Anthony Alive No 2

download Anthony Alive No 2

of 46

Transcript of Anthony Alive No 2

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    1/46

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    2/46

    15021539 2007

    This IssueNovember 2007

    INTRODUCTIONby Fr. Robert B. Kosek, CRSP

    T.ANTHONYSDOCTRINEThe Teachings on CHARITY

    The Famous Sayings

    Sermon IV on CHARITY

    REFLECTIONS&MEDITATIONSEucharist - The Bread of Life

    by Fr. Tony Sarno, CRSPThe Most Holy Eucharist

    by Fr. L. Visconti, CRSP

    St. Anthony & The Forty Hoursby Fr. Peter Bonardi, CRSP

    Our Spiritual Umbilical Cordby Mary Grace

    Awesome Wonder

    by Sr. Rorivic P. Israel, ASPSAMZ Rhyme

    by Sr. Rorivic P. Israel, ASP And the Bridge is Love

    by Fr. R. Delzingaro, CRSPMy First Holy Communion

    by Elizabeth, Peter, &atthew Gambino

    UTSTANDINGBARNABITESApostle of Corsica

    Saint Alexander Sauli, Bishop

    The Little Flowers ofaint Alexander Sauli

    BLATESOFSAINTPAUL,(OSP) Love for the Eucharist

    by Rosaire Johnson, OSP

    ear Readers!D

    Thanksgiving Prayer

    Father all-powerful,your gifts of love are countlessand your goodness innite. On

    Thanksgiving Day we come beforeyou with gratitude for your kindness:

    open our hearts to concern for ourfellow men and women, so that

    we may share your gifts in loving

    service.

    May you have a blessed

    Thanksgiving.

    Image byR.Kosek/Gambino

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    3/46

    St. Anthonys DoctrineIntroduction

    giving meal and much moreto give thanks toGod. That is why, here in the States, Thanksgivingis considered a very signicant family celebration.

    What a striking resemblance to the Eucharistic cel-ebration, where the word Eucharist in Greek, eucha-ristia, means thanksgiving. In the celebration of theEucharist we are invited to become more and moreaware of the unfathomable and incomprehensibleGift of giftsGod himself. It is in the Eucharistthat Jesus entrusted to his Church this memorialof his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a

    bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christis consumed, the mind is lled with grace, and apledge of future glory is given to us (Compendium:Catechism of the Catholic Church, 271). How can oneever repay such a Gift of lovewho is God him-self? The only response a human can offer to Godis to love Him back by giving to him unceasingthanks with a grateful heart. However, we are allacutely aware of how hard it is for us as humansto reach this summit of gratefulness and to live asEucharistic peoplethrough the Eucharist, in the

    Eucharist, and with the Eucharist. It is not surpris-ing to read about the Apostles request made to ourLord, Increase our faith ( Lk 17:5). Therefore,like the Apostles, we implore Jesus to increase ourfaith,and our cry does not go unheard.

    In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation acra-mentum Caritatis, it is clear that the Holy Father,Pope Benedict XVI, wishes to respond to this ever-present yearning of Gods people, increase ourfaith. When he writes that the document is aimed

    at a renewed commitment to Eucharistic enthu-siasm and fervor in the Church and wishes toencourage the Christian people to deepen their

    nderstanding of the relationship between theEucharistic mystery, the liturgical action, and the new

    spiritual worship which derives from the Eucharistas the sacrament of charity(no. 5). This three-stepmovement is essential to our becoming a people

    who live and give thanks to God. In order to do so,one must believe in the Eucharist which is a mys-tery of faith par excellence: the sum and summaryof our faith(no. 6). Once the Eucharist is believedthen it is celebrated in the liturgical context in theChurch, thus strengthening the connection be-

    tween the lex orandi and the lex credend [the law ofprayer is the law of belief] (no. 35). Finally, the one

    who believes and liturgically celebrates is called tolive it everyday.

    Christianitys new worship includes and transg-res every aspect of life: Whether you eat or drink

    or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1Cor 10:31). Christians, in all their actions, are calledto offer true worship to God. Here, the intrinsicallyEucharistic nature of Christian life begins to take

    shape. The Eucharist, since it embraces the concreteeveryday existence of the believer, makes possibleday by day, the progressive transguration of allthose called by grace to reect the image of the Sonof God (cf. Rom 8:29ff.). There is nothing authen-tically human our thoughts and affections, our

    words and deeds that does not nd in the sacrament of the Eucharist the form it needs to be livedto the full. Here we can see the full human importof the radical newness brought by Christ in the Eu-charist: the worship of God in our lives cannot be

    relegated to something private and individual, buttends by its nature to permeate every aspect of ourexistence. Worship pleasing to God thus becomes a

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    4/46

    St. Anthonys DoctrineIntroduction

    new way of living our whole life,each particular moment of whichis lifted up, since it is lived as partof a relationship with Christ andas an offering to God. The glory ofGod is the living man (cf. 1 Cor10:31). And the life of man is the

    vision of God (no. 71).

    For St. Anthony Zaccaria it meantto be completely transformed by

    Gods love, so that we mightimitate Him and love Him toHis honor (Famous Sayings onCharity, 1). Since loves nature isdivine it can never be completelyexplained or dened, nor can itbe understood in any way. It sur-passes all things, because charityis God Himself (ibid., 40).

    Love alone is worth everything.

    (St. Anthony M. Zaccaria)

    ours in Christ,

    Fr. Robert B. Kosek, CRSP

    The Solemnity of Mary,

    Mother of Divine Providence

    Nov. 17, 2007 Bethelehem, PA USA

    Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of Divine Providence,protect our life and sanctify us with the gift of grace.Obtain for us from the Father of mercy and the God of

    consolation pardon for our sins, reconciliation with our brothersand sisters, and comfort in the midst of afictions. ()

    Amen.

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    5/46

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    CThe Teachings on

    The Teaching on Charity

    Love of GodCharity is, rst of all, love of God. The theme of thesermon is love. Love is the only virtue that counts.

    Ah the other virtues do not count at all without

    love (Sermon IV). Here, Zaccaria, using chapter13 of the rst Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians,gives a long list of examples to prove his point. Heconcludes: If eloquence has no value, because itproceeds from wise argumentation; if science (hasno value), because it inates; if faith (has no value)because without works it is dead; if the very worksare useless when they do not proceed out of love:it is rather imperative, it is necessary - I tell you - tohave this love, which makes you pleasing to God(Sr IV). These last words reveal the profound reason

    for the need of charity: without it, man is not pleas-ing to God; it is charity (which, then, is identied

    withgratia gratum faciens, that is, sanctifying grace)that makes man pleasing to God, and enables himto become the subject of all other virtues.

    To further demonstrate the need of charity, Antho-ny Mary speaks about the way of charity, whichcan be followed in two ways. It has been followedfrom the top to the bottom. Why did the Son ofGod come down on earth, if not to bring love? ..

    Oh, great mercy! Oh, immense love! God has hum-bled Himself so much, so that man could love Himagain, and through this love be saved! (SermonIV). But the way of charity has to be followed inthe other way too, that is, from the bottom to thetop. The straight road to heaven is so narrowand difcult that it, cannot be followed withoutdelight without being sustained by love: It is notpossible to go through these difculties, and to car-ry this burden, without love, since it is love that car-

    Gods love is indeed needed; ,and its means is the love of neighbor.

    [Sermon IV

    ries the burden. We can conclude then: The loveof God is indeed needed; without His love we cando nothing; everything relies on it (Sermon IV).

    Love of Our NeighborSecondly, charity is love of our neighbor. The loveof our neighbor is a sacrament, that is, a sign andan instrument of the love of God: One and thesame helps you to acquire it, to increase it, to aug-ment it, and in addition it shows when it is thereDo you know what it is? It is charity, the love of ourneighbor (Sermon IV). On its part, the love of ourneighbor embraces friends and enemies, accordingto the following rule: To love friends in Him, and

    to love enemies because of Him (Sermon III), anafrmation taken directly from Gregory the Great

    who says: Caritas vera est amicum diligere in Deoet inimicum diligere propter Deum (Homiliae inEvangelia). The love of our neighbor is translatedin acts of mercy recalled by the Saint in these terms... feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, clothethe naked, welcome the stranger, visit the sick, freethe prisoner. Plan your activities, perform them forlove of God, have a right intention, select the bestdo the right, and in every thing be motivated by

    charity (Sermon III, cf Sermon IV, where he talksabout the nal account of Judgment Day).

    Zaccaria dwells a lot in illustrating the need for hu-man mediation in our relationship with God andconcludes summing up his thought: If this, myfriend, does not seem enough, we cannot have atrue experience except through man, since God isspirit and man body. God usually operates in this

    way: one man with another. Man has been healed

    harity Translated by Fr. Frank Papa, CRSP

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    6/46

    The Teaching of St. Anthony

    Image by

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    7/46

    St. Anthonys Doctrine The Famous Sayings on Charity

    By Fr. Giovanni M. Scalese, CRSP

    Translated and revised by

    r. Anthony M. Bianco, CRSP andFr. Gabriel M. Patil, CRSP

    The authorship of the famousDetti Notabili(Notable Sayings), a recognized masterpiece

    of 16th century Italian Spirituality, is a moot ques-tion. A collection of 871 sayings selected from the writings of sev-eral authors, it treats of various facets of the spiritual life. It was rstpublished in Venice in 1538. Its editor, a former Barnabite, Giovann

    Paolo Folperto, describes it as a series of quotations compiled by theReverend Father Anthony Mary Zaccaria of Cremona. First Barnabitehistorians, Mazenta, Tornielli, Gabuzio, did not agree with Folperto

    They rejected Anthony Marys alleged authorship as spurious. As amatter of fact, nothing in Barnabite tradition proves Anthony Marysalleged authorship as authentic.

