Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?May_10th_=2D_St=2E_John_of_=C3=81vila?= To : All From : rich Date : Thu May 09 2019 08:57:27 From: rich May 10th - St. John of =C3=81vila d. 1569 AMONGST the great religious leaders of 16th-century Spain, one of the most influential and most eloquent was Bl. John of Avila, [canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970] the friend of St. Ignatius Loyola and the spiritual adviser of St. Teresa, St. John of God, St. Francis Borgia, St. Peter of Alcantara and of Louis of Granada, who became his biographer. He was born in New Castile at Almodovar-del-Campo of wealthy parents, who sent him at the age of 14 to Salamanca University to prepare to take up law. This career, however, had no attraction for the boy and he returned home, where for 3 years he gave himself up to devotional exercises and austerities. Then, at the suggestion of a Franciscan who was greatly impressed by his piety, he went to Alcal=C3 to study philosophy and theology. There he had as his master the celebrated Dominic Soto; there also he laid the foundation of a life-long friendship with Peter Guerrero, afterwards archbishop of Granada. =C2 =C2 His parents died while he was still at Alcal=C3 , leaving hi= m their sole heir, but no sooner had he been ordained priest than he distributed the proceeds of his inheritance to the poor. From the moment he began to preach it was clear that he possessed extraordinary oratorical powers, and when he expressed a desire to go as a missionary to Mexico, the archbishop of Seville bade him remain in Spain and evangelize his fellow countrymen. Appointed missioner for Andalusia, he laboured indefatigably for nine years in this great province. Rich and poor, young and old, learned and unlearned, saints and sinners--all flocked to hear him. Countless souls were brought by him to penance and amendment of life, whilst many were led into the path of perfection under his direction. When he preached, he spoke like one inspired and, indeed, the only preparation he ever made for his sermons was his daily meditation of four hours. To a young priest who asked him how to become a good preacher, he replied that the only way he knew was to love God very much. By his fearless denunciation of vice in high places, he made for himself some bitter enemies who actually succeeded in obtaining his imprisonment by the Inquisition at Seville on a charge of preaching rigorism and the exclusion of the rich from the kingdom of Heaven. The accusation could not be substantiated, and his first public appearance after his release was made the occasion for an extraordinary popular ovation. When his time in Andalusia was completed, St. John devoted himself to giving what were practically missions, in all parts of Spain but especially in the cities. Moreover, he kept up a vast correspondence with his spiritual children and other persons who desired his advice. For the last 17 years of his life he was in constant pain which he bore with unflinching patience. Ever since his beatification in 1894 the Society of Jesus has kept John of Avila's feast almost as that of one of her own members, and indeed, as Don Vincente Garcia shows, St. John had fully determined at the age of 59 to enter the Society, but was deterred by the rigorism and rather extravagant attitude of Father Bustamente, the then provincial of Andalusia. His devotion to the order and its founder, however, did not in any way slacken. He was attended by a Jesuit in his last hours and left his body to be buried in their church at Montilla. Our best sources of information are the summarium de virtutibus in the process of beatification, the writings of St. John himself and the sketch of his life written by his friend and contemporary, Louis de Granada. His writings may most conveniently be consulted in the bulky work--there are 2199 pages--Obras del B. Maestro Juan de Avila, published at Madrid in 1927. His spiritual letters are one of the classics of Spanish literature and were reprinted in the series of Classicos Castellanos in 1912. The preface of this volume, by Don V. Garcia de Diego, is also a valuable contribution, especially from the point of view of chronology, to the biography of this master of the spiritual life... Saint Quote: Keep your soul at peace, in order to be able to be attentive and very faithful to the inner movement of the Holy Spirit. --Saint Peter Julian Eymard Bible Quote: "Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O Lord." [Psalm 25:6-7 ] <><><><> Dear Lord, grant us a spirit that is not bound by our own ideas and preferences. Grant that we may be able to appreciate in others what we lack in ourselves. O Lord, grant that we may understand that every saint must be a unique praise of Your glory. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .