On The Royal Road of the Holy Cross {I}

On The Royal Road of the Holy Cross {I}

`Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.'(Matt. 16:24) To
many this saying of Jesus seems hard. But how much harder will it be
to hear that word of doom, `Depart from Me, you cursed, into
everlasting fire'. (Matt. 25:41) For those who now cheerfully hear and
obey the word of the Cross (1 Cor. 1:18) will not tremble to hear the
sentence of eternal damnation. The sign of the Cross will appear in
the heavens, when Our Lord comes as judge. Then will all the servants
of the Cross-, who in their lives conformed themselves to the
Crucified, (Rom 8:29) stand with confidence before Christ, their
judge.
--Thomas à Kempis--Imitation of Christ Book 2, Ch 12

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June 20th - Bl. Michelina of Pesaro, widow

THE town of Pesaro on the east coast of Italy has a special devotion
to this holy widow, who was one of its own citizens. Born of wealthy
and distinguished parents, Michelina Metelli married at the age of 12
a member of the Malatesta family of Rimini. The union was a happy one,
but when the death of her husband left her a widow at twenty, with one
little son, she seems to have been by no means disconsolate. She had
always been fond of pleasure, and she continued for some time to lead
the same life as before, giving little or no thought to religion.
There was staying in Pesaro at that period a Franciscan tertiary of
unknown origin and antecedents who went by the name of Syriaca. She
lived on alms, spent most of her time in prayer, and depended for
shelter at night on the casual hospitality of the charitable.
Michelina, who was one of those who opened their doors to the
stranger, gradually came under her influence.

An intimacy sprang up between them which ended in Michelina's complete
conversion. Only her boy now bound her to the world, and when he fell
a victim to some childish complaint she determined to renounce all
things. By Syriaca's advice she took the Franciscan tertiary habit,
distributed her possessions to the poor, and begged her bread from
door to door. It was by no means a simple thing for one who had always
lived in ease and comfort to accustom herself to rejected scraps.
Once, in the early days of her new life, she acknowledged to a former
associate that she longed for a taste of freshly roasted pork. Eager
to give her that small gratification her friend promptly invited her
to dinner. But when the joint was dished up and the savoury smell
assailed her nostrils, Michelina suddenly recollected herself.
Refusing to sit down to table, she withdrew from the company and beat
herself with an iron chain until the blood flowed. As each blow fell
she apostrophized herself bitterly, exclaiming: "Do you still want
pork, Michelina? Do you want still more?"

Many other trials she had to bear from within and without. Her
relations took strong objection to her conduct and at one time went
the length of shutting her up as a lunatic. Her patience and
gentleness, however, disarmed them: they concluded that though deluded
she was quite harmless and they liberated her. The rest of her life
was spent in self-abnegation and good works. She nursed lepers and
others afflicted with loathsome diseases, performing for them the most
menial offices; and she is said to have cured several of them by
kissing their sores. Towards the close of her life Michelina made a
pilgrimage to Rome. There on one occasion she was allowed a mystical
participation in the sufferings of our Lord. She died on Trinity
Sunday, 1356, at an age which is given as 56. From the moment of her
death she was venerated by her fellow citizens who kept a lamp burning
day and night before her tomb in the Franciscan church. In 1580 the
house she had once occupied at Pesaro was converted into a church, and
in 1737 her cultus was approved.

There is a short account in the Acta Sanctorum, June, vol. iv, and in
Wadding, Annales Ordinis Minorum, vol. viii, pp. 140-143; several
lives were also printed in the eighteenth century by Bonucci,
Matthaei, Ermanno, Bagnocavallo and others. See also Leon, Aureole
Séraphique (Eng. trans.), vol. ii, pp. 422-426.


Saint Quote:
"Ask of God his graces in the name of Jesus Christ, and you shall
obtain whatsoever you desire. This our Saviour has promised, and his
promise cannot fail"
--St. Alphonsus de Liguori - "The True Spouse of Jesus Christ"

Bible Quote:
"If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children:
how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to
them that ask him?"  (Matt. 7:11 )
"if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you"  (John 16:23)


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O Most Holy God

O most Holy God, I adore Thee, through the Adorable
Sacrament of the Altar, and I offer Thee, through the holy
hands of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, all the consecrated
Hosts on our Altars as a sacrifice of expiation, reparation,
and atonement for all the sacrileges, profanations,
impieties, blasphemies, and crimes committed against
Thee throughout the universe. - Amen.