Podcasts about San Damiano

TESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜ https://www.bastabugie.it/8158OMELIA IV DOM. DI PASQUA - ANNO C (Gv 10, 27-30) di Don Stefano Bimbi Gesù è il Buon Pastore, un'immagine che parla direttamente al cuore, anche a noi oggi, che spesso ci sentiamo smarriti in un mondo caotico, pieno di voci contrastanti e incertezze. Questo passo ci invita a riflettere sulla relazione profonda che possiamo avere con Gesù, sul suo amore che ci protegge e ci guida, e sulla nostra identità di figli di Dio."LE MIE PECORE ASCOLTANO LA MIA VOCE E IO LE CONOSCO ED ESSE MI SEGUONO"Gesù descrive un rapporto di fiducia e intimità: le sue pecore riconoscono la sua voce e lo seguono. In un mondo pieno di distrazioni - tv, social media, notifiche continue sul cellulare, pressioni sociali - ascoltare la voce di Gesù può sembrare difficile. La sua voce non è rumorosa, non è un post virale o un trend, ma è quella voce dolce e costante che parla al nostro cuore, magari in un momento di silenzio, in preghiera, o attraverso la Parola di Dio. Gesù ci conosce profondamente, più di quanto noi conosciamo noi stessi: conosce i nostri sogni, le nostre paure, le nostre insicurezze. E ci invita a seguirlo, non come un obbligo, ma come un atto di amore e fiducia.Pensiamo alla fiducia in Dio che i santi hanno dimostrato. San Francesco d'Assisi era un giovane pieno di sogni e ambizioni mondane. Ma un giorno, mentre pregava nella chiesetta di San Damiano, sentì la voce di Gesù che gli diceva: "Francesco, va' e ripara la mia casa". Quella voce cambiò la sua vita: lasciò tutto per seguire Cristo, trovando una gioia che non aveva mai conosciuto prima. Anche tu puoi imparare ad ascoltare quella voce interiore che ti chiama a qualcosa di più grande. Quali "voci" ascolti di più nella tua vita quotidiana? Sono voci che ti avvicinano a Gesù o che ti allontanano da Lui? Come puoi creare spazio per la preghiera nella tua routine quotidiana? Riesci a sentire che Gesù ti conosce come il pastore che conosce ogni singola pecora? C'è qualcosa di te che vorresti affidargli oggi?"IO DO LORO LA VITA ETERNA E NON ANDRANNO PERDUTE IN ETERNO"Gesù fa una promessa straordinaria: la vita eterna. Ma non si tratta solo di una vita dopo la morte; la vita eterna inizia già ora, quando viviamo in comunione con Lui. Con la Grazia che ci arriva principalmente dai sacramenti partecipiamo già da ora alla vita soprannaturale. Per noi così concentrati sul presente - la famiglia, il lavoro, le relazioni - questa promessa ci ricorda che c'è un orizzonte più grande. Gesù ci dice che non siamo fatti per perderci, per rimanere intrappolati nei nostri peccati o nelle difficoltà e fatiche della vita. Anche quando sbagliamo, anche quando ci sentiamo lontani da Dio, Lui ci cerca, come un pastore che va a recuperare la pecora smarrita (che siamo noi). La vita eterna è una vita piena, una vita che ha senso perché è vissuta con Lui.Santa Teresa di Lisieux, la "piccola Teresa", è un esempio potente. Anche se era giovane e fragile, spesso si sentiva inadeguata e piena di limiti. Ma si affidò completamente a Gesù, scegliendo la "piccola via" dell'amore e della fiducia totale a Dio. Disse: "Tutto è grazia". Nonostante le sue insicurezze, trovò la vera vita in Cristo, una vita che continua ad affascinare milioni di persone. Anche tu, con la tua fragilità, puoi trovare questa pienezza. Cosa significa per te "vita eterna"? Ti capita di cercare la felicità in cose che non durano (successo, approvazione, piaceri momentanei)? Chiediti quali passi concreti puoi fare per vivere una vita più piena, in comunione con Cristo, già da oggi."NESSUNO LE STRAPPERÀ DALLA MIA MANO"Le parole di Gesù sono un balsamo per l'anima. Viviamo in un mondo in cui ci sentiamo spesso vulnerabili: le insicurezze sul futuro, le pressioni sociali, le tentazioni del demonio, le difficoltà relazionali. Ma Gesù ci rassicura: siamo nelle sue mani e nessuno può strapparci da lì. Questo non significa che non affronteremo sfide, ma che non saremo mai soli. La sua protezione è più forte di qualsiasi cosa: più forte delle nostre paure, più forte del male, più forte di tutto ciò che cerca di allontanarci da Lui.San Giovanni Bosco, che dedicò la sua vita ai giovani, è un esempio di questa fiducia. Don Bosco affrontò tantissime difficoltà: povertà, critiche, ostacoli nel suo lavoro con i ragazzi di strada. Ma non si perse mai d'animo, perché si sentiva guidato e protetto da Dio. Spesso diceva ai suoi ragazzi: "Affidatevi a Maria Ausiliatrice e a Gesù e non sarete mai soli". Anche noi possiamo trovare forza in questa promessa di Gesù.Quali sono le cose che ti fanno sentire vulnerabile o insicuro nella tua vita? Ti capita di dubitare della protezione di Dio? Puoi rafforzare la fiducia in Lui migliorando la tua preghiera quotidiana. Chiediti se c'è una situazione concreta in cui puoi chiedere a Gesù di tenerti nella sua mano e guidarti."IL PADRE MIO, CHE ME LE HA DATE, È PIÙ GRANDE DI TUTTI E NESSUNO PUÒ STRAPPARLE DALLA MANO DEL PADRE"Gesù ci ricorda che la nostra appartenenza a Lui non è casuale: è il Padre che ci ha affidati a Lui. Questo ci fa capire che c'è un progetto su ciascuno di noi e quanto siamo preziosi agli occhi di Dio. Non siamo qui per caso: siamo voluti, amati, scelti. E il Padre, che è "più grande di tutti", veglia su di noi. Per chi è incerto su quale sia il suo posto nel mondo, questa affermazione è un'ancora: siamo figli di un Padre che ci ama infinitamente, e questo dà senso alla nostra vita.Santa Chiara d'Assisi, che seguì San Francesco nella sua vocazione, ebbe la necessaria fiducia in Gesù. Chiara lasciò una vita di agi per seguire Cristo in povertà, affidandosi completamente alla provvidenza di Dio. Quando il convento delle sue suore fu minacciato dall'arrivo dei saraceni, Santa Chiara uscì con l'eucaristia confidando nell'aiuto del suo buon Gesù. Alla sua vista i musulmani scapparono lasciando in pace Chiara con le sue sorelle. Affidarsi a Gesù cambia il modo di affrontare le difficoltà. La Fede dona la certezza che il nostro Padre Celeste è onnipotente e sa Lui quando intervenire nella nostra vita e quando invece permettere il male per trarne un bene superiore. E tu ringrazi il Padre per l'amore e la protezione con cui ti ha guidato finora?"IO E IL PADRE SIAMO UNA COSA SOLA"Gesù rivela la sua unità con il Padre, un'unità che è il cuore della Trinità. Questo ci dice qualcosa di profondo sull'amore: Dio non è un'entità lontana, ma una comunione d'amore in cui siamo invitati a entrare. Per noi che cerchiamo relazioni autentiche e profonde, questa unità è un modello: l'amore vero non divide, ma unisce. E Gesù ci invita a vivere in questa comunione, non solo con Lui, ma anche con gli altri, costruendo relazioni basate sull'amore e sulla fede in Lui.San Giovanni Paolo II anche nei momenti più difficili - come l'attentato del 1981 - ha sempre testimoniato un'unione profonda con Dio, che si rifletteva nel suo amore per il gregge che Gesù gli ha affidato quando è diventato Papa. Poco dopo l'elezione a Sommo Pontefice disse: "Non abbiate paura! Spalancate le porte a Cristo!". Anche tu sei chiamato a vivere questa comunione, senza paura. Come puoi "spalancare le porte" a Cristo nella tua vita? Quali porte hai ancora chiuse?In conclusione, il vangelo di questa domenica ci parla di un amore che non ci lascia mai: il Padre e il Figlio ci tengono stretti nelle loro mani. È un invito a fidarci, a seguire la voce di Gesù anche quando il mondo ci confonde, a vivere con la certezza che siamo amati e protetti dal Padre celeste. Prendiamoci un momento per pregare e affidarci a Lui, chiedendogli di aiutarci a riconoscerlo come nostro Pastore e a seguirlo con tutto il cuore.

Full Text of ReadingsEighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 84The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaSaint Agnes of Bohemia's Story Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Heute wird Birgit beerdigt. Fit und vital und munter wird sie plötzlich heimgerufen zu Gott. Sie ist eine außergewöhnliche Frau. Fast ihr ganzes berufliches Leben hat sie in Einrichtungen unserer Ordensgemeinschaft gearbeitet. Im Kinderheim Josefshaus, im Kindergarten und dann später mehr als 25 Jahre als pädagogische Leiterin unseres Kinderhospizes Balthasar. Sie war eine zarte und sehr warmherzige Frau deren Dienst an Kindern und Jugendlichen ihr Berufsleben erfüllt hat. Und sie hat den Dienst der Trauerbegleiterin forciert und Weiterbildungskurse dazu angeboten und geleitet. Seit vielen Jahren ist sie mit uns Schwestern herzlich verbunden und hat manchmal verwundert geäußert, dass sie irgendwann verpasst hat, bei uns einzutreten. Und wir sind viele Jahre lang mit Jugendlichen und mit Birgit nach Assisi gefahren. In der Stadt von Franziskus und Klara hat sie ihre Leidenschaft fürs Franziskanische entdeckt und besonders für Klara. Zunächst war sie nicht sehr angetan von ihr und hat irgendwann entdeckt, dass nur die Darstellung in frommen Büchern so falsch war, in der Klara als fromme Nonne hinter Klostermauern beschrieben worden war. Sie hat sich so hineinversetzt in diese Frau und das Leben der Schwestern in San Damiano, dass sie zu einer Expertin für Klara und das Leben dort geworden ist. In Vorträgen und Einkehrtagen hat sie uns viel Neues vermittelt und eine aktuellere Sicht und eine Begeisterung, die bis heute anhält. Nach dem Ausstieg aus dem Berufsleben hat sie losgelegt mit all den Dingen, die ihr auch immer schon am Herzen gelegen haben. Mit unendlich vielen Frauen hat sie in Elspe hier im Sauerland den ersten Klaraweg in Deutschland angelegt mit Stationen zum Leben der Klara für heute. Viele tausend Menschen gehen jedes Jahr diesen Pilgerweg und werden angesteckt von dieser Begeisterung für eine der prägenden Frauen in unserer Kirche. Auf der Traueranzeige der Angehörigen für Birgit steht das wunderbare letzte Wort der Heiligen Klara an ihre eigene Seele: "Geh hin in Sicherheit, denn du hast ein gutes Reisegeleit. Geh hin, der dich erschaffen hat, hat dich geheiligt. Er hat dich stets behütet wie eine Mutter ihr Kind und dich mit zärtlicher Liebe geliebt."

Dr. Kent Lasnoski, founder and president of San Damiano College for the Trades in Illinois, recently visited Savannah to share about the dignity of work and a new Catholic trade school opening in 2025. www.sandamianotrades.org #highereducation #catholiccollege #catholicschool #sandamiano #stfrancis #stfrancisofassisi #tradeschool #trades #craftsmanship #greatbooks #greatbooksprogram

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Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 498The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of AssisiSaint Agnes of Assisi's Story Born Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare, and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare's departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Caterina and Clare in peace. Saint Francis himself gave Clare's sister the name Agnes, because she was gentle like a young lamb. Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the strict penances that characterized the Poor Ladies' lives at San Damiano. In 1221, a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli near Florence asked to become Poor Ladies. Saint Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other monasteries of Poor Ladies in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253, as Clare lay dying. Three months later Agnes followed Clare in death, and was canonized in 1753. Reflection God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives. Enjoy this prayer in honor of St. Agnes of Assisi! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

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Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Francis of Assisi Lectionary: 459The Saint of the day is Saint Francis of AssisiSaint Francis of Assisi's Story The patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit, and without a sense of self-importance. Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.” From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, “Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis became the totally poor and humble workman. He must have suspected a deeper meaning to “build up my house.” But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor “nothing” man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up all his possessions, piling even his clothes before his earthly father—who was demanding restitution for Francis' “gifts” to the poor—so that he would be totally free to say, “Our Father in heaven.” He was, for a time, considered to be a religious fanatic, begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, evoking sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking. hbspt.cta.load(465210, 'e81a6973-0bd4-4108-9c62-3b2eab85eb25', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: “Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff” (Luke 9:1-3). Francis' first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no intention of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church's unity. Francis was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. During the last years of his relatively short life, he died at 44, Francis was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side. On his deathbed, Francis said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, “Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death.” He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior's permission to have his clothes removed when the last hour came in order that he could expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord. Reflection Francis of Assisi was poor only that he might be Christ-like. He recognized creation as another manifestation of the beauty of God. In 1979, he was named patron of ecology. He did great penance—apologizing to “Brother Body” later in life—that he might be totally disciplined for the will of God. Francis' poverty had a sister, Humility, by which he meant total dependence on the good God. But all this was, as it were, preliminary to the heart of his spirituality: living the gospel life, summed up in the charity of Jesus and perfectly expressed in the Eucharist. Saint Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of: AnimalsArchaeologistsEcologyItalyMerchantsMessengersMetal Workers Learn more about St. Francis! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of ReadingsNineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 116The Saint of the day is Saint Clare of AssisiSaint Clare of Assisi's Story One of the more sugary movies made about Francis of Assisi pictures Clare as a golden-haired beauty floating through sun-drenched fields, a sort of one-woman counterpart to the new Franciscan Order. The beginning of her religious life was indeed movie material. Having refused to marry at 15, Clare was moved by the dynamic preaching of Francis. He became her lifelong friend and spiritual guide. At 18, Clare escaped from her father's home one night, was met on the road by friars carrying torches, and in the poor little chapel called the Portiuncula received a rough woolen habit, exchanged her jeweled belt for a common rope with knots in it, and sacrificed her long tresses to Francis' scissors. He placed her in a Benedictine convent, which her father and uncles immediately stormed in rage. Clare clung to the altar of the church, threw aside her veil to show her cropped hair, and remained adamant. Sixteen days later her sister Agnes joined her. Others came. They lived a simple life of great poverty, austerity, and complete seclusion from the world, according to a Rule which Francis gave them as a Second Order. At age 21, Francis obliged Clare under obedience to accept the office of abbess, one she exercised until her death. hbspt.cta.load(465210, '92bc4a0b-e12d-4df2-b1d8-6770a67f6f3b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); The Poor Ladies went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat, and observed almost complete silence. Later Clare, like Francis, persuaded her sisters to moderate this rigor: “Our bodies are not made of brass.” The greatest emphasis, of course, was on gospel poverty. They possessed no property, even in common, subsisting on daily contributions. When even the pope tried to persuade Clare to mitigate this practice, she showed her characteristic firmness: “I need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved from the obligation of following Jesus Christ.” Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of Clare’s life in the convent of San Damiano in Assisi. She served the sick and washed the feet of the begging nuns. She came from prayer, it was said, with her face so shining it dazzled those about her. She suffered serious illness for the last 27 years of her life. Her influence was such that popes, cardinals, and bishops often came to consult her—Clare herself never left the walls of San Damiano. Francis always remained her great friend and inspiration. Clare was always obedient to his will and to the great ideal of gospel life which he was making real. A well-known story concerns her prayer and trust. Clare had the Blessed Sacrament placed on the walls of the convent when it faced attack by invading Saracens. “Does it please you, O God, to deliver into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children I have nourished with your love? I beseech you, dear Lord, protect these whom I am now unable to protect.” To her sisters she said, “Don't be afraid. Trust in Jesus.” The Saracens fled. To learn more, visit the Novena to Saint Clare. Reflection The 41 years of Clare's religious life are scenarios of sanctity: an indomitable resolve to lead the simple, literal gospel life as Francis taught her; courageous resistance to the ever-present pressure to dilute the ideal; a passion for poverty and humility; an ardent life of prayer; and a generous concern for her sisters. Saint Clare is the Patron Saint of: Protection from eye disordersTelevision Learn more about Saint Clare of Assisi! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Graymoor farm grows produce, sobriety Bounty is everywhere on the grounds of San Damiano Farm at Graymoor, the Philipstown home of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. Vegetables and flowers sprout from an array of raised garden beds, the progeny of a wet winter and spring, and the sweat of Derek Fox and other men. Fox is also blooming. He first entered St. Christopher's Inn, the friar's treatment program for men, in 2007, and achieved five years of sobriety before relapsing. He returned in August 2023 and, after graduating, moved on May 1 into San Damiano House, a transitional program just a short walk from St. Christopher's. "I wasn't even sure I wanted to do this," he said of returning to St. Christopher's. "But after a couple of weeks, the thirst came back of wanting to stay sober." St. Christopher's graduates sharing the same desire have planted, weeded and harvested at San Damiano since 2017, when the Franciscan Friars rescued an itinerant farming program for homeless men that a New York City nonprofit, Project Renewal, once operated on a plot at the Garrison Golf Course. Men who choose San Damiano over returning home or entering other transitional programs are required to work the farm for three hours each morning during a three-month waiting period before they can look for jobs in the community. Bob Conboy, a Garrison resident and the farm's longtime manager, imparts lessons in planting and growing the basil, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, sunflowers, tomatoes and other herbs, vegetables and flowers sold at the San Damiano farmers market on Fridays. Three restaurants - Riverview in Cold Spring, the Valley Restaurant in Garrison and the Farm to Table Bistro in Fishkill - also buy produce, said Conboy. Other lessons come from toiling outdoors on hot days and collaborating in the arduous work of farming, challenges that inculcate traits - a willingness to learn and take direction, patience and perseverance - needed to stay sober. An added reward, said the men, is seeing the seeds they plant and nurture flourish. "We spend a lot of time in the brutal heat, getting the beds ready, and it's just a pile of dirt," said Greg Miller. "Then, a few weeks later, you have these beautiful sunflowers." On a recent Wednesday, Miller and the other men listened as Conboy prepped them before they began planting bush beans, carrots and string beans in several of the farm's 245 raised beds. He told the men they needed to space the pelleted carrot seeds between 1 and 1 inches apart in the 10-inch-deep beds. San Damiano's farm has its roots in Renewal Farm, which launched at Camp LaGuardia, a homeless shelter that New York City opened in Chester. When Camp LaGuardia closed in 2007, the farm moved to The Garrison on Route 9. Two dozen men who stayed in dormitories at St. Christopher's planted and harvested produce, selling part of their yield from a roadside stand on Route 9. Graymoor began hosting the farm in 2011, repurposing badminton, basketball, handball and tennis courts built for a once-planned seminary. Facing financial difficulties, Project Renewal pulled out in 2017 but Graymoor decided to continue the program. Conboy, a former English teacher who retired nearly 20 years ago as chief financial officer for the Edgemont School District, began his journey to farm manager by volunteering with Renewal Farm when it moved to The Garrison. His farming lessons came from Brian Bergen, who grew organic produce at The Garrison's farm for the Valley Restaurant, as well as trial and error. His students have raised herbs such as oregano, thyme and sage, which Conboy highlighted as he walked rows of beds. Conboy pointed out Badger flame beets that look like sweet potatoes, eggplants, Swiss chard and Tuscan kale, all grown without pesticides and using compost from two piles stored at a former handball court. He pulled at some plants to uproot a handful of baby potatoes and passed beds with butternut squash, white onions. coleus and dahlias, all fl...

Wir sind im Moment beim Morgenlob in unserer Kapelle hier in San Damiano in Olpe ein buntes Völkchen. Wir sind im Moment zwei Olper Franziskanerinnen, eine indische Karmeliterin, die im benachbarten Krankenhaus eine Ausbildung macht und mitbetet, wenn sie nicht gerade Frühdienst oder Schule hat. Dann ein älterer Herr, der Organist und Kantor in der Evangelischen Nachbarkirche ist und ein etwas jüngerer Mann, der seit vielen Jahren treu von Montag bis Freitag mit seinem Fahrrad angedüst kommt und sich schon super gut auskennt in den Stundenbüchern. Und im Moment haben wir noch eine junge Frau, die ein Sozialpraktikum macht und gebeten hat, bei uns zu leben damit sie Ordensleben kennenlernen kann. Wenn alle da sind, also zu sechst, fühlen wir uns als großer Chor, denn manchmal sind wir auch zu zweit und dann ist es schonmal anstrengend, gut konzentriert zu bleiben beim Lob Gottes. Auf meinem heutigen Kärtchen der Fußballbegriffe steht FANKURVE und jeder weiß, was gemeint ist. In großen Stadien sind die Fanblöcke der Heimmannschaft und der gegnerischen Mannschaft in verschiedenen Kurven gut getrennt und in spannenden Spielen jubelt und singt mal die eine und dann die andere Seite und feuert die jeweilige Mannschaft an. Mit besonderem Vergnügen haben wir Fußballfans die Spiele der schottischen Nationalmannschaft verfolgt, die mit ihren sangesfreudigen Fans die Spiele zu einem Fest gemacht haben. Als Bibeltext ist aus dem Psalm 21 der 14. Vers angegeben wo es heißt: "Herr, zeig ihnen deine Macht! Wir wollen deine großen Siege besingen und dich preisen." Die Siege Gottes zu besingen und ihn zu preisen ist unsere Aufgabe als Christen und Ordenschristen und dabei tun wir das oft auch im Auftrag aller, die es nicht mehr können oder wollen und aus dem eigenen inneren Antrieb, damit wir Gott schon am Beginn des Tages die Ehre erweisen und alles, was dieser Tag bringen wird, unter Gottes Schutz und Segen stellen. Und wenn ich jetzt bedenke, wie viele Menschen jetzt mit mir und ihnen mitsingen und beten, sind wir die absolut größte Fankurve Gottes in dieser Zeit der Fußball-EM. 

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Second Week of Lent Lectionary: 235The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaSaint Agnes of Bohemia's Story Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of ReadingsThirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 157The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of AssisiSaint Agnes of Assisi's Story Born Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare, and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare's departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Caterina and Clare in peace. Saint Francis himself gave Clare's sister the name Agnes, because she was gentle like a young lamb. Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the strict penances that characterized the Poor Ladies' lives at San Damiano. In 1221, a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli near Florence asked to become Poor Ladies. Saint Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other monasteries of Poor Ladies in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253, as Clare lay dying. Three months later Agnes followed Clare in death, and was canonized in 1753. Reflection God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives. Enjoy this prayer in honor of St. Agnes of Assisi! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Waar komt het wij-zij denken vandaan? Hans-Peter Bartels is franciscaan, woont in het stadklooster San Damiano in Den Bosch gaat op zoek naar een antwoord.

TESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜ https://www.bastabugie.it/it/articoli.php?id=7563BISOGNA BACIARE OGNI CROCE CHE IL SIGNORE PERMETTE NELLA NOSTRA VITAI santi hanno un legame profondo con la Croce, da San Francesco a Santa Veronica Giuliani, da Santa Brigida a Padre Pioda I Tre SentieriNel film The Passion di Mel Gibson c'è questa scena: consegnano a Gesù, ormai già una maschera di dolore e di sangue per le flagellazioni subite, la Croce; ed Egli s'inginocchia dinanzi ad essa e la bacia.Dunque, Gesù bacia il proprio patibolo. Il Cristianesimo esige - anzi possiamo dire: pretende - anche questo paradosso: baciare lo strumento del propria sofferenza.Ciò si spiega con la scelta che Dio ha fatto: salvare attraverso la sofferenza. Una scelta certamente misteriosa, ma vera, indiscutibile, che non si può negare. E se lo si volesse negare, si nullificherebbe il Cristianesimo stesso.Scrive san Luigi Grignon de Monfort nella sua Lettera agli amici della Croce: "Non accogliete mai una croce senza baciarla con umile gratitudine, e se poi la bontà di Dio vi favorisse di una croce un po' pesante, ringraziatelo in modo speciale e invitate altri a ringraziarlo. Fate come quella povera donna che, dopo aver perso tutti i suoi beni in un processo a lei ingiustamente intentato, fece subito celebrare una Messa con l'offerta dei dieci soldi che le erano rimasti, per ringraziare il Signore della buona sorte che le era capitata".Amare dunque la Croce, baciarla, ringraziare perché c'è... sembrano cose del tutto innaturali. Se si ragionassimo solo attraverso la carne (come direbbe san Paolo) saremmo nell'assurdo; ma se si ragionasse secondo lo spirito, allora si capirebbe tutto. Si capirebbe che è proprio la Croce di Cristo a rendere tutto intellegibile, tutto ordinato, tutto consolante, nell'opprimente caos del non senso che ci sarebbe se la Croce non ci fosse. Infatti, senza la Croce non si capirebbe come non disperarsi dinanzi al male.Nota di BastaBugie: Antonio Tarallo nell'articolo seguente dal titolo "La Croce, i crocifissi e i santi, un legame profondo" parla dei santi che hanno avuto un legame profondo con la Croce e, di conseguenza, con i crocifissi.Ecco l'articolo completo pubblicato su La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana il 14 settembre 2023:«Ti saluto, o Croce santa,/ che portasti il Redentor;/ gloria, lode, onor ti canta/ ogni lingua ed ogni cuor»: queste, le parole dell'inno che accompagnano la liturgia dei venerdì di Quaresima che precedono la Pasqua. Sono parole di un inno alla Croce - «vessillo glorioso di Cristo» e «salvezza del popol fedel» - che tutti conosciamo. Ed è proprio la Croce, signum fondamentale per il cristianesimo, ad essere esaltata nella festività che viene celebrata oggi dalla Chiesa cattolica. Contemplandola, le immagini si rincorrono.Fra questi fotogrammi ce n'è uno particolare: nella cappella maggiore della basilica di San Francesco ad Arezzo, vi è un affresco dal titolo L'Esaltazione della Croce (nella foto), opera di Piero della Francesca, uno dei capolavori della pittura rinascimentale. I colori e le forme creati dall'artista raccontano il rientro della Santa Croce a Gerusalemme per poter essere issata per la devozione. L'imperatore Eraclio I (la sua figura è andata perduta nell'affresco), dopo aver ripreso la Croce sconfiggendo Cosroe II, si appresta a riportarla in città, ma un angelo lo interrompe sulla via e ferma la sua parata trionfale. Il vescovo Zaccaria lo esorta, allora, a un atteggiamento d'umiltà: solo entrando scalzo, l'imperatore potrà riportare la Croce a Gerusalemme. È questa l'umiltà che si deve portare al Sacro Legno che ha visto Cristo sofferente e morente. Ed è questa l'umiltà che i santi hanno sempre dimostrato davanti all'inesplicabile mistero che è racchiuso in quel simbolo di morte divenuto per ogni cristiano simbolo di luce e risurrezione.Inevitabile, dunque, che tutti i santi abbiano avuto un legame profondo con la Croce e, di conseguenza, con i crocifissi, riproduzioni lignee o di altra fattura che iconograficamente ci presentano il momento del Cristo sul Golgota.San Francesco d'Assisi ha avuto con la Croce sempre un dialogo particolare, a cominciare dal Crocifisso di San Damiano, la famosa opera lignea davanti alla quale il Padre Serafico ha ricevuto la chiamata a servire la Chiesa di Dio, a "ripararla". Il crocifisso fu trasferito, nel 1257, nel protomonastero di Santa Chiara in Assisi dove si trova tutt'oggi: si tratta di un'icona di dimensioni 210×130 centimetri, databile intorno al 1100, di autore sconosciuto. L'opera lignea rappresenta il "Christus triumphans", cioè il "Cristo trionfante" sulla morte. La figura di Gesù è rappresentata non solitaria perché contornata da alcune figure: la Vergine Maria; san Giovanni; Maria Maddalena e Maria di Cleofa; Longino, il soldato romano che ferì il costato di Gesù. Poi, in basso a destra, vi sono: Stephaton, identificato come il soldato che offrì a Gesù la spugna imbevuta nell'aceto; e, in ultimo, poco sopra la spalla sinistra del centurione, si nota un piccolo volto che - secondo la convenzione del tempo - potrebbe essere attribuibile allo stesso volto dell'artista che ha dipinto l'icona. A chiudere tutta questa esplosione di figure, vi sono sei angeli, disposti alle due estremità del braccio orizzontale del crocifisso.«E anche adesso amo così caritatevolmente l'anima tua, che prima di privarmene, mi farei di nuovo mettere in croce, se fosse possibile. Imita l'umiltà mia; io, Re della gloria e degli Angeli, indossai vili panni e udii con le mie orecchie ogni insulto e disprezzo» (Rivelazioni). Sono parole d'amore cristiano quelle che Gesù rivolge a santa Brigida di Svezia. Tra la santa e il Cristo crocifisso vi è, infatti, un rapporto davvero unico: la dedizione per la Passione pone Brigida fra quelle aureole che hanno trovato in Cristo crocifisso non solo un'ideale di vita religiosa ma una vera e propria compenetrazione esistenziale. Come san Francesco rivive la Croce divenendo lui stesso alter Christus, così Brigida riesce a entrare nel Mistero del Golgota con una forza strepitosa, avvincente. Un segno visibile di questo dialogo è il crocifisso custodito, a Roma, nella basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura. Era il 1349 quando la santa partì alla volta della Città Eterna per partecipare al Giubileo che si sarebbe tenuto nel 1350, anno in cui verrà raggiunta dalla figlia Caterina. Assieme a lei, deciderà di fare visita in pellegrinaggio alle basiliche romane. E fu proprio durante uno di questi pellegrinaggi che avvenne l'incontro tra santa Brigida e il crocifisso ligneo della basilica romana. In questo luogo, Brigida, mentre contemplava il Sacro Legno, vide il volto di Cristo volgersi verso di lei. Cominciò, così, il dialogo fra i due: quello scambio di parole darà vita al libro delle Rivelazioni e alle Quindici Orazioni sopra la Passione di N.S. Gesù Cristo. Ancora oggi, quel crocifisso è lì, nella basilica, nella Cappella del SS. Sacramento fatta costruire in occasione del giubileo del 1725, a 375 anni dal prodigioso evento.Altra figura femminile, santa Veronica Giuliani, conosciuta come "la sposa di Cristo". Nel monastero delle Cappuccine a Città di Castello, vicino Perugia, è conservato il crocifisso che parlò a santa Veronica. Ai tempi della santa, si trovava nell'infermeria della struttura religiosa. Nel suo Diario mistico troviamo la descrizione prodigiosa dell'evento: «Schiodando un braccio dalla croce, mi fece cenno di avvicinarmi al suo costato. E mi trovai tra le braccia di Cristo crocifisso. Quello che ho provato allora non riesco a raccontarlo: sarei voluta rimanere per sempre sul suo santissimo costato».E davanti a un crocifisso in legno san Pio da Pietrelcina ricevette il 20 settembre del 1918, sei giorni dopo la festa dell'Esaltazione della Croce, le stimmate. Era mattina, il frate cappuccino aveva appena celebrato la Santa Messa e al momento del ringraziamento per il sacrificio eucaristico appena celebrato viene sorpreso da una sorta di riposo, «simile ad un dolce sonno», così lo descriverà anni avanti. Intorno a lui, il silenzio e solamente il volto gemente di Cristo sulla Croce del Golgota. Ed è in quel silenzio che dopo la comparsa di un «misterioso personaggio (...) che aveva le mani ed i piedi ed il costato che grondava sangue», san Pio si ritroverà con «mani, piedi e costato» traforati e grondanti di sangue.Altro grande importante crocifisso è quello di san Camillo de Lellis, il fondatore dell'Ordine dei Chierici Regolari Ministri degli Infermi, che - assieme ai suoi primi compagni d'avventura - era solito riunirsi a pregare in una saletta dell'ospedale romano di San Giacomo: in questo luogo vi era custodito un crocifisso in legno che oggi si trova in una cappellina della chiesa della Maddalena (sempre a Roma), meta di molti pellegrini. Le braccia di Gesù si presentano staccate dal Sacro Legno poiché - come viene narrato nella prima biografia ufficiale del santo, Vita del Padre Camillo de Lellis di padre Sanzio Cicatelli (1615) - Cristo gli venne in sogno in un momento di sconforto spirituale, esortandolo a continuare la sua missione: «Non temere pusillanime, continua, perché questa non è opera tua, ma opera mia!». Detto ciò, staccò le sue braccia dalla Croce,

Hans-Peter Bartels is franciscaan en woont in het stadklooster San Damiano in Den Bosch. Hij vertelt hoe hij in het klooster vrijheid vindt.