    On the other hand, it is historically ascertained that, even amongBarnabites, a Book of Sayings was attributed to Fra Battista da CremaIn addition, Serano Aceti de Fermo, in his works quotes several sayings of Fra Battista, which by and large correspond to the sayings in

    theDetti Notabili

    It must be remembered, however, that controversial Fra Battista wastwice condemned by the Church for Semi-Pelagianism, in 1552 and1564. Probably, in order to save the Detti Notabili from the samefate, Folperto changed the works title and ascribed it to unassailable

    Anthony Mary.

    Afterwards, no one doubted Anthony Marys paternity of his workbeginning with the rst published history of the Barnabite Order byFather Anacleto Secco (1682). It was only in the 1930s that Domini-

    can Father Innocenzo Colosio reclaimed Fra Battistas paternity ofDetti Notabili.

    However, a compilation such as theDetti Notabili hardly ts Fra Bat-tistas modus operandi. He preferred to write treatises. On the otherhand, Anthony Mary liked to collect aphorisms. Typically, as we haveseen, in his university notebook, he wrote down philosophical quo-tations. Some suggest that, after Fra Battistas death, Anthony Maryextrapolated quotations from his works and arranged them themati-cally. However, others hold that, both in style and content, these sayings are entirely original.

    TheFamousSayingson

    ImagebyR.

    Kosek

    Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    8/46

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    1. Charity is the love of God by which we are loved by Him sothat we might imitate Him andlove Him to His honor.

    2. Charity seeks only the purehonor of God and the pure con-tempt of oneself.

    3. Charity is a spontaneous and

    unsurpassed delight of God by which, without despair, onereaches real and perfect abnega-tion of oneself.

    4. Charity is loving God uncon-ditionally with all ones heart.It is loving Him with all onesmind, always keeping Him inthought. It is loving Him withall ones soul, forgoing any sen-

    suality or pleasure; and with allones strength, so that even inadversity one never feels bur-dened.

    5. Charity keeps every virtue anddiscards every vice. Therefore, a

    vicious person cannot be consid-ered charitable.

    6. Charity is an enduring heart

    that faces moments of joy as wellas sorrow. It does not fear suffer-ing; rather, it rejoices in times ofdifculty and pain.

    7. Charity is purication of themind. It sees that which is advan-tageous to Gods honor, prot-able to our well-being, and ben-ecial to the welfare of others.

    8.Although charity may comewith a reward, he who seeks thereward for selsh motives will goon wanting.

    9. Charity continues to stimulatelife and energy until it becomesperfect.

    10. Charity does not get cold with time, nor does it becomelukewarm in tribulation. It doesnot tire from toil, but returns

    with greater vigor to the workalready started.

    and malicious is full of rancor.

    15. Charity is neither pompousnor ambitious. Therefore, anyone who always seeks acclaim isdeprived of it.

    16. Charity does not seek for it-self. Selshness excludes charity

    17. Charity does not get angryIt does not think negatively nordoes it judge harshly. Instead, it

    excuses every fault and overlooksthe defects of others.

    18. Charity does not rejoice overthe misfortunes of others, butdelights in their successes andgrieves over their sins

    19. Charity bears all ills, believesin every good, hopes in everydifcult and naturally impos-

    sible thing and, like a solid rocksustains every burden withoutfaltering

    20. Charity never fails. It con-tinues to grow even if faith andhope have ceased

    21. Many think of loving theirneighbor based solely on natu-ral affection and not on charity

    This perception does not hav

    any merit.

    22. He who regards himself tobe charitable must be preparedto suffer for the well-being ofothers.

    23. Charity is no less concernedor less affable towards an enemythan towards a friend.

    The Famous Sayings on Charity

    Charity

    he rst cover page of The Famous Sayings of St.Anthony, Venice 1583

    11. Charity becomes inactiveand sluggish if it does not dogreat things.

    12. Most of the time under thepretext of charity, the essence ofinterior chastity is defeated.

    13. If you want to know if youhave charity in you, understandthat it is patient and kind. If youare hard and impatient with oth-ers, you are far from charitable.

    14. Charity does not know envyor malice. He who is envious

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    9/46

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    24. Charity does not reprovethe enemy, but strives to makeamends for the wrong he hasdone. Charity knows no enemyand shows graciousness to all.

    25. Charity makes us realize that we need adversaries to whomwe are called to practice benevo-lence and friendliness.

    26. Charity naturally warms theheart. At other times, it makesthe heart cold, depending on thediversity of emotions.

    27. When charity is shown ingreat abundance, it brings aboutin man an unusual increase ofphysical and spiritual strength.

    28. Charity makes the face glowand changes its appearance,making it lovable and admirableto behold.

    29. Charity casts away every in-icting fear of whatever frightfulthing, especially that of hearingGod say in His wrath, I con-demn you to eternal punish-ment.

    30. Charity completely elimi-nates every feeling of shame ordisgrace.

    31. Charity does not leave themind in its usual condition. Itbreaks any strict mentality. It isfar better that our mind followsthe impulse and movement ofthe spirit.

    32. Charity brings light thatmakes it better known by him

    who possesses it.

    33. He who possesses char-ity perceives better in an instant

    what another does not perceivefor a long time. With just aglance, he already sees manyfamiliar things.

    34. Charity utters words thatcannot be understood, or indeedare difcult to grasp.

    35. Charity always makes somegestures and movements, or sayssome words, which may seemfoolish to those who are unen-lightened.

    36. There is nothing so displeas-ing or deadly that charity mightnot consider pleasing and enjoy-able.

    37. Charity continuously perse-veres in prayer and does not tirefrom contemplating. At times

    while working, it lifts up thspirit to God.

    38. Charity overcomes the appe-tite and loses ones discernmentfor food.

    39. Charity reects more clearlyand more signicantly the wis-

    dom of God and the knowledgeof natural things more than allthe books of Philosophy.

    40. Lastly, charity never grows weary. Its nature can never bcompletely explained or denednor can it be understood in any

    way. It surpasses all things, because charity is God Himself.

    The Famous Sayings on Charity

    Image by R.Kosek

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    10/46

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    SermonIVon

    Sermon IV on Charity

    y St. Anthony Zaccaria

    Charity Text translated by the later. Luciano M. Visconti, CRSP (19172006)Originally formatted by Fr. Giovanni M. Scalese, CRSPand translated by Fr. Gabriel M. Patil, CRSPSermon IVis divided in two parts. Part One deals with love.Part Two treats the Fourth Commandment. Part One is subdividedin two sections: ection Ideals with the love of God and Section II

    with the love of neighbor.

    At this point Part One is being presented.

    [I] The Love of God[I.A] Thesis: Any virtue without love is worth nothing.

    My very dear friends,Love alone is worth everything; any other virtue without love is worthnothing.

    [I.A.1] SpeakingConsider, in fact, eloquence. This is a great and excellent quality in-

    deed, particularly useful for governing citizens and keeping them inpeace and order. Accordingly, Moses meant just that when, unwillingto assume the leadership of the people of Israel, he said to the LordGod: I am tongue-tied; [...] Send, Lord, the man whom as a mat-ter of fact You are going to send [ Exod 4:10]. This same thing wasmeant by another prophet who said: Ah, Lord God! Dont send me,for I am too young and I dont know how to speak [Jer 1:6].

    Nevertheless, such quality is not so useful; rather it is very harmfulwithout love, for it is like a tree full of leaves but with very, very fewfruits. That eloquence is worthless or worth very little is proven by

    the manner Holy Scripture speaks to us. Its speech is so plain, inwords so common and easy to understand, that it confounds word-mongers and chatterboxes among whom are those who make longprayers while wearing large phylacteries. That is why Paul, wishing tostress this very point, said: If I speak very eloquently in the languagesof man and angels, but have not love, I am only a noisy gong anda clanging bell [1 Cor 13:1] -- not unlike the bell that calls every-body else to religious services, but is never there. Do you know whoare included in this category? Those of whom Christ said that theysail around the world to make a single proselyte [Matt 23:15], or a

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    11/46

    1

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    that faith which empowers man to work miracles This is what Christ teaches you when He saysMany will come on the day of judgment, evenon the day of their death, and say, Lord, in yourname we worked miracles, didnt we? [Matt 722-23] And He will answer: I solemnly tell you, Ido not know you [Matt 25:12]. The Apostle Paul,

    whom I have previously quoted, conrms what am talking about, saying, If I had all knowledge,and knew also the mysteries and secrets of God,and if I had besides such a great faith as to move

    the mountains, which would move and stop else-where, yet I had not love, I would be nothing [1Cor 13:2].

    [I.A.3] DoingDo you wish, dear friends, to see more clearly intoour subject? Let us examine the virtues that gener-ally proceed from love. They are almsgiving andmartyrdom.

    Almsgiving, without love, prots nothing, rathe

    it causes harm. Recall what Christ said to thosePharisees who gave out alms while, to attract ev-erybodys attention, had a horn blown. What didChrist say?

    Truly you have received your reward [Matt 6:2]-- a reward that is none other but the glory of men

    And how can you believe, who receive glory fromone another? [John 5:44] But without believing, itis impossible to be saved.

    Enough about martyrdom. Let me only add thatpeople much too often risk their lives, if not forplainly evil reasons, at least to save their ownhonor. O how many saints -- rather, to be exact,how many people who but ape the saints -- havedied for some honor which they had labored to at-tain, and ultimately acquired, and then lost all of asudden! Dont these rst-class-hypocrites, like thePharisees, suffer a daily martyrdom by disciplining

    Christian, or a convert; those who open the doorto others and teach others, but do not teach them-selves [Rom 2:21]. What does it prot you if yousettle other peoples quarrels, but not your own?

