Everything Works Together for Charity

[Weedy]

Everything Works Together for Charity

"All these endeavors for fasting are concerned not about the
rejection of various foods as unclean, but about the subjugation of
inordinate desire and the maintenance of neighborly love.
Charity especially is guarded: food is subservient to charity,
speech to charity, customs to charity, and facial expressions to
charity. Everything works together for charity alone."
Customs of the Catholic Church 33, 70
Prayer: How great was your love for us, kind Father! You did not spare
your only-begotten Son but surrendered him for the sake of us sinners!
Confessions 10, 43

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February 16th - Bl. Philippa Mareri, Virgin
(1200 - 1236)

WONDERFUL things, of which one would like to have better evidence, are
reported as heralding the entrance into this world of Philippa Mareri.
Wonderful things also are told of her beauty of feature, her
preternatural gravity and precocious learning in childhood. She was
born towards the close of the twelfth century at Cicoli in the diocese
of Rieti, and the family to which she belonged were the prin­cipal
landowners in that district of the Abruzzi.

Her father and mother were devout Christians, and St. Francis of
Assisi, we are told, was more than once received in their house when
he was preaching in the neighbourhood. From him Philippa imbibed a
desire to aim at complete union with the suffering life of Christ our
Lord. When her parents were anxious to arrange a marriage for her, she
resisted the proposal with all her might, cut her hair short, wore the
most unattractive clothes, and shut herself up in a corner of the
house where she was hidden from the eyes of all. Her brother Thomas
was furious at this conduct and did his best to break down her
resolution; but the only result of his importunity was that she
finally ran away from home, and with a few companions whom she had
gained over to the same way of thinking set out to lead the life of an
anchoress upon Mount Marerio. There, we are told--but the evidence for
all this seems far from satisfactory--they managed to get a walled
enclosure built with a few huts inside and gave themselves up entirely
to religious devotion and penance.

The determination thus shown had the best effect upon her brother
Thomas. Touched by grace he now came to ask his sister’s forgiveness.
What was more, he offered her a more suitable place of retirement
close to a church on an estate belonging to him. A deserted religious
house was repaired and adapted to suit their needs, while a friar who
had recently become a disciple of St. Francis and who is now venerated
as Bl. Roger of Todi, was charged with the spiritual direction of the
community. Other fervent souls joined them, a rule similar to that of
St Clare was adopted, and Philippa was chosen abbess. The strictest
poverty was maintained, and more than once the sisters seemed in
danger of starving if it had not been for some supernatural
intervention kindred to our Saviour’s multiplication of the loaves and
fishes. God’s favour was also shown by other miraculous incidents; but
the nuns were not left long to enjoy the company of their foundress.
In 1236 she was seized with a painful illness, and knowing that the
time of her departure was at hand, she gathered her spiritual children
around her and bade them a most touching farewell, exhorting them
before all else to maintain peace among themselves. She passed away on
February 13, 1236. Bl. Roger preached at her funeral and made no
secret of his conviction that her soul was already in bliss.
See Mazzara, Leggendario Francescano (1676), vol. i, pp. 233-235 Leon,
Aureole Séraphique (Eng. trans.), vol. i and Constantini, Vita e
miracoli della b. Philippa Mareri

Bible Quote:
"Make your views heard, on behalf of the dumb, on behalf of all the
unwanted; make your views heard, pronounce an upright verdict, defend
the cause of the poor and the wretched." Proverbs 31:8-9


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“You better come now ef you commin’—
Ole Satun is loose en a bummin’—
De wheels er distructshun is a hummin’—
Oh, come ‘long, sinner, ef you comin’!”
--Middle age folkloric hyme

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Prayer To The Holy Ghost

Holy Spirit, come into my heart; draw it to Thee by Thy power, O my
God, and grant me charity with filial fear. Preserve me, O ineffable
Love, from every evil thought; warm me, inflame me with Thy dear love,
and every pain will seem light to me. My Father, my sweet Lord, help
me in all my actions. Jesus, love, Jesus, love
(St. Catherine of Siena).