“Leave aside every other thought, Just say Hari! Hari! Have faith in Him and cross the sea of the world.”- Anandamayi Ma  "Hari, Hari, Hari, Hari is the Name (of the Lord); rare are those who, as Gurmukh, obtain it."- Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Scripture)  I sang along with Anandamayi Ma to This Hari Bol mantra all day before the 7 peacocks found me!  mantra- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHZr81WEojI IG clip of the peacocks- https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMrkOjxKZ5/ If you want a version you can download and listen to on loop, I just uploaded it to Patreon!  Give it a chance... wait til it gets midway through before you judge it (like I almost did haha). You can feel the Bliss, the Love, the Ecstacy in Ma's voice, and if you sing along, you may even feel your shoulders, your chest start moving. You may start swaying. You may feel your Heart singing. Opening.    Then let me know in what form God appears to you (as you)! I love you! Nik   p.s. Hari Bol is the 'shortcut' for the Hare Krishna mantra. You can chant the full mantra formally, seated at your altar, and then keep Hari (or Hari Bol) going ALL DAY (and night). You'll see :) 'Hari' means 'the remover of illusion' and it is said that when one repeats It, sins, karmas , pain and suffering are removed. Hari or Hare is also known as the energy of God, the Love, the Bliss (Ananda). You're directing your attention to the Bliss that's here, and holding your attention (t)here with the chanting practice, until there's no you, no practice, just Bliss.  Look at the peacock on the Cross of San Damiano (the Icon of Jesus that looked up and spoke to St. Francis of Assisi and told him to re-build his church). It's on the right side of His legs. Also notice the tilak on Jesus' forehead. Apparently, many early Christians also wore forehead markings that look strikingly similar to a tilak and many icons were made with these markings-- even the other High Beings in the imagery of the Cross have them. I saw the real San Damiano Cross up close while in Assisi, Italy. It stopped me in my tracks.  Anandamayi Ma books- Death Must Die Mother Reveals Herself  राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम To claim your free gift, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it and send it to me at nikki@curlynikki.com!  Join us on Patreon to support the show, and tune into and participate in live video Q&As with me!  Support the show राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम "Lord help me to live in Your Love and Forgiveness towards me and teach me how to extend it towards others today." -@therealsweetspot  "Back of all devices, back of all forms, stands that which is without form, that which needs no device; that which is without beginning or ending - Life. I am that Life; I fill you full of Myself. I endow every atom of your being with My completeness.You say you have lack. I say you have all.  All that I am, I am love - joy - beauty - fullness of living - largeness of personality. I am the complete whole functioning as soul through a physical vessel. So, My Beloved, come close to My Heart and know the fullness of a life lived in the knowledge of what life really means. Do not live an existence limited by seeming lack, a narrow stinted existence, but allow Me to fulfill My purpose in creating you, a unit of Myself." - Eva Bell Werber, Voice of the Master "And the sound of "Hare Krsna, Haribol," that become . .. according . . there are two slogans. One Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, and another, short, is Haribol, Haribol. You can practice also that. Haribol. Devotee: Haribol. Prabhupada: Yes. Haribol. That is a shortcut of Hare Krsna. Yes. Haribol. Haribol means "the sound of Hari, or the Lord." Haribol. So whenever there was some greeting, Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to answer, raising His hand, "Haribol." - Srila Prabhupada 

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Francis of Assisi Lectionary: 457The Saint of the day is Saint Francis of AssisiSaint Francis of Assisi's Story The patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit, and without a sense of self-importance. Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.” From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, “Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis became the totally poor and humble workman. He must have suspected a deeper meaning to “build up my house.” But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor “nothing” man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up all his possessions, piling even his clothes before his earthly father—who was demanding restitution for Francis' “gifts” to the poor—so that he would be totally free to say, “Our Father in heaven.” He was, for a time, considered to be a religious fanatic, begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, evoking sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking. hbspt.cta.load(465210, '6c39fea1-2749-49df-8155-d5a53383557f', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: “Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff” (Luke 9:1-3). Francis' first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no intention of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church's unity. Francis was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. During the last years of his relatively short life, he died at 44, Francis was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side. On his deathbed, Francis said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, “Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death.” He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior's permission to have his clothes removed when the last hour came in order that he could expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord. Reflection Francis of Assisi was poor only that he might be Christ-like. He recognized creation as another manifestation of the beauty of God. In 1979, he was named patron of ecology. He did great penance—apologizing to “Brother Body” later in life—that he might be totally disciplined for the will of God. Francis' poverty had a sister, Humility, by which he meant total dependence on the good God. But all this was, as it were, preliminary to the heart of his spirituality: living the gospel life, summed up in the charity of Jesus and perfectly expressed in the Eucharist. Saint Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of: AnimalsArchaeologistsEcologyItalyMerchantsMessengersMetal Workers Learn more about St. Francis! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Es ist weit über 800 Jahre her, aber manchmal scheint es mir, als sei das eine Geschichte von heutigen jungen Erwachsenen. Der junge Mann hatte alles, was man sich so wünscht: einen reichen Papa, der seinen Sohn gern mit allem ausgestattet hat, was er haben wollte, ein Mutter, die ihn über alles liebte und mit ihrer Liebe die Härten des Vaters abgemildert hat, französisches und italienische Blut in den Adern und somit eine angenehme Stimme, überschäumendes Temperament und tänzerische Begabung, eine große Clique von Kumpels und Saufkumpanen, deren Anführer er gern war – aber er hatte keine Idee, was er mit seinem Leben machen sollte. Als Tuchhändler, Kaufmann und Europareisender zu leben, war irgendwie am Anfang spannend, aber eigentlich nicht seins, ein angesehener Ritter in einem großen Heer schon eher: aber eine Stimme im Inneren sagt ihm: Geh nach Hause, Ich werde Dir sagen, was zu tun ist. Ein dritter Versuch, als junger Stadtbürger in den Krieg gegen die Feindesstadt Perugia zu ziehen, endete im Gefängnis und dann – wieder in Freiheit – in Depressionen und tiefste innere Verzweiflung. In seiner Not brüllt er den Herrn am Kreuz in San Damiano an: "Was willst Du eigentlich von mir?" und er hört: "Bau mir meine Kirche wieder auf, siehst Du nicht, wie sie zerfällt?" Nach dem ersten Erschrecken und der ersten Verblüffung wird klar: Jetzt endlich hat er eine Idee, einen Plan, einen Auftrag für sein Leben – Kirche bauen. Erst baut er die steinernen kleinen Kapellen und Kirchen ringsum auf und merkt später: Nein, es geht nicht um einen Kirchbauverein, es geht um alle Getauften, die in Wirklichkeit die Kirche Gottes sind. Er hat bei allem Leiden an den Zuständen in der Kirche sehr genau gehört, dass der Herr vom Kreuz gesagt hatte: "Baue mir meine Kirche wieder auf" – nicht für die Päpste, Bischöfe und Prälaten, die die Kirche mehr schlecht als recht geleitet haben, sondern für ihn, den geliebten Jesus Christus, der ihn persönlich angesprochen hatte. Und er lebt und betet und arbeitet und singt und leidet und pflegt Aussätzige und immer mehr Brüder kommen dazu. Und immer mehr Menschen spüren durch ihn ihren Auftrag: Baue meine Kirche wieder auf! Das ist es, was uns Franziskus von Assisi mit auf den Weg und auch heute mit in den Tag gibt: Da wo Du lebst, da wo Du arbeitest, da wo Gott Dich hingestellt hat: Baue seine Kirche wieder auf! Und vergiss nicht zu singen und den Schöpfer für seine Geschöpfe zu danken. 

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus… for it is God who is at work in you” (Phil. 2). Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA | 2D68 | St. Francis Day - 18 Pentecost (Proper 21A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist | St. Francis Day Pet Blessing                           Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 148:7-14 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 How do you listen to your soul? How can you hear God's invitation to change your mind? Brené Brown writes about the difference between fitting in and belonging. All of us know what it means to fit in, to try to change essential parts of ourselves so that we will be accepted by others.   Belonging refers to a very different experience. It means learning to “be present with people without sacrificing who we are.” [i] It requires vulnerability and it happens in those rare places where we can really be who we are without pretending. It's one of our highest ideals at Grace Cathedral. Regardless of where we came from, what we may have done in the past, or whatever we believe now, we belong here.   Last Sunday the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūle'a, arrived at Aquatic Park in San Francisco after a dangerous journey. In the overflowing amphitheater we saw musicians and dancers; we heard prayers and proclamations from Native peoples from across the vast Pacific Ocean. I wish I could express the feeling of joy and celebration that we all shared together.   People describe Nainoa Thompson, the president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society as a Native Hawaiian master navigator but far more importantly he is one of the most significant storytellers of our time. On Tuesday night he talked about the world he was born into. In 1926 the Hawaiian culture and language were outlawed. By the 1970's there were fewer than one hundred people who could speak Hawaiian fluently and they were mostly advanced in age.   Hawaiians had lost so much – their land, sovereignty, language, religion, culture, music, art and even sports and pastimes. It no longer felt like they belonged in their own homeland. In 1948 the Norwegian writer Thor Heyerdahl published a book called The Kontiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas. For many Hawaiians the book's unspoken thesis was that Pacific Islanders could never have had the skill to build canoes and navigate them at will through the Pacific, but instead only arrived in Hawaii by luck on giant rafts setting out from South America.   And so in the 1970's a group of Hawaiians sought out the last remaining navigators (Mau Pialug) and re-learned the practices of their ancestors. They built the Hōkūle'a and in 1976 they successfully traveled to Tahiti. They were utterly surprised when 17,000 people met them on their arrival in Papeete. The mood was ecstatic. The world began to see how they belonged.   But then came the fateful voyage of 1978. Unprotected in a massive storm, stacking waves overturned the canoe. One of the hulls had filled water and the entire crew sat on the remaining upturned hull at midnight getting periodically washed off by waves barely able to hear the next person over because the winds.   The legendary lifeguard Eddie Aikau began to paddle his surfboard for help into the white water of the gale. Nainoa swam over and was the last person ever to speak to him. Later the rest of the crew was miraculously rescued. Back onshore Nainoa witnessed the terrible grief of Eddie's parents. He heard Eddie's mother wailing. After all hope was lost he saw Eddie's father implore everyone to call off the search for his son. For a while fear overtook him and Nainoa lost faith in his calling.   In the most pivotal moment of his life Nainoa's father came to meet with him. They talked about values, about supporting the community and most of all about the destination – not of a particular voyage, or even of his own life, but of the Hawaiian people. Nainoa had to ask himself if he was ready to be changed.   2. When the religious authorities fault Jesus for befriending tax collectors and prostitutes, he tells the story of a father who independently asks each of his two sons to work in the vineyard. The first says no, but changes his mind later and works. The second says, yes but does not follow through. The strict answer is that neither fully did the will of his father (that would have been to say yes and go). But the one who comes closest is the one who actually does the work. And for Jesus that means the sinners will enter heaven before religious leaders.   We may be familiar with the Greek word metanoia which means changing one's mind and is frequently translated as repentance. But this is different. The word here is metamelomai. More literally it means to change one's “cares,” to change what we consider important. It implies a kind of regret or remorse. Jesus says that obvious sinners have this in a way that the religious leaders do not. Understanding how we have fallen short makes us more willing to change our minds.   Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis. Living off the riches of his father Francis had a reputation as spoiled but also for putting on great parties. For a while he tried to be a soldier. A serious illnesses in his early twenties made him wonder if he had to change. He dragged his feet, but then began spending time in the ruined church of San Damiano. One day he heard a voice coming from the cross. It said, “Go hence, now, Francis, and build my church, for it is nearly falling down.” He took this instruction literally and within two years had rebuilt three churches that had been falling apart.   Francis cared for impoverished people and became poor himself. He founded a movement of monks. He wrote songs. He attained notoriety for preaching to birds and to human beings. Some say that in the eight centuries since his death no one has more closely approximated the ideal that Jesus teaches.   The twentieth century writer G.K. Chesterton writes that one could never anticipate what Francis would do next. But once Francis did something, all you could say was, “Ah, how like him!” Brother Masseo once approached Francis and asked why the world followed him so ardently, when he didn't seem especially smart, beautiful or wealthy. A friend of mine thinks it is because that while Francis chose, “a life of intense and prayerful austerity,” unlike many other saints he made being a child of God seem fun. [ii] He said, “rejoice always,” both in words and how he lived. [iii]   The most famous prayer attributed to Francis is “Oh Lord let me be an instrument of thy will.” Francis lived by emptying himself out so that God could be a continually growing part of his life. Francis told Masseo that God had chosen him precisely because he was the greatest sinner and that this reminded everyone that all good comes only from God. [iv] Emptying out his ego Francis saw a world filled with God. All people, all animals and birds, even the sun, moon, water and fire became his family. When we empty ourselves of ego nothing lies outside of the spiritual life.   So today we remember and celebrate this remarkable figure by blessing the animals we love. Over the years I have blessed dogs, cats, turtles, geese, chickens, lizards, gerbils, hamsters, mice, etc. We will also pray for the wild animals around us: the pelicans, coyotes, whales, seals, dolphins, sea lions, salmon, hammer-head sharks, red-tailed hawks, racoons, squirrels, and butterflies too. It is a wonderful to live in a city dedicated to a person who we remember by trying to be particularly kind to animals, by in our awkward way blessing them and recognizing all the ways that they bless us. In our lifetime an uncountable number of species will be lost forever because of human activity. I have a dream that one day we will truly care for the other creatures and learn to better understand them.   Nainoa says that all storms come in pairs. When the storm hits, take your place at the helm and face into it. Be humble, pay respect, and stay with it. The second storm is the one inside of us. It is the storm of emotions. In that storm when we are tempted by hopelessness we can choose the way of faith. With God's grace we can decide to be courageous. That is what Nainoa Thompson did.   By the end of the 1960's after generations of being forced to fit in, a Hawaiian Renaissance in politics, art and culture began to truly unfold. We see many signs of its success. Today there are 22,500 fluent speakers of the Hawaiian language. The Hōkūle'a has been an indispensable part of an extraordinary transformation.   In the beginning I imagine Nainoa may have thought he was just building a canoe, but really what he was doing was building up a culture, a people, a promise that we can all belong. And this has grown into something even more powerful. Today the Hōkūle'a sails to unify all native peoples and to share a message, that human beings will never thrive unless the oceans do too.   How do you listen to your soul? How can you hear God's invitation to change your mind? Nainoa Thompson and St. Francis were open to being changed by God. They learned to be humble. They dared to imagine a future when all species will be valued and preserved. May each of us conquer our ego and become an instrument of God. May we belong and our life be a blessing to the whole family of God's creatures.

Wenn ich zu manchen Texten und Quellen, zu Namen und Ursprüngen nochmal sichergehen will, schaue ich im Internet nach. Und da kann ich eingeben, was ich will, die Suchmaschine bietet mir immer zuerst an, dass ich das Eingegebene kaufen kann. Im Allgemeinen ist das Unfug und ich scrolle weiter auf der Suche nach einem richtigen Hinweis. Bei Cosmas und Damian, den heiligen Märtyrern des heutigen Tages, ist das nochmal mehr daneben. Beide waren christliche Ärzte im 3. Jahrhundert und haben ihre Patienten, ob reich oder arm, immer kostenlos behandelt und viele von ihnen geheilt. Und die Legenden sagen, dass sie durch ihr Tun und ihre Bescheidenheit viele Menschen zum Christentum bewegt haben. Die beiden sind die Stadtpatrone der Stadt Essen, also die Vorbilder für die vielen ausländischen Fachkräfte, die es im Ruhrgebiet schon immer gab. Die bekannteste Kirche ist San Damiano in Assisi, wo der heilige Franziskus sein ganz spezielles Berufungserlebnis hatte. Und so gibt es in der franziskanischen Welt unzählig viele Kirchen und Konvente, die diesen Namen San Damiano tragen. Auch für unser Haus hier in Olpe und den Konvent haben wir diesen Namen ausgesucht und denken oft nur zufällig, wie heute, an den eigentlichen Namensgeber. Ein bisschen ist es doch typisch für die heiligen Ärztebrüder. Sie treten durch ihr bescheidenes Leben und Sterben für ihren Glauben, durch ihre ärztliche Kunst und ihr Eintreten für Christus völlig hinter ihrem eigenen Ruhm zurück. Unendlich vielen Christen ging und geht es heute nicht anders: Sie leben und arbeiten ganz normal in ihrem Alltag, ihrem Beruf und ihrem Engagement und geben damit ihrem Glauben Hand und Fuß. Und nur selten wird eine oder einer von ihnen so bekannt, dass es als Vorbild für andere taugt. Und doch geschieht es immer wieder weil Menschen in der Umgebung ein sicheres Gespür dafür haben, wer sein Leben im Dienst an den Anderen lebt.

Hans-Peter Bartels is minderbroeder franciscaan en hij woont in het San Damiano klooster in Den Bosch. Aan de hand van de leefregels van Franciscus van Assisi onderzoekt hij of armoede iets is dat je moet bestrijden. Maak kennis met Hans-Peter Bartels via deze link:  https://kro-ncrv.nl/maak-kennis-met-broeder-hans-peter-bartels-ware-vrede-zit-in-jezelf

"Kreuzerhöhung" steht als Überschrift über diesem Tag und die Kirche denkt an die Erhöhung des aufgefundenen Kreuzes Jesu um 335. Es ist seitdem ein Kreuz mit dem Kreuz. Es wird zum Symbol und Erkennungszeichen der Christen und der Menschen, die in den christlichen Kirchen an ihn, den Auferstandenen glauben. Das Kreuz und der Tod konnten ihn nicht festhalten, weil er Mensch geworden ist um die Menschen aus dem unvermeidlichen Tod zum neuen, immerwährenden Leben zu führen. Das Kreuz wurde im Laufe der zwei Jahrtausende vom Bekennerzeichen zum Modeartikel, vom Architekturmodell für Klosterkirchen und Dome zum Folterinstrument bis in heutige Tage, vom höchsten Punkt auf Bergen und Gipfeln zum verschämt versteckten Brustkreuz von Bischöfen beim Besuch in Jerusalem, vom normalen Accessoire in jeder Wohnung zum Anstoß auf dem wiedererrichteten Stadtschloss in Berlin, vom Geschenkartikel zum Hassobjekt und Ziel von Spott und Hohn. Was bedeutet Ihnen das Kreuz, das Sie an der Kette um den Hals tragen, in Ihrer Wohnung an der Wand oder über der Tür? Wann haben Sie es zuletzt mal intensiv angesehen? Ich habe seit vielen Jahren ein Kreuz mit dem Corpus des Leidenden und gestorbenen Christus in meinem Zimmer hängen. Und während einer Fahrt nach Assisi habe ich mir ein Kreuz von San Damiano gekauft, das seinen Platz in meinem Büro hat. Diese Art von Kreuz kennen viele Leute, da es in typischer Tafelmalerei hergestellt und schön bunt ist. Da ist Christus dargestellt mit offenen Armen und offenen Augen der mich anschaut und mit dem ich ins Gespräch komme. Und ich spüre schon sehr, welchen Unterschied das für mich macht. Das ist es, glaube ich: Christus ist für uns Menschen in den Tod gegangen, damit wir zukünftig das Leben haben, aber er will mittendrin in unserem Leben sein und im Gespräch mit uns bleiben. Denn durch sein heiliges Kreuz hat er die Welt erlöst und will, dass wir es verstehen, glauben und leben, damit wir Leben in Fülle haben.  