    What does it prot you if you convince others toovercome their passions, but you do not overcome

    your own? What good is it for you if you spendbeautiful words on the subject of perfection, andthen, as a hypocrite, you destroy it by your actions?

    Watch out, my friends, lest you nd yourselvesamong such people.

    [I.A.2] KnowingBut if eloquence does not seem to you to be agreat quality, knowledge certainly is such an excel-lent thing that everybody wishes to have it. Youhave been taught by Adam how great is its value

    when, for the pleasure of becoming like God inthe knowledge of good and evil, he disobeyedthe commandment of the Lord God. But no mat-ter how excellent quality knowledge is, it, too, isof very small advantage, as Solomon can prove

    to you by his own story. For, notwithstanding hisgreat public and world wide reputation for havingsuperior knowledge, he is believed by some to haveended up at the bottom of hell. Even if this werenot true, he cannot be cleared of the fact that, de-spite all his great wisdom, he committed countlessand grave sins of lust and of idolatry. Indeed, theservant who knows his masters will and does notdo it, will be punished more severely, as Christ says[Luke 12:47].

    I am not telling you of this regarding only theknowledge of worldly things, but even more re-garding the knowledge of Gods secrets, like havingthe prophetic gift, and knowledge of supernaturalthings by the prophetic light, as proven by thatmost evil prophet, Balaam, by his own ruin [Num31:8]. And with far greater reason I afrm the use-lessness of the knowledge of things that God aloneknows, and we too come to know by faith -- even

    Sermon IV on Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    12/46

    1

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    their bodies, either for their own glory, or for any other reason? Suf-ce it to say that they do not do that out of love, and so it prots themnothing. This is conrmed by what Paul said, If I distribute all mygoods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet donot have love, it prots me nothing [1 Cor 13:3].

    ConclusionConclude, then, my friends, thatif eloquence is worthless, for it isbased on the plausible words of

    wisdom [1 Cor 2:4]; if knowledge is worthless, for it puffsup [1 Cor 8:1]; if faith is worth-less, for without works is dead[Jas 2:26]; and if even worksare worthless when they do notproceed from love; then, what is

    necessary, yes, I emphasize, nec-essary, is to have love -- the loveof God, the love that makes youpleasing to Him.

    [I.B] Illustration of the thesis: Loveis a two-way street.[I.B.1] Love led God from heavento earth.Do you wish to understand thistruth? Why did the Son of God

    come down on earth if not tobring love on the earth? He saidI have brought re to earth; I

    want nothing but it be kindled[Luke 12:49]. Man was Godsenemy and hated Him; it was,therefore, necessary for manto be reconciled with His Maj-esty. No reconciliation couldof course, be achieved by manthrough another man because

    both were the object of Gods wrath; and, moreover, man ideceitful and ignorant of toomany things. Neither could it beachieved through an angel, sincethe latter had no such duty. Theangel had not sinned, and, mostof all, he could not assume hu-man esh. That is why God camedown from heaven to earth. It

    Sermon IV on Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    13/46

    1

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    was He who was able to do it, knew how, and hadto do it because He chose to become true man-- a man, innocent and undeled. Furthermore,coming to meet His enemy, God made him loveHimself anew by the sheer force of love. O limitlessmercy! O innite love! God humbled Himself somuch in order that man might love Him back, andthrough this love be saved.

    [I.B.2] Love leads us from earth to heaven.[I.B.2.a] The road to heaven is narrow.

    You can better understand how useful and neces-sary this love is -- for it alone can lead you to theharbor of salvation -- by the following consider-ations:- Do you, perhaps, think that the straight way toheaven is to have possessions? No. Christ said thatit is difcult for the rich to be saved [Matt 19:23],and that riches are like thorns [Luke 8:14].In fact, He set an example for us, He chose extremepoverty.- Do you think that it is to enjoy honors? No, Christ

    chose reproaches. My heart has waited for insults,etc. [Ps 69:21]. [Therefore] shun honors.- Do you think that it is to live in pleasurable com-fort? No, Christ said that those who live in comfortand dress in fancy clothes are in kings houses[Matt 11:8]. Christ experienced heat and cold, hun-ger and thirst; spent beautiful long nights in prayer[Luke 6:12]. [And He could rightly say]: I am af-icted from my youth [Ps 88:16].- Do you think that it is to enjoy mens favors? No,Christ was hated by most people, as also many

    saints have been. He even said: If they hate andpersecute the master, it is no surprise if they hateand persecute his disciples [John 15:20]. In short,He concludes that It was necessary for Christ tosuffer these things and then to enter His glory[Luke 24:26].

    [I.B.2.b] The road to heaven cannot be traveled with-out love. Therefore, my friends, who could go through somany dangers, hardships, troubles and afictionsif he were not uplifted by love? No one. Whattraveler, no matter how light-footed and prudent,could walk on so narrow and so rough a road

    without getting some delight? What lover, deeplyinfatuated with his beloved, could ever leave her,

    were it not for another one? Could we, then, drunkwith visible and ever present things -- and neces

    sary things, besides -- give up loving them, were itnot for a greater love compelling us to do so? Noway! In fact, hatred for one thing originates fromlove of another: hatred for temporal things origi-nates from love of heavenly things.

    What kind of hatred is this? It is the hatred for fa-ther and mother, for husband and wife, for sonsand daughters, for brothers and sisters; the hatredfor property, for money, and for everything we see,even the hatred for oneself [Luke 14:26]. Consider

    what a great love is demanded of us: a love thacan be none other but the love of God. That is whyChrist said that He came to turn a husband againsthis wife, etc., and that our very enemies are themembers of our own families [Matt 10:35]. Andagain, He said: If any one does not hate his ownfather, etc., and even his own life, he cannot be mydisciple [Luke 14:26].

    O my friends, in what predicament bad Christiansnd themselves as they see that this is the only

    road left for them to climb! But how happy goodChristians are as they nd themselves free from anyattachment, for on account of this, neither sword,nor re, nor height, nor depth, nor an angel, norany other creature will be able to separate themfrom their innite blessedness [Rom 8:38]. And inlosing everything, they nd everything [2 Cor 6:10]

    Sermon IV on Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    14/46

    1

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    ConclusionDraw then this conclusion: If eloquence does notprot, if knowledge is of no benet, if prophecy isof little worth, if working miracles does not makeanyone pleasing to God, and if evenalmsgiving and martyrdom are of noavail without love,- if it has been necessary, or most conve-nient, for the Son of God to come downon earth to show the way of charity andlove of God,

    - if it is necessary for anyone who wantsto live in union with Christ to suffer trib-ulations and adversities [2 Tim 3:12] ac-cording to what Christ, the only teacher,has taught by words and actions,- and if no one can go through these dif-culties, carrying this load without love,for love alone lightens the load,- then the love of God is necessary. Yes,

    without Gods love nothing can be ac-complished, whereas everything depends

    on this love.

    Thus, if love is so necessary (for indeed itis, as you surely understood) how do youfare with it, my friends? O misery greaterthan any other misery! O unhappinessgreater than any other unhappiness! Ogrief greater than any other grief! All theother worries and troubles of this worldurge you, keep you awake during thenight and do not let you rest for a moment; yet you

    go through this misery unconcerned. O my friends,you shall come to understand it later on; you shallsee it and experience it, and worse yet you shall beeternally in such torments and pains.

    [II] Love of Neighbor[II.A] First series of reasons.You can understand, my friends, how necessarythe love of God is; and if you have a brain (as

    indeed you do), you will wish to knowhow to acquire this love as well as tond out whether it is in you.

    One and the same thing helps youacquire, expand, and increase it moreand more, and reveals it as well when

    it is present. Can you guess what it is?It is love -- the love of your neighbor.

    [II.A.1] God sets humans as a testingground for us.God is a long way from our directexperience; God is spirit [John 4:24];God works in an invisible fashion

    Thus, His spiritual activity cannot beseen except with the eyes of the mindand of the spirit, which in most people

    are blind, and in all are wavering andno longer accustomed to seeing. Butman is approachable, man is bodyand when we do something to him,the deed is seen. Now, since He has noneed of our things, whereas man doesGod has set man as a testing groundfor us. In fact, if you have a friend verydear to you, you will also hold dearthose things he loves and cherishes

    Therefore, since God holds man in great esteem

    as He has shown, you would show meanness andindeed little love for God, if you did not think

    very highly of what He bought at a great price.

    Sermon IV on Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    15/46

    1

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    [II.A.2] God acts through humans.And if this is not enough, tell me, my friends: doesGod not work in creatures through creatures? Ofcourse, He does. God follows this pattern by em-ploying man even when He works miracles. He ledthe people of Israel by the hand of Moses [Ps 77:21]; governed that people by Samuels instructions[1 Sam 7:15]. This very pattern has also been keptby God in specic circumstances of some people:He brought Samuel to the fulllment of his voca-tion through Eli, who was far from being a good

    priest [1 Sam 3:1ff.]; He instructed Paul, whom Hehad blinded [Acts 9:8], through Ananias [Acts 9:17]. And so, any time man wished to move towardGod, it was -- as is still now -- necessary for him togo through another man. That is what Paul teachesabove all about Christ who, as he states, is ourmediator, the one who is always interceding for us[Heb 7:25]. According to John Climacus, the holymonks [of the desert] were used to repeating a say-ing (to be properly understood, though), namely,that it would be better for you to have God angry

    with you than your spiritual director. For, whenGod is angry with you, your spiritual director canpray for you; whereas, when your spiritual directoris angry with you, who will pray for you? [St. JohnClimacus, PL 88, 416-417] They meant to say thatit is necessary for you to go to God through man.

