• =?UTF-8?Q?1_December_'_Blessed_John_of_Vercelli_OP?=

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Mon Nov 30 08:58:41 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    1 December ' Blessed John of Vercelli OP

    Dominican Priest and Friar, Sixth Master General of the Order of
    Preachers, Founder of the The Society of the Holy Name, Canon lawyer,
    Professor ' born in c 1205 at Mosso Santa Maria, Italy as Giovanni
    Garbella and died in September 1283 at Montpelier, France of natural
    causes.

    John Garbella was born early in the 13th century, somewhere near
    Vercelli. He studied at Paris and was ordained priest before 1229. He
    taught canon law at the University of Paris. While he was professor
    there, Blessed Jordan of Saxony (who was a friend of Saint Albert the
    Great) came to Paris and John saw one after another of his best pupils
    desert their careers to join the Dominicans. He seems to have
    considered them quite objectively, without reference to himself, until
    one day he had an interior voice that spoke to him that it was God'=
    s
    will for him to join the Dominicans. No one can say that John did not
    respond with alacrity ' he dropped everything and ran down the stre=
    et.
    =E2=80=9CLet me go; I am on my way to God!=E2=80=9D Jordan received him hap= pily and
    gave him the habit.

    In 1232, John was sent to Vercelli to establish a convent there. He
    built this and several other convents in Lombardy as houses of regular observance. While provincial of Lombardy, he also became inquisitor.
    It was a particularly difficult moment. His brother in religion, St
    Peter of Verona, had just been killed by the heretics in Como. The
    entire countryside was in a state of war, with roving bands of
    heretics and robbers. It was the task of the new inquisitor to try to
    bring order out of this chaos and what John did was remarkable,
    considering the situation. In spite of his heavy labours, which
    included the supervision of 600 friars in 28 different cities (he
    reached them only by walking), John of Vercelli established the ideals
    of study and regular observance in all of his houses.

    But it was also the good fortune of John of Vercelli to live in an age
    that was well peopled by saints. He formed a close friendship with
    Saint Louis, the king of France. Several of his tasks in the order, particularly the Commission on the Program of Studies, he shared with
    Saint Albert the Great, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Peter of Tarentaise
    (the future Pope Innocent V). In such company one would need to have a
    superior set of talents ' John did.

    In 1264 the chapter of the order met at Paris. Blessed Humbert had
    resigned as master general of the order. John went to the chapter
    hoping that he could resign as provincial of Lombardy. Instead of
    escaping one office, he fell heir to a still more difficult one. He
    was elected master general in 1264 and served in that capacity until
    1283. John was then a man in his sixties and was, moreover,
    handicapped by a crippled leg. However, he accepted the office which
    would require him to walk, not only all over Lombardy but all over
    Europe. It took a brand of courage and obedience that was little short
    of heroic.

    During the generalate of John of Vercelli, the relics of Saint Dominic
    were transferred to the new tomb that had been prepared for it by
    Nicholas of Pisa. When the transfer was made, John of Vercelli fixed
    his seal on the tomb, the seals were still intact on their examination
    in 1946. During the translation of the relics, according to the
    account in the Vitae Fratrum, when the body of Saint Dominic was
    exposed to view, the head was seen to turn towards John of Vercelli.
    John, embarrassed, moved to another part of the church and gave his
    place to a cardinal. Whereupon, the head of Saint Dominic was seen by
    all to turn again in John's direction!

    On the death of Clement IV, John of Vercelli was very nearly elected
    pope. Being warned of the possibility, he fled in fright. However, his
    good friend Cardinal Visconti, was elected and took the name Gregory
    X. He appointed John as legate on several different missions.

    He was commissioned by the pope to draw up the Schema for the second
    ecumenical council of Lyons in 1274'that council to which Saint Tho=
    mas
    Aquinas was hurrying when death found him on the road. At the council
    John distinguished himself for his assistance by offering to the
    council the talents of his best men. At the council, he accepted for
    the Dominican Order the special commission of promoting reverence for
    the Holy Name of Jesus and fighting blasphemy, which was, in that day
    as in ours, a prevalent vice. He can thus be considered the founder of
    the Holy Name Society, even though the Confraternity was not formed
    until 1432.

    Several precious relics were suitably enshrined by John of Vercelli.
    These included several thorns from the Crown of Our Lord, which had
    been given him by Saint Louis of France. The cord of Saint Thomas,
    with which he had been guided by the angels and which he had worn
    until death, was given into the care of the master general, who gave
    it to the convent of Vercelli for safe keeping.

    John's career was rapidly reaching its end. In 1279, he presided ov=
    er
    the famous chapter of Paris at which the order made the doctrine of
    Saint Thomas officially its own. The following year, he laid the
    foundations of the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. One of his
    last official acts was to provide for a work on the instruction of
    novices (Benedictines, Dorcy).

    He was buried at the Dominican convent at Montpelier but his tomb was desecrated by Calvinists in 1562 and his body disappeared. He was
    Beatified in 1903 by Pope Pius X (cultus confirmed), 1909 elevated him
    to the honours of the altar.

    https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/


    Saint Quote:
    When we have to reply to anyone who has insulted us, we should be
    careful to do it always with meekness. A soft answer extinguishes the
    fire of wrath. If we feel ourselves angry, it is better for us to be
    silent, because we should speak amiss; when we become tranquil, we
    shall see that all our words were culpable.
    --St. Alphonsus Liguori

    Bible Quote:
    Today if you shall hear the voice of God, do not harden your hearts.
    (Heb. 3:7-8)


    <><><><>
    The first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year.
    That Mass prepares us for the double coming (adventus) of mercy and
    justice. That is why St. Paul tells us, in the Epistle, to cast off
    sin in order that, being ready for the coming of Christ as our
    Saviour, we may also be ready for His coming as our Judge, of which we
    learn in the Gospel. =C2 Let us prepare ourselves, by pious aspirations
    and by the reformation of our life, for this twofold coming. =C2 Jesus
    Our Lord will reward those who yearn for Him and await Him: "Those who
    trust in Him shall not be confounded."

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