St. Hyacintha Mariscotti

A religious of the Third Order of St. Francis and foundress of the Sacconi; born 1585 of a noble family at Vignanello, near Viterbo in Italy; died 30 January, 1640, at Viterbo; feast, 30 January; in Rome, 6 February (Diarium Romanum).

Her parents were Marc’ Antonio Mariscotti (Marius Scotus) and Ottavia Orsini. At Baptism she received the name Clarice and in early youth was remarkable for piety, but, as she grew older, she became frivolous, and showed a worldly disposition, which not even the almost miraculous saving of her life at the age of seventeen could change; neither was her frivolity checked by her education at the Convent of St. Bernardine at Viterbo, where an older sister had taken the veil. At the age of twenty she set her heart upon marriage with the Marquess Cassizucchi, but was passed by in favour of a younger sister. She was sadly disappointed, became morose, and at last joined the community at St. Bernardine, receiving the name Hyacintha. But, as she told her father, she did this only to hide her chagrin and not to give up the luxuries of the world; and she asked him to furnish her apartments with every comfort. She kept her own kitchen, wore a habit of the finest material, received and paid visits at pleasure.

For ten years she continued this kind of life, so contrary to the spirit of her vows and such a source of scandal to the community. By the special protection of God, she retained a lively faith, was regular in her devotions, remained pure, always showed a great respect for the mysteries of religion, and had a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin. At length she was touched by God’s grace, and the earnest exhortations of her confessor at the time of serious illness made her see the folly of the past and brought about a complete change in her life. She made a public confession of her faults in the refectory, discarded her costly garments, wore an old habit, went barefoot, frequently fasted on bread and water, chastised her body by vigils and severe scourging, and practised mortifications to such an extent that the decree of canonization considers the preservation of her life a continued miracle. She increased her devotion to the Mother of God, to the Holy Infant Jesus, to the Blessed Eucharist, and to the sufferings of Christ. She worked numerous miracles, had the gifts of prophecy and of discerning the secret thoughts of others. She was also favoured by heavenly ecstacies and raptures. During an epidemic that raged in Viterbo she showed heroic charity in nursing the sick. She established two confraternities, whose members were called Oblates of Mary or Sacconi. One of these, similar to our Society of St. Vincent de Paul, gathered alms for the convalescent, for the poor who were ashamed to beg, and for the care of prisoners; the other procured homes for the aged. Though now leading a life so pure and holy, Hyacintha always conceived the greatest contempt for herself. At her death great sorrow was felt at Viterbo and crowds flocked to her funeral. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726, and canonized 14 May, 1807, by Pius VII.

CHAPTER XIX
HOW THE VINE OF THE PRIEST OF RIETI, WHOSE HOUSE ST FRANCIS ENTERED TO PRAY, WAS TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT BY THE GREAT NUMBERS WHO CAME TO SEE HIM, AND HOW IT YET PRODUCED A GREATER QUANTITY OF WINE THAN USUAL, AS ST FRANCIS HAD PROMISED; AND HOW THE LORD REVEALED TO THE SAINT THAT HEAVEN WOULD BE HIS PORTION WHEN HE LEFT THIS WORL
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St Francis at one time being grievously tormented with a disease in his eyes, the Cardinal Ugolino, protector of his Order, who loved him dearly, wrote to him to come to Rieti, where there were excellent oculists. St Francis, having received the Cardinal's letter, set off first to San Damiano, where was Sister Clare, the devout spouse of Christ, to give her some spiritual consolation, intending afterwards to go on to the Cardinal. On arriving at San Damiano, the following night his eyes grew so much worse that he could not see the light, and was obliged to give up going any further. Then Sister Clare made him a little cell of reeds, in order that he might repose the better; but St Francis, owing partly to the pain he suffered, and partly to the multitude of rats, which much annoyed him, could rest neither day or night. After suffering for several days this pain and tribulation, he began to think that it was sent to him by God as a punishment for his sins, and he thanked the Lord in his heart and with his lips, crying out with a loud voice: "My God, I am worthy of this, and even worse. My Lord Jesus Christ, thou Good Shepherd, who hast shown thy mercy to us poor sinners in the various bodily pains and sufferings it pleaseth thee to send us; grant to me, thy little lamb, that no pain, however great, no infirmity nor anguish, shall ever separate me from thee." Having made this prayer, a voice came from heaven, which said: "Francis, if all the earth were of gold, if all the seas and all the fountains and all the rivers were of balm, if all mountains, all hills, and all rocks were made of precious stones, and if thou couldst find a treasure as much more precious again as gold is more precious than earth, and balm than water, and gems than mountains and rocks, if that precious treasure were offered to thee in the place of thy infirmity, wouldst thou not rejoice and be content?" St Francis answered: "Lord, I am unworthy of such a treasure." And the voice of God said again: "Rejoice with all thy heart, Francis, for such a treasure is life eternal, which I have in keeping for thee, and even now promise to thee; and this thine infirmity and affliction is a pledge of that blessed treasure." Then was St Francis filled with joy at so glorious a promise; and calling his companion, he said to him: "Let us go to the Cardinal." He humbly took leave of Sister Clare, after having comforted her with holy words, and took the road to Rieti. When he approached the town, such a multitude came out to meet him, that he would not go into the city, but went to a church which was about two miles of. But the people, hearing where he was gone, went thither to see him; so that the vine which surrounded the church was greatly injured, and all the grapes were gathered; at which the priest, to whom it belonged, was very grieved in his heart, and repented of having received St Francis in his church. The thought of the priest being revealed to the saint, he called him to him and said: "Dearest father, tell me, how many measures of wine does this vine produce when the year is a fertile one?" He answered: "Twelve measures." Then said St Francis: "I pray thee, father, have patience and endure my presence here a few days longer, as I find great rest in this church; and, for the love of God and of me his poor servant, let the people gather the grapes off thy vine; for I promise thee, in the name of my Saviour Jesus Christ, that it shall produce every year twenty measures of wine." And St Francis remained there for the benefit of the souls of all who went to see him, for many went away filled with divine love, and gave up the world. The priest, having faith in the promise of St Francis, left the vineyard open to all those who came to see him. And, wonder of wonders! although the vine was entirely ruined, so that there scarcely remained, here and there, a few small bunches of grapes, when the time of vintage arrived, the priest gathered the few bunches which were left, and put them into the winepress; and according to the promise of St Francis, these few little bunches did not fail to produce twenty measures of excellent wine. This miracle teaches us that as, in consequence of the merits of St Francis, the vine, though despoiled of its grapes, produced an abundance of wine, so in the same way many Christians, whose sins had made them barren of virtue, through the saint's preaching and merits, have often come to abound in the good fruit of repentance.

