Quote of St. Teresa Margaret Redi
Category Archives: Faith
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Teresa Margaret Redi, Feast Day March 11
The feast day of St. Teresa Margaret Redi is celebrated on March 11.
Anna Maria Redi was born on July 15, 1747 into a large pious family in Florence, Italy. From an early age she was drawn to God. She was sent to a Benedictine boarding school at the age of nine. The nuns noticed her love of the Blessed Sacrament. She learned to meditate at a young age. Rather than seeking attention she preferred to go unnoticed and spend time alone. After meeting someone who was about to make a profession as a Carmelite, she had a spiritual experience and decided she too wanted to become a Carmelite.
At the age of 17 she entered the Carmelite convent, taking the name Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart. She advanced quickly in her spirituality. She was able to focus both on the contemplative prayer life and serving her community. She worked among the sick and as an assistant sacristan. She was very penitential; sleeping on the floor and living a very disciplined life. Several miracles are believed to have happened while she was working with the sick.
One Sunday, while in the choir, she had a mystical experience in which God revealed the deeper meaning of the Love of God. It transformed her knowledge of God. She tried to always offer a smile and serene attitude no matter what the situation. She believed that God would be found if God alone was sought. To love her neighbor, she decided to sympathize with their troubles, excuse their faults, always speak well of them and never willingly fail in charity, in thought, word or deed.
St. Teresa Margaret did experience the Night of the Spirit. She no longer received consolations from God and greatly feared offending God. She was greatly tempted by despair. It is believed she had a premonition regarding her death. Although she was very healthy, she probably died from a strangulated hernia. It was misdiagnosed as colic.
St. Teresa Margaret died on March 7, 1770 at the age of 22. She died holding her crucifix in her hands invoking the names of Jesus and Mary, otherwise suffering in silence.
The burial of St. Teresa Margaret was delayed because her body did not begin to decay. In fact, a sweet perfume was noticed coming from the crypt (underground burial place). She was buried 18 days after her death and her body still had not decayed. Miracles were immediately reported after her death. Her incorrupt body was transferred on the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the nuns choir in the Carmel of Florence.
Always receive with equal contentment from God’s hand either consolations or sufferings, peace or distress, health or illness. Ask nothing, refuse nothing, but always be ready to do and to suffer anything that comes from His Providence.
Quote of St. Teresa Margaret Redi
March is the Month of St. Joseph
St. Teresa Margaret Redi in Art
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Oglivie, Feast Day March 10
The feast day of St. John Oglivie is celebrated on March 10.
St. John Oglivie was born in 1579 to noble parents in Scotland. He was raised a Calvinist. He became interested in the debate between the Protestants and the Catholics and turned to the scripture for guidance.
Two verses stood out to him:
“God wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4);
and
“Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” (Mat ll:28).
He had a great admiration of the martyrs of the faith. St. John Oglivie converted to the Catholic faith when he was 17. His early studies were with the Benedictines. He attended the Jesuit College at Olmutz. The Jesuits are also known as the Society of Jesus.
St. John Oglivie was ordained a Jesuit priest in Paris in 1610. He requested to serve in Scotland. He went to Scotland, then returned. He also went to London, Paris and then back to Scotland. He was very successful in converting people to the faith. Eventually however, he was betrayed and arrested. He was tortured in an attempt to make him reveal the names of other Catholics. He refused to do so.
St. John Oglivie was tried for the treason of converting Protestants to the faith. He stood trial three times. In 1615, he was hanged at Glasgow at the age of 36. Just before he was hanged, St. John tossed his Rosary beads into the crowd. They were caught by a Calvinist nobleman who later became a Catholic. He credited his conversion to the incident and the martyr’s beads.
St. John Oglivie was canonized in 1976.
Lord, give me patience in tribulation.
Quote of St. Thomas More; Feast day June 22
March is the Month of St. Joseph
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Gregory of Nyssa, Feast Day March 9
The feast day of St. Gregory of Nyssa is celebrated on March 9.
St. Gregory was born in 335 in Cappadocia, Asia Miner. He came from a family of at least five saints. St. Basil and St. Emmilia were his parents. He was raised by his brother St. Basil the Great and his sister Macrina in what is today known as Turkey.
St. Gregory married but continued studying for the priesthood which at that time allowed married priests. In 372 he became the Bishop of Nyssa. He taught against many false doctrines, defending the divinity of Christ. He defended the orthodox beliefs on the Trinity, Incarnation and Redemption.
St. Gregory was arrested briefly and falsely accused of embezzlement. He was restored as bishop in 378. St. Gregory attend the first Council of Constantinople in 381 and settled many disputes within the church. He was a philosophical theologian and mystic. He became known as the “Father of Mysticism.” St. Gregory died in the year 395.
May what is pleasing to God be always in your mind and heart and in mine.
Quote of St. Gregory of Nyssa
March is the Month of St. Joseph.
Do Heaven and Hell Really Exist?
