Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?20_November_'_Blessed_Maria_Fortunata_Viti_OSB?= To : All From : rich Date : Thu Nov 19 2020 09:19:19 From: rich 20 November ' Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti OSB Benedictine Religious, Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration and of Prayer, the gift of prophecy and miracles ' born on 10 February 182= 7 in Veroli, Frosinone, Italy as Anna Felicia Viti and died on 20 November 1922 in Veroli, Frosinone, Italy of natural causes. Patronages ' against poverty, of the poor, against temptations, los= s of parents, against mental illness and the mentally ill. Anna Felicia Viti was born in Veroli, in Italy's Province of Frosinone, on 10 February 1827. Her father was Luigi Viti, a landowner who was a gambling addict and a heavy drinker and her mother Anna, died when Maria was fourteen years old. The third eldest of nine children, Maria was burdened with the responsibility of raising the other children. In order to support her family, she worked as a housekeeper. Her father's alcoholism grew worse and so Maria=E2=80= =99s employment constituted the majority of the family's income. For a while, she was wooed by a young man from Alatri but she decided to enter religious life instead. Maria joined the Benedictines at the Monastery of San Maria de'Franconi in Veroli on 21 March 1851, at the age of 24. After her religious profession, she took the name Maria Fortunata. She never went to school and remained illiterate and although she spent more than 70 years in the Convent, she never progressed beyond the office of housekeeper and there she grew in the vital spiritual virtue of humility. During her long life, she knew nothing but assiduous work and constant prayer. She invoked the Lord with such passion and devotion it would edify her fellow Sisters. Admiring the beauties of nature she would be in the habit of often exclaiming:=C2 =E2=80=9CThe Love and the Power of = God!=E2=80=9D which remained her favourite expression. She dedicated her prayers and sacrifices in particular for the needy, for derelicts and for the redemption of sinners. Blessed Maria confided to her fellow Sisters, that the devil bothered her both day and night mocking her and hitting her in order to try her patience and humility. Her confessor, Father John Pasqualiti, wrote: =E2=80=9CWith tears in her eyes, Sister Fortunata confided to me that the devil insulted her with the most vile and crude expressions. Often he threatened and made life difficult for her but she never despaired. These insults became all the more frequent when the Saint was near her death. Many of these disturbances were also heard and witnessed by her fellow Sisters.=E2=80=9D ' Apparitions of Angels & Demons. She died a holy death on 20 of November 1922. She was a wonderful example of humility. After Sister Maria's death, miracles were reported at her grave sit= e. Also, reports of miracles were attested to during her lifetime, including certain episodes that proved her gift of prophecy. According to one story, she began to cry during Mass, because she had seen that the celebrating priest would leave his calling and she was filled with sorrow for him. She also predicted that another priest would leave the priesthood but that he would repent and come back. In addition, two women who had been healed of meningitis in their childhood attributed their cures to her prayers. In 1935, her remains were transferred from a mass grave to the Abbey Church and the process of her Canonisation was begun. Sister Maria Fortunata was declared Venerable on 8 April 1964 by St Pope Paul VI and Beatified on 8 October 1967 by the same Pope. From Anastpaul 2019 Saint Quote: And he says to him again after the resurrection, 'Feed my sheep.' It is on him that he builds the Church, and to him that he entrusts the sheep to feed. And although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single Chair, thus establishing by his own authority the source and hallmark of the (Church's) oneness. No doubt the others were all that Peter was, but a primacy is given to Peter, and it is (thus) made clear that there is but one flock which is to be fed by all the apostles in common accord. --St. Cyprian (AD 228) Bible Quote And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.=C2 (Matthew 16:18-19) <><><><> THIRTY-ONE DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SOULS FROM THE PURGATORIAN MANUAL=C2 (Imprimatur 1946) 25th Day GRATITUDE OF THE HOLY SOULS =C2 =C2 The prayers and works of charity which we bestow on the suffer= ing souls in Purgatory, not only increase our spiritual merit, they also call forth the gratitude of the holy, ransomed souls; for when these dear souls are, by our endeavors, admitted to the vision of God, they cease not to prove the warmth of their thankfulness and love by imploring for us the help of which we are so much in need in the manifold dangers and great troubles of life. How can the faithful departed, who are loved by God so tenderly, and predestined to glory, fail to be able to pray, not, indeed, for themselves, because they are not in a condition to merit, yet to pray with efficacy for their benefactors still alive? =C2 =C2 Not only will they speedily pay their debt of gratitude to tho= se who befriend them, but, our dear Lord Himself, Whose greater honor and glory we have promoted by our devotion to the holy souls, will readily assist them to requite the services rendered them by the faithful upon earth. St. Alphonsus Liguori says: "He who assists these distressed souls, so tenderly loved by God, may confidently hope for his salvation; for, when such a soul obtains deliverance through his prayers and good works, it incessantly prays for his salvation, and God will deny nothing to such a soul." Prayer: We beseech Thee, O Lord! vouchsafe to hear the suffering souls, who supplicate Thee for their benefactors, that we, in union with these holy souls, for whom we offer fervent prayers upon earth, may praise Thy mercies forever. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Special Intercession: Pray for the souls who suffer for their faults against charity. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them; may they rest in peace. Amen.=C2 =C2 (Three times) Practice: Bestow charity upon others without expecting gratitude. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .