Trudie
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 Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: July 14th - St. Francis Solano |
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July 14th - St. Francis Solano
St. Francis Solano was born at Montilla in Andalusia in 1549, did his studies in
the school of the Jesuits, and in 1569, joined the Franciscan Observance at his
birthplace. He was duly professed and in 1576 ordained priest. Full of zeal and
charity and an ardent desire for the salvation of souls, he divided his time
between silent retirement and the ministry of preaching. Francis exercised his
ministry in southern Spain for many years, and during the plague of 1583 at
Granada, he was struck down but made a quick recovery.
After the epidemic had passed, Francis was selected to go with Father Balthazar
Navarro to Peru. The missionaries to Panama crossed the Isthmus, and again took
ship on the other side. But approaching Peru, they ran into a bad storm and were
driven aground on a sandbank. The ship looked as if she were going to pieces and
the master ordered that she be abandoned, leaving aboard a number of negro
slaves for whom there was no room in the single lifeboat. Francis had these men
under instruction and refused to leave them, so he remained behind on the ship,
which was breaking up. He gathered them around him, encouraged them to trust in
the mercy of God and the merits of Jesus Christ, and then baptized them. This he
had scarcely done when the vessel parted amidship and some of the negroes were
drowned. The remainder were on the part of the hull that was firmly aground and
there they remained for three days, Francis keeping up their courage and rigging
signals of distress.
When the weather broke, the ship's boat returned and took them off to join the
others in a place of safety, from which they eventually were transported to
Lima, Peru. Now began twenty years of untiring ministry among the Indians and
Spanish colonists.
It is said that St. Francis had the "gift of tongues," and for his miracles he
was called the "wonder-worker of the New World." In his funeral sermon, Father
Sabastiani, S.J., said that God had chosen him to be "the hope and edification
of all Peru, the example and glory of Lima, the splendor of the Seraphic order."
A habit of his, very reminiscent of his religious father and namesake, was to
take a lute and sing to Our Lady before her altar. He died on July 14, 1610,
while his brethren were singing the conventual Mass, at the moment of
consecration, saying with his last breath, "Glory be to God." His whole life,
says Alvarez de Paz, was a holy uninterrupted course of zealous action, yet at
the same time, a continued prayer. St. Francis Solano was canonized in 1726.
Saint Quote:
A great help to you always be a great love for, and unlimited confidence in, Our
Blessed Lady, Help of Christians, Mother of God, and your Mother also. She says
to you: "Whoever is little, let him come to me." If you will love her, she will
shower on you many graces in this life, and be an assurance to you of Heaven
hereafter.
--St. John Bosco
Bible Quote
For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his
wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but
one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
(Matt. 19:5-6)
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The Fiery Prayer for Apostles of the Latter Times
By - St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort
6th Day
"That they may extinguish the fire in the House of God"
Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation: It is Thy Grace alone that must form this
company. If man touches it first, nothing will be done. If he interferes with
Thy work, he will spoil all, overturn all. Thy congregation: It is Thy work,
great God. Do Thy work: do Thy all-divine work; collect, call, gather together
Thy elect from all places over which Thou has domination and make of them a
strong army to defend Thy heritage against Thy enemies.
The battalions pay homage to the God of battles.
Seest Thou, Lord, God of battles, seest Thou the captains who are forming full
battalions, the potentates who are assembling whole fleets, the merchants
gathering in large numbers at the markets and the fairs? Crowds of robbers,
drunkards, libertines, impious men are uniting against Thee every day - and so
easily and promptly. The sound of a whistle, the beat of a drum, the sight of a
blunt sword-tip, the promise of a withered laurel wreath, the offer of a bit of
gold or silver; in a word, a breath of fame and earthly interest, a vile
pleasure for which they long can, in a moment, unite robbers as one, call
forward soldiers, assemble battalions, bring together merchants, fill houses and
market places and cover the earth and the sea with an innumerable multitude of
the reprobate, who, although divided among themselves by the places whence they
come, by the differences in their dispositions or by their personal interests,
are nevertheless united as one man, until death, to fight against Thee under the
banner and the leadership of the demon.
And we, great God! Although there is so much glory and profit, so much sweetness
and so many advantages to be gained by serving Thee, shall there be so few to
take up Thy cause? Hardly any soldiers under Thy banner! Nary a St. Michael to
proclaim among Thy brethren in zeal for Thy glory: Who is like unto God?
Ah, let me cry out everywhere: Fire! Fire! Fire! Help! Help! Help! Fire even
within the sanctuary! Help for our brother who is being murdered! Help for our
children whose throats are being cut! Help for our Father, who is being stabbed!
If any man be on the Lord's side, let him join with me (Ex. 32:26).
Let all good priests who are spread over the Christian world, and those who are
actually on the battlefield and those who have withdrawn from the combat to bury
themselves in deserts and solitude, let them all come forward and unite with
us - in unity there is strength - so that we may form, under the banner of the
Cross, a well-regulated army in battle array, and together attack the enemies of
God who have already sounded the alarm. They have shouted; they have raged; they
have swelled their ranks. Let us break their bonds asunder; let us cast away
their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them (Ps. 2:3-4).
Let the Lord arise, and let His enemies be dispersed.
Arise, O Lord, why sleepest Thou? Arise: Arise, O Lord, why feignest Thou to
sleep? Arise in Thy might, Thy mercy, and Thy justice, to form Thyself a chosen
bodyguard to keep Thy house, to defend Thy glory, and to save the souls bought
at the price of Thy Precious Blood, so that there may be but one fold and one
shepherd, and that all may glorify Thee in Thy holy temple: And in His temple
all shall proclaim His glory. Amen.
See whole prayer at:
http://www.themontfortacademy.org/Pages/FieryPrayerDay1.htm |
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