• July 23rd - Blessed Joan of Orvieto

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Wed Jul 22 10:24:37 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    July 23rd - Blessed Joan of Orvieto
    {Also known as Vanna of Orvieto, Giovanna of Orvieto}

    =C2 Joan was a peasant girl of Carnaiola, and was, and is at Orvieto,
    commonly called Vanna.=C2 She was left an orphan at the age of five, and
    her companions tried to frighten her by telling her that now she would
    have no one to look after her and she would starve.=C2 This did not
    disturb her and she retorted on them that " I've got a better father
    than you have!"=C2 When asked what she meant she led them to the church
    and pointed triumphantly to an image of a guardian angel: "He will
    look after me!"

    =C2 Her trust was justified, for she was adopted by a family in Orvieto,
    who brought her up and arranged a marriage for her.=C2 But Joan had
    different ideas.=C2 She ran away to the house of a friend and joined the
    third order of St. Dominic. Henceforward her life was one of unwearied
    devotion to God and attention to the poor; it was known that she bore particular good will towards those who were unkind to her, doing
    penance for their sins, and it became a byword in Orvieto that anyone
    who wanted Sister Joan's prayers should do her a bad turn.

    Numerous ecstasies and other unusual occurrences were reported of her.

    For some years she was under the spiritual direction of Bl. James of
    Mevania, stationed at the Dominican priory in Orvieto; there is a
    remarkable story told of Joan confessing to him at Orvieto, when he
    was in fact lying dead at Bevagna.

    Joan predicted among other things some of the miracles that would
    happen after her own death, but made every effort to conceal the
    supernatural favours that were accorded her; her detachment from the
    world, her humility and her sweetness she could not hide.=C2 She always maintained great devotion to the holy angels, and died in their care
    on July 23, 1306.=C2 Her cultus was approved in 1754.

    Bl. Joan is known to us primarily by a Latin life that was written by
    James Scaiza this was edited in 1853, and other editions in Italian
    were issued by L. Furni and by L. Passarini. See also Procter,
    Dominican Saints, and M. C. Ganay, Les bienheureuses Dominicaines
    (1913).


    Saint Quote:
    ....do you want to outwit the devil? Never let him catch you idle.
    Work, study, pray, and you will be surely overcome your spiritual
    enemy.
    --St. John Bosco

    Bible Quote:
    =C2 "But he has given us an even greater grace, as Scripture says: God
    opposes the proud but he accords his favor to the humble."=C2 =C2 [Ja=
    mes
    4:6]


    <><><><>
    O God of Our Life
    St Augustine (354-430)

    God of our life,
    there are days when the burdens we carry
    chafe our shoulders and weigh us down,
    when the road seems dreary and endless,
    the skies grey and threatening,
    when our lives have no music in them
    and our hearts are lonely
    and our souls have lost their courage.
    Flood the path with light,
    run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise,
    tune our hearts to brave music,
    give us the sense of comradeship
    with heroes and saints of every age
    and so quicken our spirits,
    that we may be able to encourage, the souls of all
    who journey with us on the road of life,
    to Your honour and glory.
    Amen

    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)
  • From rich@1:396/4 to All on Thu Jul 22 10:22:12 2021
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    July 23rd - Blessed Joan of Orvieto

    =C2 Joan was a peasant girl of Carnaiola, and was, and is at Orvieto,
    commonly called Vanna. She was left an orphan at the age of five, and
    her companions tried to frighten her by telling her that now she would
    have no one to look after her and she would starve. This did not
    disturb her and she retorted to them that "I've got a better father
    than you have!" When asked what she meant she led them to the church
    and pointed triumphantly to an image of a guardian angel: "He will
    look after me!" =C2 Her trust was justified, for she was adopted by a
    family in Orvieto, who brought her up and arranged a marriage for her.
    But Joan had different ideas. She ran away to the house of a friend
    and joined the third order of St. Dominic. Henceforward her life was
    one of unwearied devotion to God and attention to the poor; it was
    known that she bore particular good will towards those who were unkind
    to her, doing penance for their sins, and it became a byword in
    Orvieto that anyone who wanted Sister Joan's prayers should do her a
    bad turn.

    Numerous ecstasies and other unusual occurrences were reported of her.

    For some years she was under the spiritual direction of Bl. James of
    Mevania, stationed at the Dominican priory in Orvieto; there is a
    remarkable story told of Joan confessing to him at Orvieto, when he
    was in fact lying dead at Bevagna.

    Joan predicted among other things some of the miracles that would
    happen after her own death, but made every effort to conceal the
    supernatural favours that were accorded her; her detachment from the
    world, her humility and her sweetness she could not hide. She always
    maintained great devotion to the holy angels, and died in their care
    on July 23, 1306.=C2 Her cultus was approved in 1754.

    Bl. Joan is known to us primarily by a Latin life that was written by
    James Scaiza this was edited in 1853, and other editions in Italian
    were issued by L. Furni and by L. Passarini. See also Procter,
    Dominican Saints, and M. C. Ganay, Les bienheureuses Dominicaines
    (1913).


    Saint Quote:
    =C2 [The devil] dreads fasting, prayer, humility, and good works: He is
    not able even to stop my mouth who speak against him. The illusions of
    the devil soon vanish, especially if a man arms himself with the Sign
    of the Cross. The devils tremble at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord,
    by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.
    --Saint Antony Abbot

    Bible Quote:
    For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of
    good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think
    on these things.=C2 [Philippians 4:8 ] DRB


    <><><><>
    ON What Humility is Not=C2 [V]

    We are inclined sometimes to aim at a false humility and so to be
    hindered in our attainment of true humility. We must be on our guard
    against errors in this. Humility does not consist in shutting our eyes
    to the talents, ability, graces, and accomplishments that we possess.
    To do so is to refuse to acknowledge the good gifts that God had given
    us. If we have skill in music, in conversation, in painting, in
    languages, it is no humility to deny the fact. We ought to thank God
    for His goodness in bestowing upon us this talent. What is contrary to
    humility is to take the credit to ourselves, and to plume ourselves on
    what we have received from God.

    Humility does not consist in self-depreciation and in running
    ourselves down before others. This is often a cloak for pride.
    Sometimes its object is to obtain from others the praise we deny to
    ourselves; sometimes it is a marked expression of discontent. The
    continual song: "What a poor worm am I!" is very much opposed to the
    spirit of the Catholic Church, and to the cheerfulness that every
    Christian ought to show in his words.

    Nor does humility consist in, or even admit of discouragement. If we
    are discouraged, it generally means that we think more about our own
    success than about the glory of God. It means that we are not
    perfectly resigned; it means that our pride is wounded and our
    self-will thwarted, or that we have worldly motives in what we do, and
    seek honor from men and not from God. True humility is willing to fail
    in its projects if God so wills it. Examine yourself on these
    particulars, and see whether yours is true or false humility.

    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)