Last Judgement
by Michelangelo
by Michelangelo
If we turn to the teachings of Jesus, it is clear heaven and hell do exist. The following parables in Matthew given to us by Jesus describe heaven.
1. In Mat 13 1. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again and out of joy goes and sells all the he has and buys that field.
2. “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
3. “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.
4. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat and then went off. When the crop grew the weeds appeared as well. “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn”.
5. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of seeds yet when full grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.
6. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flower until the whole batch was leavened.
Jesus has many references to the existence of hell. In Matthew 25:41 He says “Depart from me unto the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” In Mark 9:47-48 He refers to hell as the fire which is never quenched.
The Catholic Church firmly believes in the existence of heaven and hell. It is the jurisdiction of God to determine who enters heaven and who ends up in eternal fire. We believe hell is actually the absence of God. We are given the gift of free will. We actually choose our future. Do we want to be with God, who is love and mercy, or do we choose selfishness and evil? If we choose love and mercy, we must be sincere and actually walk the talk. We must take the time to love both God and our neighbor. In Matt: 7:13 Jesus tells us…
“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
It is hard to imagine choosing evil. However, sin and evil are actually glamorous and tempting. Selfishness and anger can easily dominate our will and life.
In the past it was believed that the number of people entering heaven were few. The culture reflected the belief that most people deserved eternal punishment. The result was that most people had great fear of literally “going to hell”. Today’s culture believes the opposite. Many people find it hard to believe anyone is in hell…that God forgives all sins and eventually we will all go to heaven.
Jesus teaches us that Hell is a place to fear. To be forgiven, we must first repent. Let’s take the time to get to know and love Jesus. When we actually love God, we will want to spend time with him and come to know his will for us. Jesus himself tells us in Matt: 22 37 Jesus said:
“The greatest commandments are “You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
If we do this we have no need to fear hell, but can look forward to eternity in heaven…a treasure beyond understanding.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of God, Feast Day March 8
The feast day of St. John of God is celebrated on March 8. St. John is the patron saint of booksellers, printers, firefighters, heart patients, hospitals, nurses and the sick.
St. John of God was born in Portugal in 1495. When he was eight years old he disappeared and never saw his parents again. Little is known about what actually happened in the years following his disappearance except that he ended up on the opposite coast of the Spanish peninsula from where he was born.
St. John of God lived a solitary life until he joined the army when he was 22. As a soldier he enjoyed the vices his fellow soldiers enjoyed; revelry, drinking and cruelty. After being thrown off a stolen horse near French lines he was in danger of being killed or captured. He reviewed his life and decided to change. John made a pilgrimage on foot to St. James of Compostella. At the shrine he made his confession, and determined that in some way the rest of his life should be spent in atonement for his sins.
After being discharged from the army John went in search of his parents only to learn that they had both died. John found work in Spain unloading ship cargoes and visited churches at night. He spent his spare time reading religious books. He enjoyed reading so much that he began selling books and holy cards.
When John was 41, he had a vision of the Infant Jesus. Tradition tells us that in this vision he found a small child on the roadside, ill-clad and barefooted, who asked John to carry him part of his way. John lifted the child on his shoulders, and trudged along with his double burden. But the weight was heavy, and John was none too strong; when he reached a drinking fountain on the road John proposed to the child that they should stop and rest. The child came down from his shoulders but was suddenly transformed. “John of God,” he said, “Granada shall be your cross,” and immediately disappeared.
After the vision, John went to Granada and opened a small book shop. After hearing John of Avila preach one day, he was overcome with grief over his sins. He gave away all his religious books and money. John was so overcome that he behaved like a lunatic and was put in a hospital. The traditional treatment for lunacy was whipping. He was tied down and daily beaten and whipped. John of Avila visited him and said his penance had been long enough…40 days…and had him moved to a better part of the hospital.
John of God began helping the sick in the hospital. He decided to start a hospital of his own. When he was released he earned money by selling wood. The money he earned he used to feed the poor and homeless. He rented a house which he turned into a shelter and hospital. Eventually, he moved his hospital into an old Carmelite monastery and opened a homeless shelter in the monastery hall.
St. John of God was known for impulsively helping anyone who needed help. When he heard that the Royal Hospital was on fire, he ran to help. While other people looked on, he rushed into the hospital and began carrying patients out. After the patients were all safe, he began to throw mattresses and sheets out the windows. He continued doing all he could do until he fell through the burning roof. It was feared he was dead, but he miraculously appeared out of smoke. This is why he is the patron of firefighters.
St. John of God came down with pneumonia after trying to rescue a boy who had fallen into the river. When he was near to death, he requested to be alone with God. He died on his birthday, March 8, 1559, kneeling before a crucifix. He was 55 years old.
St. John of God is considered the founder of the Brothers Hospitallers who were inspired by his example and are the fruit of his work.
Lord, Your thorns are my roses and Your suffering my paradise.
Quote of St. John of God
St. John of God in Art
