Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?September_20th_=E2=80=93_Bl=2E_Francisco_Mart=C3=ADn_Fern=C3=
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From : rich
Date : Wed Sep 19 2018 10:10:11

From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

September 20th =E2=80=93 Bl. Francisco Mart=C3=ADn Fern=C3=A1ndez de Posada=
s
=E2=80  1713

HE was born at Cordova in 1644 and brought up by his parents, who were
green-grocers, to the idea that he should become a religious, in
particular a Friar Preacher, a prospect that was more than attractive
to him. But on the death of his father his mother married again, and
his stepfather decided that the studies on which he was engaged were a
waste of time. He therefore made Francis give them up and apprenticed
him to a trade. His master at first treated him very roughly, but
Francis won him over by patience and good temper and by sticking to
his work, and eventually the master even helped him to get on with his
studies in his spare time. When his stepfather also died, Francis had
to devote himself to the care of his mother for a time, but in 1663
was able to enter the Dominican noviciate at the convent of  Scala
Caeli in Cordova.

   For a time his experience here was not happy. He was misunderstood
by his fellows and made the butt of ridicule and petty persecution; he
persevered, was professed, and admitted to the priesthood. Francis at
once made his mark as a preacher and he was hailed as a second Vincent
Ferrer. He gave missions all over the southwest of Spain, adding to
the fatigues of preaching, hearing confessions, and travelling on foot
voluntary mortifications of a most rigorous kind. His combination of
example and precept won him a great influence over all with whom he
came in contact, and in his native city he brought about a much-needed
reform and improvement in public and private morals; disorderly places
of amusement shut up for lack of business. He was always at the
service of the poor and learned from them a humility that made him
avoid not only the offices of his order but also bishoprics that were
offered to him. Bd Francis wrote several books=E2=80=94The Triumph of
Chastity, lives of St Dominic and other holy ones of his order, moral
exhortations=E2=80=94and died at Scala Caeli after forty years of
uninterrupted work for souls on September 20, 1713. He was beatified
in 1818.

Following close upon the beatification Father V. Sopena published in
Rome a Vita del B. Francesco de Posadas. It contains amongst other
things an interesting account of his levitations when he was
celebrating Mass (pp. 42-45), and of his sensations in endeavouring to
resist this lifting of his body into the air. See also Martinez-Vigil,
La Orden de Predicadores (1884), pp. 352 seq. and a short notice in
Procter, Dominican Saints, pp. 263-265. For a fuller bibliography
consult Taurisano, Catalogus Hagiographicus OP.


Saint Quote:
When you feel the assaults of passion and anger, then is the time to
be silent as Jesus was silent in the midst of His ignominies and
sufferings.
--St. Paul of the Cross

Bible Quote:
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who
believe. For there is no distinction; 23 since all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, 24 they are justified by his grace as
a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, (Romans
3:22-24)  RSVCE

<><><><>
Prayer to Seek God Continually

O Lord my God, I believe in You,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Insofar as I can,
insofar as You have given me the power,
I have sought You.
I became weary and I laboured.
O Lord my God, my sole hope,
help me to believe
and never to cease seeking You.
Grant that I may always
and ardently seek out Your countenance.
Give me the strength to seek You,
for You help me to find You
and You have more and more given me,
the hope of finding You.
Here I am before You
with my firmness and my infirmity.
Preserve the first and heal the second.
Here I am before You
with my strength and my ignorance.
Where You have opened the door to me,
welcome me at the entrance;
where you have closed the door to me,
open to my cry;
enable me to remember You,
to understand You
and to love You. Amen.
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)

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