Be converted with a sincere heart

[Rich]

Be converted with a sincere heart

Fix your minds on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inflamed
with love for us, he came down from heaven to redeem us. For our sake
he endured every torment of body and soul and shrank from no bodily
pain. He himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love. We,
then, are to be patient in adversity. Put aside your hatred and
animosity. Take pains to refrain from sharp words. If they escape your
lips, do not be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy, since
they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another so that later on you
will not remember the injury. The recollection of an injury is itself
wrong. It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin, and hates what is good.
It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul. It puts all virtue to
flight. It is like a worm in the mind: it confuses our speech and
tears to shreds our petitions to God. It is foreign to charity: it
remains planted in the soul like a nail. It is wickedness that never
sleeps, sin that never fails. It is indeed a daily death.
--Francis de Paola

<<>><<>><<>>
6 April – Blessed Zefirino Agostini

(1813-1896)
Priest, Apostle of the Poor and Founder of the Pious Union of Sisters
Devoted to Saint Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters of the
Daughters of Mary Immaculate of which orders he is the Patron.

Blessed Zefirino Agostini was born in Verona, Italy on 24 September
1813. He was the oldest son of his parents, his father was a
physician, who died when Zefirino was very young.

Blessed Zefirino commenced his studies for the priesthood at the age
of eighteen and was Ordained on 11 March 1837. He was then and was
assigned to a very poor parish in Verona. There he established an
after-school programs for girls, religious education for mothers and
education for women.

He began a devotion to Saint Angela Merici for the female parishioners
and founded the Pious Union of Sisters Devoted to Saint Angela Merici
whose rule was approved by Bishop Ricabona in 1856.

On All Souls Day of that same year, he opened his first charitable
school of poor girls. In 1860, local women who worked in the school
chose community life and Father Agostini prepared the first rule for
the community and on 24 September 1869, the first 12 Ursulines made
their profession. On 18 November 1869, they founded the Congregation
of Ursulines, Daughters of Mary Immaculate.

Father Agostini died on 6 April 1869 in Verona, Italy of natural
causes. His order received diocesan approval on 24 June 1923 while the
papal decree of praise of Pope Pius XI was issued on 14 March 1932 and
full papal approval for the institute came on 3 April 1940 from Pope
Pius XII during World War II. The order now operates in places such as
Switzerland and Benin and as of 2005 has 628 religious in 78 houses.

He was Beatified on 25 October 1998 by St Pope John Paul II, after
approval of the required miracle. At the Beatification St John Paul
said:

“The Lord stood by me and gave me strength” (2 Tm 4:17).
“These words of the Apostle to Timothy certainly apply to Fr Zefirino
Agostino, who never lost heart despite countless difficulties. He
stands before us today as a humble, steadfast witness to the Gospel in
the latter half of the 19th century, a fruitful period for the Church
in Verona. His faith was steadfast, his charitable work effective and
ardent was the priestly spirit that distinguished him.

The love of the Lord spurred him in his apostolate to the poor,
especially in the Christian education of girls, particularly the most
needy. He understood well the important role women play in the
rehabilitation of society by teaching the values of freedom, honesty
and charity.

He advised the Ursulines, his spiritual daughters: “Poor girls, let
them be the favourite object of your care and attention. Awaken their
minds, teach their hearts virtue and save their souls from malignant
contact with the wicked world” (Scritti alle Orsoline, 289). May his
example strongly encourage those who honour him today as blessed and
invoke him as their protector.”


“Do not be dismayed by toil or suffering,
nor by the meagre fruit of your labours.
Remember that God rewards,
not according to results but effort.”
--Blessed Zefirino Agostini


Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

My sorrowful Mother,
by the merit of that grief
which you felt at seeing your beloved Jesus
led to death,
obtain for me the grace to bear with patience,
those crosses which God sends me.
I will be fortunate if I also shall know
how to accompany you with my cross until death.
You and Jesus,
both innocent,
have borne a heavy cross
and shall I,
a sinner who has merited hell,
refuse mine?
Immaculate Virgin,
I hope you will help me
to bear my crosses with patience.
Amen

Saint Quote:
Mary was raised to the dignity of Mother of God rather for sinners
than for the just, since Jesus Christ declares that he came to call
not the just, but sinners.
--St. Anselm

Bible Quote:
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they
shall.walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)


<><><><>
Our Mission

God has a mission for each of us and has given us the gifts to
successfully complete the purpose for which He created us. Our job is
to discern our role in His creation. The gifts He has given us can be
the instrument of our downfall when used against His purposes; when we
discern correctly through prayer and spiritual direction these same
talents and abilities can sanctify us and those around us. It's not
too late to seek God's will for your life--in fact, we should attempt
to understand His will for our every action, each day, using all the
gifts he has given us.