December 30th - St. John Alcober, Martyr
Weedy
Born at Gerona, Spain, in 1694; died in Tonkin, 1748; beatified by
Pope Leo
XIII in 1893. Canonized in 2000. John Alcober was a good friend of
Bishop
Blessed Francis Serrano, who was a brother Dominican of the Granada
monastery and a fellow martyr in Tonkin. The two had planned to enter
the
Chinese missions together, but problems with the ship marooned Father
Alcober in Lorca. There he spent his time as a popular preacher. In
fact, he
was beginning to forget about going to China until the Lord reminded
him one
day. As he was preaching, he used the words, "How long, you sinners,
will
you remain hardened?" His crucifix reproached him, "And you, John--how
long?"
He sailed to Manila with 43 religious in 1726, and he finally made it
to
China in 1728, where he labored for 16 years in the province of Fo-
kien.
Here his life was very difficult; he had to hide in uncomfortable
places,
and, once, he was smuggled in a coffin to anoint a dying man.
Sometimes
disguised as a water seller, he moved about the city. Once, he was far
from
any shelter, and he climbed into a tree to spend the night. Piously
intoning
the Miserere before going to sleep, he was startled to hear another
voice
answering his, and, to his joy, realized his old friend Father Serrano
was
sitting in the same tree.
One of his last acts as a free man was to baptize a sick woman to whom
Our
Lady of the Rosary had appeared. The new Christian was so beautiful
after
her death that pagans crowded in to see her. Father Alcober's presence
there
led to his capture in 1746. Soon he found himself reunited in prison
with
Father Serrano and another priest, Francis Diaz. They were tortured to
disclose the whereabouts of Bishop Peter Sanz, though the revealed
nothing.
The bishop and Father Joachim Royo, upon hearing of the capture of the
other
three, surrendered themselves in order to spare their brothers further
suffering.
The five were dragged before the emperor in chains, and again
subjected to
torture. Bishop Sanz was beheaded, but the others languished in prison
for
another six months. Father Alcober wrote a letter to his brother, a
Carmelite, saying that they were all in good spirits, but that they
hoped it
would end soon because they were eager to shed their blood. Here in
prison,
Father Serrano was appointed successor to Peter Martyr.
Late in November, these four was strangled in their cell at Futsheu
during
the night. This was the best way to fend off their apostolic work
among the
jailers and soldiers. When the executioners returned in the light of
day to
dispose of the bodies, they were horrified to note that the faces of
the
martyrs were not only serene, but shone with an unearthly radiance-a
phenomenon indeed for someone who had died by strangulation. Afraid of
being
punished for not carrying out their duty, the executioners covered the
faces
of their victims, but the Christians followed them nonetheless to try
to
collect relics. The soldiers already knew there would be problems
trying to
dispose of the relics: Those of Bishop Sanz had resisted burning and
various
other kinds of destruction. For this reason, the persecuted Christians
were
able to retain the relics of the five martyrs (Benedictines, Dorcy).
This Version Taken From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1230.htm
Saint Quote:
The hands should be at work, the heart with God.
--Saint Mary Joseph Rosello
Bible Quote:
For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will
forgive you also your offences. (Matthew 6:14)
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Reflection and Prayer from the Imitation of Christ
"Watch and pray" is the simple means which Jesus Christ prescribes to
enable
a Christian to resist temptation, to avoid sin, and secure his
salvation. To
speak little to creatures and much to God, to renounce useless and
curious
conversations, to speak only what is good or necessary, is an
excellent
method of becoming an interior man, of preserving purity of heart and
peace
of conscience, and of becoming entirely united to God. A soul which
gives
itself through the senses to creatures, and lives not an interior
life, but
amuses itself with trifles, is not at all in a state to relish the
things of
God, or to apply to prayer or recollection, which are so useful and so
necessary for salvation. Why, says St. Austin, dost thou, O dissipated
and
wandering soul, seek content in created objects, in the goods and
pleasures
of life? Seek within thyself, by recollection, the only true and
sovereign
Good, who is there, and who alone can satisfy thy desires.
Prayer: Give me, O God, that spirit of interior recollection which
will make
me attentive to Thy holy will and faithful to Thy graces. Grant that
the
remembrance of Thine awful presence may remind me continually of Thy
blessed
life and conversation, and effectually control me during my earthly
pilgrimage. I am weary, O God, of living an exile from Thy presence,
and of
being so little affected by the consideration of Thy majesty as to do
nothing to please Thee. What can I find in Heaven or on earth that is
comparable to Thee? Thou art the God of my heart: grant I may be ever
sensible of Thy presence, and desire only the happiness of pleasing
Thee, in
time, that Thou mayest be my portion for eternity. Amen.