-- 2 Corinthians 7:10 –

 -- 2 Corinthians 7:10 =E2=80=93

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and
brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.  RSVCE
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
   "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation" refers to
sorrow for our sins that results in changed behavior. Many people are
sorry only for the effects of their sins or for being caught ("worldly
sorrow").
   Compare Peter's remorse and repentance with Judas' bitterness and
act of suicide. Both disowned Christ. One repented and was restored to
faith and service; the other took his own life.

<<>><<>><<>>
    =E2=80=A2 26 November =E2=80=93 Blessed Gaetana Sterni

Widow, Religious, Founder of the Sisters of Divine Will, of which
Order she is the Patron. Apostle of charity. Born on 26 June 1827 at
Cassola, Vicenza, Italy and died on 26 November 1889 of natural
causes.  Gaetana=E2=80=99s life became marred due to the deaths of close
relations including her husband and sole child which prompted her to
look towards an apostolate to aid others and to ease others=E2=80=99
sufferings. The order she founded was dedicated to total consecration
to Jesus Christ and to an active apostolate of charitable works to the
lowliest of all.

Gaetana Sterni lived her whole life in Bassano del Grappa, an ancient
and cheerful city in the province of Vicenza (Italy). She arrived with
her family, at 8 years of age, from the nearby Cassola, where she was
born on the 26th June 1827. Her father Giovanni Battista Sterni,
worked as administrator for the country property of the Mora, noble
Venetians and lived comfortably in the Mora habitat with his wife
Giovanna Chiuppani and their six children. In 1835 he moved with his
family to Bassano. However, a series of unfortunate episodes were to
change the conditions for the family of Gaetana, drastically. At 18
years of age her elder sister, Margherita, died and shortly after,
following a grave illness, her father too died. In the meantime, her
brother Francesco, with the aim of becoming an actor left the home and
thus, left the family in a dire financial situation.

These events left their mark on Gaetana, who was forced to grow up
before her time, having to share with her mother the many problems of
day to day life. Being blessed with a good intelligence she showed
herself to be sensitive and mature but also full of life =E2=80=9C desiring=
 to
love and be loved=E2=80=9D.

Her religious education was solid and guided by the teachings of her
mother, her prayers and her frequenting the church. She soon acquired
in her environment, respect and appreciation for her radiant
character, full of good sense and for her strong femininity. =E2=80=9CHer
delicate features and rare beauty=E2=80=9D and her fascinating presence, so=
on
attracted a young entrepreneur, Liberale Conte, a widower with three
children who asked her to marry him.

After a deep analysis of her feelings and the responsibilities that
she would have to assume and overcoming the opposition of her tutor,
Gaetana accepted Liberale=E2=80=99s proposal. The young bride, who still
hadn=E2=80=99t reached her 16th birthday, entered into her new home filling=
 it
with her vitality, giving back to her husband joy and serenity and
loving his three children as if they were her own. When Gaetana
discovered that she was expecting his child, the happiness of the
couple was complete.

While she was praying, Gaetana was shaken by a premonition of the
imminent death of her husband and felt as though she would =E2=80=9Cdie of =
a
broken heart=E2=80=9D at the thought of losing he who was =E2=80=9Cmore pre=
cious than
life,=E2=80=9D however, deep inside, she felt a strength that would keep he=
r
from despair and lead her to have faith in God with all her heart.
Unfortunately, her premonition came true and Liberale, at the height
of youth and health, after a brief illness, died. The young bride now
found herself in terrible anguish for the loss of her husband, whom
she loved more than herself, for the children who once again found
themselves to be orphans and for her unborn child, who would never
know its own father. She was completely destroyed by the pain but when
she started coming back to her senses, she remembered the premonition
that she had had and what she had felt. She once again found faith in
the Lord, entrusting her life to Him. In Him she found the strength to
live, to take care of the three children and to complete her
pregnancy.

Unfortunately, even Gaetana=E2=80=99s child died just a few days after its
birth.  Here began years of bitter widowhood. The family of her
husband did not appreciate the strong links that bound Gaetana to the
orphans and many misunderstandings, suspicions and false rumours
arose. Eventually, she was separated from the children and distanced
from the house. At nineteen years of age she returned to the home of
her mother. In spite of this ordeal and not thinking of herself, she
helped the children to accept the difficult separation. Approachable
but strong, she defended the rights of the children, forgave freely
and obtained the full reconciliation and serenity of the two families.
The suffering didn=E2=80=99t make her bitter and, through her natural
sensitivity, she grew in her capacity for compassion and solidarity.

She never thought of entering into a religious order and looking into
her future, she prayed that the Lord would help her to understand who
was the husband that God had destined to be hers. But it was through
her prayers that she began to perceive clearly that God wanted to be
=E2=80=9Cthe only husband for her soul=E2=80=9D and Gaetana was stunned. Sh=
e confided
to her holy confessor who confirmed that it was an authentic call to
God. Consequently, she asked to enter the convent of the Canosians of
Bassano and was accepted as a postulate. For five months she lived
happily in the community but once again, in her prayers, she had a
premonition that prepared her for the death of her mother, which then
happened within a few days. Consequently she was forced to leave the
convent to assume the responsibility of looking after her younger
brothers. For years she faced difficulties, family illness,
misfortunes and financial hardships. In spite of everything, she
managed to create a way of life that permitted a continued spiritual
devotion.