    [II.A.3] God saves us through humans. (Mary throughJesus). Alas! dear friends, through whom did man, thatis Adam, sin? Through a human being, that is Eve,his wife. Likewise, through a human being, that is,through the holy Virgin Mother, Our Lady the Vir-gin Mary, God willed to deliver humankind. As apreguration of this event, Judith saved her peoplefrom the destruction of Holofernes [Jdt 13:10ff.],and Esther from the persecution of Haman at thetime of King Ahasuerus [Esth 9:14].

    [II.A.4] We correct our defects with help from otherhumans.And again, if man is to walk with God and acquireHis love, he must purify himself by getting rid ofall his passions, which as a whole have their originin the body and thus need remedies, directions,and stimuli from the body. Gluttony is a bodily

    vice; hence, it needs a bodily correction. Fornication, evidently, needs no explanation. Anger is soconnected with the body that it sometimes blindsa person: ablaze with anger, one is absolutely un-

    able to see. Greed encompasses possessions andany other visible things. Depression dries up thebones [Prov 17:22]. Sloth benumbs all the senses

    Vainglory and pride have indeed their roots in thesoul, but from bodily things they get plenty ofstench and evil. Some people glory in and takepride in themselves for their possessions; others inbodily displays of their saintliness; and still others

    with their dignities and honors, etc. -- all thingrelated to the body.

    Who is going to help you, then, extirpate theseevil roots? No one else but man: either by avoid-ing him, as in the case of lust, or by allowing himto spur you on and even impel you, or by doingfavors for him as well as by receiving favors fromhim, or by any other possible way, as long as manis involved.

    [II.B] Second series of reasons.[II.B.1] IncarnationIf you, my friends, do not think it sufcient to saythat, since God is spirit and man is corporeal, thereis no other way to prove our love for God exceptthrough man, that Gods way to deal with man isthrough another man, that man is to be healed by

    what made him ill, that, furthermore, since passions are bodily, man is to be delivered from themby means of another man, and if these consider-

    Sermon IV on Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    16/46

    1

    St. Anthonys Doctrine

    ations seem insufcient to get you to believe thatthe love of neighbor both effects the love of Godand manifests it, let this fact, at least, convince you:God became man for just this reason.

    [II.B.2] Christs new commandment.Christ said: This is my commandment, that youlove one another [John 15:12]. By this all men

    will know that you are my disciples, if you love oneanother [John 13:35].

    [II.B.3] Last judgment.In the reckoning at the last judgment He will say:Depart from me, you cursed, etc.; for I was hungry,etc.. And in answer to those who would ask, Lord,

    when did we see you hungry, etc., He will say:What you did not do for one of these least ones,

    you did not do for me[Matt 25:41-44].

    [II.B.4] Pauls example.So necessary is this love that Paul expressed hisdesire to be accursed and separated from Christ forthe sake of his brothers [Rom 9:3]. Well, my friends,

    you can read in all of Scriptures that God has madeyour neighbor the road to reach His Majesty.

    Conclusion of Part OneTherefore, do you wish to climb the mountain ofperfection? Do you wish to get some spiritual gift?Do you wish to love God and be dear to Him andbe His good children? Love your neighbor; take

    your neighbor as your compass; resolve to do goodto your neighbor and never to offend him.By keeping the rst three commandments of the law,man directs all his life -- will and intellect, words andactions -- toward God. By keeping the other seven,he lives a virtuous life with his neighbor.

    Now then, well aware that it is impossible for manto do everything well at all times unless he mustersall his powers to fulll his duties toward his neigh-

    or, I want briey to explain the fourth command-ment. If you keep it with utmost diligence, God willadmirably help you beyond all expectations. WhatI am now going to tell you, will give you an op-portunity to investigate for yourselves many, manyother things.

    Sermon IV on Charity

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    17/46

    1

    Reections and Meditations

    re two aspects that we should look athereen examining the rst part of this quote.w

    rst deals with thev context within which thishesacrament is celebrated. Of course we are talkingabout the Celebration of the Eucharist, also referredto as Mass. For both Christians and non-Chris-

    tians the Mass can be explained as the gathering ofthe community of believers united together as onein Christ for worship and growth in the image ofChrist individually and communally through thesacrament and the celebrative gathering.

    The Roman Catholic Church teaches that one whochooses to sin separates oneself from the faithcommunity and cannot partake in the Eucharisticsacrament. They are living outside of being one

    with Christ, outside of the state of grace. A Catholic

    Christian needs to be one in faith and one in graceto partake of the Eucharistic food; nevertheless,they are not ostracized from the celebrative gather-ing of the Mass.

    One who is in sin and chooses to partake of thecelebration of the Eucharist is commencing a re-turn to God. They are nourished by Christ in Word(the Scripture readings and Homily) and throughthe gathering of the faith community. This pre-pares them to hunger for the Bread of Life.

    The Eucharist, as the sacramental Bread of Life, isthe second aspect of meditation on this quote. Oneis in common union (communion) with Christand the faith community when he is no longerseparated from the state of grace.

    By being in the state of grace and living in the waysof the Holy Spirit, especially for the communicantof the Eucharist, one can grow in holiness. Whenone grows in holiness, one also grows in livingthe Gospel virtues. A virtuous person would notbe prayerful in church and unkind and nasty in

    the parking lot. The virtuous communicant wilpractice both patience and humility. Ones life be-comes an image of Christ, the Sacrament of whichhe partakes. This is a witness to others, in grace andin sin, of a life in union with God.

    Examination of Conscience1) At any time, do I take the Eucharist as a celebra-tion and as a sacrament for granted and receiveHoly Communion even though I am not in thestate of grace?

    2) Have I tried to grow in virtuous holiness andovercome those ways that impede me from partak-ing in the Eucharist? (Some may see growth by thesins they speak of in the Sacrament of Reconcilia-tion. Repetition and number can be an aid in view-ing our growth.)

    3) Do I simply attend Mass, or do I actively participate in it?

    4) How does my life reect the Eucharist after hav-

    ing received Holy Communion?

    TEuchar st

    TheBreadofL feby Fr. Tony Sarno, CRSP

    Eucharist, The Bread Of Life

    The surest proof then of your return to God is that you goback to this food [Eucharist]...Nothing can make youholier than this sacrament. (Sermon III)

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    18/46

    1

    Reections and Meditations

    always, to the close of the age (Mt 28:20). Fromthen on, Jesus became for His followers not a merememory of a dead man, no matter how great andimportant for them, but a living and active pres-ence. The Church, herself, is the witness of Christsresurrection, and her life and activity are a constanttestimony that JESUS LIVES.

    Christ is indeed alive and present in His Church inmanifold ways: when she prays (Mt 18:20); whenshe performs her works of mercy (Mt 25:40); whenshe leads her children in the struggle to reach eter-nal life; when she preaches Gods Word; when shegoverns Gods people, precisely with Christs pow-er; when, in a manner still more sublime, sheadministers the sacraments and offers in His namethe sacrice of the Mass (cf. Pope Paul VI, EncyclicaThe Mystery of Faith, 1965; Vatican II, S.C. n. 7).

    All of these different ways of Christ being presentin the Church are certainly true and remarkablefor their fruitfulness and worthy of considerationThey confront the Church, as Paul VI puts itwith a mystery ever to be pondered (ibid.). But inthese varied modes of presence, Jesus is only seenin His spiritual and mystical action on the ChurchHis Mystical Body.

    Far surpassing is His presence in the Sacramentof the Eucharist. This is the Presence par excellence,

    rightly called the Real Presence, not, of coursein opposition of the aforementioned kinds of Hispresence - as though they were not real - but, be-cause it contains the historical Jesus who died andarose for us and is glorious in heaven, though in asingular way, as we shall see. It was this presencethat the little girl of our story - however unaware othe profound truth - was referring to in her awedentreaty.

    TheMostHoly

    Euchar sty late Fr. Luciano M. Visconti, CRSP (19172006)

    The Most Holy Eucharist

    A er our presentation of two of the sacra-m f initiation, Baptism and Conrmation, weencome now to consider at a greater length the thirdone, the Most Holy Eucharist: the crown of the ini-tiation process into Christian faith and the goal ofall the sacraments, which actually depend on it.

    It is proper that in dealing with the Eucharist webegin with the Real Presence, for in it do all theother aspects of this sacrament depend: O SacredBanquet! Here Christ is received, here the memoryof His passion is recalled, our spirit is lled withgrace, the pledge of future glory is given us.

    Daddy, lets go again to that church where Jesusis alive, begged the little girl during one of thosecustomary strolls through the town that she took

    with her father in the evenings. Out of sheer curios-

    ity, they had once entered a Catholic church. Withkeen observation, the little girl had noticed theglowing sanctuary lamp hanging by the tabernacle.Whats that for, Daddy? she asked, pointing to thelamp. Catholics believe, he replied, that Jesus isreally present in the tabernacle. The lamp is alwayskept lit as a reminder of that belief. A few yearslater, the little Protestant girl took instructions inthe Catholic faith and entered the Church whereJesus is alive. A far cry from the disparaging excla-mation of a Catholic teenager towards the sacred

    Host I heard once, Oh, that thing! Incidentally,the casual attitude of some Catholics towards theBlessed Sacrament has become worrisome.

    1. Jesus Manifold Presence in the ChurchAscending into heaven after His resurrection fromthe dead, Jesus did not break His bonds with Hisfollowers; rather, He rmly assured the Apostles,on their way to making all peoples disciples ofHis, with a solemn promise: And, I am with you

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    19/46

    1

    Reections and MeditationsReections and Meditations The Most Holy Eucharist

    2. Historical Origin of the Faith in the Real PresenceThe Churchs centuries-old faith in the Real Pres-ence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist - as sacriceand sacrament - is fully guaranteed by the wordsJesus pronounced over the bread and the wine atthe most solemn moment of His life on the night

    when He was betrayed (1 Cor 11:23), the nightbefore He died on the cross, at the Last Supper withHis Twelve, when He poured out His heart saying:I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with

    you before I suffer (Lk 22:15). Those words andrelated actions are recorded in the Synoptic Gos-pels (Mk 14:22-25; Mt 26:22-25; Lk 22:14-20) andin St. Pauls rst letter to the Cor-inthians (11:2325).

