Subj : September 26th - St. John of Meda To : All From : rich Date : Mon Sep 25 2017 10:13:00 From: rich September 26th - St. John of Meda Also known as John Oldrati, John Oldradi, John of Como THERE is considerable discussion about the origins of the penitential association of lay-people who were in the middle ages called Humiliati, and the quite unreliable legend of St. John of Meda does little but add to the confusion. In the earlier part of the 12th century numbers of persons of good position in northern Italy, while still living =E2=80=9Cin the world=E2=80=9D, gave themselves up entirely to= works of penance and charity; and we are told that in the year 1134 some of the men, on the advice of St. Bernard, gave up secular life altogether and began community life at Milan. At this time, it is said, there was a certain secular priest from Como, John of Meda, who had been a hermit at Rodenario, following a vision of the Virgin Mary, joined the Humiliati in 1134. He belonged to the Oldrati of Milan, and was a welcome recruit for the new community. On his recommendation they chose to live under the Rule of St. Benedict, which St. John adapted to their needs, but they nevertheless called themselves =E2=80=9Ccanons=E2=80=9D. Among the peculiar observances which St. John is supposed to have introduced was the daily recitation of the Little Office of our Lady and the use of a special Divine Office, called simply the =E2=80=9COffice of the Canons=E2= =80=9D. Whatever the early history of the Humiliati, the order eventually went into a bad decline and was suppressed by the Holy See in 1571. In the Acta Sanctorum, September, vol. vii, the Bollandists have published a short medieval life, introducing it with lengthy prolegomena. It is much to be feared that this pretended biography and indeed the whole traditional early history of the Humiliati is no better than a romance. A review of the controversy is impossible here, but it has been excellently summarized, with abundant bibliographical references, by F. Vernet in DTC., vol. vi, cc. 307-321. It must suffice to mention the important work of L. Zanoni, Gli Umiliati nei loro rapporti con I'Eresia (1911); the earlier investigation of Tiraboschi, Vetera Humiliatorum Monumenta (1766-1768); and the perhaps hypercritical article of A. de Stefano, =E2=80=9CLeOrigini dell' ordine deg= li Umiliati=E2=80=9D in the Rivista storico-critica delle scienze teologice, v= ol. ii (1906), pp. 851-871. Bible Quote: But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment. (Matt. 12:36) DRB Saint Quote: "It is no small struggle to be freed from self-esteem. Such freedom is to be attained by the inner practice of the virtues and by more frequent prayer; and the sign that you have attained it is that you no longer harbour rancour against anybody who abuses or has abused you." --St. Maximos the Confessor. <><><><> God's spirit God's spirit is all about you all day long. You have no thoughts, no plans, no impulses and no emotions that He does not know about. You can hide nothing from Him. Do not make your conduct conform only to that of the world and do not depend on the approval or disapproval of others. God sees in secret, but He rewards openly. If you are in harmony with the Divine Spirit, doing your best to live the way you believe God wants you to live, you will be at peace. I pray that I may always feel God's presence. I pray that I may realize this Presence constantly all through the day. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .