HYACINTH OF MARISCOTTI, Virgin

Hyacinth was born of a noble Roman family near Vitero in the year 1585. She joined the Franciscan Sisters early in life but put off acquiring the virtues of religious life. It was only during her recovery from a serious illness that she gave up her worldly vanities. Thereafter, she afflicted her body with severe penance and diligently occupied herself with works of charity, thus meriting to receive heavenly favors from God. She died at Viterbo in the year 1640.

From the common of virgins, 1441.

PEACE

The Soul’s Journey into God

by Bonaventure

I call upon the Eternal Father
Through his son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
That through the intercession of the most holy Virgin Mary,
The mother of the same God and Lord Jesus Christ,
And through the intercession of blessed Francis,
Our leader and father,
He may enlighten the eyes of our soul
To guide our feet
In the way of that peace
Which surpasses all understanding.
This is the peace
Proclaimed and given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ
And preached again and again
By our father Francis.
At the beginning and end of every sermon he announced peace;
In every greeting he wished for peace;
In every contemplation he sighed for ecstatic peace-
Like a citizen of that Jerusalem of which
That Man of Peace says,
Who was peaceable with those who hated peace;
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

ST. ANGELA MERICI, SFO

Angela Merici (1474–1540), founder of the Ursuline nuns, was born at Desenzano del Garda, a small town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy. She and her younger sister were left orphans when she was about ten years old. She joined the Third Order of St. Francis and devoted herself with several companions to the education of poor girls. In 1535 they dedicated themselves to this work under the patronage of Ursula, but they took no vows and wore lay clothes. In 1565 the formal organization of this sisterhood became the Congregation of Ursuline nuns. They have been described as ‘the oldest and most considerable teaching order of women in the Roman Catholic Church’. She died on January 27, 1540. Her body was clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary and interred in the Church of St Afra, Brescia. Saint Angela Merici was beatified in Rome on April 30, 1768, by Pope Clement XIII. She was canonized on May 24, 1807, by Pope Pius VII.

On the Eucharist

From A Letter to the Entire Order, St. Francis of Assisi

Let everyone be struck with fear,
let the whole world tremble,

and let the heavens exult

when Christ, the son of the living God,

is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!

Oh wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe,
God and the Son of God,

so humbles Himself

that for our salvation

He hides Himself

under an ordinary piece of bread!
Brothers, look at the humility of God,

and pour out your hearts before Him!
Humble yourselves
that you may be exalted by Him!
Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves,
that He Who gives Himself totally to you
may receive you totally.