- Romans 8:37-39 -
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels
nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
________________________________________________________
James tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance" (James 1:2-3). That's a tough thing to do. But it
gets easier when we remember that "we are more than conquerors through him
who loved us," because we know what lies on the other side of every trial:
the love of God. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Paul asks.
Since
God has loved us so lavishly in Christ, what do we have to fear? His love
is
more than enough to overcome any trial.
<<>><<>><<>>
March 4th - Bl. Giovanni Antonio Farina, Founder
(1803-1888)
He was born into a religious family in Gambellara, Italy, on 11 January
1803, as the second of five brothers. After the premature death of his
father, Fr Antonio, his uncle, took the family into his home. This priest
was his spiritual and intellectual mentor. When he was 15 he entered the
diocesan seminary of Vicenza where at 21 he was asked to begin teaching.
On
15 January 1827, he was ordained priest and immediately afterwards earned
an
elementary school teacher's diploma. On account of his pedagogical gifts,
he
was appointed as teacher and spiritual director at the seminary where he
served for 18 years. He was assistant pastor at St Peter's Parish for 10
years and headmaster in elementary and secondary schools in Vicenza. In
1831
in Vicenza he founded the first school for poor girls and in 1836, the
Institute of the Sisters Teachers of St Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred
Hearts, to supply suitable teachers. He wanted his religious also to care
for deafmutes, blind girls and the psychologically handicapped. They
nursed
the sick and the elderly in hospital and at home. There was no form of
suffering that this farsighted founder overlooked.
In 1850 Fr Farina was appointed Bishop of Treviso. Here he undertook a
variety of pastoral initiatives, forming his priests and laity for
evangelization and catholic action. Throughout his ten-year term,
canonical
problems with the Cathedral Chapter caused him constant suffering and
setbacks. Here he was able to follow the preparation of Giuseppe Sarto
(the
future St Pius X) for the priesthood ordaining him in 1858. In 1860 he was
transferred to Vicenza.
Despite the turbulent period in Italian history, during his 28 years as
bishop he embarked on an ambitious pastoral programme that included the
spiritual and cultural formation of the priests and of the laity for
evangelization, the reform of studies and discipline in the seminary, and
the organization of associations for the care of the poor. He was called
the
"Bishop of Charity". In 1889 he was able to hold a diocesan synod. He was
devoted to the pastoral visit and visited every parish even those that had
never seen a bishop. His strength ebbed after a serious illness in 1886
and
he died from a stroke in Vicenza on 4 March 1888. His compassionate
treatment of the poor and his enlightened views on teachers and education
make Bishop Farina one of the more outstanding bishops of the 19th
century.
Today, the institute he founded is involved in education as well as health
care and pastoral assistance in many countries.
<><><><>
Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself -Matt. 16:24
"The measure of our advancement in the spiritual life should be taken from
the progress we make in the virtue of mortification; for it should be held
as certain that the greater violence we shall do ourselves in
mortification,
the greater advance we shall make in perfection"
-St. Jerome
When St. Francis Borgia heard it said that anyone was a saint, he used to
answer, "He is, if he is mortified" In this way he himself became so great
a
saint; for he exercised himself in mortification to such a degree that
only
that day seemed to him truly wretched in which he had not undergone some
mortification, either bodily or spiritually.
When a young monk once asked an aged saint why, among so many who aim at
perfection, so few are found perfect, he replied, "Because in order to be
perfect it is necessary to die wholly to one's own inclinations, and there
are few who arrive at this."
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints" March - Mortification)
Bible Quote:
10. Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord
thy
God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:10)
<><><><>
QUESTIONING HEART
Mary is crying!
I care...do you?
Jesus is bleeding anew,
And I care...do you?
Do you ever say "I love You?"
He cares for you-
Will you love Him till the end time?
There's Heaven then for you!
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