cardinal
Visconti, was elected and took the name Gregory X. He appointed John as
legate
on several different missions.
He was commissioned by the pope to draw up the Schema for the second
e***enical
council of Lyons in 1274-that council to which Saint Thomas Aquinas was
hurrying
when death found him on the road. At the council John distinguished
himself
for
his assistance by offering to the council the talents of his best men. At
the
council, he accepted for the Dominican Order the special commission of
promoting
reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus and fighting blasphemy, which was, in
that
day as in ours, a prevalent vice. He can thus be considered the founder of
the
Holy Name Society, even though the Confraternity was not formed until
1432.
Several precious relics were suitably enshrined by John of Vercelli. These
included several thorns from the Crown of Our Lord, which had been given
him
by
Saint Louis of France. The cord of Saint Thomas, with which he had been
guided
by the angels and which he had worn until death, was given into the care
of
the
master general, who gave it to the convent of Vercelli for safe keeping.
John's career was rapidly reaching its end. In 1279, he presided over the
famous
chapter of Paris at which the order made the doctrine of Saint Thomas
officially
its own. The following year he laid the foundations of the Church of Santa
Maria
Sopra Minerva. One of his last official acts was to provide for a work on
the
instruction of novices (Benedictines, Dorcy).
Saint Quote:
Divine providence often allows even good men to be expelled from the
Christian
community.... By their patient endurance of such injury and disgrace for
the
peace of the Church..., they will give man a lesson in true affliction, in
the
really genuine charity, which God's service calls for. The object of such
men
is to return when the gale has blown itself out; but if this is not
possible
because the storm continues, or is more likely to break out more furiously
than
ever if they go back, they cling to their determination ... and are
prepared
....
to defend to the death the faith which they know is preached in the
Catholic
Church, and to sup****t it by their loyal testimony. The Father sees these
men
in secret, and rewards them in secret.
-St. Augustine
Bible Quote
17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18 For not he who
commendeth
himself, is approved, but he, whom God commendeth. (2 Cor. 10:17-18)
<><><><>
The first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. That
Mass
prepares us for the double coming (adventus) of mercy and justice. That is
why
St. Paul tells us, in the Epistle, to cast off sin in order that, being
ready
for the coming of Christ as our Saviour, we may also be ready for His
coming
as
our Judge, of which we learn in the Gospel. Let us prepare ourselves, by
pious
aspirations and by the reformation of our life, for this twofold coming.
Jesus
Our Lord will reward those who yearn for Him and await Him: "Those who
trust
in
Him shall not be confounded."
<<>><<>><<>>
A prayer to the Holy Ghost to be freed from evil habits:
Give to me, I beseech Thee O Holy Ghost, Giver of all good gifts, that
powerful grace which converts the stony hearts of mortals into burning
furnaces of Thy love. By Thy grace, free my captive soul from the thraldom
of every evil habit and concupiscence, to restore to it the Holy
liberty of the children of God, Give me to taste how sweet it is to serve
the Lord and crucify the flesh with its vices and concupiscences. Enlarge
my heart that I may ever cheerfully run the way of Thy commandments until
I
reach the goal of my aspirations: the joy and bliss of Thy habitation in
Heaven. Amen.
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