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Clare, Virgin Lectionary: 411The Saint of the day is Saint Clare of AssisiSaint Clare of Assisi's Story One of the more sugary movies made about Francis of Assisi pictures Clare as a golden-haired beauty floating through sun-drenched fields, a sort of one-woman counterpart to the new Franciscan Order. The beginning of her religious life was indeed movie material. Having refused to marry at 15, Clare was moved by the dynamic preaching of Francis. He became her lifelong friend and spiritual guide. At 18, Clare escaped from her father's home one night, was met on the road by friars carrying torches, and in the poor little chapel called the Portiuncula received a rough woolen habit, exchanged her jeweled belt for a common rope with knots in it, and sacrificed her long tresses to Francis' scissors. He placed her in a Benedictine convent, which her father and uncles immediately stormed in rage. Clare clung to the altar of the church, threw aside her veil to show her cropped hair, and remained adamant. Sixteen days later her sister Agnes joined her. Others came. They lived a simple life of great poverty, austerity, and complete seclusion from the world, according to a Rule which Francis gave them as a Second Order. At age 21, Francis obliged Clare under obedience to accept the office of abbess, one she exercised until her death. hbspt.cta.load(465210, '0238bf79-d8a6-4b43-ab3f-f2e7e16c8804', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); The Poor Ladies went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat, and observed almost complete silence. Later Clare, like Francis, persuaded her sisters to moderate this rigor: “Our bodies are not made of brass.” The greatest emphasis, of course, was on gospel poverty. They possessed no property, even in common, subsisting on daily contributions. When even the pope tried to persuade Clare to mitigate this practice, she showed her characteristic firmness: “I need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved from the obligation of following Jesus Christ.” Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of Clare’s life in the convent of San Damiano in Assisi. She served the sick and washed the feet of the begging nuns. She came from prayer, it was said, with her face so shining it dazzled those about her. She suffered serious illness for the last 27 years of her life. Her influence was such that popes, cardinals, and bishops often came to consult her—Clare herself never left the walls of San Damiano. Francis always remained her great friend and inspiration. Clare was always obedient to his will and to the great ideal of gospel life which he was making real. A well-known story concerns her prayer and trust. Clare had the Blessed Sacrament placed on the walls of the convent when it faced attack by invading Saracens. “Does it please you, O God, to deliver into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children I have nourished with your love? I beseech you, dear Lord, protect these whom I am now unable to protect.” To her sisters she said, “Don't be afraid. Trust in Jesus.” The Saracens fled. Reflection The 41 years of Clare's religious life are scenarios of sanctity: an indomitable resolve to lead the simple, literal gospel life as Francis taught her; courageous resistance to the ever-present pressure to dilute the ideal; a passion for poverty and humility; an ardent life of prayer; and a generous concern for her sisters. Saint Clare is the Patron Saint of: Protection from eye disordersTelevision Learn more about Saint Clare of Assisi! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

In allen möglichen Beschreibungen wird sie als die kleine Blume des Heiligen Franziskus betitelt. Aber das ist sie ganz und gar nicht. Klara wird in Assisi als Tochter adliger Eltern geboren und wächst behütet und beschützt auf. Aber weil sie ihre Mutter bei ihren caritativen Diensten zu den Armen und Aussätzigen begleitet, erkennt sie sehr schnell, dass nur ein Teil der Stadtbevölkerung reich und wohlhabend ist und sie spürt, dass es unrecht ist, die Armen in ihrer Armut verkommen zu lassen. Und dann erlebt sie Franziskus und seine junge Bruderschaft, die im Dom nebenan und auf den Plätzen predigen und arm unter den Armen leben. Da entdeckt sie, dass das genau ihr Leben werden wird, verlässt das sichere und behütete Leben und geht zu den Brüdern. Später werden zwei ihrer Schwestern und sogar ihre Mutter ihr nach San Damiano folgen und das Leben der Armen Frauen von Assisi mit Klara teilen. Und diese starke junge Frau wird fast 50 Jahre lang ihre Gründung leiten und gegen Angriffe von innerhalb und außerhalb der Kirche energisch abwehren. Sie entwickelt weiter, was sie bei Franziskus und den Brüdern gesehen und erlebt hat und schreibt als erste Frau der Kirche eine eigene Ordensregel für Ihre Lebensform. Das "Privileg der Armut" dass sie darin festlegt, will ihr der Papst und die Kirchenoberen nicht gewähren und erst zwei Tage vor ihrem Tod wird er ihr persönlich die unterzeichnete und genehmigte Ordensregel bringen. Die feuerflammende Liebe zu Christus und zu allen Menschen prägt ihre Schwestern bis heute und sie sind das anbetende Herz der Kirche.

In our last episode, I began reading to you the first half of the article entitled, "Francis's Tenacious Lady" by Igrid Peterson. The article was about one of St. Francis's first female follower, Clare. Please go back and listen to this episode to have the full impact. Let me summarize by saying that Clare grew up different in her very affluent home. She was fascinated by Francis and wanted to follow him and live a celibate life. Her family has other more traditional plans for her and so she runs aways to the early Franciscans. After several attempts of the family to take her back by force, the Franciscans relocate her to San Damiano. We pick up the story here.You can read these articles and more if you click on this link:https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/issue/st-francis-of-assisi

This is your WORT local news for Thursday, May 11.San Damiano park in Monona is getting an upgrade, and the city wants your input on what it should look like,A center at UW-Madison works to reduce maternal disparities in healthcare, The local health department has tips on how to protect yourself from ticks, And in the second half, MMSD's spokesperson sues to block the release of records, the full fishing season is finally open, and our newest feature with Forward Madison.

VIDEO: Molokai l'isola maledetta ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxd1-KjrK30&list=PLolpIV2TSebVM7CoAHtiTvbPX4t2opTUUTESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜ https://www.bastabugie.it/it/articoli.php?id=7369SAN DAMIANO DE VEUSTER NON EBBE PAURA DI PORTARE CRISTO AI LEBBROSI DI MOLOKAIFiglio di contadini fiamminghi, dopo la scuola primaria nel suo paese, Damiano fu inviato a Braine-le-Comte per imparare la lingua francese. Seguendo le orme di uno dei suoi fratelli, entrò nel noviziato della Congregazione dei Sacri Cuori a Lovanio assumendo il nome di Damiano: dopo gli studi teologici e filosofici a Parigi, emise i voti perpetui il 7 ottobre 1860: suo fratello non poté realizzare il desiderio di viaggiare attivamente come missionario all'estero e Damiano fece suo il sogno del fratello.Il 19 marzo 1864, padre Damiano sbarcò nel porto di Honolulu, dove rimase a svolgere la sua missione: fu ordinato sacerdote il 24 maggio 1864 presso la Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Nostra Signora della Pace, a Honolulu), una chiesa fondata dal suo ordine religioso.Prestò servizio pastorale presso diverse parrocchie sull'isola di Oahu proprio mentre il regno delle Hawaii stava affrontando un periodo particolarmente difficile dal punto di vista sanitario: i commercianti stranieri ed i marinai avevano introdotto nell'arcipelago numerose nuove malattie che la popolazione locale non era in grado di affrontare. Migliaia di persone morirono a causa di mali come l'influenza e la sifilide, ma anche a causa di una grave epidemia di lebbra. Re Kamehameha IV relegò i lebbrosi del regno in alcune colonie situate nel nord dell'isola di Molokai.Padre Damiano nel 1865 fu assegnato alla Missione cattolica del nord Kohala, ma chiese al vicario apostolico, monsignor Luigi Maigret, il permesso per andare a Molokai.MOLOKAI, COLONIA DI MORTENel 1870 padre Damiano assunse il suo ruolo di sacerdote e medico dei lebbrosi nelle colonie: il 10 maggio 1873 arrivò presso la colonia di Kalaupapa.Il primo impatto con la realtà di Molokai fu terrificante: non esisteva nessuna legge, donne e bambini erano costretti alla prostituzione, i malati venivano abbandonati senza cure in una specie di ospedale dove i medici erano lebbrosi a loro volta, i morti erano lasciati insepolti.Il vescovo Maigret presentò Damiano ai coloni come un padre, e aggiunse, che li avrebbe amati a tal punto che non avrebbe esitato a divenire uno di loro: "vivere e morire con loro". I lebbrosi che vivevano nella colonia di Kalaupapa erano oltre 600. La prima cosa che fece Damiano fu di costruire una chiesa e di stabilire la parrocchia di Santa Filomena. Passava per i villaggi battezzando e promuovendo il culto al SS.mo Sacramento, del quale diceva: "Senza la presenza costante del nostro Divino Maestro nella mia povera cappella, io non avrei mai potuto perseverare, condividendo la mia sorte con quella dei lebbrosi di Molokai".Non fu solo un sacerdote; svolse bene anche il ruolo di dottore: curò ulcere, costruì case e letti, costruì bare e scavò tombe. Quella di Kalaupapa è stata definita una "colonia di morte", dove molte persone furono costrette a lottare per sopravvivere, dimenticate dal governo: l'arrivo di Damiano fu considerato una svolta per la comunità.Sotto la sua direzione, la comunità si dotò di leggi che regolassero la vita comune, costruì capanne e case decorose anche esteticamente, eresse scuole e creò fattorie, costruì cappelle, un orfanotrofio, refettori e dormitori.CAVALIERE DELL'ORDINE DI KALĀKAUARe Kalākaua delle Hawaii insignì padre Damiano del grado di Commendatore dell'Ordine reale di Kalākaua I e, quando la principessa Lili'uokalani visitò la colonia per consegnargli le insegne dell'onorificenza, rimase profondamente turbata nel vedere lo stato in cui vivevano i lebbrosi, tanto che non riuscì a completare il discorso ufficiale.Fu proprio la principessa a far conoscere al mondo i meriti del religioso: la sua fama si diffuse in Europa e negli Stati Uniti ed anche i protestanti americani e la Chiesa d'Inghilterra elargirono grandi somme di denaro per il missionario.Nel dicembre del 1884 Damiano, mettendo a bagno i suoi piedi nell'acqua calda, non poté sentirne il calore: si accorse così di aver contratto la lebbra.Nonostante la scoperta continuò a lavorare attivamente per portare a fine i suoi progetti fino alla morte: fu raggiunto comunque da quattro collaboratori: il sacerdote Luigi Lambert Conrardy, madre Marianna Cope, superiora delle suore francescane di Syracuse, Joseph Dutton, soldato americano in congedo, ritiratosi a causa di un matrimonio fallito per alcolismo e James Sinnett, infermiera di Chicago.Padre Damiano morì di lebbra nel 1889, all'età di 49 anni: fu prima seppellito a Molokai. Fu riportato in patria soltanto nel 1936 dalla goletta Mercator e il suo corpo fu trasferito a Lovanio (Belgio) vicino al villaggio in cui nacque.Padre Damiano è stato beatificato a Bruxelles da papa Giovanni Paolo II il 3 giugno 1995 e canonizzato da papa Benedetto XVI l'11 ottobre 2009.

Guten Morgen, kommen Sie eigentlich morgens gut aus dem Bett? Das ist ja bei jedem anders: Meine Mitschwestern, die hier in San Damiano mit mir leben, tun sich schwerer als ich. Wenn mein Wecker loslegt, bin ich sofort da und muss mich fast bremsen, nicht ganz so eifrig sofort aus dem Bett zu springen. Auf dem Weg zum Bad höre ich dann einen Wecker, der einen Hahnenschrei imitiert und ich muss lächeln, wie lange der sich bemühen muss, ehe er sein Werk getan hat und seine Kundin wach ist. Der Schrei des Hahns hat für uns ja eine besondere Bedeutung: Petrus in seinem ungestümen Eifer für seinen Meister Jesus Christus beteuert, dass er ihm folgen wird, wohin er auch geht. Und Jesus, der seinen Jünger kennt, kann ganz klar sagen: Du? Bevor der Hahn kräht, wirst Du mich dreimal verleugnen. In einem Hymnus, den ich sehr gern habe, werden wir daran erinnert und es ist gut zu bedenken, dass dieser Hahnenschrei des Petrus auch für mich gültig ist: Der Hahn, des Tages Herold, ruft, der Wächter in der Finsternis. Sein Schrei trennt von der Nacht die Nacht, dem Wanderer zur Nacht ein Licht Da fühlt der Schiffer neue Kraft, des Meeres Brandung sänftigt sich, der Fels der Kirche, Petrus, weint, bereut die Schuld beim Hahnenschrei. So stehet rasch vom Schlafe auf: Der Hahn weckt jeden, der noch träumt. Der Hahn bedrängt, die säumig sind, der Hahn klagt die Verleugner an. Herr, wenn wir fallen, sieh uns an und heile uns durch deinen Blick. Dein Blick löscht Fehl und Sünde aus, in Tränen löst sich unsre Schuld. Du Licht, durchdringe unsern Geist, von unsern Herzen scheuch den Schlaf, dir sei das erste Wort geweiht, dich preise unser Morgenlob. Amen. Aufstehen und neu beginnen. Schuld und Fehler in den Blick nehmen, bekennen, bereuen und bekehren. Die Fastenzeit ruft uns dazu ganz besonders auf.

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the First Week in Lent Lectionary: 227The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaSaint Agnes of Bohemia's Story Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Michele Cecchini"Aprire il fuoco"Luciano Bianciardihttps://minimumfax.comintroduzione di Oreste Del Buonopostfazione di Michele CecchiniSe ogni scrittore ha un proprio tramonto, Aprire il fuoco è il tramonto di Bianciardi, l'ultima lettera di un sinistrato politico, spiaggiato e in esilio. Lo vediamo mentre perlustra la campagna con un binocolo, abbassa le tapparelle, si versa un bicchierino di grappa. Sa di essere clinicamente morto, ora che è morta ogni insurrezione: primo o poi l'oppressore, e i tanti aguzzini che non hanno mai smesso di tormentarlo, arriveranno a prenderlo. Nell'attesa non gli resta che fumare una sigaretta, e rievocare la fine dell'inverno di dieci anni prima, il 1959, le sue gloriose cinque giornate, anche se la rivoluzione è ormai soltanto la memoria confusa di altri fallimenti: le discussioni al Giamaica con gli amici, Giorgio Gaber e Jannacci, la cameretta di Porta Tosa, le barricate a San Damiano. C'è appena il tempo per un ultimo appello, per dire il poco che ha imparato dalla sua vita agra: che fare all'amore non è vergogna. Vergogna è uccidere, morire di fame, chiudere la gente in prigione o al manicomio, giudicare. E non serve stampare i libri che nessuno legge, né costringere i giovani nelle scuole, né occupare le università. Bisogna occupare le banche, le vere cattedrali del nostro tempo. E poi spegnere la televisione. E alla fine lasciare tutto nel disordine. La valigia è pronta, così piena di carte, della sua alienazione quotidiana, di tutta la nausea che lo ha avvelenato per l'imbischerimento del mondo. Ma sulle spalle ha ancora il suo vecchio Mauser, ed è pronto a fare fuoco. Luciano Bianciardi1922 / 1971è stato uno dei grandi irregolari della letteratura italiana del Novecento. Ha scritto La vita agra e Il lavoro culturale. Minimum fax ha ripubblicato finora Antistoria del Risorgimento. Daghela avanti un passo!, I minatori della Maremma, scritto con Carlo Cassola, e Garibaldi. IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEAscoltare fa Pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it

Nach zwei Jahren, an denen es wegen Corona nicht möglich war, können wir heute wieder ins Kinderhospiz Balthasar gehen. Immer im Advent gibt es dort einen entzückenden Nachmittag mit Namen "Schwesternkaffee" Genauer heißt das, dass die Schwestern des Mutterhauses und wir von San Damiano ins Kinderhospiz gehen, und dort schon alle Eltern und Geschwister mit den schwerstkranken Kindern und allen MitarbeiterInnen versammelt sind. Im schön geschmückten großen Aufenthaltsraum gibt es Kaffee und Kakao und Plätzchen und Kuchen. Und die Geschwisterkinder haben meist die Tischdekoration gebastelt und sind stolz wie Oskar, wenn wir überrascht und erfreut sind und genau nachfragen, wie das denn geht und wie man das nachmachen kann. Und dann gibt es hübsche Geschichten und Gedichte und natürlich Lieder, die man mit ausliegendem Liederheft zur Musik mit dem Keyboard auch mitsingen kann. Und das liebste Lied der Kinder ist immer "in der Weihnachtsbäckerei" und natürlich das mit dem Rentier Rudolf, was dann die meisten Schwestern eher nicht kennen. Das neue Leitungsteam des Kinderhospizes wird sich vorstellen und etwas zum vergangenen schwierigen Jahr erzählen und zu den notwendigen Baumaßnahmen, die ein großer Kran seit Wochen anzeigt. Und wenn nicht zwischendurch eines der schwerstkranken Kinder weinen oder schreien würde, oder eine Mitarbeiterin leise mit einem Kind in einen Nebenraum gehen würde, um zu trösten oder zu versorgen, wir würden kaum spüren, dass es hier ein Hospiz ist. Es ist ein Ort zum Leben und Lachen und ein Ort zum Sterben und Trauern. Und das ist es immer wieder, was mich hier so anrührt: die Selbstverständlichkeit, mit dem alles geschieht und zusammengehört: das Essen und Trinken, das Musik machen und Singen, das Naschen und Probieren, das Leiden und die Schmerzen, die Traurigkeit der Eltern und die Lebenslust der Kinder, egal wie lange sie noch zu leben haben oder wie lange der große Bruder die kleine Schwester noch umhertragen kann, wenn es mal möglich ist.  Und mitten hinein ist dieser Gott gekommen. Nicht in eine heile Puppenstubenwelt mit herausgeputzten Kindern und festlichem Tannenbaum, sondern in alles Leid und alles Leben und Leiden und Sterben und Trauern. Als neugeborenes, schutzloses Kind, dass alles Leid und allen Tod der Welt nehmen wird und ihn umwandeln wird in Leben für alle und für immer. Weil ich das glaube und hoffe, mag ich diesen Nachmittag im Kinderhospiz immer so sehr.

San Damiano and Excerpts from the Daily Rosary. Intro from Luz Sanchez.

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 502All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of AssisiBorn Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare, and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare's departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Caterina and Clare in peace. Saint Francis himself gave Clare's sister the name Agnes, because she was gentle like a young lamb. Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the strict penances that characterized the Poor Ladies' lives at San Damiano. In 1221, a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli near Florence asked to become Poor Ladies. Saint Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other monasteries of Poor Ladies in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253, as Clare lay dying. Three months later Agnes followed Clare in death, and was canonized in 1753. Reflection God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives. Enjoy this prayer in honor of St. Agnes of Assisi! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Here are your local news headlines for Tuesday, October 11: A project to steer development of the former San Damiano friary in Monona is beginning to take shape... with your input, Artists protested on Sunday, as the the Ain't I A Woman Triennial exhibit came to a formal end at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Cardinal Call shared the backstory on the firing of former Badgers head coach Paul Chryst, Wildlife Weekly shares wild animals who have been rehabilitated recently, and Radio Astro taps into the power of a black hole.

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Francis of Assisi Lectionary: 462All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Francis of AssisiThe patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit, and without a sense of self-importance. Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.” From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, “Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis became the totally poor and humble workman. He must have suspected a deeper meaning to “build up my house.” But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor “nothing” man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up all his possessions, piling even his clothes before his earthly father—who was demanding restitution for Francis' “gifts” to the poor—so that he would be totally free to say, “Our Father in heaven.” He was, for a time, considered to be a religious fanatic, begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, evoking sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Der junge Mann hatte alles, was man sich so wünscht: einen reichen Papa, der seinen Sohn gern mit allem ausgestattet hat, was er haben wollte, ein Mutter, die ihn über alles liebte und mit ihrer Liebe die Härten des Vaters abgemildert hat, französisches und italienische Blut in den Adern und somit eine angenehme Stimme, überschäumendes Temperament und tänzerische Begabung, eine große Clique von Jugendlichen, deren Anführer er gern war – aber er hatte keine Idee, was er mit seinem Leben machen sollte. Als Tuchhändler, Kaufmann und Europareisender zu leben, war irgendwie nicht seins, ein angesehener Ritter in einem großen Heer schon eher: aber eine Stimme im Inneren sagt ihm: geh nachhause, ich werde Dir sagen, was zu tun ist. Ein dritter Versuch, als junger Stadtbürger in den Krieg gegen die Feindesstadt Perugia zu ziehen, endete im Gefängnis und dann, wieder in Freiheit, in Depressionen und tiefste innere Verzweiflung. In seiner Not brüllt er den Herrn am Kreuz in San Damiano an: "Was willst Du eigentlich von mir?" und er hört: "Franziskus, bau mir meine Kirche wieder auf, siehst Du nicht, wie sie zerfällt?" Nach dem ersten Erschrecken und der ersten Verblüffung wird klar: Jetzt endlich hat er eine Idee, einen Plan, einen Auftrag für sein Leben - Kirche bauen. Erst baut er die steinernen kleinen Kapellen und Kirchen ringsum auf und merkt später: nein, es geht nicht um einen Kirchbauverein, es geht nicht um die Kirche der Päpste und Prälaten in Rom, es geht um alle Getauften, die in Wirklichkeit die Kirche Gottes sind. Und er lebt und betet und arbeitet und singt und leidet und pflegt Aussätzige und immer mehr Brüder kommen dazu. Und immer mehr Menschen spüren durch ihn ihren Auftrag: Baue meine Kirche wieder auf! Das ist es, was uns Franziskus von Assisi mit auf den Weg und auch heute mit in den Tag gibt: Da, wo Du lebst, da wo Du arbeitest, da wo Gott Dich hingestellt hat: baue seine Kirche wieder auf! Und vergiss nicht zu singen und den Schöpfer für seine Geschöpfe zu danken. 

October 4: Saint Francis of Assisic. 1182–1226Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of animals, ecology, and merchants. Co-patron of ItalyA merchant's son of eccentric sensibilities goes radicalThough originally baptized by his mother as Giovanni (John) in honor of Saint John the Baptist, today's saint was renamed Francesco, or “Frenchy,” by his father Pietro de Bernardone after Pietro returned home from trading in France. Pietro loved France, and his son's romantic, troubadour spirit likely flowed from that same cultural source.Francesco grew up in a middle-class home that engaged in the sale of fine cloth. Francis was a skilled merchant in the family business, but he enjoyed spending money more than earning it. He was a man about town, a leader among his friends, and well liked for his concern for others. He was also a failed knight. When he was twenty, Francis joined a civic-minded Assisi militia in a battle against a neighboring city. When the militia was routed, Francis was spared death and instead held for ransom due to his fine livery. He was held prisoner in a rank dungeon for a year before the ransom was paid. He returned to Assisi a more reflective man. Subsequent military service for the Papal States ended abruptly when Francis heard a voice tell him, “Follow the master rather than the man.” He sold his expensive armor and horse, returned home, and began to spend hours in prayer.Shortly after this turning point, Francis met a leper on the outskirts of Assisi. He initially recoiled, but then dismounted, gave the man some money, and kissed his putrid hand. This was the start of his frequent visits to leper houses and hospitals. When Francis heard a voice from the cross say to him, “Francis, go and repair my church, which as you can see is in ruins,” he sold a large amount of cloth and his father's horse at a neighboring market town. Coming back to Assisi, he donated the proceeds to a priest at the church of San Damiano on the outskirts of Assisi. Francis' father was irate. His son had sold cloth from the family store, and a horse, and had thengiven away money that was not his. This was stealing, and Francis was put in prison. A dramatic scene then unfolds between Francis and his father in a church square, in the presence of Bishop Guido of Assisi and his court. Pietro demands the return of his money. The Bishop supports him and says the Church cannot accept stolen money. Francis returns the coins. But then Francis goes further. Piece by piece, he removes his clothing until he is naked before everyone's eyes. He then says, “From now on I will not say ‘My Father, Pietro Bernardone' but ‘Our Father, who art in heaven.'” There is not a single reference in any contemporary Franciscan document to Pietro after this dramatic incident. Francis was now cut off, disinherited, and on his own.Francis eventually begins to wear a rough smock which he ties around his waist with a cord. He lives alone in absolute poverty, prays, helps the sick, rebuilds nearby run-down chapels, and preaches and begs in Assisi. Men begin to follow his lead, and the first fire of the worldwide Franciscan order ignites. The “Lesser Brothers of Assisi” is recognized by the Pope, Francis is ordained a deacon, and the Order's explosive growth can only be called miraculous. Saint Francis is the first great founder of a religious order since Saint Benedict in the 500s. By sheer allure of personality, holiness, and vision, not intellect or organizational skill, he imparted a mysteriously powerful charism to his followers. He was ardent in his love for the Holy Eucharist and insisted that churches be well kept in honor of the Lord's physical presence.Francis died in his forty-fourth year and was canonized just two years later, in 1228. Saint Francis may be the most well-known person of the second millennium. A measure of his massive impact can be gauged by observing that it is not uncommon for Saint Francis to be seen as the ideal of Christian virtue and poverty, even over and above the religion's very founder.Saint Francis of Assisi, you held the Holy Eucharist in such holy reverence you dared not be ordained a priest. Your love of the Word of God complimented your love of His creation. Help all Christians to have your same balance of love for God, the Sacraments, and all God's creation.

Join Dina Marie as she speaks with Franciscan Friar, Fr. Dan Pattee, TOR about the early years of Saint Francis of Assisi.  Fr. Dan speaks about the conversion of Saint Francis, his providential encounter with a leper, and his experience in the Church of San Damiano. Tune in and learn more about what makes up the Franciscan soul.  For more visit: http://www.olpretreat.org/ (www.olpretreat.org), https://standrewcc.org/ (https://standrewcc.org/) and https://franciscanstor.org/ (https://franciscanstor.org/). https://the-morning-blend.captivate.fm/ (Subscribe to the Morning Blend) on your favorite podcast platform. Find this show on the free https://materdeiradio.com/hail-mary-media-app/ (Hail Mary Media App), along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more. Look through https://materdeiradio.com/category/morning-drive/ (past episodes) or https://forms.ministryforms.net/viewForm.aspx?formId=f861df13-50f6-4182-8712-b794ec287dfb (support this podcast). The Morning Blend is a production of https://materdeiradio.com/ (Mater Dei Radio) in Portland, Oregon.

Please enter into the life's story 0f St. Clare's life by listening to one of the best storytellers we know...Sr. Joan Mueller. She is enthralling!!! St. Clare of Assisi was co-foundress of the Order of Poor Ladies or Clares and the first Abbess of San Damiano; born at Assisi, 16 July 1194; died there 11 August 1253. I can't even begin to describe the effect St. Clare has had on my life. My relationship with her goes so deep that any words I could come up with would not honor her as I wish I could. I should share this little story of my own. In 2007, I had a chance to visit Assisi...I just wanted to be near St. Clare. I didn't plan it, but my hotel ended up being right across the street from St. Clare's Basilica (it seems wrong to call it a street, its width is so small). Really early one morning, I couldn't sleep, so I got up and began walking around outside of the Basilica. No one was out; all the shops closed, the sun was coming up. On a whim, I thought I would see if the church's doors were open (thinking to myself, of course, they wouldn't be), but to my surprise, they opened. So I entered. No one was around. I saw steps leading down to a lower level. I stepped over the rope blocking the entrance (boorish American that I am) and walked down. The path led down to an area with a display of relics, like clothing and other items (I assumed they were Clare's), and then I turned around and saw something incredible...the crypt of St. Clare. It stopped me in my tracks, so much so that I had to remind myself to breathe again. I quietly walked over to the enclosure grates that blocked off getting any closer. I knelt, and I just started to weep...I couldn't help it. It was so quiet; it was such a gift. I began to pray. I brought to St. Clare all the petitions I held so deeply in my heart. And when that was done, silence filled the space. After about 10 minutes, out of nowhere, I could hear the sound of the Poor Clare Sisters in the distance chanting their morning prayers. I knelt at that spot, for a good 30 minutes or so, all alone with St. Clare. I then got up, praised God for this special moment, and left the basilica. She's been with me, especially, ever since. St. Clare, pray for us. The post St. Clare, pray for us – a model for the discerning heart…In Conversation with Sr. Joan Mueller appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Dal 15 al 19 giugno 2016 il Crocifisso di San Damiano, che dal 1257 si trova nella basilica di Santa Chiara ad Assisi, è stato portato nel Santuario di San Damiano dove si trovava originariamente. Lì si trovava in preghiera San Francesco nel 1205, quando dal Crocifisso udì uscire le parole: «Francesco, va', ripara la mia casa che, come vedi, è tutta in rovina». Nel pomeriggio del 15 giugno, nel Santuario si è tenuta una celebrazione eucaristica presieduta dal cardinale Angelo Comastri, che ha tenuto questa omelia.

Sal Solo of Classix Nouveau talks with Chris Cordani about the band's new single, "Fix Your Eyes Up," and their upcoming album -- their first since 1983. Solo also discusses his own solo career, his pilgrimage to San Damiano, how he joined the Catholic Youth Ministry in the late 80s and how he uses music and videos to help young people on their journeys of faith. We also discuss some Classix Nouveau history, the band's formation and what brought them back together after COVID hit.

