Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?September_20th_=E2=80=93_Bl=2E_Francisco_Mart=C3=ADn_Fern=C3= To : All From : rich Date : Tue Sep 19 2017 10:10:26 From: rich 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 afuller bibliography consult Taurisano, Catalogus Hagiographicus OP. Saint Quote : But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the Divine Heart. In this way His will can carry out for us whatever contributes to His glory, and we will be happy to be His subjects and to trust entirely in Him. --Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Bible Quote: The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here. (Matthew 12:41) <><><><> from sermon of St. Alphonsus de Liguori on pernicious books "But some one may say, 'What harm is there in reading [and clearly also watching/listening on TV and radio] romances and profane poetry when they contain nothing immodest? Do you ask what harm? "Behold the harm: the reading of such works kindles the concupiscence [desires] of the senses, and awakens the passions [emotions: irrational but irresistible motives for a belief or action]; these easily gain the consent of the will, or at least render it so weak that when the occasion of any dangerous affection occurs the devil finds the soul already prepared to allow itself to be conquered. "By the reading of such pernicious books heresy has made, and makes every day, great progress; because such reading has given and gives increased strength to libertarianism [Libertarianism: belief/opinion, that it is good for people to practice in their lives complete freedom of thought and speech and whatever these lead to]. "The poison of these books enters gradually into the soul; it first makes itself master [the basis] of the understanding, then infects [becomes taken up by] the will, [the consent of which leads to grievous/mortal sin and thus] in the end kills the soul. "The devil finds no means more efficacious and secure of sending a young person [people] to perdition [often to mortal sin and condemnation to Hell by God] than the reading of such poisoned works." --St. Alphonsus de Liguori (Doctor, 1696-1787)--"The True Spouse Of Jesus Christ" --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .