From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   February 19th - Bl. Alvarez Of Cordova   
      
   THE birthplace of Bl. Alvarez is uncertain: some authorities give it as   
   Lisbon   
   and others Cordova, where the greater part of his life was spent. He entered   
   the   
   Dominican convent of St Paul there in 1368. He became a wonderful preacher   
   and   
   laboured with great success first in Andalusia and afterwards in Italy. On   
   the   
   death of King Henry II of Castile, Alvarez became confessor and adviser of   
   the   
   Queen-mother Catherine (who was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of   
   Lancaster), and directed the early training of the young King John II. He   
   completely reformed the court, but when, owing to political dissensions, the   
   regency was divided he withdrew from court and resumed his former work as a   
   preacher.   
      
   Bl. Alvarez had long formed the design, which he proceeded to carry out, of   
   founding a Dominican house which, in accord with the reform already begun by   
   Bl.   
   Raymund of Capua, should follow strictly the rule of St. Dominic. He chose a   
   mountainous region not far from Cordova, and there he erected the   
   Escalaceli,   
   Ladder of Heaven, which became a centre of piety and learning, to which men   
   flocked from all parts of Spain.   
      
   Alvarez exercised a great influence in resisting the papal claimant   
   "Benedict   
   XIII", Peter de Luna, and in bringing the people and-what was much more   
   difficult-the grandees, to acknowledge the legitimate pope.   
      
   In spite of advancing age Bl. Alvarez continued his work of catechizing,   
   teaching and preaching: he would spend his whole day in such tasks, and when   
   he   
   returned at night to his monastery he would devote nearly all the night to   
   prayer. He and his brethren depended upon alms for their food, and sometimes   
   he   
   went to the market-place in Cordova and addressed the people, ending up by   
   saying, "My dear brethren, the poor friars of St Dominic in the mountain   
   recommend themselves to your charity". His practices of penance grew ever   
   more   
   severe; he crawled on his knees to a chapel dedicated to our Lady of Pity,   
   taking the discipline as he went, and a picture still at Cordova represents   
   him   
   thus kneeling, his shoulders covered with blood and accompanied by angels,   
   some   
   of whom are clearing away little rocks from his path. He built several   
   chapels   
   in the monastery grounds, each one representing a "station" or scene of our   
   Lord's passion, doubtless suggested to him by his experiences as a pilgrim   
   in   
   Jerusalem. It was told that one night when he had been praying in one of   
   these,   
   a violent storm made the brook which separated it from the monastery quite   
   impassable. When the bell rang for Matins the holy man lifted his eyes to   
   God,   
   took off his black cloak, spread it on the water and walked safely across to   
   dry   
   land ; he retrieved his cloak and returned to his place in choir as usual.   
   The   
   cultus of Bl. Alvarez was confirmed in 1741.   
      
   See Touron, Les Hommes illustres de l'Ordre de St Dominique, vol. iii, pp.   
   98-110 Procter, Dominican Saints, pp. 42-44 ; Mortier, Maîtres Généraux OP.,   
   vol. iv, pp. 210-214. Mortier points out that the date 1420 usually assigned   
   for   
   the death of Alvarez cannot possibly be correct, for documentary evidence   
   shows   
   that he was living in 1423. The same historian seems to claim for Bl.   
   Alvarez   
   that he was the originator in the West of the devotion of the Stations of   
   the   
   Cross. But the idea of a series of such shrines may be traced as far back as   
   St   
   Petronius of Bologna in the fifth century, and the Augustinians, Peter and   
   John   
   da Fabriano, erected similar stations shortly before the time of Alvarez.   
   The   
   idea at this period was becoming very general.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   He loves, He hopes, He waits. If He came down on our altars on certain days   
   only, some sinner, on being moved to repentance, might have to look for Him,   
   and   
   not finding Him, might have to wait. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for   
   the   
   sinner for years rather than keep him waiting one instant.   
   --Saint Peter Julian Eymard   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   In the multitude of words they shall not want sin.  (Prov, x. 19)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Brief Prayers to the Sacred Heart   
      
   May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved in every place.   
      
   Sweet Heart of my Jesus, grant that I may ever love Thee more.   
      
   Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, set our hearts on fire with love   
   of Thee.   
      
   Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in Thee   
      
   Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our heart like unto Thy Heart.   
      
   Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom come!   
      
   Divine Heart of Jesus, Convert sinners, save the dying, deliver the holy   
   souls in purgatory.   
      
   Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Thy love for me.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)