July 9th - St. Veronica Giuliani, Visionary
Waldtraud
Today we go to 17th century Italy to meet Ursula Giuliani, daughter of
Francesco
Giuliani and Benedetta Mancini. She was born December 27, 1660 at
Mercatello, in
Urbino, Italy. Her father was a financier.
At an early age she showed signs of devotion to God. At six years of age she
was
concerned with giving her own food to the poor and clothing to the needy.
She
would be angry if others did not follow her lead until she saw in a dream or
vision, her own heart made of steel.
When her father received a promotion she greatly enjoyed all the pomp and
celebration this entailed. Later she greatly reproached herself for this
prideful attitude.
It is believed that after seeing the Blessed Mother in a vision, she
determined
to become a nun. Her father staunchly opposed this and presented many
suitors in
an attempt to get her to marry. Ursula became very ill and subsequently her
father gave in and in 1677 she entered the Capuchin Poor Clares at Citta di
Castello, taking the name of Veronica.
Her religious life was marked with many trials, especially the severe
discipline
of her superiors. But she accepted all with a smiling gentleness. She had
experienced several visions of Our Lord and after much interior struggle,
she
accepted the sufferings of the stigmata, in 1693. She was subjected to many
medical treatments which were of no avail.
The bishop, in an effort to rule out the possibility of fraud, subjected her
to
many more trials. She was not allowed to be alone for one moment and she was
forbidden to receive Holy Communion. She was not allowed to talk with any of
the
sisters except those assigned to watch over her, and she was not allowed to
communicate with the outside world. Her hands were put into gloves with the
fastenings sealed with the bishop's signet.
Eventually Veronica's patient endurance and gentle spirit won out and she
was
allowed to resume a normal life in the cloister. She was novice mistress for
thirty-four years and abbess eleven years, before her death. She, like
Teresa of
Avila, had a common-sense approach to life. She would not allow her novices
to
read any of the advanced mystical writers. She believed they needed to learn
a
practical way to lay a good foundation of humility, obedience and charity
for
their monastic life and growth.
Her abbacy was marked by practical improvements to the monastery. She had a
piped in water supply installed, and repaired and enlarged the buildings.
She
died at the age of 66, on July 9, 1727.
St. Veronica's life was one of obedience, patience, humility and love.
Although
she struggled interiorly at times, she always accepted with patience and
gentleness all that was asked of her. Her life was one of a total "YES" to
God.
We don't understand why some people receive the stigmata. But, like the
martyrs
who give up their lives to profess their belief in God, these heroic people
who
suffer the pains of stigmatism are an example to us of total, unconditional
love. May they encourage us to accept the pains and struggles of life,
especially those we are innocently burdened with, in a spirit of patience
and
gentleness.
Quote:
Do not reason about afflictions and contradictions, but receive them with
patience and sweetness, feeling that it is enough to know that they come
from
the hand of God.
-St. Francis de Sales
Bible Quote
7 Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into
thy
house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own
flesh.
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall
speedily
arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord
shall
gather thee up. (Isaias 58:7-8)
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Greetings to the Blessed Virgin, of St. Francis of Assisi:
Hail, Lady and Queen,
holy Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin who became the Church,
chosen by the Father in Heaven,
consecrated by His beloved Son
and His Ghost, the Comforter:
in thee was and remains,
the whole fullness of grace
and everything that is good.
Hail, His palace,
hail, His tabernacle,
hail, His dwelling,
hail, His robe,
hail, His handmaid,
hail, His mother!
O holy Mother,
sweet and fair to see,
for us beseech the King,
thy dearest Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
to death for us delivered:
that in His pitying clemency,
and by virtue of His most Holy Incarnation
and bitter death,
He may pardon our sins.
Holy Virgin Mary, among all the women of the world,
there is none like thee.
Thou art the daughter and handmaid of the most high King, Father of heaven.
Thou art the mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ.
Thou art the bride of the Holy Ghost.
Pray for us, with Saint Michael the Archangel,
and all the powers of Heaven and all the Saints,
to thy most Holy and Beloved Son, our Lord and Master.
Amen.