On Contrition of Heart (III)
- From: Weedy <richarra@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2012 10:17:00 -0800 (PST)
On Contrition of Heart (III)
Do not busy yourself with the affairs of others, nor concern yourself
with the policies of your superiors. Watch yourself at all times, and
correct yourself before you correct your friends. Do not be grieved if
you do not enjoy popular favour; grieve rather that you do not live as
well and carefully as befits a servant of God, and a devout religious
person. It is often better and safer not to have many comforts in this
life, especially those of the body. Yet, if we seldom or never feel
God's comfort, the fault is our own; for we neither seek contrition of
heart, nor entirely forego all vain and outward consolations.
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 1, Ch 21
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February 4th - St. Joseph of Leonissa
In the year 1556, at Leonissa in the Abruzzi in the kingdom of Naples,
the devout couple John Desiderius and Frances Paulina were blessed
with a son, to whom they gave the name Euphranius at baptism. Under
their faithful guidance the little boy made such progress in piety
that at a very tender age he resolved upon certain feast days, and
took the greatest pleasure in practices of piety.
Later on, pursuing his studies at Viterbo, he attracted the attention
and admiration of everyone by his industry and virtuous life to such a
degree that a nobleman in that city offered him his daughter in
marriage together with a large dowry. But the Euphranius has already
made a nobler choice. He left school and entered the Franciscan order
among the Capuchins at Leonissa, in the year 1573, under the name of
Joseph. Here he found happiness and peace in things which an
effeminate age abhors most: mortification and penance.
His dwelling was a poor cell, so small and narrow that he could hardly
stand, sit, or lie down in it. His bed was the bare earth, a block of
wood was his pillow. He ate by preference food which the others could
not or would not eat, such as stale beans and mouldy bread. In spite
of the great strain associated with a life of preaching, he persevered
in doing such penance even after he had been entrusted with the task.
With works of penance he strove to win over those souls to God that he
could not move with words.
In the year 1587, his zeal for souls urged him to go to
Constantinople. He could not long conceal from the fanatical Turks the
good that he was doing, especially among the Christian captives on the
galleys. They seized him, pierced his right hand and right foot with
sharp hooks, and hung him up on a high gibbet, then kindled a weak
fire under him in order to roast him alive slowly. and gradually to
suffocate him. He suffered untold tortures for three days. On the
fourth day he was miraculously freed by an angel and received the
command to return to Italy to preach the Gospel to the poor. From now
on he traveled untiringly through all the villages and country towns
of Umbria. He strongly denounced evils of that day, such as frivolous
dances and plays. In his associations with the people, however, he
resembled a lamb in his meekness and charity. His very bearing won for
him the affection of the people, and effected the most remarkable
reconciliations between persons who had been living in enmity for
years, and between families and communities that had been at variance
with each other.
Often while at work or at prayer he would be rapt in ecstasy. He
wrought many miracles, and was vouchsafed the gift of prophesy and of
reading human hearts. He also foretold the day of his death. It was
February 4, 1612, when he entered into the joy of his Lord in the
convent at Amatrice. His body was taken to his native town of
Leonissa, and reposes there, glorified by many miracles.
Pope Clement XII beatified Joseph, and Pope Benedict XIV canonized him
in the year 1745.
ON MORTIFYING THE APPETITE
1. Consider how at a very tender age St, Joseph of Leonissa
mortified his appetite by voluntary fasting, and later went so far as
to seek his necessary nourishment by preference only in food that was
repugnant to the natural taste and might even have injured his health,
if the Divine Spirit who urged him to do it had not protected him.
Thus he proved himself a true son of St. Francis, of whom St.
Bonaventure writes: "When he was well, he seldom ate cooked foods and
when he was obliged to eat them, he would mix ashes and water with the
food. He did not only abstain from wine, but never even desired to
drink water." Our Seraphic Father did this because he had considered
the words of the Apostle: "They that are Christ's have crucified their
flesh" (Gal 5:24).--According to their rule, Tertiaries are also
required to be temperate in eating and drinking. In this matter, have
you proved yourself a true child of St. Francis?
2. Consider how easily and in how many ways we can indulge the
appetite: by eating too much, by eating too often, by eating too
greedily, by eating too daintily. Many who guard against the first
three instances, are caught in the meshes of the last. God has
ordained that our food should naturally have a pleasing taste in order
that it may be conducive to good health, and it is no fault if we
relish our food. But fondness for delicacies serves merely to satisfy
an inordinate desire for food and drink; as St. Chrysostom says, some
people seem to live in order to eat instead of eating in order to
live.--Do you belong to this class?
3. Consider the means to overcome the inordinate desire for eating
and drinking. It is related of St. Adelgundis that upon reflecting how
difficult it is to satisfy the needs of the body without yielding to
sensual pleasure, she asked God to deprive her of all pleasure in
eating and drinking. Then St. Peter appeared to her and gave her a
piece of bread from heaven. Thereafter no earthly food could again
rouse her appetite. If we, too, partake of heavenly food, that is, if
in the frequent contemplation of the joys of heaven we gain a
foretaste of their sweetness, and if we recall that it was through
eating of forbidden fruit that heaven was closed to be reopened only
when Christ drank the bitter chalice of His Passion and the nauseous
gall, then perhaps earthly food will tempt us less than before. We
will be glad daily to offer a sacrifice to God by mortifying our
appetite as did St. Joseph of Leonissa, so that we may grow in the
relish of pious practices and hereafter be made partakers of heavenly
sweetness.
Saint Quote:
It is very good and holy to consider the passion of our Lord, and to
meditate on it, for by this sacred path we reach union with God. In
this most holy school we learn true wisdom, for it was there that all
the saints learned it.
-- Saint Paul of the Cross
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PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, Thou rewarder of faithful servants, who didst make of blessed
Joseph an extraordinary laborer in preaching the Gospel, mercifully
grant us through his intercession that we may never cease to serve
Thee in a pleasing manner here on earth, and may finally receive from
Thee the full reward in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
.
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