From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   April 28th - Bl. Gianna Beretta Molla   
   (1922-1962)   
      
   Gianna Beretta was born in Magenta (Milan) October 4, 1922. Already as a   
   youth   
   she willingly accepted the gift of faith and the clearly Christian education   
   that she received from her excellent parents. As a result, she experienced   
   life   
   as a marvellous gift from God, had a strong faith in Providence and was   
   convinced of the necessity and effectiveness of prayer.   
      
   She diligently dedicated herself to studies during the years of her   
   secondary   
   and university education, while, at the same time, applying her faith   
   through   
   generous apostolic service among the youth of Catholic Action and charitable   
   work among the elderly and needy as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul   
   Society.   
   After earning degrees in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pavia   
   in   
   1949, she opened a medical clinic in Mesero (near Magenta) in 1950. She   
   specialized in Pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952 and there after   
   gave special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and poor.   
      
   While working in the field of medicine-which she considered a "mission" and   
   practiced as such-she increased her generous service to Catholic Action,   
   especially among the "very young" and, at the same time, expressed her joie   
   de   
   vivre and love of creation through skiing and mountaineering. Through her   
   prayers and those of others, she reflected upon her vocation, which she also   
   considered a gift from God. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she   
   embraced   
   it with complete enthusiasm and wholly dedicated herself "to forming a truly   
   Christian family".   
      
   She became engaged to Pietro Molla and was radiant with joy and happiness   
   during   
   the time of their engagement, for which she thanked and praised the Lord.   
   They   
   were married on September 24, 1955, in the Basilica of St. Martin in   
   Magenta,   
   and she became a happy wife. In November 1956, to her great joy, she became   
   the   
   mother of Pierluigi, in December 1957 of Mariolina; in July 1959 of Laura.   
   With   
   simplicity and equilibrium she harmonized the demands of mother, wife,   
   doctor   
   and her passion for life.   
      
   In September 1961 towards the end of the second month of pregnancy, she was   
   touched by suffering and the mystery of pain; she had developed a fibroma in   
   her   
   uterus. Before the required surgical operation, and conscious of the risk   
   that   
   her continued pregnancy brought, she pleaded with the surgeon to save the   
   life   
   of the child she was carrying, and entrusted herself to prayer and   
   Providence.   
   The life was saved, for which she thanked the Lord. She spent the seven   
   months   
   remaining until the birth of the child in incomparable strength of spirit   
   and   
   unrelenting dedication to her tasks as mother and doctor. She worried that   
   the   
   baby in her womb might be born in pain, and she asked God to prevent that.   
      
   A few days before the child was due, although trusting as always in   
   Providence,   
   she was ready to give her life in order to save that of her child: "If you   
   must   
   decided between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child-I insist   
   on   
   it. Save him". On the morning of April 21, 1962, Gianna Emanuela was born.   
   Despite all efforts and treatments to save both of them, on the morning of   
   April   
   28, amid unspeakable pain and after repeated exclamations of "Jesus, I love   
   you.   
   Jesus, I love you», the mother died. She was 39 years old. Her funeral was   
   an   
   occasion of profound grief, faith and prayer. The Servant of God lies in the   
   cemetery of Mesero (4 km from Magenta).   
      
   "Conscious immolation», was the phrase used by Pope Paul VI to define the   
   act of   
   Blessed Gianna, remembering her at the Sunday Angelus of September 23, 1973,   
   as:   
   "A young mother from the diocese of Milan, who, to give life to her   
   daughter,   
   sacrificed her own, with conscious immolation". The Holy Father in these   
   words   
   clearly refers to Christ on Calvary and in the Eucharist.   
      
   Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, during the   
   international Year of the Family.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Certainly it is the great secret of the spiritual life to abandon to God all   
   that we love by abandoning ourselves to all that He wills.   
   -- Saint Louise de Marillac   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive   
   him.   
   (Luke 17:3)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Prayer of St. Gianna   
      
   Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to befall me,   
   make me only know Your will.   
   My most sweet Jesus, infinitely merciful God, most tender Father of souls,   
   and in a particular way of the most weak, most miserable, most infirm   
   which You carry with special tenderness between Your divine arms,   
   I come to You to ask You, through the love and merits of Your Sacred Heart,   
   the grace to comprehend and to do always Your holy will,   
   the grace to confide in You,   
   the grace to rest securely through time and eternity in Your loving divine   
   arms.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Here, Lord Jesus, art Thou both Shepherd and Green Pasture.   
      
   He has left His faithful His very Body for food and His very Blood for   
   drink, nourishment for them under the appearance of bread and wine, and an   
   abiding memorial of His noble engagement. O how precious then, how   
   marvelous, how health-giving, how well-appointed His banquet! Nothing more   
   precious, for in the Lord's Supper the food put before us is not the flesh   
   of bulls and goats, as in olden times, but Christ Himself, our very God.   
      
   Roman Breviary, Feast of Corpus Christi, Lesson at Matins. (St. Thomas   
   Aquinas, 13th cent.)   
   .   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)