    In a truly historical account, theEvangelists faithfully gatheredand recorded what Jesus did at theLast Supper and bade the Twelvedo themselves. But by the time

    they wrote the Gospels some 30-50 years later, the liturgical actionrecorded in the Acts (2:42, 46; cf.20:7) as the Breaking of Breadhad already become the centralliturgical service of the primitiveChristian community. And so theEvangelists, in their reporting Je-sus words and actions at the Last Supper, reectedalso the ritual formulas used by different localchurches (Jerusalem, Antioch, etc.), which is why

    they differ in some details but not in the essentialof their records.

    Incidentally, the very accord of the account of theEvangelists among themselves and with St. Paulsin their substance is not in the details. This isanother proof of their historical value. St. Paulsaccount of the Last Supper takes us back directlyto the very preaching of the Apostles. Convertedto Christ just a few years after Jesus resurrection,

    He must have participated in the liturgical Break-ing of Bread both at the Damascus (ca. 3436

    AD) and the Antioch communities (ca. 4344(cf. Acts). Then, during his missionary journeyshe instructed the communities he founded in theChristian faith and liturgy. That is why, writing inca. 5456 to the Church of Corinth that he hadalready established about the year 50, he was ableto remind them of the proper way of celebratingthe Breaking of Bread or, as he calls it, the Lords

    Supper (1 Cor 11:20). In doing that, he strikes animportant historical note about the origin of thatevent. He uses a rabbinical formula - I received ..

    I delivered - (1 Cor 11:23) thatenfolds the concept of tradi-tion, which suggests a depositum to be handed on integrallyand faithfully. St. Paul is simplysaying that he did not make itup (as radical liberal scholarsof the past two centuries have

    fancied); he honestly declaresto be a faithful holder-on of asacred tradition going back toJesus Himself through the Apos-tles and the primitive Christiancommunity to which he himselfbelonged.

    3. Signicance of the Faith in the RealPresenceFaith in the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ

    in the Sacrament of the Eucharist is to believe thatunder the appearances of bread and wine Jesusgives Himself as victim of His sacrice as well asfood of our supernatural life, served in a ritualmeal; or, as the Council of Trent put it, that inthis Sacrament are contained truly, really, andsubstantially, the body and blood together withthe soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, andconsequently the whole Christ. (Session XIII, Oct11, 1551, Decree Concerning the Most Holy Sac-

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    20/46

    1

    Reections and Meditations The Most Holy Eucharist

    rament of the Eucharist, Canon I) This is exactlywhat Jesus meant when He said: This is my bodywhich is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Dothis, as often as you drink it, in remembrance ofme (1 Cor 11:2425).

    Jesus was having His last meal with the Twelvebefore His imminent death. It was His Passovermeal, at which He was sitting as the pater familias

    of the Jewish Passover. As the latter interpreted theunleavened bread, the bread of afiction (Dt 16:3), so Jesus now interprets the bread of this newPassover meal, as He identies it with Himself. Insaying this is my body. He is creative, His wordsperform what He says, just as when he told thecenturion, Your son will live and at that verymoment the child got better (cf. Jn 4:50-53). SoJesus does not simply give the Twelve a denitionof bread, He invites them to recognize, in the breadshared, His own body; He gives them His very self,

    His very esh to be immolated and raised glori-ous.

    Against such crystal clear words of our divineSavior there arose voices of dissent: Jesus did notcrudely mean that He was giving us His very bodyand blood to eat and drink - as if we were canni-bals - no way. He was only speaking symbolically,guratively, as if the bread and wine blessed in Hisname at a community meal were His body andblood shed for us. After all, did He not designate

    Himself many times symbolically, for instance,when He said, I am the door (Jn 10:7), I am theway (Jn 14:6), I am the vine (Jn l5:1)?

    Only people blinded by prejudice can draw fromsuch instances the conclusion that when Jesus said,take it, this is my body, He was speaking meta-phorically, too, not realistically; for, while in thoseinstances Jesus was evidently using metaphors, atthe Last Supper He was using no metaphor at all;

    He was truly identifying that which was in Hishands with His own body. He, by the way, had al-ready promised to give Himself in the way of a truemeal to whomever would believe in Him, sayingI am the living bread which comes down fromheaven, and the bread which I shall give for the

    world is my esh (Jn 6:51). Here there is no roomfor the dissenters of maneuvering with the wordsin an effort to explain them away with a symbolicmeaning. Indeed, Jesus listeners then, though

    not so sophisticated as the radical critics of mo-dem times, were quicker to understand that Jesus

    was speaking of His real body and blood, as theymurmured, How can this man give us His eshto eat? (Jn 6:52). To which Jesus answered stress-ing even more His statement, Truly, truly, I say to

    you, unless you eat the esh of the Son of Man anddrink His blood, you have no life in you ... for myesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed(In 6:54).

    And nally, the sharp rebuttal of many of His disciples, This is a hard saying who can listen to it?(Jn 6:60), did not make Jesus retreat His wordsor correct them, in order to dispel any possiblemisunderstanding, as He often did (cf. Jn 2:21;3:3-5; 11:11-14). The desertion of many disciples

    who took offense at His words did not move Him- the good shepherd always in search of lost sheep- He let them go their way. He even challenged His

    Twelve to accept or reject His words, Will you alsogo away? (Jn 6:67). But they accepted them, and

    so did St. Paul. For, why should he have warned theCorinthians, Whoever eats the bread and drinksthe cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner willbe guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of theLord, (1 Cor 11:27) were it not because he trulybelieved that what is really present in the Eucharistis the very Body and Blood of Christ and not just asymbol of it.

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    21/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

    This revival of religious life preserved the Churchand protected it from the current attacks of theincreasing pace of Protestantism. The scope of thenewly formed orders was not restricted to the meretransient necessities of combating Protestantismbut they put into play a rugged vitality in theirmany types of apostolate which have enduredthrough the four centuries and still endure.

    In 1502, St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria was born inthe small city of Cremona, Italy, located in thenorthern part of the country. His parents, Lazzaroand Antonia Pescaroli, were nobles. Although they

    were not in poor circumstances, they were not con-sidered as rich as their titles indicated. Shortly afterthe birth of Anthony, Lazzaro died and the prob-lem of the childs education became full responsi-bility of the mother.

    SaintAnthonyandthe

    FortyHoursby late Fr. Peter Bonardi, CRSP (19331979)

    years that he spent in Milan, and theor thebeg gs of the religious order that he founded,nniSt. Anthony Mary Zaccaria had quite an unusualhistorian. Gianmarco Burigozzo, a Milanese mer-chant, kept a faithful account of all the events inthe city when his business permitted him. Hishistorical narrative was written in a mixture of Mil-

    anese and Venetian dialects which reected accu-rately the incidence of the city and the impressionsof the people in general. Burigozzo did not knowthe name of the new religious order nor its founderbut he clearly indicated and singled out the per-son. Anyone with even the slightest knowledgeof the historical beginnings of the religious orderof St. Anthony Mary could certainly recognize inBurigozzos pages his spiritual sons1

    The rst half of the Sixteenth Century presents anarray of new religious orders. The new religiousfamilies differed from the old in that the membersdid not choose to become monks separated fromthe outside world and bound exclusively to a lifeof contemplation and prayers. They realized thenecessity of an active apostolate and wanted tobecome assistants to the bishops and to exemplifythe spiritual life of the diocesan priests.

    It is difcult to bring out any marked differencesin the ideas of the founders of the new communi-ties. They practically inuenced one another yet

    each retained his peculiar characteristic and spirit.The rst to found an Order of Clerics Regular wasSt. Cajetan of Thiene in 1524; shortly after in 1533came St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, and in 1539, St.Ignatius of Loyola. The last one, 1540, was GeromeEmiliani.2 These years represent the time when of-cial approbation from the Holy See was obtained,although the work of the founders had begun pre-

    viously.

    F

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    22/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

    During his adolescence the virtue and example ofhis mother exercised a tremendous inuence inhis young heart. At the age of eighteen, AnthonyMary went to the University of Pavia for the studyof philosophy. Here he came under the inuenceof Anthony Zimarra, an Averroist philosopher. Itis easy to elicit the impressions that the philoso-pher made on Anthony when he delivered his rstsermons.

    From Pavia, Anthony Mary went to the Universityof Padua for the study of medicine. In 1524, he re-ceived his degree in medicine with honors.