Ep. 159 Exorcism Of  Annaliese Michel   Do you believe in the devil? Demons? Do you think the devil or demons can possess your body? Does that shit creep you out and keep you up at night? Well, if it does… you're gonna love today's episode! If you've ever seen the exorcism of Emily Rose, you'll at least know this story. The movie was based on the subject of today's episode. It's gonna get kinda crazy today as we discuss the exorcism of Annaliese Michel!   Some of you may already be familiar with this story, as it's been discussed on other podcasts and continues to be a pretty famous story in the world of exorcisms, demons, and possessions.   Annaliese Michel was born on September 21, 1952, in Leiblfing, Bavaria, West Germany. She was born into a very religious Roman Catholic family. She attended Mass twice weekly with her family and was described as "a vibrant, pretty girl on her way to becoming a gorgeous woman. She had shining black hair, an open, honest face, and a stunning smile." Four years before Anneliese was born, her mother, Anna Michel, gave birth to an illegitimate daughter. This was a source of shame for the Catholic family. After she married and gave birth to Anneliese, she apparently harbored feelings of guilt about her first daughter. Unfortunately, Anneliese's older sister died at the age of eight, but Anneliese reportedly felt like she needed to repent for her mother's sin. She supposedly spent much of her time doing penance for her mother, her sinful youth, and evil priests. Sounds like a great childhood.    All the crazy shit began in 1968, around the time of her sixteenth birthday when Anneliese had the first of several seizures. She lost consciousness during school and was found by her classmate to be in a trance-like state. Later that night, Anneliese woke up claiming she felt something was pressing down on her. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe or speak, and lost control of her bladder. Although the experience frightened her greatly, when it didn't happen again, she just forgot about it. Then, on August 24, 1969, Anneliese suffered another seizure. When examined by neurologist Dr. Siegfried Luthy, her EEG showed "a normal, physiological alpha-type brain activity." Dr. Luthy later explained to investigators, "I judged from the description I was given that this was probably a case of cerebral seizures of the nocturnal type, with the symptoms of a grand mal epilepsy."   Tonic-Clonic seizures, formerly known as grand mal seizures, comprise two stages: a tonic phase and a clonic phase. According to John Hopkins Medicine, episodes may begin with a simple or complex partial attack known as an aura, during which persons may experience sensations such as unusual smells, vertigo, nausea, or anxiety. Or my everyday life. During the tonic phase, persons may lose consciousness and experience bodily and respiratory paralysis as the muscles involuntarily contract. Finally, during the clonic phase, the person's face, arms, and legs spasm and jerk uncontrollably and rapidly. When the body relaxes, the bladder may also release. Got all that? I knew you would, you intelligent bastards.   Anneliese's symptoms certainly fit the criteria of a Tonic-Clonic seizure, and there's good reason to believe on at least one occasion, she also experienced aura. One day while praying to the rosary, she related smelling a sweetness "wafting about her like the fragrance of violets" and a euphoric feeling that lasted into the next day. She was found by other girls to be in a trance-like state with her hands rigidly outstretched "like you had a cramp or something. Like when my cat stretches her claws," and her pupils dilated, "I thought they were blue. Now they are all black."   After her third seizure, Anneliese began experiencing one of the longest-lasting side effects, continuously filling her with fratzen, which is German for "grimacing faces." Another EEG showed "an irregular alpha pattern with some theta and delta waves, but nothing pathological." By 1973, her friends and family reported her behavior had changed—she was irritable and withdrawn, prone to lashing out in anger. Again, my everyday life.    Anneliese fell into a deep and prolonged depression. This depression was severe enough that she contemplated suicide and would later describe it as "This is no longer a depression, this is a condition"; she claimed "someone else is manipulating me" and that "My will is not my own." She mentioned to her psychiatrist that she "could not love sufficiently" that she felt "castrated, ice-cold" and told her boyfriend, "I can't feel any love at all. I am all numb, sort of. I can't feel emotions like that."   Anneliese stopped associating with her usual group of friends and became drawn to a group of students considered to be religious zealots. That is not a good sign. One of her childhood friends noted, "After her illness, Anneliese was changed. She was quiet and withdrew from her friends. I also noted that she kept wanting to carry on mostly religious conversations." For her part, Anneliese became convinced of her damnation and began warning others of the world's imminent end. She believed she had personal visions and communed with the Virgin Mary and became particularly drawn to the life of Barbara Weigand, a Catholic mystic and "prophetess." She also claimed to experience visions of the Virgin Mary.    In addition to the visual hallucinations, Anneliese also claimed to begin experiencing olfactory hallucinations known as phantosmia: "She started smelling a horrid stench not perceived by others." The nature of this nasty smell changed over time. However, it was later related, "[Anneliese] exuded a stench like Frau Hein had never smelled before, like fecal matter or something burning. Everyone in the bus could smell it." This would seem to indicate that the source of the stench was, in fact, Anneliese herself. Further evidence supports this from a visit from Father Roth to the Michel household: "Herr Michel received me and took me immediately to the living room. It was filled with a horrible stench, of something burning, and of dung, that penetrated everything. Herr Michel expressly called my attention to it and told me that Anneliese had been in the room just before. In the other rooms of the Michel home and on the outside I could detect no trace."   The pungent smell was not, however, present all the time. During the criminal investigation in October 1976, Father Hagiber recalled his first meeting with Anneliese and mentioned nothing of an odor. Father Herrmann, who met with Anneliese about ten times from 1973 to 1975, stated, "From her parents I heard that on occasion she evidenced disrespect toward sacred objects and there was a stench of dung or of something burning in the room where she was. However, these symptoms never occurred in my apartment". Likewise, none of Anneliese's doctors, classmates, or teachers ever complained of a foul odor emanating from or percolating around her. Her boyfriend was utterly unaware of her problem with the smell until she mentioned how it plagued her. Based on what Anneliese revealed to her psychiatrist, we know she was intimate with her boyfriend. One might expect he would've noticed something that smelled like burning doo doo.   By 1973, she had depression and began hallucinating while praying and complained about hearing voices telling her that she was "damned" and would "rot in hell ."Michel's treatment in a psychiatric hospital did not improve her health, and her depression worsened. Long-term treatment did not help either, and she grew increasingly frustrated with the medical intervention, taking pharmacological drugs for five years. In addition, Michel became intolerant of Christian sacred places and objects, such as the crucifix."   In one instance, her family organized a trip to San Damiano to pray for God to intervene. Annaliese said standing on the shrine's soil made her feet burn, and she refused to drink water from its holy spring. As a result, she could not even walk past sacred icons. The priest accompanying them stated:   "She [Michel] approached it [the shrine] with the greatest hesitation, then said that the soil burned like fire and she simply could not stand it… She also noted that she could no longer look at medals or pictures of saints; they sparkled so immensely that she could not stand it."   Annaliese was put on several medications, but none seemed to help the situation throughout the early 70s. Finally, between the results of her pilgrimage and her increasingly strange behavior, her parents decided to put their faith in the Church. Oh... and an exorcism. Her behavior had deteriorated to the point where she would at times growl, swear, and blaspheme for no god damn reason (see what I did there?) and even urinate on the floor and lick it up.  Then, in the spring of 1973, Anneliese began to hear a knocking sound in her room. Dr. Vogt could not find anything wrong with her hearing, so he referred her to a specialist. However, her mother, Anna, began to believe something supernatural was occurring because she and her other daughters could soon hear the same sound, like rapping or thumping in the wardrobe, then above the ceiling and below the floor. In addition, Anneliese was now seeing overtly demonic faces with horns, telling her she would be damned for eternity. Her father, Josef, dismissed these weird-ass happenings as products of hysteria. However, he was disturbed by his wife's account of Anneliese staring at a statue of the Virgin with a malicious expression. Her eyes were black and dilated. Her hands contorted like an animal's paws.   On September 3, Anneliese revisited Dr. Lüthy and finally told him of the hideous faces she had been seeing. She also confided that the devil was inside her and that a judgment of fire would come upon everyone. Dr. Lüthy recalled, "She could not get her mind off these things. She had no power of decision, and everything was empty in her." Momma Anna claimed that Dr. Lüthy advised them to see a Jesuit about the demonic faces, but the doctor intensely denied that he had said that shit. It is possible that the doctor made a tongue-in-cheek comment, which he later forgot since Frau Michel was adamant that she had gotten the idea of calling a Jesuit from the doctor. She had never before heard that Jesuits were specialists at exorcisms. Either way, Dr. Lüthy did not think much of the visions since he prescribed only Aolept (periciazine) drops, a medium-intensity anti-psychotic drug for neurosis in children. That shit is mainly sold in Canada, Italy, Russia, and Australia, and you can't even get it in the states. In his words, "It could not be stated with certainty at the time that there was the beginning of a psychotic symptomatology."   Despite continued treatment with Dilantin and periciazine, Anneliese's visions did not go away, and the drugs only seemed to make her tired and depressed. The Michels believed that the images were a particular problem from the seizures and now followed Dr. Lüthy's offhand suggestion to see a priest about them. They first sought Father Habiger, pastor of the Mother of God parish in Aschaffenburg, who examined Anneliese and found only an ordinary, shy girl with no signs of possession. He recommended that she see a physician. The end.    NOPE!   The family was able to contact an elderly Jesuit, Father Adolf Rodewyk in Frankfurt, about Anneliese's case. Father Rodewyk was an expert on possession, having published a book on the subject. Still, he could not travel to Klingenberg and recommended the retired Father Herrmann of the Mother of God parish in Aschaffenburg. You got that, right? Two priests, one Church. Gross.   Father Herrmann met with Anneliese ten times in his home and found her a nice, deeply religious girl. He recommended that she see a neurologist, but she protested that she had already seen Dr. Lüthy, who could not help her. Nevertheless, father Herrmann did not observe any sacrilegious behavior by Anneliese; she calmly prayed the rosary with him many times without any demons popping out and burning their poop.   In September 1973, Father Herrmann visited Father Ernst Alt of the St. Agatha parish in Aschaffenburg. Father Alt had already heard about Anneliese's case from Thea Hein and had long had a deep interest in the paranormal, having conducted studies of extrasensory perception (ESP). This was not unusual at the time, as even nonreligious researchers took ESP seriously in the 1970s. Still, Father Alt also believed himself to have telepathy, precognition, and even dowsing powers. Evidently, he was a big believer in the paranormal, as well.   Fr. Alt offered Mass on behalf of the troubled girl he had yet to meet, and while preparing for the consecration, he had another incredible sensation.   "All of a sudden, something hit me in the back, the air turned cold, and at the same time, there was an intense stench as though something was burning. I had to lean against the altar. With great effort and only by dint of considerable concentration was I able to speak the rest of the text. I felt deeply distressed as if a negative force were surrounding me, which, however, aside from vexing me, could inflict no real harm."   Mmmhmmm   After Mass, Father Alt calmly related this experience to another priest. That night, he was unable to sleep, even with the aid of a sleeping pill. He smelled a variety of stenches, alternating from dung to sewage to something burning. Additionally, he heard a thumping sound in his wardrobe. Finally, after praying to Padre Pio repeatedly, he suddenly smelled an intense fragrance of violets. At that time, he noticed that his "field of vision had been very much narrowed," and his "color perception was reduced," but now his eyesight was restored. The following day, he spoke of his experience to his fellow priests, and suddenly they could all smell a burning stench throughout the parish house, though the windows were open. On July 30, 1975, Peter(boyfriend) visited Anneliese in Klingenberg. They went for a walk, limited by Anneliese's constant exhaustion and sluggish, stiff-limbed gait. However, when Peter suggested they head back home, she was suddenly able to move normally, even gingerly, and she exclaimed happily that she was entirely herself again.   The following day they returned to Würzburg, where Anneliese registered for the fall semester. While grocery shopping, however, her face and legs tensed up, yet she did not behave aggressively. When she returned to her room, she stood stiff in front of a crucifix, glaring at it with hatred. Peter later stated:   "Her face was totally distorted; she growled like an animal and gritted her teeth so loudly that I was afraid that all her teeth would fall out. I started praying for her in thought, without giving any indication at all of what I was doing. Immediately she ordered me with clenched teeth to stop…"   Peter had not been a churchgoing Catholic before meeting Anneliese, much less devout. Nevertheless, he had started going to Mass again for her sake, and now he was squarely facing evidence of the supernatural. For an hour, the recently lucid Anneliese stood transfixed in one spot, strangely bending her upper body away from the crucifix even as her arms reached toward it. She later explained, "I wanted to take the cross in my hand, but against my will I was pushed back, so I couldn't reach it."    It appeared that more than one consciousness was living in Anneliese's body.   After this episode, Peter said, "fuck this shit," and has never been heard from since. I'm kidding. He returned Anneliese to Klingenberg, where her condition worsened. At this point, her parents were directly petitioning Bishop Stangl for an exorcism. Father. Alt, "the psychic priest," also wanted to talk to the Bishop, who was on vacation, and finally managed to obtain oral permission to say only the short German form of the exorcism rite. On August 3, the Sunday after Anneliese's return, Father Alt recited the cliffs notes version of the exorcism. Father Roth noted Annaliese's signs of possession were not as strong as when he had last visited her, but she whimpered and moaned throughout the exorcism and at one point pleaded, "Stop! It's burning." When asked where, she said, "In my back, in my arms." At another point, she said, "I am free," suggesting she was free of demons, but then she continued to whimper and moan. The priests were in the house for a total of two hours.   Although Father Alt believed Anneliese benefited from his subpar exorcism, her behavior became alarmingly worse throughout August. She was now plagued by insomnia, unable to sleep for more than an hour or two. She would rush through the house, bucking up and down the stairs like a goat. She exhibited compulsive behaviors, repeatedly kneeling and standing in rapid succession until her knees swelled. She sometimes prayed continually from dawn to dusk: "My Jesus, forgiveness and mercy, forgiveness and mercy…." She would constantly scream, except when she would tremble and fall onto the ground, completely rigid. This immobile state could last for days, so her sister would have to try to feed and wash her.   Only after the exorcism ritual did Anneliese begin to exhibit apparently insane behavior, which, of course, coincides with classic demonic behavior. Witnesses attested that she displayed almost superhuman strength and would repeatedly kneel and rise at crazy speeds. She felt heat throughout her body and would tear off her clothes to cool herself. She put insects in her mouth, urinated on the floor, and you guessed it, licked it up, and repeatedly tried to strike her family members and destroy sacred objects.    Anneliese saw clouds of flies and small shadowy creatures that, eventually, her family could see. She had visions of the deceased, and stigmata marks appeared on her. These marks were distinct from her other injuries, yet it has long been known that stigmata can be induced by suggestion in emotionally sensitive people, at least in a mild form.  Stigmata, in Christianity, are the appearance of bodily wounds, scars, and pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ, such as the hands, wrists, and feet. Stigmata are exclusively associated with Roman Catholicism.   The local parish priest recommended that Anneliese be taken to see a psychiatrist, the Michels had already had their fill of psychiatrists, and there was no way Anneliese, now a 22-year-old adult, could be persuaded to go to a psychiatric clinic. So they contacted Father Rodewyk in Frankfurt again, and the old priest finally came to see the girl himself.   Father Rodewyk saw Anneliese lying on the floor in an apparent hypnotic trance, oblivious to those around her. She was led to the sofa by her parents, and the priest asked, "What is your name?" The response was, "Judas," uttered in a deeper, altered voice. After a while, her muscles were uncramped, and she could speak as herself with calmness and lucidity. This clear manifestation of a dual personality persuaded Father Rodewyk that this was a case of possession.   It seems strange that a man's name, Judas, should be given to a demon, yet father Rodewyk claimed that the name Judas was often provided by other possession victims. It is not that the demon was actually the Judas of the Gospels, but rather the name represents the role or function of the demon. A Judas demon attempts to force its victim to imitate the apostle in the betrayal of his Lord, often by preventing victims from swallowing during Holy Communion to steal the host. Anneliese did, in fact, feel resistance to consuming the host, so she allowed it to dissolve in her mouth. She also displayed a compulsion to kiss people while wearing a hostile expression on her face, reminiscent of the "Judas kiss." Father Rodewyk thought these behaviors confirmed his position that she was possessed by a Judas demon.   Shortly after father Rodewyk's visit, Anneliese became well again, without any demonic manifestations. She could eat meals regularly again; previously, she explained, she "was not allowed to." So yeah, she was being starved because of her "possession."   Meanwhile, based on father Rodewyk and Alt's reports, the Bishop finally granted permission on September 16, 1975, to conduct the complete rite of exorcism. This permission was given to father Arnold Renz, superior of a Salvatorian monastery and pastor of a parish near Klingenberg. He was said to be a pious, intelligent, kind, and trustworthy man. His charismatic personality won Anneliese's respect and friendship in the moments when she wasn't drinking her own urine.   Father Renz's account of his first visit on September 24, 1975, found Anneliese to be quite normal on that first day, with "nothing that would have indicated any possession." Nevertheless, he performed the standard rite of exorcism because he had been requested to do so by his fellow priests and the family, including the perfectly aware and lucid Annaliese herself. The ritual involves a fixed sequence of prescribed prayers, followed by direct questioning of the demons, and culminates in direct commands for them to get the fuck out!   In the course of the ritual, Anneliese's behavior changed. Calm, cool, and collected at first, her body began to shake violently, and she screamed and squirmed as she was held down by three men to prevent her from biting or kicking others. Sprinkling her with holy water elicited screams, and she occasionally demanded the priest stop doing this. But with many "fuck you's and suck my dicks" involved. The whole session lasted five and a half hours. At the end of it, a very awake and functioning Anneliese said they should have continued because she felt that the exorcism was just pissing off the demons. She fully recalled everything that happened, but her words and deeds hadn't come from her.   In Anneliese's case, she retained the memory of what occurred when the others took over her body, but it is unclear to what extent she knew what they thought. As for herself, she felt her own personality suppressed in what she called a "hole," while she helplessly watched what the other entities did to her body and said with her mouth. This would seem to be an authentic, and therefore rare, case of split personality since she did not simply alter her behavior, but rather her actual self co-existed with these other personalities. It would seem, then, that there was more than one mental subject or person in Anneliese's body. Like a weird, less fun mental apartment building.   We may learn something about the nature of these other personas from the recordings of the exorcism sessions. They emit hideous screams, growls, and moans and speak in a deep, hoarse voice, uttering curses and mocking the exorcist. But, on the other hand, they seem to understand Latin, though a traditionalist Catholic girl might be expected to know some Latin. Especially when they come from a family as devout as hers. Every now and then, they give evidence of understanding more advanced phrases, like when Father Renz says, "Ut discedas ab hac famula Dei Anneliese," meaning, "May you depart from this handmaid of God Anneliese,." Annaliese's reply, "No, no, she belongs to me…."   Would you like to hear some of these recordings? Fuck yes, you would. So here ya go... but do me a favor. Turn those lights off... let's get REALLY creepy.   (PLAY RECORDING)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3aI8kpHxDM   Renz tested the linguistic ability of the demonic-speaking person by questioning it in Chinese. The demon would not oblige this obvious search for proof of its nature and later said, "If you want to ask something, ask it in German," but followed with a taunt, "But I do too understand it." Finally, however, the demon responded to a Dutch question, "Is there anything in your family that has any relation to the case and should not become public?" The answer: "There is nothing like that."    Ok, the demon speaks dutch, german, and Latin but not Chinese. Got it.   As another test, Father Renz filled five bottles with water, some with tap water and others with holy water. Though the bottles were unmarked, the "demons" somehow knew to scream only when the holy water was used.   A common form of engagement with the demons was to recite prayers or Biblical readings to test their response. They hated any invocation of St. Michael the Archangel and seemed to fear the Blessed Virgin Mary. They dreaded any mention of guardian angels and screamed in horror during the Litany of the Five Sacred Wounds, a fact possibly related to the appearance of stigmata. The demons claimed that they had oppressed Anneliese while she was studying for her exams, but only with heavenly permission, and that she passed her exams anyway only because the Lady willed it. Some Biblical passages left no impression on these malevolent entities, as they apparently did not recognize themselves as referenced. Mentioning the beast in Revelation 13 left them unmoved, as did the Gospel story of casting out a mute demon.   Direct questioning of the demons is a must by the Roman rite. This involves asking the names of the demons and how long they intend to keep their asses in their host. By learning the name and identity of a demon, the exorcist hopes to gain a sort of leverage or power over it. He uses this name in the formulas urging it to leave. This questioning gave up several characters, and as each name was revealed, the demon was forced to manifest its personality. We have already mentioned Judas, but there were others. There was Cain, Hitler, and Pastor Fleischmann. Again, these are names of men, not of demons. Cain said very little, while Hitler only offered some muffled 'Heils.' Judas said of Hitler, "He, he only has a big mouth but nothing to say," which could mean he was stripped of all power.   The Pastor Fleischmann character was based on an obscure medieval priest in distant Ettleben, where father Alt was now pastor. According to the parish records, this Fleischmann was a womanizer, drunkard, and brute who had beaten a man and a woman nearly to death. When father Alt visited the Michels in the fall of 1975, he mentioned to the family that a previous pastor of his parish had killed a man. At that moment, Anneliese gave a terrible scream, though they were not performing an exorcism at the time. Several weeks later, he visited Anneliese, accompanied by her boyfriend Peter, and asked her why she was frightened by the name Fleischmann, upon which she screamed again. Her face alternated between smiles and hideous contortions. She immediately apologized, "Please, don't take it too hard; I can't help it." That evening, while Fr. Renz performed the rite of exorcism, a demon identified itself as Fleischmann and gave many biographical details that Fr. Alt never mentioned in Anneliese's presence. Fr. Alt confirmed that the archivist in Würzburg had always possessed the medieval Ettleben parish records while she was in college there, so there was no way Anneliese could have seen them.   By October 4th-6th, two weeks after Fr. Renz had begun the exorcisms (performed every two days or so), the demonic personalities weakened and spoke less frequently. They rarely responded with the usual ferocity toward the ritual, yet they never left. This lethargic behavior by the alter egos, apparently bored by the exorcism yet sticking around, is atypical of possession cases, suggesting perhaps some other factor prevented these personalities from manifesting themselves. On October 7, Dr. Kehler issued another Tegretol prescription for Anneliese, and that same evening the demons returned in full force, even uttering a hoarse scream and high-pitched laugh simultaneously. This reinforces the suspicion that the prescription drugs may have been having an effect, though it is unclear whether they enhanced or suppressed demonic manifestations.   Still, a taped conversation between Fr. Renz and a doped-up Anneliese that evening makes clear that she was coherent most of the time and was even studying for her exams. Her mother and sister Barbara insisted she had no more physical problems, except for the jerking motion during the exorcisms. She did not try to attack people anymore, and though her appetite was weak, Anneliese insisted that the demons were not preventing her from eating. However, she slept on the floor; otherwise, the demons would force her to sit in bed. Her torments were now purely psychological, she stated, "with that frightful anxiety, with a mood of annihilation." She said she has had this feeling since the tenth grade, and it is now weakening her memory and her concentration. She felt sick if she tried to go to Church, and her mysterious tormentor caused her pain when the sign of the cross was made over her during the exorcism. When asked where he was, she replied, "That differs. Usually, he is all around, but sometimes either back there or down low."    On October 13, a strange new development occurred. Anneliese began receiving messages from the Virgin Mary. At first, she and her family were skeptical of this, which she wrote down in a diary, suspecting a demonic trick. Yet the demons cursed the writings, attributing them to the Virgin by indicating a religious portrait.   Upon learning of Anneliese's written messages, Father Renz thought of Barbara Weigand, a seer from Schippach who was respected by the Michels and had a similar practice of writing heavenly messages. Renz offered Anneliese a copy of Weigand's writings, and immediately her notes from the Virgin encouraged her to complete the mission of the deceased woman. That woman's sufferings inspired Anneliese to perceive meaning in her own torments, and on October 29, she wrote that Barbara Weigand told her she must suffer a great deal.   Regarding these visions, Anneliese said, "I don't hear voices, exactly. I am only given to understand." Though she depicts the visitations with visual imagery, she writes, "I see nothing." Thus these inspirations cannot be adequately attributed to auditory or visual hallucinations, the ordinary signs of schizophrenia. Instead, they were purely spiritual or intellectual in nature.   By October 16, Anneliese received messages from the Blessed Virgin that she would "become entirely free in October," a Marian month. However, she was also told that a terrible judgment was coming, and even the demons attested to this, saying it would be "worse than the last two" (presumably the world wars), and would take place in Europe. So now the demons were predicting a new world war. Jeesh.   Anneliese was also repeatedly visited by the spirit of Father Roth's nephew, who died at the beginning of the month. He told her he was in Heaven and there to encourage her in her tribulations.   She also recorded messages supposedly from Christ, though she repeatedly expressed doubts and fears that these messages might be tricks by the devil. In one message, she was told, "You will become a great saint," and was forced to cry to prove that she heard correctly. In another, the "Savior" tells her: "You are going to get married, Anneliese… In this one way you are not going to be like Barbara Weigand. But you are going to be like her in every other way, in suffering and in sacrifice…."    In the last week of October, Anneliese continued to receive mesages from "the Savior," urging her to bear her suffering patiently for the salvation of other souls. The presence of the Blessed Virgin was also apparent, as the demons claimed during the October 29 exorcism that she ordered them to leave by Friday, October 31. This is confirmed in Anneliese's diary entry on the 29th.   Accordingly, everyone expected that the demons would be driven out on October 31. That morning, Dr. Kehler wrote another Tegretol prescription. Father Renz then conducted an exceptionally long exorcism, preserving four and a half hours of it on audio tape. Some notable points were:   Early in the session, Anneliese shrieks in her own voice, saying, "We are not leaving." Later, she uses a low growling demonic voice to taunt the priest and resist him. The demons, which now include Cain, Judas, Lucifer, Nero, and Fleischmann, try to stall for time, saying they have the "Lady's" permission to stay and that they will not leave until ten o'clock, one after the other. Then there's a message from the Virgin: "She is happy about all of you. Because you kept on praying. You are to continue as much as you can." When everyone there began to pray, they were forced to stop because of an especially horrific, nausea-inducing bout of screaming. At ten o'clock, each demon departed (though with shit ton of verbal resistance and screaming), saying "Hail Mary full of grace," as commanded by the priest upon exiting. The human personages admit their crimes in life, and Lucifer is the last to depart. With all the demons gone by 10:40 pm, everyone sings the Te Deum in German to celebrate.   The success of the exorcism is short-lived, however. As the priest and family start to sing a Marian hymn, a demonic growl and scream interrupt them, saying, "I have not gone out yet." This demon will not give his name, saying he had not revealed his presence before. Father Renz continues trying to cast him out for three more hours, but the fucker refused to go.   Despite the persistence of this less talkative "demon," Anneliese was able to return to school a week later, cram for an examination, and pass with a good grade. Most of the time, however, she seemed apathetic, according to her classmates, though she was attentive and pleasant to them.   Anneliese continued to receive communications from "the Savior," strongly encouraging her to be patient, to pray for herself and others, to keep a humble silence, to trust in His grace with steadfastness, to struggle against temptation and not to judge others. "I will give you my grace. You will be true unto death."    On a November 9 exorcism session, the demon identifies himself as Judas, saying that he and four others returned shortly after being expelled, with the Lady's permission. For the rest of the year, Anneliese continued leading a double life and renewed her Tegretol prescriptions. She rarely demonstrated demonic behavior outside of exorcism sessions at her family's home. She continued her studies at Würzburg, with most of her school companions utterly unaware of her state of "possession." On one occasion in January, however, Anneliese's face contorted, and she struck her boyfriend, Peter. She returned to normal after he threw holy water on her, at her request.   The exorcism sessions in January were shorter (around two hours), as the demon was more subdued and just bored participating. In a tape-recorded session on February 1, Anneliese told Father Renz that she had recently begun to experience compulsions, so she was no longer permitted to eat or to cover herself from the cold. She felt that her prayers were unheard and that her suffering for the sake of others was far more difficult than she expected. She also felt the need to bang her head against the wall, strip, and go to bed. Sometimes the voices were verbal, like a sweet voice telling her that she must always wear the same pair of shoes.   On March 3, Anneliese had an episode of stiffness when trying to visit home, so she stayed in Würzburg. She was unresponsive to yet, another exorcism. However, she soon recovered, started eating more food, resumed her studies, and was examined by the school's general practitioner Dr. Wolfert on the 9th. She told him about her epileptic history but not about her possession. He thought she appeared exhausted yet "psychologically normal," and he renewed her Tegretol prescription.   In early April, while visiting home, Anneliese begged Thea Hein to promise to tell her if anyone thought of sending her to a physician. She also warned that there would soon be a powerful burning stench, and immediately they both smelled an unbearable stench in the car that endured for ten minutes after opening the windows.   On the night of April 13, the Tuesday before Easter, Anneliese felt the urge to stay kneeling in the school's chapel until the next morning. The following day, however, she could discuss her thesis with her advisor, exhibiting sound critical thinking when talking about relevant literature.   On the night of April 15 (Holy Thursday), Anneliese felt a terror and a great weight pushing down on her while kneeling in the Church to pray. She believed she was experiencing "the death agony of the Savior," and felt the pains of the stigmata. At the end of the Good Friday service the following day, Anneliese remained standing rigidly for hours, unable to move. The next day, her sister Roswitha came to nurse her as she lay in bed. Anneliese would become rigid again whenever someone tried to get her out of bed and dress to go home to Klingenberg.   By the last week of April, Anneliese had again started refusing to eat. Some friends suggested calling a physician, but she wouldn't do it. None of them were aware of the possession or exorcisms except Anna Lippert, who called Father Renz and Father Alt on April 30, after Anneliese had started screaming loudly. On the morning of May 1, she was her usual self again, casually chatting with Roswitha and Peter over breakfast. When Father Alt arrived that day, Anneliese asked him if she could work on her thesis at the parish house in Ettleben, so he would be on hand to perform an exorcism if needed. On the way to Ettleben, she told Peter that she had told Father Alt that her suffering would be over in July.   That afternoon, Anneliese urged Peter to let her see the renovated Church. Once inside, her face stiffened, and she became emotionless. When Peter tried to move her, she felt too heavy. Just like on April 15, a short prayer was enough to snap her out of it, but she returned to her state when she was brought to bed. In the early days of May, she got worse, refusing to eat, sleep, or even lie in her bed. Roswitha and a local elderly woman were soon summoned to help care for Anneliese while the parish housekeeper prepared meals. Roswitha injured her foot a week later, so the Michels brought Anneliese home to Klingenberg on May 10.   In Klingenberg, Anneliese's condition continued to worsen. She raged, screamed, struggled violently (requiring at least two men to hold her down), struck, and bit herself. Father Renz repeatedly visited to recite the exorcism rite, but no demons responded. During some sessions, she would exhibit compulsive behaviors, such as constantly kneeling and rising hundreds of times. Finally, on May 20, she could stay coherent for five hours, dictating a four-page outline of her thesis. Other than those moments, she was incapable of ordinary conversation.   The only physician to see Anneliese in this weakened state was Dr. Richard Roth, a friend of Father Alt who visited on May 30. Dr. Roth would later testify that he showed up out of scientific curiosity, not as a physician. On June 2, Father Renz reported to the Bishop that Anneliese's left cheek was severely swollen and had bruises around her eyes from her self-inflicted blows. Dr. Roth denied seeing any of these injuries. However, his testimony was inconsistent and implausible on several points, and he was likely trying to exonerate himself from a charge of criminal negligence.   According to the other witnesses in the house (the Michels, Peter, and the priests), Dr. Roth did see Anneliese from the front, remarking on her stigmata wounds, and afterward promised to Fr. Alt that he would come in case of a medical emergency. He suggested treatments for her bruises but considered her general condition untreatable by a physician, allegedly saying, "There are no injections against the devil." We must say that Dr. Roth was a reasonably respected physician, published in medical journals, and had no prior attachment to belief in exorcism. However, his new experience with exorcism led him to start going to Church.   On June 8, the last time Fr. Alt saw Anneliese, she had a sunken face from malnourishment. However, she drank fruit juices and milk, according to her parents, and on one occasion drank nearly two liters. When they tried to force-feed her, she would spit out the food or firmly press her lips. In addition, she chipped her teeth from biting the wall, repeatedly bit herself, and struck at others.   Meanwhile, the exorcisms were consistently unsuccessful in getting demons to speak. Instead of intelligible words, Anneliese repeatedly made mechanically unnatural-sounding voices taped on June 7. Fr. Renz later believed to be a "penance possession," where the possessed endures suffering in reparation of someone else's sins. Yet, he admitted he could not understand the meaning of the penance.   By June 18, Anneliese's injuries had healed, except for an open sore on her knee and nosebleeds from rubbing. Nevertheless, she still compulsively knelt and rose dozens of times until exhausted. She screamed and raged in bed, even as her mother attempted impromptu exorcism prayers. She still had many cognitive periods when she could converse normally with her family and Peter. She told them she expected all would be over by July and repeatedly told them not to call a doctor. On the last such occasion, on June 30, she told Roswitha that a physician could not help her and feared being sent to the state mental institution at Lohr, where she did not belong.   On June 27, Anneliese had a fever, but it subsided after cold compresses were applied. She refused to have a physician visit, although her father did call Dr. Roth to write another note extending her leave from school. Before the exorcism on June 30, her temperature was measured at 38.9oC (102.0oF). During one exorcism rite, she insisted on repeatedly kneeling, though her family cushioned her movements, placing a pillow on the floor. Her last words to Fr. Renz were, "Please, absolution," requesting the absolution part of the rite, which he then gave. With the rite completed, Peter and Fr. Renz left, while her parents remained with Anneliese. Anna Michel went to bed a short while afterward. Anneliese then started screaming and throwing herself around. Her father was still in the room, and as it was midnight, he told her that he commanded the demons to leave in the father's name since it was now July and they had to leave, so she could recover. After that, she turned quietly on her right side and went to sleep.   The following morning, at seven o'clock, Mr. Michel looked into Anneliese's room and saw her apparently sleeping, so he headed out to work. An hour later, his wife called and told him that Anneliese was dead.   Damn…. What an ordeal. The previous information was taken from an exceptional article(albeit a little biased at times) from arcane knowledge.org   The autopsy report declared the cause of death "advanced emaciation" due to severe malnutrition and dehydration. When asked why medical intervention had not been sought, Father Alt stated that he never considered the woman dangerously ill and that if he had, he would've immediately called for medical assistance.   Like a bitch, Father Renz said, "The exorcism ritual expressly states that the clergymen should not burden themselves with medical matters." In this, Father Renz was correct, as the rite of exorcism they were using at the time, the 1614 "De exorcizandis obsessis a daemonio" from the Rituale Romanum, said nothing about the priest's responsibilities for the physical well-being of the possessed. Instead, it suggested, "The exorcist should guard against giving or recommending any medicine to the patient, but should leave this care to physicians." In the case of Anneliese Michel, there were no physicians. One would expect that good judgment (if not pity) would have motivated the priests to act. Father Renz testified that he had written to the Bishop before Annaliese's death that her condition was deteriorating but had received no response. Bishop Stengl explained that neither he nor Father Rodewyk had any direct contact with Anneliese or her parents during the nine months of exorcisms and were unaware that she was not receiving medical treatment.   Author and cultural anthropologist Felicitas Goodman argued, "There is sufficient evidence to support the contention that Anneliese was indeed not sick, that she was not an epileptic, that what looked to the uninformed like symptoms of a disease were actually manifestations of a religious experience". These mystical or religious experiences are known as altered states of consciousness (ASC), periods of wakefulness that are pretty different from normal. Some have disagreed with Goodman's claim saying there was sufficient evidence that Anneliese did not have temporal lobe epilepsy. Goodman's argument seems predicated on the fact that multiple EEGs, in addition to the autopsy report after her death, failed to indicate anything abnormal with Anneliese's temporal lobe: she had no anatomical defects, tumors, or scarring. However, this is not unusual. In roughly one in four cases of temporal lobe epilepsy, the cause remains unknown. Many factors may cause temporal lobe epilepsy, including infections such as encephalitis or meningitis, malformations of the blood vessels in the brain, or genetic mutations.   Additionally, there is reason to believe that Anneliese may not have taken her medication as prescribed. This is something Goodman contradicts herself on, stating that "Anneliese continued taking the drugs conscientiously." "Roswitha remembers that Anneliese often took less than the three tablets per day (of Tegretol) when her prescription was beginning to run out, and then made up for it as soon as it was renewed by taking more than the prescribed dosage." If this were true, the question of why despite the anticonvulsants and the mood stabilizers, Anneliese's behavior and mental state continued to decline, and she continued to have seizures, becomes less mysterious.    The following is a description of the trial that followed from a 1978 Washington Post article:   When she died, Anneliese weighed 68 pounds. The autopsy report said that her death was caused by the malnutrition and dehydration that resulted from almost a year of semi-starvation during the rites.   The state prosecutor, after an investigation, said the women's death could have been prevented even one week before she died. Instead, he charged all four defendants with negligent homicide for failing to call a medical doctor.   A series of doctors who have testified at the trial have all told the court that the woman died of a combination of epilepsy, mental disorders and an extremely religious environment which, in the words of Professor Hans Sattes of Wuertzburg University, added up to "a spiritual sickness and heavy psychic disturbance.   Both priests have told the court they remain convinced that the woman was possessed and that her death finally freed her. The parents also remain confident that she was possessed, but not that she was released. The parents ordered their daughter's body exhumed from her grave after they said a nun told them she had a vision that their daughter's body was still intact, proof of the possession.   The exhumation, which authorities said showed normal body decay, was attended by hundreds of curious spectators, and the trial also drew intense interest.   Throughout the trial, Anneliese's father, 60-year-old Josef Michel, sat impassively, his stocky frame tilted close to a unique amplifier to help him hear. His wife, Anna, 57, took notes steadily, pausing only to moan, "Oh, dear God," when some doctor alleged that her daughter was possessed of a mental disorder rather than the devil.   The priests were defended by church-paid lawyers. The parents were defended by one of Germany's top lawyers, Erich Schmidt-Leichner, who has also defended numerous persons in Nazi war crimes trials.   Schmidt-Leichner has claimed that exorcism is legal and that the German constitution protects citizens in the free exercise of their religious beliefs.   The accused were convicted of "negligent homicide" and were given suspended prison sentences in April 1978 and were "ordered to share the costs of the proceedings." The sentences have been described as "stiffer" than requested by the prosecutor, who had asked that the priests only be fined and that the parents be found guilty but not punished. The Church approving such an old-fashioned exorcism rite drew public and media attention. According to John M. Duffey, the case was a misidentification of mental illness. One more little fun fact: On June 6, 2013, a fire broke out in the house where Anneliese Michel lived, and although the local police said it was a case of arson, some locals attributed it to the exorcism case!!!   Movies about possession   https://www.ranker.com/list/best-demonic-posession-movies/ranker-horror