Audio sermon for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany Our Lord's first public miracle signals the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. The old wine has run out and God has given us a new wine in the New Covenant. This new Covenant is far superior to the Old one.

Audio Sermon for The Feast of The Holy Family The family is the basic unit of all civilization and is in the image and likeness of God and is therefore under direct assault from the devils. We must defend the family with

constant loving sacrifice, if we are to avoid the snares placed before us by the world, the devils and our own fallen nature.
Audio Sermon given Saturday January 11. Understanding the problem of evil in the world. Answering the question: Why is their evil in the world, while God is all good, all powerful, all merciful, etc.

THE PLAGUE IN LISBON: THE CITY SAVED BY THE HOLY NAME

A devastating plague broke out in Lisbon in 1432. All who could do
so fled in terror from the city and thus carried the plague to every
corner of the entire country of Portugal.

Thousands of men, women and children of all classes were swept away
by the cruel sickness. So virulent was the epidemic that men died
everywhere, at table, in the streets, in their houses, in the shops,
in the marketplaces, in the churches. To use the words of historians,
it flashed like lightning from man to man, or from a coat, a hat or
any garment that had been used by the plague-stricken. Priests,
doctors and nurses were carried off in such numbers that the bodies
of many lay unburied in the streets, so that the dogs licked up the
blood and ate the flesh of the dead, becoming as a result themselves
infected with the dread disease and spreading it still more widely
among the unfortunate people.

Among those who assisted the dying with unflagging zeal was a
venerable bishop, Monsignor Andre Dias, who lived in the Convent or
Monastery of St. Dominic. This holy man, seeing that the epidemic,
far from diminishing, grew every day in intensity, and despairing of
human help, urged the unhappy people to call on the Holy Name of
Jesus. He was seen wherever the disease was fiercest, urging,
imploring the sick and the dying, as well as those who had not as yet
been stricken down, to repeat, "Jesus, Jesus." "Write it on cards," he
said, "and keep those cards on your persons; place them at night under
your pillows; place them on your doors; but above all, constantly
invoke with your lips and in your hearts this most powerful Name."

He went about as an angel of peace filling the sick and the dying
with courage and confidence. The poor sufferers felt within them a
new life, and calling on Jesus, they wore the cards on their breasts
or carried them in their pockets.

Then summoning them to the great Church of St. Dominic, he once more
spoke to them of the power of the Name of Jesus and blessed water in
the same Holy Name, ordering all the people to sprinkle themselves
with it and sprinkle it on the faces of the sick and the dying.
Wonder of wonders! The sick got well, the dying arose from their
agonies, the plague ceased and the city was delivered in a few days
from the most awful scourge that had ever visited it.

