Subj : February 13th - Bl. Beatrice of Ornacieu, Mystic To : All From : rich Date : Mon Feb 12 2018 09:03:48 From: rich February 13th - Bl. Beatrice of Ornacieu, Mystic (Also known as Blessed Beatrix of Ornacieu) SOME rather unusual mystical experiences are recorded of this Carthusian nun. She was born at the castle of Ornacieu, in what is now the department of Is=C3=A8re in the Dauphin=C3=A9, and seems to have entere= d the Carthusian convent of Parm=C3=A9nie at an early age. There she led a life of extreme austerity, favoured by constant evidences of the special predilection of her heavenly Spouse. For a long time in the early years of her religious life she saw our Lord, we are told, constantly standing beside her in a visible form, and her heart was so touched with sensible devotion that she was in danger of injuring her sight from the abundance of tears which she shed. When it fell to her lot to act as cook and to have to tend the kitchen fire, she used to rake out the burning embers with her hands, and though the flesh was scorched she was so absorbed in God that she felt no pain. In particular she had an intense sympathy with our Lord in His passion, and this carried her to such lengths in her desire to share His sufferings that she was wont to drive a sharp nail through the skin into the palms of her hands. By some strange prodigy--so at least the seemingly contemporary account assures us--no flow of blood came from the wounds thus made, but only pure water, and, what is more, they healed at once, leaving no trace of any lesion. As we are accustomed to find in mystics who have many visions and other sensible communications with the unseen, Beatrice was tormented in almost equal measure by diabolic manifestations. Her biographer seems to insist--though it is difficult to feel quite certain on the point--that the devil assailed her physically with showers of stones and blazing darts. She felt herself struck, he tells us, but nevertheless these missiles inflicted no pain. Such an experience would be in curious accord with the poltergeist phenomena, both ancient and modern, of which we may read in chronicles of quite another character. Beatrice's devotion to the Holy Eucharist was also very great, and this not merely in receiving communion and in her rapt attention at Mass, but she also seems to have been one of the pioneers in realizing the treasure of graces which is opened to those who do honour to our Lord's abiding presence in the tabernacle. Praying before the Bless= ed Sacrament for the release of her brother who had been taken prisoner, she had a wonderful vision of our Saviour bearing the glorious marks of the five wounds; which appears to be an early example of the Eucharistic Christ, so well known in the representation commonly called =E2=80=9Cthe Mass of St Gregory=E2=80=9D. Our Lord, she believed, as= sured her that her prayer was granted, and she learnt at a later date that at that precise moment her brother in a distant land had succeeded in making his escape. But Beatrice was afterwards sent with two other sisters to Eymeu, near Valence, to make a new foundation. This residence was eventually found unsuitable, and the community after a while returned to Parm=C3=A9nie; but Bl. Beatrice refused to give in to hardships and died there on November 25, 1309 (or 1303). Her remains were later brought to Parm=C3=A9nie, not, it was believed, without many miraculous incidents attending the translation. In that neighbourhood she seems always to have been venerated as a saint, and her cultus was confirmed in 1869. See C. Le Couteulx, Annales Ordinis Cartusiensis, vol. v, pp. 5-23. There are lives in French by Bellanger (1874) and Chapuis (1900); and see Histoire Litt=C3=A9raire de France, vol. xx, pp. 315-319. Saint Quote: "To fast is not a natural cause of sadness except for those who are yet too feebly disposed; for those who desire to contemplate wisdom, fasting is a delight. As long as the disciples were weak, it was wiser to wait until they became stronger. This shows that it was not an invitation to gluttony but a recognition of their weakness." --St. John Chrysostom (Doctor, 347-407) - "An Aquinas Reader", Bible Quotes: "And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast" (Matt 9:15) "But in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings" (2 Corinthians 6:4-5) <><><><> The Prayer for Courage Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous, teach me to serve You as You deserve: to give and not count the cost, to fight and not heed the wound, to toil and not seek rest, to labor and not seek reward, save that of feeling that I do Your will. - Amen. --Saint Ignatius of Loyola --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .