Subj : October 30th - Blessed Angelo of Acri To : All From : rich Date : Thu Oct 29 2020 09:36:07 From: rich October 30th - Blessed Angelo of Acri Angelo, who would be the great apostle of South Italy, was born in 1669 in Acri, Calabria. He was the son of a manual worker. He entered the Capuchins and was a missionary for 40 years until his death in 1739. His sermons attracted thousands and the number of conversions he worked was impressive. He received a special grace to combat the evil of the errors of the philosophy of that century. His first sermon was supposed to be preached in Lent, and Angelo spent much time studying and preparing for it, planning its delivery in the florid oratorical style fashionable at the time. When he mounted the pulpit to give it, he forgot the text completely. It was a complete failure. He returned to his home monastery and prayed to God to help him know what was expected of him. Then he heard a voice that told him: =E2=80=9CI a= m He Who is. Do not be afraid. I will give you the gift of words, and your works will not be futile. From now on, preach in a simple and colloquial style so that all can understand you.=E2=80=9D Angelo burned the sermons he had prepared, and made new ones following this directive. His life was filled with fruitful works and miracles. He used to cross rivers and creeks without getting his feet wet; other times he would travel long distances in a miraculously short time to hear confessions of sick persons or to preach in far away villages. He became blind six months before his death, but would recover his sight to celebrate Mass and pray the Divine Office. On October 30, 1739, at age 70, he delivered his soul to the Creator, Whom he had served tirelessly. Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corr=C3=AAa de Oliveira: (died 1995) The life of Blessed Angelo of Acri offers us the profile of the Capuchin missionary that became famous, because that Order gave the Church many preachers like him. The Capuchin Order was one of the more avant-garde and efficient armies of the Counter-Revolution in the Church during the 18th century.... [Y]ou heard that Blessed Angelo, who was himself a man of the people, tried to make a grand, complicated sermon. But Divine Providence gave him a lesson. His well prepared sermon was a complete failure. After he prayed, God told him what he should do. God did not want elaborate, flowery sermons, but simple sermons saying exactly what should be said. He told Blessed Angelo to address the people and say things that they could follow, that is to say, based more on piety than on complex reasoning. God made the apostolate of Blessed Angelo fruitful and many conversions were worked through him. These conversions most probably came more from the example of his sanctity than from his arguments. God also gave him the gift of miracles, and he worked extraordinary ones. The world considers it a great miracle ' and rightfully so = ' that the Jews crossed the Red Sea without wetting their feet. Here you see that Blessed Angelo crossed rivers, torrents, and creeks many times without getting wet. You can imagine the impression this made on the little people in the villages and towns. They did not understand his apologetic arguments very well, but seeing him cross the river without getting wet, they would applaud and cry out in admiration: =E2=80=9CGod is among us!=E2=80=9D Then, numerous conversions would take pl= ace. Other times he would travel enormous distances on difficult roads in a short period of time. That is, he was transported in some miraculous way, probably by the action of Angels. The little people knew that no man on foot or horseback could make that trip in such a time. Again, they were strongly impressed and the word of his sanctity spread. His prestige grew and conversions followed. You can imagine the man wearing his simple Capuchin habit, representing his lack of any earthly pretension; on his belt around the waist was the rosary with a small skull to indicate that the Capuchin must always have death before his eyes; on his feet the simple worn sandals. His life followed the severe Capuchin rule that requires fasting and mortifications. He had a long beard and tonsure, both considered ridiculous by the sophisticated men of the 18th century. This unpretentious friar enters a town to preach a mission. The people gather in a small church on top of a mountain in a village of Calabria or Sicily. The Mass is being said; there is beautiful singing. Then, at the Gospel, Friar Angelo goes to the pulpit. Before reaching the top of the stairs, he kneels and prays to God to illuminate him. Then he stands up without any airs and starts to speak. His words, the selection says, had the strong, virile language that characterized the Capuchins, that is, they did not preach about the good, but attacked the evil: the evil that was infiltrating the customs of the little people. At times, they would stop in the middle of a sermon and say: =E2=80=9CYou there, my lady, you should not wear that kind of dress showing so much of your neck. Don't you realize that this is an offense to God?=E2=80=9D Or, by a special grace of God, they wou= ld read the thoughts of a person in the audience and say: =E2=80=9CYou, Mr. X, you are thinking this and this, but you are wrong, because it is against the will of God. You cannot hide anything from God, Who is showing me your thoughts even now.=E2=80=9D After having attacked the defects of the listeners, then a second part of the sermon would follow where they would describe the mercy of God, how He is good and has compassion for us. =E2=80=9CDo not despair but confi= de in Him through the intercession of Our Lady.=E2=80=9D This was the great tradition of the Capuchin sermons. You can imagine the impact of this kind of sermon over the vivacious southern Italian people: Great contrition, tears, confessions, penances, and absolutions. After three or four days of a Capuchin preacher giving a mission in a village, the parish was regenerated. For months or even years those words would be remembered. The people would also recount the miracles of Blessed Angelo. One man who was feeble since he was a boy was blessed by Friar Angelo and was cured. Today he is a strong man capable of heavy work. Another man had been a bad husband for a long time, but Blessed Angelo spoke to him and from them on, he became an exemplary husband and father. The presence of the Capuchin remained in the locale for a long time, like a perfume, often for a whole generation. The result was that among the people in southern Italy, a valorous counter-revolutionary movement was born, the Sanfedistas. The name comes from the title, =E2=80=9CDefenders of the Santa Fede (Holy Faith).=E2= =80=9D This movement fought against the Revolution until recently. It was in Italy what the movement of the Vend=C3=A9e, the Vendeans, was in France. It represents the true right in Italy. The true right is not Fascism; this is the false right. The true right is represented by the Sanfedistas. The sermons and the sanctity of men like Blessed Angelo of Acri were what produced that movement, like the apostolate of St. Louis Grignion de Monfort produced the Counter-Revolution of the Vend=C3=A9e.... See more at http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j152sd_AngelodAcri_10-30.shtml Saint Quote: In the same way a powerful medicine cures an illness, so illness itself is a medicine to cure passion. And there is much profit of soul in bearing illness quietly and giving thanks to God. --St. Amma Syncletice Bible Quote: Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see.=C2 And ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it, and you shall find refreshment for your souls.=C2 (Jeremias 6:16) <><><><> QUESTIONING HEART Mary is crying! I care...do you? Jesus is bleeding anew, And I care...do you? Do you ever say "I love You?" He cares for you-- Will you love Him till the end time? There's Heaven then for you! --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .