October 19th - St. Paul of the Cross,Visionary
Waldtraud
Born at Ovada, Piedmont, Italy, in 1694; died in Rome, Italy, October 18,
1775;
canonized in 1867; feast day formerly on April 28.
Paolo Francesco Danei was well brought up by devout, middle-class parents
(a.k.a. impoverished nobility). At 15, while still living with his parents
in
Castellazzo, Lombardy, Paul adopted a lifestyle of rigorous austerity and
great
mortifications. When he was 20 he volunteered for the Venetian army to fight
against the Turks, but he soon found he was not meant to be a soldier. After
his
discharge, he resumed his life of prayer and penance. He refused marriage,
and
spent several years in retreat at Castellazzo.
In 1720, had a vision of our Lady in a black habit with the name Jesus and a
cross in white on the chest. In the vision, the Blessed Virgin told him to
found
a religious order devoted to preaching the Passion of Christ (hence their
name,
Passionists). Paul experienced such mystical communications all his life,
and
came to distrust them; however, he acted promptly on these first ones.
The bishop of Alessandria discerned that Paul's visions were authentic, and
gave
him permission to proceed to draw up a rule for the new order. Thus, Paul
wrote
the Passionist rule during a 45- day retreat. With his brother, Giovanni
Baptista, who became his inseparable companion and closest confidant, he
went to
Rome to seek papal approval, which was refused at first. On their return to
Rome
in 1725, they were granted permission by Pope Benedict XIII to accept
novices.
Two years later (1727), the holy father ordained the two brothers as priests
in
the Vatican basilica.
After their ordination he and his brother started the first Passionist
house, on
the Monte Argentaro peninsula (near Orbitello) in Tuscany. The first ten
years
were difficult, for both internal and external reasons. Many of their first
novices left because of the severity of the rule. Perseverance won. In the
end
austere life of the missioners and the fervent preaching of their founder
made
their mark.
The first monastery was opened in 1737. In 1741, Pope Benedict XIV approved
a
modified rule, and the "Barefoot Clerks of the Holy Cross and Passion" began
to
spread throughout Italy. They were in great demand for their missions, which
became famous.
Paul was elected first superior general, against his will, at the first
general
chapter at Monte Argentaro and held that position the rest of his life. He
preached all over the Papal States to tremendous crowds, raised them to a
fever
pitch as he scourged himself in public, and brought back to the faith the
most
hardened sinners and criminals
He was blessed with supernatural gifts-prophecy, miracles of healing,
appearances to people in visions at a distance-and was one of the most
celebrated preachers of his day. People fought to touch him and to get a
piece
of his tunic as a relic. Though the two main objectives of the order were
service to the sick and the dying, Paul's special concern was the conversion
of
sinners, for which he prayed for 50 years.
The Passionists received final approbation from Pope Clement XIV in 1769.
Two
years later, Paul's efforts to create an institute of nuns came into being
with
the opening of the first house of Passionist nuns at Corneto. Paul lived to
see
the congregation firmly established. After a three-year illness, Paul died
and
was buried in the Basilica of SS John and Paul, given to the order by Pope
Clement.
Saint Paul of the Cross was always interested in the religious state of
England.
Thus, it is heartening to note that the leader of the first Passionists to
work
there, Father Dominic Barberi (d. 1849), who received John Henry Newman into
the
Catholic Church, was also beatified in 1963 (Attwater, Benedictines,
Delaney,
White).
Quote:
"On December 8, 1869, the International Congress of Freemasons imposed it as
a
duty on all its members to do all in their power to wipe out Catholicity
from
the face of the earth. Cremation was proposed as a suitable means to this
end,
since it was calculated to gradually undermine the faith of the people in
'the
resurrection of the body and life everlasting.'"
-Fr. John Laux, Catholic Morality (Imprimatur 1932), p. 106
Bible Quote
But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
will
teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall
have
said to you. (John 14:26)
<><><><>
To Obtain Heaven.
O Queen of Paradise, who reignest above all the choirs of angels, and who
art the nearest of all creatures to God, I, a miserable sinner, salute thee
from this valley of tears, and beseech thee to turn thy compassionate eyes
towards me, for whichever side they turn they dispense graces.
See, O Mary, in how many danger I now am, and shall be as long as I live in
this world, of losing my soul, of losing heaven and God. In thee, O Lady, I
have placed all my hopes. I love thee and sigh to go soon to see thee, and
praise thee in heaven. Ah, Mary, when will be that happy day on which I
shall see myself safe at thy feet, and contemplate my Mother who has done so
much for my salvation?
When shall I kiss that hand which has delivered me so many times from hell,
and has dispensed me so many graces, when, on account of my sins, I deserve
to be hated and abandoned by all? My Lady, in life I have been very
ungrateful to thee; but if I reach heaven, I shall no longer be ungrateful;
there I shall love thee as much as I can in every moment for all eternity,
and shall make amends for my ingratitude by blessings and thanksgiving thee
forever.
I thank God with my whole heart, who gives me firm confidence in the blood
of Jesus Christ and in thee, and in the conviction that thou wilt save me;
that thou wilt deliver me from my sins; that thou wilt give me light and
strength to execute the divine will; and in time, that thou wilt lead me to
the gate of paradise. Thy servants have hoped for this, and not one of them
was deceived. No, neither shall I be deceived. O Mary, my full confidence is
that thou hast to save me. Beseech thy Son Jesus as I also beseech him, by
the merits of his Passion, to preserve and always increase this confidence
in me, and I shall be saved. - Amen.