From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   A mind closed to God's wisdom   
      
   Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about the problem of the "closed   
   mind" that refuses to learn new things. Jesus used an image familiar   
   to his audience--new and old wine skins. In Jesus' times, wine was   
   stored in wine skins, not bottles. New wine poured into skins was   
   still fermenting. The gases exerted gave pressure. New wine skins were   
   elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wine skins easily burst   
   because they became hard as they aged. What did Jesus mean by this   
   comparison?   
   --The unity of the new and the old  Luke 5:33-39   
      
      
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   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:   
   "Love sinners, but hate their works, and do not despise them for their   
   faults, lest you be tempted by the same. Remember that you share the   
   earthly nature of Adam and that you are clothed with his infirmity."   
   --St. Isaac the Syrian.   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength   
   is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory   
   in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (2   
   Corinthians 12:9) DRB   
      
      
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   Rise, glorious Victor, rise   
   Into Thy native skies,--   
   Assume Thy right;   
   And where in many a fold   
   The clouds are backward rolled,   
   Pass through those gates of gold,   
   And reign in light.   
      
   Enter, Incarnate God;   
   No feet but Thine have trod   
   The serpent down;   
   The full-voiced trumpets blow,   
   Wider the portals throw;   
   Saviour, triumphant go,   
   And take Thy crown.   
      
   O Lord, ascend Thy throne;   
   For Thou shalt rule alone,   
   Beside Thy Sire   
   And blessed Paraclete,   
   The Three in One complete,   
   Before Whose awful feet   
   All foes expire.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)