May 7th - Blessed Albert of Bergamo, OP Tert. (AC)
(Also known as Albert d'Ogna or Albert the Farmer)
Born in Valle d'Ogna (near Bergamo), Italy, in 1214; died in Cremona,
Italy,
May 7, 1279; cultus approved 1748; feast day formerly May 11.
Albert "the Farmer" was a peasant farmer who followed his pious and
industrious father's example. His father taught him many practices of
penance and piety that later fructified in a saintly life. At seven,
Albert
was fasting three days a week, giving the foregone food to the poor.
Working
at the heavy labor of the fields, Albert learned to see God in all things,
and to listen for His voice in all nature. The beauty of the earth was to
him a voice that spoke only of heaven. He grew up pure of heart, discreet,
and humble-to the edification of the entire village.
Albert married while still quite young. At first his wife made no
objection
to the generosity and self-denial for which he was known. When his father
died, however, she made haste to criticize his every act and word, and
made
his home almost unbearable with her shrewish scolding. "You give too much
time to prayer and to the poor!" she charged; Albert only replied that God
will return all gifts made to the poor.
In testimony to this, God miraculously restored the meal Albert had given
away over his wife's objections. Finally, softened by Albert's prayers,
she
ceased her nagging and became his rival in piety and charity. She died
soon
after her conversion, and Albert, being childless, he left his father's
farm
to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome.
Stopping at Cremona, Italy, at harvest time, Albert went to work in the
fields. He soon earned the name of "the diligent worker." His guardian
angel
worked beside him in the fields, and, therefore, twice the work was
accomplished that might be expected of one man. Weighing in his grain at
the
end of the day, Albert always received twice as much in wages as the other
workers did. Though he gave this to the poor and kept nothing for himself,
jealous companions determined to annoy him. Planting pieces of iron in the
field where Albert would be working the next day, they watched to see him
break or dull his scythe. Miraculously, the scythe cut through iron as it
did through the grain, never suffering any harm. In Cremona Albert's
poverty
was also a witness to a group of heretics there who boasted of their own
poverty.
In all, Albert visited Rome nine times, Santiago de Compostela eight
times,
and Jerusalem once. He worked his way, giving to the poor every penny he
could spare. His pilgrimages were almost unbroken prayer; he walked along
singing hymns and chanting Psalms, or conversing on things of God with the
people he met along the way.
Appalled at the suffering of pilgrims who fell ill far from home and the
penniless, Albert determined to build a hospital for their use. This he
actually accomplished by his prayers and diligent work.
In 1256, he met the Dominicans. Attracted by the life of Saint Dominic,
Albert joined the Brothers of Penance, which later became the Order of
Penance of Saint Dominic, and continued his works of charity in his new
state. As a lay brother he was closely associated with the religious but
lived in the world so that he was able to continue his pilgrimages. At
home,
he assisted the Dominican fathers in Cremona, working happily in their
garden, cultivating the medicinal herbs so necessary at the time, and
doing
cheerfully all the work he could find that was both heavy and humble.
Falling very ill, Albert sent a neighbor for the priest, but there was a
long delay, and a dove came bringing him Holy Viaticum. When he died, the
bells of Cremona rang of themselves, and people of all classes hurried to
view the precious remains. It was planned to bury him in the common
cemetery, outside the cloister, as he was a secular tertiary, but no spade
could be found to break the ground. An unused tomb was discovered in the
church of Saint Matthias, where he had so often prayed, and he was buried
there. Many miracles were attributed to him after his death, and the
farmer-
saint became legendary for his generosity to the poor (Benedictines,
Bentley, Dominicans, Dorcy, Gill).
In art, Saint Albert is a farm laborer cutting through a stone with a
scythe. He may shown be shown (1) when a dove brings him the viaticum, or
(2) with a dove, Host, and censer near him (Roeder). Albert is the patron
of
bakers and day-laborers, and is venerated in Cremona, Bergamo, and Ogna
(Roeder).
From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0507.shtml
Saint Quote:
Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect how
everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to
lean upon that which cannot give sup****t?
--Saint Gerard Majella
Bible Quote
22 So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you. (John
16:22)
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A morning offering:
O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(here kiss your woolen Brown Scapular as a sign of your
consecration), I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from
all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering
of my every thought, word and action of this day.
O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit
I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary
Immaculate-that she may best apply them to the interests of
Thy most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
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Canticle Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are your ways, King of all nations!
Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and wor****p in your presence,
or your judgments have been seen by all.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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