The Holy Spirit

[Rich]

The Holy Spirit

 The coming of the Spirit is gentle, his presence fragrant, his weight
very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he
approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and
protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to
console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who
receives him, and then through that person the minds of others as
well. As light strikes the eye of those who come out of darkness into
sunshine and enables them to see clearly things they could not discern
before, so does light flood the souls of those counted worthy of
receiving the Holy Spirit and enable them to see things beyond the
range of human vision of which they had previously been ignorant.
--Cyril of Jerusalem:

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May 8th - Bl. Frances Nisch, Saint of the Pots and Pans
(1882-1913)

Willa Cather, the noted American novelist, speaks tenderly in one of
her novels of a devout Irishwoman, Mrs. Mahailey, who brought great
piety to her daily duties as a housewife. For her, Cather says, God
was always directly overhead, not so very far above the kitchen stove.

Blessed Frances Nisch spent her life in kitchens and found, as did St.
Martha of Bethany, that “being busy about many things” can
nevertheless bring one very close to our Lord.

Ulricke Nisch was born in southeastern Germany, in the village of
Oberdor-Mittelbiberach, Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Her family
was of the servant class in the class conscious German Empire. Her
father was a groom (stablekeeper); her mother was a domestic servant
in the village inn. The couple had ten children, but being as poor as
churchmice, they had to let her maternal aunt raise Ulricke. It worked
out well, however, as far as the little foster child was concerned.
She grew up an exemplary girl, who made a devout first Holy Communion
at 13. At 16, having completed her elementary education, she went to
work as a maid, contributing to the upkeep of her family. She was
employed in various places, even for a time in Switzerland.

In 1903 she was stricken with erysipelas. Swiss Sisters of the Holy
Cross of Ingenbohl nursed her back to health. Recovery brought with it
a sense of being called to the religious life. Therefore, in 1904,
Ulricke Nisch entered the Holy Cross Sisters at their provincial house
in BadenWurttemberg. She made her profession three years later, taking
the religious name Frances.

For the rest of her religious life she was engaged in the kitchen work
of this predominantly nursing order, first at Buhl, then at
Baden-Baden. But for her the two kitchens became simply subsidiary
chapels, for in them she lived in a state of constant union with God,
noted for her humble joy and her patience with all. A heroine among
the pots and pans!

Like many another saint, Frances’ life on earth was by God’s design
brief. Taken ill with tuberculosis as early as May 1912, she died on
May 18, 1913, at the age of only 30. But the fame of her holiness had
already spread, and now the faithful flocked to her tomb, attracted by
the stories of favors attributed to the intercession of the “little
saint”. By 1963 as many as 100,000 people were making pilgrimages to
her grave. Impressed by this popular devotion, the Archbishop of
Freiburg initiated an investigation of her life and virtues.

Rome authorized the introduction of her cause for beatification and
canonization in 1987. So impressive was the documentation submitted
that Pope John Paul II was able to declare Frances “blessed” that very
same year. What message does Blessed Frances Nisch have for the cooks
of the world? If you asked her, she would probably quote Jesus’
parable of the Last Judgment: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
drink… Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me”. (Mt. 25:34-5,40).

–Father Robert F. McNamara


Saint Quote:
Spiritual life demands that you never turn back or stop going forward;
but rather that, as soon as you taste it, you make progress day by day
and, forgetting what lies behind, strain forward to what lies ahead.
--Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria

Bible Quote:
But they that are learned, shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament: and they that instruct many to justice, as stars for all
eternity. (Daniel 12:3) DRB


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A prayer to Saint Michael, for aid against the spiritual enemies of God:

Glorious St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly hosts, who standest always
ready to give assistance to the people of God; who didst fight with the
dragon, the old serpent, and didst cast him out of heaven, and now
valiantly defendest the Church of God that the gates of hell may never
prevail against her, I earnestly entreat thee to assist me also, in the
painful and dangerous conflict which I have to sustain against the same
formidable foe.

Be with me, O mighty Prince! that I may courageously fight and
wholly vanquish that proud spirit, whom thou hast by the Divine Power, so
gloriously overthrown, and whom our powerful King, Jesus Christ, has, in
our nature, so completely overcome; to the end that having triumphed over
the enemy of my salvation, I may with thee and the holy angels, praise the
clemency of God who, having refused mercy to the rebellious angels after
their fall, has granted repentance and forgiveness to fallen man. Amen.