From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Of the fervent Amendment of our Lives (5)   
      
   How pleasant and sweet to behold brethren fervent and devout, well   
   mannered and disciplined! How sad and painful to see them wandering in   
   dissolution, not practicing the things to which they are called! How   
   hurtful it is to neglect the purpose of their vocation and to attend   
   to what is not their business! Remember the purpose you have   
   undertaken, and keep in mind the image of the Crucified. Even though   
   you may have walked for many years on the pathway to God, you may well   
   be ashamed if, with the image of Christ before you, you do not try to   
   make yourself still more like Him. The religious who concerns himself   
   intently and devoutly with our Lord’s most holy life and passion will   
   find there an abundance of all things useful and necessary for him. He   
   need not seek for anything better than Jesus.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ --Bk. 1 Chapter 25   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   October 19th - St. Peter of Alcantara   
      
   Peter was born at Alcantara in Spain in 1499. Already as a child he   
   manifested a remarkable gift of prayer, so that at times, when he   
   became absorbed in prayer, the servants were unable to get any   
   response from him.   
      
   At the University of Salamanca Peter resolved to join the Franciscan   
   Order. The tempter left nothing undone to depict the comfortable life   
   he could lead in the world and still have time for the practices of   
   piety. But humble prayer overcame the seductions of the evil one.   
   Peter set out for the quiet convent of Monjarez. On the way our Lord   
   gave him a signal assurance of his vocation. Peter came to a stream   
   which, because of heavy rains, had overflowed its banks considerably.   
   Seeing no means at hand with which to cross, he knelt down and asked   
   God for help. Suddenly, without knowing how, he found himself on the   
   other side.   
      
   Once received into the order, he gave himself up completely to union   
   with God. He kept so strict a guard over his senses, that a year later   
   he could not say whether the church in which he prayed each day had a   
   vaulted roof or a flat one. His body seemed to have given to him only   
   to inflict pain upon it. The mortifications he practiced upon divine   
   impulse were amazing. For more than 20 years he wore an iron belt   
   studded with sharp points which pierced his flesh, and for more than   
   40 years he daily scourged himself till he bled. At first he was much   
   troubled with sleepiness, but he so mortified himself that in time he   
   got along with one and a half hours sleep in a day; and this rest he   
   took while sitting on the floor.   
      
   God showed His approval of these mortifications by sustaining Peter's   
   strength in a remarkable way. He never tired of going from place to   
   place to give missions, and his success was so astounding that St.   
   Francis Borgia once wrote to him: "Your remarkable success is a   
   special comfort to me." His various activities, however, in no way   
   diminished his spirit of prayer. He lived and toiled in this spirit,   
   and endeavored to impart it to others.   
      
   The sufferings of Christ were the special object of his devotion. As   
   Christ sacrificed Himself for us, Peter found nothing too difficult in   
   His service; and as Christ atoned so severely for our sins, Peter   
   practiced the most rigorous penance. The custom of erecting a cross at   
   the close of a mission had its origin with St. Peter of Alcantara.   
   Whenever feasible, he had the cross erected on an elevation, so that   
   it could be seen all over the parish. On one occasion he was so   
   literally carried away with devotion that he sped through the air to   
   such a cross, where with arms outstretched he prayed a long time,   
   while rays brighter than sunlight proceeded from his person.   
      
   He wrote a little treatise on prayer and meditation which is   
   celebrated the world over. Pope Gregory XV declared that it was   
   written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The great mistress   
   of prayer, St. Theresa, who lived at that time, wished to have the   
   saint for her spiritual director; and he aided her in reforming the   
   order of Carmel.   
      
   He was a very humble man, and fled from honors. Emperor Charles V   
   wanted him for his confessor, but Peter begged him not to press his   
   request since he could easily secure more learned and eminent men. In   
   the order itself he was obliged to accept the position of provincial,   
   and due to his efforts his province rose to a flourishing state of   
   religious discipline. Provincial though he was, he did not hesitate on   
   occasion to perform the lowliest duties in the house.   
      
   He was humble and charitable in his judgements. A nobleman was once   
   decrying the various evils which were rampant. The saint said: "Truly,   
   matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I begin in   
   earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have been   
   made."   
      
   On October 18, 1562, he died peacefully in the Lord. St. Theresa saw   
   his soul take its flight to heaven. Later he appeared to her and said:   
   O happy penance that has merited for me such wondrous glory!" Many   
   miracles, including the raising of six dead persons to life, occurred   
   in answer to prayers addressed to him. Pope Clement IX enrolled him   
   among the saints.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   ON THE REWARD OF PENANCE   
   1. St. Peter practiced rigorous penance all his life, and what a   
   marvelous reward it merited for him! He used to say: "I have made a   
   contract with my body: it has promised to accept harsh treatment from   
   me on earth, and I have promised that it shall receive eternal rest in   
   heaven." The reward of penance can be ours if we wish it. And we have   
   more reason to practice penance, since we have not lived from our   
   youth as did St. Peter, but have committed many sins. It is not   
   necessary to imitate him in his unusual penances -- without the   
   consent of our confessor it would not even be right to do so -- but we   
   can renounce sensuality and atone for our sins by a penitential life.   
   Then our present tribulation will obtain for us "above measure   
   exceedingly an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor 4:17).   
      
   2. Consider that none of us can say we have no need of penance; only a   
   lukewarm soul could make such a statement. Even if we were stainless   
   from birth, we should still be obliged to mortify ourselves. Blessed   
   Brother Giles was once asked why St. John the Baptist lived so   
   penitential a life. Brother Giles asked by way of reply: "Why do we   
   salt fresh fish? Is it not for the purpose that it may not decay?"   
   Though you may be quite unspoiled and blameless, yet you should apply   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)