    The young doctor returned to Cremona and in ashort time won the hearts of the people. He hadconverted his home into a hospital for the lessfortunate. While engaged in the health of thebody, Anthony took it upon himself to instruct thepeople in the church of St. Vitale about Christiandoctrine. Anthony Mary became acquainted with

    Father Battista da Crema who was instrumentalin interesting him in the study for the priesthood.Father Battista was one of the most passionatereformers of the Dominican Order and he wasgreatly concerned with the beginning of the Orderof Threatens. He was a strong inuence in the re-

    vival of the religious life in Italy.6 In 1528, at theage of twenty-six, Anthony Mary was ordained apriest.7 From the day of his ordination, his priestlyactivities took on an incredibly rapid and intensivepace. Vast crowds, including the clergy, people

    of every rank and station in life, ocked to listento him and to seek his advice or spiritual guid-ance. Patients in hospitals and inmates in prisonslooked anticipating upon him as an angel of mercyand consolation.8

    In two years of apostolic and indefatigable work, Anthony Mary succeeded in restoring the city ofCremona to its fervent religious life. The grateful

    citizens labeled him with the title of Father of theCountry. After his death, they erected a column tohis name. 9

    Cremona had become too small for the zeal that was consuming Anthony Mary. He was awaitingthe opportunity to extend his works to the greatLombard metropolis of Milan. Anthonys desire

    was realized when he was chosen chaplain by theCountess Ludovica Torelli. Countess Torellis life

    was typical of the sixteenth century. Her father hadbeen slain at a dancing party. Although she wasonly seventeen, she married Ludovico Stanga whodied the same year. Ludovica remarried AntonioMartinengo from Brescia. He was brutal. He hadalready killed his rst wife and was beginning toshow his brutal instincts to his second wife. Fortu-nately for Ludovica, he was assassinated by a rela-tive of his rst wife the following year. To dispel althat happened, the Countess lived at rst a life ofgaiety, and according to some authors, it bordered

    on debauchery. Finally, under the inuence of Fa-ther Battista da Crema, she began to live a life ofcharity and penance.10

    Milan was then the capital of the Duchy of Lom-bardy. Although nominally independent, theduchy was controlled by Charles V, Holy RomanEmperor and King of Spain. For fty-three years,Milan was practically without bishops who weretoo busy with wars to attend to their diocesan du-ties. Nevertheless, the religious life was far from

    dead. A center of intense spirituality was the Ora-tory of Eternal Wisdom. This institution numberedamong its members Pius IV, St. Pius V, and the bestelement of the Italian and French aristocracy. It wasfrom the members of this group that St. AnthonyMary chose his rst two co-operators. 1

    Although the question arises as to who had theoriginal idea to establish a religious order, it was St

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    23/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

    Anthony Mary who became the head of the littlegroup. The date the Congregation was established

    was xed before September 1530, and it consistedof only three members.12 After three years, theypresented a formal notice to Pope Clement VII oftheir desire to form a new order. Their supplica-tion was granted with the Papal Breve publishedon February 18, 1533.13 The Breve pointed out thatthe aim of the new institution was to vivify thereligious spirit among the diocesan priests and tobring the laity back to normal Christian living.

    The original name of the Congregation was simplyClerics Regular but it had to be changed to dis-tinguish it from the Theatines. It was decided toname it the Clerics Regular of St. Paul, the Apostle.Soon after, the people began to call the Fathers ofthe Congregation Barnabite Fathers because thechurch conducted by them in the beginning wasSt. Barnabas of Milan.

    The foundation of the new religious order didnot go unnoticed among the people. The faithfulchronicler of Milan in those days, Burigozzo, not-ed in his diary that in 1532 the practice of ringingthe bells of the churches on Friday at three in theafternoon was started in Milan. The exercise wassuggested and promoted by certain men which

    were considered to have a great degree of sanctity,and also women They have obtained the per-mission that the Ave Maria be rung for a long timeon Fridays at the hour when Christ died. 4

    Burigozzo went on to mention some of the morti-cations and public penances performed by suchcertain men and women. Thus he clearly identi-ed for the historians the rst Barnabites and thefollowers of Countess Torelli. Here the chronicler

    was referring to customs still practiced in Italy andin other European countries of ringing the bellevery Friday at three oclock in the afternoon in

    memory of the passion and death of our Lord. Thiscustom was revived in 1532 by St. Anthony MaryZaccaria.

    Of far more importance than the spectacular per-formances of penance were the numerous conver-sions which resulted. These aroused reactions bothfrom the good and the bad. At rst a preacher fromthe pulpit of the Cathedral of Milan haranguedagainst the new group of men and women whoaccording to him, was going to ruin the entire cityHis criticisms were of no avail because as Burigoz-zo recounted a few days later he had to retreat.15

    Two years later in 1534, the Milanese chronicle wrote again about the Barnabites and the followers of the Countess Torelli. Not knowing thereal founder and relying on popular opinion, hethought that the Countess was at the head of theinstitutions. 6

    The year 1534 was most troublesome for the neworder. On October 4, 1534, Countess Torelli andher associates were accused before both the Sen-ate and the Inquisition of dangerous innovations

    These accusations carried great weight and couldhave produced disastrous results. The accusationshowever, vanished as the truth became evident. A

    year after this incident, St. Anthony Mary receiveda new Bull from the Pope. In this, the Barnabites

    were loftily praised and were granted extensivprivileges. 7 As a result from the incident, Countess

    Torellis group mitigated the exterior performanceof penance.

    As previously related, Countess Torelli begaearly to gather a group of young ladies who wouldeventually become religious sisters (called AngelicSisters of St. Paul) and help the Fathers in the ref-ormation of convents. They obtained on January15, 1535 Papal approval.18 The Angelic Sisters of

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    24/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations

    St. Paul became the charge of St. Anthony and hedictated the rules for them. These rules were so

    wisely conceived that St. Charles Borromeo basedthe reformation of monasteries on them.19

    In the meantime, evil forces confronted again thegroup of Torelli and Zaccaria. This time the charges

    were more serious and were carried to a higher tri-bunal. They accused the group before the Pope ofreviving the old heresy of the Beghards. This sect

    was characterized by excessive mysticism which ledthe followers to moral disorders. Despite the greatinuence of the enemies upon the Pope, Zaccariaand Torelli were declared innocent and highlypraised for their work of reform. Indeed, duringthe trial itself, Cardinal Ridol, Bishop of Vicenza,called St. Anthony and some of the nuns to his dio-cese to reform some convents.20 St. Anthony wasa gifted and creative leader as well as a great Saint.Had he lived longer, the Congregation he foundedcould have ourished more rapidly. His complete

    dedication to the Congregation and its works andhis unceasing efforts and selessness all contrib-uted to his untimely death which occurred in 1539

    when only thirty-six years of age.

    At his death, St. Anthony left the organization ofthe Forty Hours, an order of priests, one of nuns,and a Congregation of the Married.21 In an age

    when Christian perfection was considered an ex-clusive characteristic of religious communities, St.

    Anthony proposed it to married groups. The Con-

    gregation of the Married unlike that of modern layassociations did no aim at social action. Its goalwas personal sanctication.

    While there is no doubt that St. Anthony Mary asthe founder of the other institutions above men-tioned, there exists a heated controversy on thepaternity of the Forty Hours Devotion. The rstproblem that presents itself to the historian is the

    identication of the year in which the Forty Hourswas started according to the modern way.

    Burigozzo gave 1537 as the date.22 It is knownthat Burigozzo was a merchant and perhaps noa bright one. He, however, had in his favor the factthat he was a contemporary to the events narratedand that he wrote them down in his chronicle afew days or few months after he had witnessedthem. According to the principles of historiogra-phy, his testimony is the best available. Further-more, he was neither partial nor biased. He gavethe facts with very few comments according to hisgood common sense.

    Paolo Morigia, Superior General of the Jesuati, areligious order founded in the fourteenth centuryand now extinct, in his work, Historia dellAtichitadi Milano, mentioned the year 1534 as the startingof the Forty Hours

    Fra Bono, a Cremonese, was the one who intro-duced in Milan the devotion called the Forty Hoursin 1534. This servant of God thus inspired by di-

    vine grace, persuaded Duke Francis II Sforza andthe Ordinary to have the most sacred body of ourLord Jesus Christ exposed on the altar.23

    In this case, Morigia not only gave a different datebut he also attributed the Forty Hours to anotherperson. The present concern involves the date. Theidentication of the founder will be taken up later

    Morigia wrote in the year 1592. He was born inthe year 1525 in Milan.24 During his youth he musthave witnessed the beginning and the subsequentspreading of the Forty Hours. Morigia in his ac-count of events witnessed fty years earlier couldhave easily made an error in dates anticipating theForty Hours in 1534. The opinion is corroboratedby the fact that in the same year 1534, Duke Fran-cis II Sforza ordered that the procession of Corpus

    St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    25/46

    Reections and Meditations

    Christi be performed with the greatest solemnity.The account of this procession has been preservedby Burigozzo.25 Paolo Morigia in writing about theglories of his city after so many years might easilyhave confused the two things because he did notmention the procession of Corpus Christi of thatsame year. It is impossible to deny the authority ofBurigozzo. In order to save Morigia, some histori-ans of the Forty Hours presumed that the devotiontook its form gradually. They assert that in 1534the permission for the Forty Hours was requested,

    but it was only in 1537 that its establishment be-came a reality.26

    If this was really the case, no one knows. The fact,however, remains that the year 1537 is the year in

    which the Forty Hours started. Many historians onthe authority of Morigia attributed the founda-tion of the Forty Hours to Fra Bono in the year1534. They certainly have no more authority thanMorigia himself. If Morigias date of the beginningof the Forty Hours cannot be relied upon,27 no

    matter how many writers quoted him, it still doesnot make it authentic.

    After one difculty is solved, the historian of theForty Hours is faced with another. The same Morigia

    who differed with Burigozzo anticipating the FortyHours in 1534 also attributed the paternity of thisdevotion to a Fra Bono, a Cremonese,28 against themen of such company,29 of Burigozzo.

    Who was this Fra Bono? Morigia described himthusly:

    He was dressed with a long habit of white linen, a cord girded his loins,and he wore a brass Crucix. Thisservant of God was of a holy life andmost zealous of the honor of God andthe salvation of souls. He never tookto drink wine after serving God andGod worked many prodigies throughhim. 0

    Although Fra Bono was a holy man, he was very pe-culiar. With a touch of irony Burigozzo stated: Hewas dressed of sackcloth but had good shoes. 1 FraBono was not an unknown person to Burigozzo

    The latter, however, when he wrote the Forty Hoursdid not mention Fra Bono at all but only the menof such company.