Dave Brisbin 5.29.22 In 1205, Francesco Bernardone, Francis of Assisi to us, had another worldview shattering moment. After a series of shattering events including being held prisoner of war and becoming deathly ill led him to renounce his father's wealth and reconfirm his faith, he was praying in the crumbling chapel called San Damiano. In a vision, the painting of Jesus on the wooden panel cross spoke, telling him to rebuild God's house, church, because it was falling into ruin. Young Francis took the words as literally as most of us would have and began repairing the broken structure of San Damiano. He missed the metaphor that seems obvious now, but some moments are so shattering to our view of the world and our place in it, that they seem to require an immediate response. Francis did what was available and knowable, but after a few more such shattering moments, it wasn't what he did, but who he became—in poverty, humility, humor, and connection to all living things—that reminded those in a wealthy and powerful church who Jesus was and what they were supposed to be reflecting. To be honest, Francis didn't change institutional Catholicism any more than Jesus changed institutional Judaism a millennium before. But both of them provided the model and permission for those within the institution to have equally shattering and transforming moments of their own. At the end of his life a millennium before Jesus, Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes that all the wealth, power, fame, and pleasure he has amassed as king of Israel is meaningless, striving after the wind. Death levels the playing field and wipes out physical accomplishment. True meaning flows to us only when we are present enough to enjoy who we are, what we are doing, and whom we are with at any given moment. An Ecclesiastes moment is a world and ego shattering epiphany that whittles us down past obsession with accomplishment and control to the liberation of pure presence. Most likely, we'll need a series of them to break through, because until we see all meaning contained in just one continuous moment, we are not free enough to live it abundantly.