The news spread to the whole country and all began, with one accord,
to call on the Name of Jesus. In an incredibly short time all Portugal
was freed from the dread sickness.

The grateful people, mindful of the marvels they had witnessed,
continued their love and confidence in the Name of our Saviour, so
that in all their troubles, in all dangers, when evils of any kind
threatened them, they invoked the Name of Jesus. Confraternities were
formed in the churches, processions of the Holy Name were made
monthly, altars were raised in honor of this blessed name, so that
the greatest curse that had ever fallen on the country was
transformed into the greatest blessing.

For long centuries this great confidence in the Name of Jesus
continued in Portugal and thence spread to Spain, to France, and to
the whole world.

 Taken from the booklet
THE WONDERS OF THE HOLY NAME
by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan

THE WORLD IN DANGER SAVED BY THE HOLY NAME

In the year 1274 great evils threatened the world. The Church was
assailed by fierce enemies from within and without. So great was the
danger that the Pope, Gregory X, who then reigned, called a council
of Bishops in Lyons to determine on the best means of saving society
from the ruin that menaced it. Among the many means proposed, the
Pope and Bishops chose what they considered the easiest and most
efficacious of all, viz., the frequent repetition of the Holy Name of
Jesus.

The Holy Father then begged the Bishops to call on the Name of Jesus
and to urge their peoples to place all their confidence in this
all-powerful Name, repeating it constantly with boundless trust. The
Pope entrusted the Dominicans especially with the glorious task of
preaching the wonders of the Holy Name in every country, a work they
accomplished with unbounded zeal.

Their Franciscan brothers ably seconded them. St. Bernardine of
Siena and St. Leonard of Port-Maurice were ardent apostles of the
Name of Jesus.

Their efforts were crowned with success so that the enemies of the
Church were overthrown, the dangers that threatened society
disappeared and peace once more reigned supreme.

This is a most important lesson for us because, in these our own
days, dreadful sufferings are crushing many countries, and still
greater evils threaten all the others.

No government or governments seem strong and wise enough to stem
this awful torrent of evils. There is but one remedy, and that is
prayer.

Every Christian must turn to God and ask Him to have mercy on us.
The easiest of all prayers, as we have seen, is the Name of Jesus.

Everyone without exception can invoke this holy name hundred of
times a day, not only for his own intentions, but also to ask God to
deliver the world from impending ruin.

It is amazing what one person who prays can do to save his country
and save society. We read in Holy Scripture how Moses saved by his
prayer the people of Israel from destruction, and how one pious
woman, Judith of Betulia, saved her city and her people when the
rulers were in despair and about to surrender themselves to their
enemies.

Again, we know that the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, which God
destroyed by fire for their sins and crimes, would have been pardoned
had there been only ten good men to pray for them!

Over and over again we read of kings, emperors, statesmen and famous
military commanders who placed all their trust in prayer, thus working
wonders. If the prayers of one man can do much, what will not the
prayers of many do?

The Name of Jesus is the shortest, the easiest and the most powerful
of prayers. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of this daily work.
God cannot refuse to hear it.

Let us then invoke the Name of Jesus, asking Him to save us from the
calamities that threaten us.

 Taken from the booklet
THE WONDERS OF THE HOLY NAME
by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan

 




“Worldlings shun solitude, and with good reason; for in solitude they feel more acutely the remorse of conscience, and therefore they go in search of the conversations and tumults of the world, that the noise of these occupations may stifle the stings of remorse.......

 St. Alphonsus

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals The Holy Family 12 January 2014

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friend,

". . . And He was subject to them." Today we see that God was subject to Mary, and God and Mary were both subject to St. Joseph. The Creator was subject to His creatures. What humility for our imitation. What honor and privilege for Mary and Joseph. God has venerated Mary and Joseph. Can we go wrong in imitating Him in venerating them? 

So many times we look upon obedience as a heavy and intolerable burden in our lives. To be a subject, employee, servant, or slave is considered the lowest of degradations by men. How hard we work to be freed from such positions, or in our charity to assist others to be freed from such subjection! The laborer saves for the time of retirement when he may put off the necessity of daily labor. The child is taught to seek higher stations in life where he may exert little effort with maximum reward. Labor has become almost a dirty word. 

The menial tasks of the common laborer are looked down upon and despised, and so often the laborer himself is despised because he is doing these tasks. All honest labor is noble and worthwhile in the eyes of God. The lowly and the menial honest worker is the place that God had chosen for Himself when He came upon this earth. A life of humility and obedience is the life of the King of kings! How strange it is that we who are dust and ashes think we deserve to command, when God desired to obey. 

