From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On the Zealous Amendment of our Life  (II)   
      
   There was once a man who was very anxious, and wavered between fear   
   and hope. One day, overcome with sadness, he lay prostrate in prayer   
   before the altar in church, and pondering these matters in his mind,   
   said, `Oh, if only I knew that I should always persevere!' then he   
   heard within his heart an answer from God: `If you knew this, what   
   would you do? Do now what you would then, and all will be well.' So,   
   comforted and strengthened, he committed himself to the will of God,   
   and his anxious uncertainty vanished. Nor did he wish any longer to   
   inquire into what would happen to him, but strove the more earnestly   
   to learn the perfect and acceptable will of God, (Rom.12:2) whenever   
   he began or undertook any good work (2 Tim.3:17).   
   --Thomas à Kempis--Imitation of Christ Bk 1, Ch 25   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   April 13th - Bl. Margaret of Castello   
      
   (1287-1320)   
   We are living today in an age that is at war with children. One   
   question often raised is: What use are those children who enter the   
   world (or are about to do so) physically or mentally incapacitated?   
      
   One of the best answers to this question is the case of Blessed   
   Margaret of Castello. Though born blind and disabled, though rejected   
   and abandoned by her parents, “Little Margaret” came to be hailed as a   
   saint and a triumphant instrument of God’s love. Margaret was born in   
   the castle of Metola, southeast of Florence, Italy. Her surname is not   
   known. This is just as well, for her parents Parisio and Emilia   
   certainly added no luster to that family name. But Parisio is known,   
   however, to have been a prominent soldier and civic leader.   
      
   What was this proud, socially conscious couple to do when their first   
   and only child was born dreadfully disfigured? She was sightless,   
   homely of face, dwarfed, hunchbacked and had one leg shorter than the   
   other. Unfortunately, these selfish people rejected their daughter   
   with revulsion. Because they were embarrassed to have her thought   
   their own, they kept her hidden at home for six years. Then they had a   
   little cell built for her attached to the local church, and shut her   
   up in it.   
      
   Already a devout child, Margaret appreciated being so close to God;   
   but actually her cell was a prison until she was 13. Then an alarm   
   spread around that Metola was going to be invaded. The parents,   
   shrouding her in a heavy veil, spirited her off to their castle at   
   Mercatallo. Here they locked her into the cellar. Margaret, to her   
   grief, was now deprived of the ability to attend Mass and to confess.   
      
   When their unwanted daughter was 20, her father and mother made one   
   last effort to “normalize” her. It was reported that at Citta di   
   Castello miracles were being wrought at the tomb of a holy man named   
   Fra Giacomo. The couple took Margaret to Castello and prayed for her   
   cure. Their prayer was more for themselves than for her, however, for   
   when the cure was not forthcoming, they went off for good, leaving   
   their sightless daughter at the shrine church without provision. If   
   the parents had abandoned this sweet-tempered, if misshapen, young   
   woman, at least the poor of Castello responded to her need. During the   
   next few years, they gave her shelter in one home after another. God   
   rewarded their charity, for each of her host families received some   
   sort of benefits--even financial--from His hand.   
      
   Eventually a convent of nuns of Citta di Castello decided to take   
   Margaret in as a member. She was delighted. But it turned out that the   
   nuns were slack in observing their rule. Margaret, by her strict   
   obedience to that rule, embarrassed the sisters so much that they   
   eventually expelled her. For a while, thereafter, the local citizenry   
   assumed that the little cripple had been ousted for misbehavior, so   
   they began to mock and malign her. Eventually, however, that subsided,   
   and she was invited to join the Third Order of Dominicans as a   
   “Mantellata” (a tertiary who wore the religious habit and veil).   
   Margaret finally had a recognized position. Living prayerfully in the   
   attic of a worthy family, she spent her days in hobbling about the   
   streets to take care of the sick and to visit prisoners. Miracles of   
   body and soul were attributed increasingly to the blind woman’s   
   prayers.   
      
   Once she was visiting a prison in an effort to exorcise the hatred in   
   the heart of one of the prisoners. As she prayed for his change of   
   heart, her body was lifted up from the floor in the presence of all   
   and remained for some time suspended. Eventually, the man broke down   
   and expressed contrition.   
      
   When “Little Margaret” died at 33, the people of Castello, believing   
   her to be a saint, insisted that she be buried within the Church.   
   Margaret confirmed their view with one more miracle. A crippled girl   
   was laid down beside the dead body. Those on hand saw the arm of the   
   corpse reach over and touch the girl’s stretcher, curing her! Two   
   hundred other miracles were later attributed to Blessed Margaret’s   
   intercession.   
      
   Would it have been better for this blind cripple to have died as an   
   infant? Margaret would not have thought so. God evidently didn’t think   
   so either. In her, He has given to us an illustration of how   
   handicapped persons fit in with His eternal plan. Take courage, then,   
   you who are handicapped. God loves you doubly!   
   –Father Robert   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "He who does not weep as a pilgrim shall not rejoice as a citizen."   
   --St. Augustine (Doctor, 354-430) - "Instructions On Christian Morality"   
      
   Bible Quotes:   
   "Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into   
   mourning, and your joy into sorrow"  (James 4:9 )   
      
   "Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. ... Woe to you   
   that now laugh: for you shall mourn and weep"  (Luke 6:21,25)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Merciful God, our Father,   
   neither hardship, pain, nor the threat of death   
   could weaken the faith of Saint Martin.   
   Through our faith, give us courage   
   to endure whatever sufferings the world may inflict upon us.   
   We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,   
   who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,   
   one God, for ever and ever.   
   Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)