    After having visited the Holy Land and the Shrinesof Europe, Fra Bono retired to Cremona and led ahermits life. At this time, he came under the inu-

    ence of Father Anthony Mary Zaccaria who, whileappreciating his motives, tried to dissuade him andinterest him into an apostolic life. In 1530, Antho-ny Mary took Fra Bono to Milan as a disciple andfervent coadjutor. Fra Bono never became a priestor a Barnabite. 2

    The Saint was never quite able to subdue perfectlythe independent character of Bono. In a letter oJuly 28, 1531, written to a spiritual son in Cremonathe Saint expressed himself in this manner:

    You and I have lost our father Fra Bono;he escapes me, or detained seems to es-cape me. Three or four days pass with-out seeing him, and after I hardly havea chance to talk to him. He fears thatI might persuade him to come home.I liked the letter you wrote him but heneeds more pushes.33

    In another letter of October 8, 1538, to Father Fer-

    rari in Vicenza the Saint wrote:

    I would like that everybody knowthe goodness of our father Fra Bonobecause I know that the prayer of theForty Hours and the other institutions

    would prosper.

    After exhorting Fra Bono to perseverance, the Saintadmonished him to be on his guard against thetemptations of the devil to leave his brothers.34

    St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    26/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations

    It is evident that even after many years, Fra Bonowas still in doubt whether to join the Barnabitesor not, and whether to follow his inclination for ahermitic life, or take the suggestion of his spiritualdirector to dedicate himself to an active life.

    From the documents cited above, it appears thatFra Bono was unwilling to dedicate himself to anactive life. It was only at the insistence of Zaccariathat he gave up his aspirations. St. Anthony usedhis services in important affairs especially for the

    establishment of the Forty Hours Devotion. This isexactly the tradition existing among the BarnabiteFathers. Father Anacleto Secco, a Barnabite, in or-der to dissipate errors and misconceptions aboutthe beginnings and the rst members of the order,recorded the Barnabite tradition. In the introduc-tion to his work, Father Secco stated:

    I plan to write only those things that with great diligence I collected frommost reliable documents and of incor-ruptible faith that are preserved withme. 5

    After attesting solemnly, the following is what hesaid about Fra Bono. Talking about the Mission ofSt. Anthony Mary at Vicenza Secco wrote:

    There too he instituted what he hadalready started with happy success atCremona and Milan, that is the rite ofthe public adoration before the most

    Holy Eucharist, exposed with decorumover the altar among lights, whichprayer is called Forty Hours. He usedto employ for this devotion the worksof a certain Fra Bono, Cremonese, aman of great piety, before dedicatedto hermitic life, and by him formed toa life of perfection whom he used totake with him most of the time.36

    Summarizing the different testimonies about FraBono, it is found that Burigozzo attributed theForty Hours to the men of such company, eventhough Fra Bono was not unknown to him. Thetradition among the Barnabites and the Founder ofthe Order called Fra Bono a great helper of St. An-thony especially in spreading the devotions of theForty Hours. In a later work of Morigia, Fra Bonois called a vigorous worker of Zaccaria. 7 In orderto reconcile these statements, it must be admittedthat Fra Bono was one of those that Burigozzo

    called men of such company. These men to which Burigozzo insistently attributed the FortyHours have been identied by all historians as therst Barnabites and their Founder. 8 Some of theBarnabite historians said that since Fra Bono wasa layman, many doors were open to him, but theone for the Barnabites remained closed. The readermust remember that in the years 1534 and 1537the Barnabite Fathers were on trial by the Inquisi-tion and suspected of heresy. St. Anthony Maryused Fra Bono especially in adorning the altars

    and preparing the churches for the Forty Hours inwhich he displayed special talents. 9

    Until more specic proofs are found, the year1537 is to be retained as the year in which theForty Hours started. This argument is accepted by aspecial conrmation from a Papal document. PopePius XI when still Librarian at the Biblioteca Am-brosiana in Milan found a Breve of Paul III dated

    August 29, 1537, granting a special indulgencfor the faithful of Milan who would take part in

    the devotion of the Forty Hours. The indulgence was granted for one year but it was repeated inthe following years. 0 It was at this time that theForty-Hours obtained the ecclesiastical recognitionfrom the supreme authority of the Church. It willbe impossible to nd a more authentic proof tosubstantiate these facts.

    St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    27/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations

    In conclusion concerning what has been said aboutthe life and works of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria,this author would like to mention other facts con-cerning the Eucharistic piety of the Founder of hisorder. It is a known fact that the Orders of ClericsRegular founded throughout the sixteenth century

    were responsible for the reestablishment of thepractice of frequent communion. Among these or-ders, the Congregation of Zaccaria held the secondplace in the order of time. It was St. Anthony Mary

    who was rst to introduce the practice of frequent

    Communion in Cremona, Milan, and Vicenza. Inthe Constitutions that he dictated for the AngelicSisters of St. Paul, he required that Communionbe most frequent, almost daily and if every nuncould not, at least the greatest part of the Commu-nity should.41 The Constitutions of the Barnabites

    which, though written after the death of the Saint,faithfully reect the spirit of the Founder, mitigat-ing it somewhat prescribed for the priests the dailycelebration of the Mass, and for the non-priests,frequent Communion. As for confession, the

    priests were required to confess their sins three orat least two times a week, and the non-priests who

    were members of the Order were required to con-fess every time they intended to receive Commu-nion. It was not only the frequency of Commu-nion which the Saint advocated, but also stressedthe fervor in those who received. His biographersrelated that each time he distributed the most HolyEucharist, he used to precede it by a shortfervorino(short exotation) to animate the faithful as theyapproached the Eucharistic Table. 3

    It is understandable how much such a soul, so in-amed with the love of God, could nd a totallynew way of reminding the Christian people of thesublimity of the love of their God who desired toremain close to them in the Sacrament of the Altar.

    Endnotes:

    Angelo De Santi, S.J., LOrazione delle Quantore e i Tempi di Calamita e di

    (Roma:Civilt Cattolica,

    1919), p. 42.2 Albert Dubois, C.R.S.P., Les Barnabites Clercs Reguliers di Saint-Paul (Paris:

    Letouzey et Ane, 1924), p. 6.3 Orazio M. Premoli, C.R.S.P., Storia dei Barnabiti (Roma:Desclee and Co.,

    1913), Vol. I, p. 3.4 Dubois, op. cit., p. 7.5 Giuseppe Bofto, C.R.S.P., Biblioteca Barnabitica (Firenze:Leo S. Olschki,

    1937), Vol. IV, p. 209.6 Dubois, op. cit., p. 7.7 Bofto, op. cit. p. 209.8 Mary Bernadette Centanni, St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria Founder of the

    Barnabite Order (Buffalo, New York: Barnabite Fathers Library, 1958),

    pp.9-10. (Manuscript)9

    Bofto, . cit. p. 2140 Dubois, . cit.., p. 9.1 Premoli, op. cit. p. 407-415.2 Premoli, op. cit. p. 13.3 remoli, op. cit. p. 416.4 ianmarco Burigozzo, Cronica Milanese di Gianmarco Burigozzo Merzaro

    dal 1500 al 1544 in rchivio Storico Italiano, Vol. III, p. 509.5 Burigozzo, . cit. p. 510.6 urigozzo, . cit. p. 522.7 Premoli, op. cit. p. 28.8 remoli, op. cit. p. 31.

    9 Dubois, op. cit., p. 13.20 Francesco T. Moltedo, Vita di St. Antonio M. Zaccaria: Fondatore dei Barnabit

    e delle Angeliche (Firenze:Tipograa A. Ricci, 1897), p. 410.21 Dubois, . cit. p. 15.22 Burigozzo, op. cit. p. 537.23

    aolo Morigia, Historia dellAntichit di Milano (Venezia:Coleti, 1592), Vol.II, p. 344.24 remoli, . cit. p. 457.25 urigozzo, . cit. p. 523.26 iuseppe Card. Graniello, LOrazione delle XL Ore e il B. Antonio Maria

    Zaccaria (Roma:Typograa Vaticana, 1895), p. XV.27Achilles Ratti, Contributione alla Storia Eucaristica di Milano (Milano: Sergio

    Ghezzi, 1895), p. 73.28 Morigia, op. cit., p. 344.29 urigozzo, . cit. p. 537.30 Morigia , . cit., p. 343.31 urigozzo, . cit. p. 522.32 omenico Bergamaschi, ita di Fra Bono Eremite Istitutore delle SS.

    Quarantore (Monza:Tipograa Editrice Artigianelli, 1908), pp.10-21.33Anthony M. Zaccaria, St. Le Lettere34 Zaccaria, op. cit., p. 80.

    35Anacleto Secco, CRSP, De Clericorum Regularium S. Pauli Congregatione etParentibus Synopsis

    (Milano:Tipograa Francesco Vigono, 1682), p. 3.36 ecco, . cit. p. 158.37 ergamaschi, op. cit. p.12.38 e Santi, op. cit., p.42.39 ergamaschi, . cit. p.12.40 Ratti, . cit., p. 32-33.41 iuseppe Miniero, CRSP, Il Culto al SS. Sacramento Promosso dal Beato

    Antonio M. Zaccaria (Napoli:Tipograa Accademia Reale 1892), p. 7.42 Miniero, op. cit., p. 7.43Ibid. p. 7.