What the world despises, God honors. What the world honors, God despises. There is much for our consideration here. We are all children, we are all subjects, we should therefore imitate Him in humble and ready submission to those whom He has placed over us. 

We have somehow come to believe that the right to demand respect and obedience is something that is based upon merit or worthiness. There is nothing further from the truth. Joseph was the least in dignity and merit; nonetheless he was given the position of head of the Holy Family. While it is true that God gives grace to those who must command, and that if they cooperate with Him, they will be a great blessing to those around them, and to the world at large; the position of authority is one of burden, when we consider it from the spiritual viewpoint. Those in authority must give an account for themselves as well as for all those who are subject to them. The one who is subject must only give an account of himself. 

The safest position spiritually is that of the subject and the most dangerous spiritual position is that of superior. Jesus came to this earth to show us the way to grace and salvation. The example that He gives us is that of obedience, humility, patience, meekness. These are not the signs of spiritual inferiority or of spiritual weakness; on the contrary, these are signs of the greatest spiritual superiority and strength. It takes great intestinal fortitude and character to conform one's will to another's. Spiritual nobility rests in the subject rather than in the king. 

The greatest and safest path for our salvation is in the lowly and humble work of obedience. In fact, it is even said in the world that before someone is able to lead and command, he must first learn to follow and obey. 

The fourth commandment, "Honor your father;" speaks of all authority. We must honor all authority, because all authority comes from God. We honor those that God has placed over us, not because they are better than we are, but because God has commanded us to do so. Sometimes there are those in authority that are bad, or incompetent, etc. we honor them nonetheless, because God has commanded it, even though they may be personally unworthy of such honor. 

We cannot go wrong in learning of Jesus Who is meek and humble of heart. Nor can we spiritually fail if we imitate Him in honest labors of obedience. Superiors may go wrong in commanding something against God's will, but the subject cannot spiritually fail when rendering obedience to the superior (obedience in all things except sin). When the subject obeys, sacrificing his own will, he follows the path of Jesus and then becomes more like Him. The will of the superior is therefore secondary to the subject's willing sacrifice of his own will for the love of God. It is God's desire that we sacrifice our own wills; and as long as the subject does this with a proper intention, he gains merit. The superior in commanding others to obey him and to do his will can only gain merit if all that he commands is good and in conformity to God's will. 

In honoring the Holy family, we honor authority, and obedience. We venerate parenthood and authority as God Himself has done. The best way to honor authority is not in seeking authority for ourselves, but in humbly obeying all authority for the love of God. Predominately though, we see the dignity and majesty of submission and obedience in the Christ child. We see the Greatest has chosen the least place. We are called Christians, let us always seek to follow Christ; especially in His humble and ready obedience to all authority. If everyone would seek to faithfully obey all authority for the love of God, many evils of the world would be eradicated, and families would become truly holy families.

Audio Sermon for the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
The name of Jesus is like oil: It lights the soul; It heals the wounds of the soul; It feeds the soul. 

 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass-Fr. Bernard, OFM - Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus 

 

Fr. Joseph, OFM - Feast of Holy Name of Jesus 

 

 

St. Vincent de Paul teaches the Queen of France

January 6, 2014

Painting of St. Vincent de Paul, originally in the Vincentian Provincial House, now in Germantown, PA.

St. Vincent de Paul was frequently calumniated, but he never tried to justify himself.
One of the priests under his care said to him one day, when some person had spoken untruly of him: “Father, why do you not justify yourself, since you are so falsely accused?”
“My brother,” was his reply, “I will try to justify myself by my works, but never by my words.”

Painting of Anna of Austria, Queen of France, by Peter Paul Rubens.

Another day, when he was speaking to the Queen, she told him that he had been accused to her of a certain fault of which she knew that he could not be guilty. The Saint, without the least sign of disappointment, said: “Madam, I know I am a great sinner.”
“But you are innocent of this sin; why, then, do you not endeavor to justify yourself?”
St. Vincent answered: “Jesus Christ was calumniated more than I have been, yet He did not try to justify Himself, neither will I.”


Rev. D. Chisholm, The Catechism in Examples (London: R & T Washbourne, Ltd., 1919), 169.

 



Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
"Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
"Where there is injury, pardon;
"Where there is doubt, faith;
"Where there is despair, hope;
"Where there is darkness, light;
"And where there is sadness, joy.
"Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
"To be understood, as to understand;
"To be loved, as to love;
"For it is in giving that we receive,
"It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
"And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

 



“What greater peace can a soul feel than in being able to say on lying down at night: Should death come this night, I hope to die in the grace of God.  What a consolation is it to hear the thunder roll, to feel the earth tremble, and to await death with resignation, if God so ordain it.” 
St. Alphonsus