She confronted her confessor and prayed intensely as to know what was
God=E2=80=99s will for her. Becoming more humble and prepared, she was ever
more attentive to what He asked her in the depths of her heart and
also through the happenings and needs of the poor of her city.

Whilst she was still with the Canosians and had the premonition of her
mother=E2=80=99s death, Gaetana had also sensed that He was preparing her =
=E2=80=9Cto
employ there all of herself in the service of the poor and thus fulfil
His will.=E2=80=9D She held this vocation hidden in her heart for a long ti=
me
before finding the courage to talk about it with her confessor,
because it seemed to her strange and terrible.

When at last she had told him, he seemed to give no weight to the
idea. However whenever Gaetana saw a poor person =E2=80=9Crecovered=E2=80=
=9D, she
re-felt that invitation =E2=80=9CI want you among my poor=E2=80=9D, and sai=
d =E2=80=9Cthe idea
of the Recovery follows me constantly=E2=80=9D. She was 26 years old when s=
he
was finally free from all obligations to her family and could at last
do as she wished. Upon conclusion of a serious and shared discernment,
it was a Jesuit, Fr . Bedin that confirmed to her, saying =E2=80=9Cyes
Gaetana, the Lord wants you in the Recovery.=E2=80=9D In 1853, =E2=80=9Conl=
y to do the
will of God=E2=80=9D, Gaetana entered into the hospice for beggars, known a=
s
the Recovery, which in miserable conditions, cared for 115 guests =E2=80=9C=
the
large part victims of unruliness and vice=E2=80=9D in whom =E2=80=9Cdisorde=
rs and
abuses of almost every type=E2=80=9D.

She remained there for 36 years until her death and employed in this
ministry all of herself with untiring charity. While watching over the
beds of the dying and in the most humble service of the ill and the
old, she treated all with the abnegation, the delicacy and gentleness
of those who in recoveries serve the Lord. She was driven by a great
faith in God, from the desire to be His and to please Him in
everything.  When she was 33 years old and with the consent of her
confessor Don Simonetti, she took a vow of total devotion of herself
to God, =E2=80=9Cready to accept absolutely anything that the Lord might as=
k
of her=E2=80=9D.

With unlimited faith she gave herself into the hands of God, =E2=80=9Cweak
instrument which He uses for His own purposes=E2=80=9D. She attributed to
providence, the birth of the congregation, that came from the
simplicity and humility, with the profession of the first two
companions in 1865.

The name =E2=80=9CDaughters of the Divine Will=E2=80=9D suggested to the he=
art of
Gaetana and the young women that followed her, indicated that which
should define them =E2=80=9Ccomplete uniformity to the Divine Will through =
a
total abandonment in God and a strong zeal for the well-being of one=E2=80=
=99s
neighbour, ready to sacrifice anything in order to make them well.=E2=80=9D

Like her, the first companions, driven by the same spirit, devoted
themselves to the will of God, dedicating themselves to serve the poor
in the Recovery and those in need, especially helping those who were
ill at home and other acts of charity depending on the particular
needs that arose. The Bishop of Vicenza, Saint Giovanni Antonio Farina
(1803=E2=80=931888), approved the first rules of the congregation in 1875.

Gaetana died on the 26th of November 1889 lovingly assisted by her
daughters and venerated by her fellow citizens. Her mortal remains are
venerated in the Mother House. Since the beginning the communities
have multiplied and today the congregation is diffused in Europe,
America and Africa.

The path to holiness that Gaetana followed is, for it=E2=80=99s essential
nature a proposable itinerary for all Christians =E2=80=93 to achieve in
everything and always, that which pleases the Lord, trusting oneself
to Him in enlightened confidence, to change, with only the force of
love, all evil into good, in the manner of Jesus. =E2=80=A6 Vatican.va

Blessed Gaetana was Beatified on 4 November 2001 by St Pope John Paul
II, after approval of the first miracle. At her Beatification St John
Paul said:

=E2=80=9CBlessed Gaetana Sterni, who learned that the will of God is always
love, dedicated herself with untiring charity to the excluded and the
suffering. She always treated her brothers and sisters with the
kindness and love of the one who serves Christ in the poor. She urged
her spiritual daughters, the Sisters of the Divine Will, =E2=80=9Cto be
disposed and content to put up with privations, fatigue and any
sacrifice to help your neighbour in need in all that the Lord might
want of them=E2=80=9D. The witness of evangelical charity that Blessed Ster=
ni
left us reminds each believer of the need to seek the will of God in
confident abandonment to Him and in generous service to one=E2=80=99s broth=
ers
and sisters.=E2=80=9D

https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/26/


Resist your impatience faithfully, practicing, not only with reason,
but even against reason, holy courtesy and sweetness to all, but
especially to those who weary you the most.
-St. Francis de Sales

Bible Quote
Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.  [Thes. 5:16-18] DRB

<><><><>
Plea to the Everlasting God for the Unborn

Lord God, our Eternal Father, we come to Thy Throne full of
awe and reverence at Thy saving power. Through our Savior
Jesus Christ, we beg Thee to help us stop the widespread
slaughter of unborn babies in our land. May our love for our
innocent brothers and sisters closely resemble the love that
exists in the Holy Family. Help us provide all human life with
protection under our civil laws. We know that through the
intercession of our Mother Mary, chosen Spouse of the Holy
Spirit, our request will be granted. Amen.