    St. Anthony and the Forty Hours

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    28/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations

    as our Lord faced the trialsand temptations thrown at

    Him when He walked amongus. If we truly accept that Hechose to become part of us inthis most intimate way, then

    we have only to draw on Hisunending source of strengthknowledge, and comfort, tosustain us in our needs. Hischoice was to be united withus. How we make use of thisgift is our choice. There are

    those who accept the gift andnever use it, thinking theyhave no need, or perhapsignoring of the value of whathas been given. How verysad. There are those who ap-proach Him with no sense ofthe price Christ paid for this

    most precious gift. Again how sad! It is my prayerthat somehow they come to know the true joy ofthis gift of life. I know that I have found the true

    and only happy meal, the meal that sustains mein all I do, and is always prepared for with the bestquality in mind, that is a pure and clean heart. Par-take of this meal often, and be nourished in spirit.

    I think that I could write a book about the Eucha-rist, because the topic is so very diversied. I haveonly presented a small facet of this wondrous GiftI pray that you nd the same solace in the Eucha-rist as I.

    OurSpiritualUmbilical

    Cordby Mary Grace

    prayerfully contemplated this article, so many thoughts came to mind that I mustsad tarted it over and over again. How does one even attempt to describe a gift soit Igreat Anything I wrote seemed to minimize the effect of this gift so immense,

    yet so freely given. I felt like I was making a mole hill out of a mountain.Yet I know that I have obligated myself to this joyful task, so I willattempt to share my feelings in a heartfelt and humble way.

    When Christ shared Himself with the Apostles at

    the Last Supper, He spoke these words; This ismy body, this is my blood.

    To me He was telling all ofus that He would always bethere to spiritually sustainus in the most intimate wayHe thought we would under-stand. Just as a child in the

    womb is totally sustained byhis mother through the um-bilical cord, Christ spiritually

    sustains us through the Eu-charist. As the baby grows theneed for nourishment growsas well, yet there is always a

    wealth of food for the childto use for growth and wellbeing. Likewise, as we maturespiritually, the Eucharist is al-

    ways available to sustain and strengthen us in ourneeds. Just as the child is one with his mother, webecome one with Christ through this most Holy

    Sacrament. Just as the child feels safe, loved, andcontent in the womb, we should feel safe, loved,and content in the Eucharist. For a child to denyhis total dependence on his mother for life wouldbe ridiculous, just as it would be for someone todeny what is freely offered in the Eucharist. Ev-erything is given to us through this gift of Self.

    If we partake of this meal in the way I perceive it tobe, we can face anything the world throws at us, just

    A

    Our Spiritual Umbilical Cord

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    29/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations

    appropriate to talk about another person, whomI so much revered as Mother, a holy mother, andindeed a true daughter of St. Anthony. She is ourdearest Venerable Mother Giovanna Bracaval.

    Flora Bracaval, as she was formerly known, receivedher religious name Angelica Giovanna Maria Braca-

    val of the Eucharistic Lord at her profession. Howshe got the name goes back on April 1, 1872, in herrst encounter with Jesus at Holy Communion. It

    was a special day for her. The experience of receiv-ing Jesus for the rst time remained engraved inher soul like a precious gem. She shall rememberit all her days, and Jesus would become the central

    AwesomeWonderby Sister Rorivic P. Israel, ASP

    t the solemn moment of consecration, a mar-velous light encircled St. Anthony and a multitude ofangels descended, and surrounding him, assisted rever-ently at the Mass. This heavenly vision lasted until theend of Communion.

    Miracles, apparitions, and visions confound us with astonishment. Their extraordinariness over-whelms us with awe and wonder. We become ut-

    terly amazed, almost unable to speak.

    St. Anthony never recounted about the vision, notat least in his writings or in his sermons. However,

    we can say without hesitation that the particularexperience affected him a great deal. Later on, he

    would promote the frequent reception of HolyCommunion and introduce the Forty-Hour Devo-tion to the Blessed Sacrament which, as RichardDeMolen puts it in his book, became one of themost popular religious observances in moderntimes. This undeniably is a proof of St. Anthonyslife-experience and true devotion to our Lord in theEucharist. What is this to me as a spiritual daughterof this renowned advocate?

    Being a daughter of St. Anthony Mary Zaccariaentails a great responsibility of continuing whathe started, of passing on the same zeal for the Eu-charist to others, of living the mystery myself in myown life.

    The Lord does make Himself present in manyways. And the Eucharist is just one of these marvel-ous ways of God being with us. I too am calledto make Him alive and present in me and throughme.

    In this article, however, I shall not talk aboutmyself nor of my own experience. I felt it more

    A

    Awesome Wonder

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    30/46

    2

    Reections and Meditations

    gure of love in her heart. From then on, her lifewould not be the same.

    A woman of profound interior life, MotherGiovanna always obeyed and promptly submit-ted to Gods will and endeavor much for His gloryand for the building of His Kingdom. She gave asplendid example of faithfulness to the Gospel andtherefore to the consecrated life, of eager love ofGod and neighbor, of trust in divine providence,and of sincere humility. She always acted with pru-

    dence and justice; she was strong and patient indifculties, self-controlled and detached from vainand earthly goods. She never relied on her ownstrength but on the efcacy of grace, which sheimplored with assiduous prayer, on a fervent devo-tion to Jesus Crucied, on the Eucharist and on theBlessed Mother, on the observance of her religious

    vows and on the exercise of her daily tasks. (Takenfrom a brochure on the Venerable)

    The Eucharistic Lord had been for Mother Giovan-na a Companion until death. It is said that beforethe time she died, she asked one sister to meditate

    with her. And the meditation was on the Eucha-rist.

    There is much I could share with you about theVenerable, but I shall leave this short biography togive you other signicant details about her and herlife.

    Brief BiographyMother Giovanna Maria Bracaval of the EucharisticLord was born in Mouscron, Belgium on May 3, 1861of very pious parents: John Louis Bracaval and SophiaDessauvages. Her sister Mary, who later became a Cla-risse Sister in a Convent in Tournai, Belgium, acted asher godmother at Baptism.

    While Flora was receiving her education at the Board-ing School of the Ladies of Mary Sisters in Mouscron,

    she soon felt attracted toward religious life, but shcould not fulll her desire to enter into religious lifeuntil after the death of her parents who needed theirdaughters care in their old age and illness.

    Through Father Benedict Nisser, a Barnabite Priest,who later on would become Father General, Flora cameto know about the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, who

    shared with the Barnabite Fathers - the Founder - St

    Anthony Mary Zaccaria.

    Awesome Wonder

    Venerable Mother Giovanna Bracaval of the Eucharistic Lordmage by SisterRorivicP.Israel,AS

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    31/46

    3

    Reections and Meditations

    In 1894, she entered the convent of the Angelic Sis-ters of St. Paul located in Crema, Italy. After a year,

    she received her habit, and on June 22, 1896, sheconsecrated herself to God with solemn vows. Her lifeof prayer and dedication and her uncommon virtues,made her capable of high tasks since her rst years ofreligious life. She was Mistress of Novices and Superiorof different convents. The most important task was thatof being able to bring back her congregation to activelife, the original charism of the Founder, St. Anthony,who wanted her spiritual daughters to be a congrega-tion dedicated to apostolic work without the bond of thecloister. Elected Superior General of the congregation,

    she gave herself more for the community as well as forthe people around her. Special care was given to theeducation of the workmens children, the orphans, andthe abandoned children of World War I.

    In 1932, she felt necessary to leave her ofce to oneof the Sisters to prepare herself for her encounter withher spouse. On January 26, 1935, after a short illness,

    she died peacefully, giving edication to all who werepresent at her bedside. Very soon the people who were

    fortunate enough to have known her, and convinced of

    her sanctity, started to entreat her, to obtain by her in-tercession favors from God.

    Because of the many favors attributed to her, the An-gelic Sisters of St. Paul obtained permission to removeher body from the cemetery to the church near theirconvent, and to start the procedures for her canoniza-tion, hoping that with the prayers of the faithful people

    she will soon be proclaimed a Saint.

    On a last note, St. Anthony understood that onlyin the Eucharist could we nd Gods joy that lastthrough time. He advocated adoration and fre-quent Communion so that they may become aperpetual and permanent act of our longing forGod who is ever-present in the Eucharist.

    Lets receive the Lord continually at Holy Com-munion. Lets adore him in the Blessed SacramentOur life shall have meaning, and we shall truly belled with awesome wonder for the marvels theLord would work for us, in us, and through us.

    Awesome Wonder

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    32/46

    3

    Reections and Meditations SAMZ Rhyme

  • 8/9/2019 Anthony Alive No 2

    33/46

    3

    Reections and Meditations And the Bridge Is Love

    is mystery. God is love. The Creatoroof iverse dwells in an inaccessible light sohebrigh that it can blind the probing eye and eludethe questioning mind. And the same awesome Godhas taken on a human face, a persona, a name, inChrist Jesus, the Son, the WORD who providen-tially bridges human activity with a transcendentpurpose.

    O limitleGod huin orderback, and

    The basic themea sacred storyabout chance olove. Moreover,Jesus Christ, lovelove is both seltional. As sacreprophetically obaspects of Godssaged and orient

    ment in Christlost, a life left being in the acclaidied, Christ is ris

    will come agaiso, in the circutial course of hevents, there is a lof the living andland of the dea

    and the bridge is love, the only survival, the onlymeaning.*

    Consequently, in Gods sacred plan for humanityChrist is constant, the bridge that does not breakthat does not fall apart. Jesus of Nazareth belongto human history just as does the Christ of faiththe co-eternal Son of God who is not conned toor circumscribed by history. Thus, if history is remembered account of the past, then it is also reasonable to assume that the prophetic presence o

    Gods plan, revealed in scripture, is both a remembrance of the things past and an approximation othe future linked by the revelation of Gods love inChrist.

    istorical continuhe Incarnation aIn the beginnincame esh (Jn 1w of the Cross ib and the empty

    remembers withove that God in

    with a holy and. In the Eucharisr for us to searcht rather reveal

    s Gods