Dave Brisbin 5.29.22 In 1205, Francesco Bernardone, Francis of Assisi to us, had another worldview shattering moment. After a series of shattering events including being held prisoner of war and becoming deathly ill led him to renounce his father's wealth and reconfirm his faith, he was praying in the crumbling chapel called San Damiano. In a vision, the painting of Jesus on the wooden panel cross spoke, telling him to rebuild God's house, church, because it was falling into ruin. Young Francis took the words as literally as most of us would have and began repairing the broken structure of San Damiano. He missed the metaphor that seems obvious now, but some moments are so shattering to our view of the world and our place in it, that they seem to require an immediate response. Francis did what was available and knowable, but after a few more such shattering moments, it wasn't what he did, but who he became—in poverty, humility, humor, and connection to all living things—that reminded those in a wealthy and powerful church who Jesus was and what they were supposed to be reflecting. To be honest, Francis didn't change institutional Catholicism any more than Jesus changed institutional Judaism a millennium before. But both of them provided the model and permission for those within the institution to have equally shattering and transforming moments of their own. At the end of his life a millennium before Jesus, Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes that all the wealth, power, fame, and pleasure he has amassed as king of Israel is meaningless, striving after the wind. Death levels the playing field and wipes out physical accomplishment. True meaning flows to us only when we are present enough to enjoy who we are, what we are doing, and whom we are with at any given moment. An Ecclesiastes moment is a world and ego shattering epiphany that whittles us down past obsession with accomplishment and control to the liberation of pure presence. Most likely, we'll need a series of them to break through, because until we see all meaning contained in just one continuous moment, we are not free enough to live it abundantly.

In tying in with this season's theme of "Intentional Comfort," and the mini series on "Finding Home," I'm excited to share about how finding and honoring your heart's second home. The idea of having homes beyond the physical place you dwell is one that hit me in about 2004, when I attended a retreat at San Damiano in Danville, CA. It became clear to me that some places feel like home, usually because of the community or the connection I had to them. In this episode, I'm sharing a few of those places, what they mean to me, and how you can also find and honor your heart's second home. Read the full show notes on my website.  Resources Laura Joyce Davis on Jump Start Your Joy, talking about Shelter in Place San Damiano Retreat in Danville, CA Kennolyn Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains The Sea Ranch UC Santa Barbara Sign up to receive the Jump Start Your Joy newsletter Follow Jump Start Your Joy on Apple Podcasts Love the show, and what to show your support? Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll give you a shout out on the next episode.

Full Text of ReadingsAsh Wednesday Lectionary: 219All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaAgnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Ich bin immer wieder sehr überrascht und erfreut, was das Engagement Einzelner erreichen und bewegen kann. Ein Beispiel haben wir am Samstag erlebt. In einem Studientag hat uns eine Frau mit einer Begeisterung und Fachkenntnis die Heilige Klara von Assisi nähergebracht, dass wir angesteckt worden sind von ihrer Fachkenntnis und Liebe zu ihr. Nicht das wir nichts zu ihr gewusst hätten. Als Franziskanerinnen sind wir schon viele Jahre mit Leben und Werk dieser großen Frau beschäftigt. Aber unsere Referentin hatte sich einen anderen Aspekt ausgesucht: es ging um Klara und die Frauenfreundschaften in San Damiano zu Beginn des 13. Jahrhunderts. Mit wachsender Begeisterung hat sie über die verschiedenen Frauen erzählt, die mit Klara gegründet, gelebt, gelitten und einen weiblichen Aufbruch in der Kirche jener Zeit bewirkt haben. Von Bona und Pacifica, von der leiblichen Schwester Klaras, Agnes von Assisi und von Agnes von Prag, die sie nie getroffen hat aber als geistliche Schwester in sehr spirituellen Briefen begleitet, getröstet und gestärkt hat. Und am Nachmittag hat uns unsere Referentin von ihrem eigenen Engagement erzählt. Vom neu entstandenen ersten Klarapilgerweg Europas in Elspe im Sauerland, von der Zusammenarbeit mit vielen Frauen, die sich ebenso für diese Heilige begeistert haben, von den vielen Pilgergruppen und Einzelpilgern, die im vergangenen Jahr schon diesen Weg gegangen sind und sehr bewegt worden sind, vom neu entstandenen und liebevoll gestalteten Pilgerinnen-Café am Endpunkt des Weges mitten im Ort, von der Erarbeitung einer fünften Station und dem inhaltlichen Konzept dafür und von der Idee, den Innenraum der zu renovierenden Pfarrkirche etwas weiblicher zu gestalten und eine Ikone mit dem Bild der hl. Klara malen zu lassen. Die Begeisterung unserer Referentin hat immer größere Kreise gezogen und sie ist selber überrascht davon. Vielleicht können Sie und ich uns heute mal fragen, wovon wir so begeistert und angetan sind, dass unser Engagement Kreise zieht und immer mehr Menschen sich angesprochen fühlen und sich mit einsetzen.

Hour 3 of The Drew Mariani Show on 2-9-22 Father Jonathan St. Andre tells us about the San Damiano Cross and what it means

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 501All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of AssisiBorn Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare, and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare's departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Caterina and Clare in peace. Saint Francis himself gave Clare's sister the name Agnes, because she was gentle like a young lamb. Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the strict penances that characterized the Poor Ladies' lives at San Damiano. In 1221, a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli near Florence asked to become Poor Ladies. Saint Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other monasteries of Poor Ladies in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253, as Clare lay dying. Three months later Agnes followed Clare in death, and was canonized in 1753. Reflection God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives. Saint of the DayCopyright Franciscan Media

Reading is delivered by Evangeline Lavinia Koordi and meditation is delivered by Mark Jason Garcia from Saint John Bosco Church in Jakarta, Indonesia. Jonah 1: 1-17; 2: 10; Mazmur tg Jonah 2: 2.3.4.5.8; Luke 10: 25-37 EVERYTHING WILL BE GOOD IF THERE IS PEACE The theme for our meditation today is: Everything will be Good When There is Peace. As we celebrate today around the world the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, we can agree that this saint is an outstanding promoter of peace. Just as every time in the celebration of the Eucharist we rejoice in sharing the peace of Christ, we can also do the same when we participate in the message of peace from Saint Francis. His lifestyle proves very clear about the presence of God who brings peace to mankind. Saint Francis' whole life that embodied poverty and detachment from the world possessions, and then immersed himself in the universe, is truly a source of a constant flow of peaceful energy. His experience of God's peace obtained through the manifestation of the Divine power and glory in nature was truly inevitable. His humble appearance made anyone who saw and met him overwhelmed with peace. To this moment, the place where Saint Francis left off, namely the City of Assisi, is considered the door of peace for the whole world. The Holy Father once a year invites all world leaders to celebrate the world day of peace in this city, which is located in central Italy. Saint Francis is a peacemaker. He composed a prayer to be recited and sung, which until now is widely known, namely "Lord, make me a channel of Your love and peace". Through this prayer, Francis wants to teach us to give answers, solutions, and instructions from God to the problems and difficulties faced in this world. This seems to be very connected with his own experience when he was first called by God. Once, while he was praying in a heavily damaged church of San Damiano, the crucified Jesus moved and greeted Francis. Jesus Christ made a request that Francis should repair the damaged church. The situation of the Catholic Church throughout the world at that time was very chaotic, because war and secularization were growing so rapidly. The Church San Damiano until now has been one of the important sites in the City of Assisi to which pilgrims from all over the world would often come to visit. So Saint Francis brought the same peace that Jesus commanded His apostles. That peace is the joy of the gospel to be preached to people from all walks of life. People who accept the message of peace can admit it or reject it. But for the followers of Christ who imitate Saint Francis of Assisi, have a duty to bring peace and receive peace that they deserve. Every act of peace that we experience offers us the presence of Jesus Christ who becomes the light and way for our whole life. The good Samaritan in the story of Jesus' parable, provides an example of an act that fosters and strengthens peace. Peace is restored when justice and love are practiced. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... Our good and loving Father, we ask You to make us always bearers of peace and joy of the Gospel to the world. Glory to the Father and to the Son... In the name of the Father... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Francis of Assisi Lectionary: 461All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Francis of AssisiThe patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit, and without a sense of self-importance. Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.” From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, “Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis became the totally poor and humble workman. He must have suspected a deeper meaning to “build up my house.” But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor “nothing” man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up all his possessions, piling even his clothes before his earthly father—who was demanding restitution for Francis' “gifts” to the poor—so that he would be totally free to say, “Our Father in heaven.” He was, for a time, considered to be a religious fanatic, begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, evoking sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking. Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

Bacaan dibawakan oleh Elisabeth Wellan dan renungan dibawakan oleh Petrus Kanisius Kebaowolo, dari Gereja St. Agustinus, Paroki Karawaci, Keuskupan Agung Jakarta. Yunus 1: 1-17; 2: 10; Mazmur tg: Yunus 2: 2.3.4.5.8; Lukas 10: 25-37 SEMUA BAIK KALAU ADA DAMAI Tema renungan kita pada hari ini ialah: Semua Baik Kalau Ada Damai. Ketika pada hari ini kita semua di seluruh dunia merayakan kenangan akan Santo Fransiskus dari Assisi, kita dapat sepakat bahwa orang kudus ini identik dengan perdamaian. Seperti setiap kali di dalam perayaan Ekaristi kita bersuka cita berbagi damai Kristus, kita juga dapat melakukan yang sama ketika mengalami suka cita perdamaian dari Fransiskus. Semangat hidupnya menjadi bukti nyata kehadiran Tuhan yang membawa damai. Seluruh hidup Fransiskus yang menonjolkan kemiskinan atau melepaskan diri dari keterikatan dengan harta dunia, lalu mengikatkan diri dengan alam semesta, sungguh menjadi sumber aliran energi damai yang tidak henti. Pengalaman akan damai Tuhan yang diperoleh melalui ungkapan kuasa dan kemuliaan-Nya di dalam alam sungguh tak terelakkan. Penampilan dirinya yang sungguh dina, membuat siapa pun yang melihat dan bertemu dengannya akan dibuat menjadi damai. Sampai detik ini, tempat peninggalan Fransiskus, yaitu Assisi, dapat dianggap sebagai pintu damai bagi seluruh dunia. Paus mengundang semua pemimpin dunia untuk merayakan hari perdamaian dunia di kota Assisi, di Italia bagian tengah ini sekali setahun. Fransiskus adalah pembawa damai. Ia mengarang sebuah doa untuk didaraskan dan dinyanyikan, yang sampai saat ini dikenal luas, yaitu “Tuhan, jadikanlah aku saluran kasih dan damai-Mu”. Dengan mendoakan ini, Fransiskus ingin mengajarkan kita supaya menjadi jawaban, solusi, dan petunjuk dari Tuhan atas persoalan dan masalah yang dihadapi di dalam dunia ini. Ini nampaknya dihubungkan dengan pengalaman bagaimana Fransiskus untuk pertama kali dipanggil Tuhan. Ketika sedang berdoa di dalam gereja San Damiano yang sedang rusak berat, Yesus yang tersalib bergerak dan menyapa Fransiskus. Permintaan Yesus ialah supaya Fransiskus memperbaiki gereja itu. Suasana kehidupan Gereja seluruh dunia pada waktu itu amat kacau dengan perselisihan, perang dan sekularisasi yang tumbuh begitu pesatnya. Maka Santo Fransiskus membawa damai yang sama dengan yang diperintahkan Yesus kepada para rasul-Nya. Damai itu adalah suka cita Injil untuk diwartakan kepada orang-orang yang ditemui dan yang menjadi bagian dari hidup para utusan Tuhan. Orang-orang yang menerima salam damai itu bisa menerima, bisa juga menolaknya. Tetapi kita yang adalah pengikut Kristus dan yang meneladani Santo Fransiskus Assisi, memiliki kewajiban untuk membawa damai dan menerima damai. Setiap perbuatan damai yang kita alami menghadirkan Yesus Kristus yang menjadi terang dan jalan bagi seluruh hidup kita. Orang Samaria yang baik hati dalam cerita perumpamaan Yesus menunjukkan suatu contoh perbuatan yang menumbuhkan dan memperkuat damai. Damai tercipta karena keadilan dan kasih dipraktikkan. Marilah kita berdoa. Dalam nama Bapa... Ya Bapa maha murah, jadikanlah kami selalu pembawa damai dan suka cita Injil. Kemuliaan... Dalam nama Bapa... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Saint Francis of Assisi audiobook"Lord make me an instrument of Your Peace!" Saint Francis appeals to every aspect of humanity. He is Gospel"Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most powerful Saints of our Church. Lenin, one of the founders of the Communist Revolution, said on his deathbed, "If we had had one hundred Francis' of Assisi, the revolution would have been successful."Come with us to Assisi, the land of Saint Francis. No matter where you go there, you can feel Saint Francis and Saint Clare.See many of his Miracles. Visit the Portziuncola, first Franciscan Church, the Convent of San Damiano where the Crucifix spoke to Francis, when he asked, "What do you want of me Lord"  and Jesus replied,"Go and rebuild my Church which you can see, is in ruins."Visit the Hermitage, where Francis went to meditate and hear the Lord's words. Come to his Basilica and visit his tomb.Learn about the Stigmata, how it came about, and what effect it had on the rest of Saint Francis' life. Come with him as he returned to the Convent of San Damiano and Sister Clare, who cared for him. See his life and death as depicted by the many murals in the upper Basilica.Learn about Saint Francis. We need him especially today.More about Saint Francis of AssisiJourneys of Faith Bob and Penny Lord's StoreJourneys of Faith Blog Subscribe to our Free Blog Easy PeasyBob and Penny Lord TV Channel Miracles of the Eucharist, Apparitions of Mary, and lives of the Saints videos on demand.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bobandpennylord?fan_landing=true)

Ancora una volta sulla via Fulvia dove Asti si fa campagna, allungandosi in frazioni e località puntellate di architetture interessanti, immerse nel verde.Il giro di Viatosto è la passeggiata preferita dagli astigiani.Il castello di Cisterna d'Asti è stato occupato! E, alle porte di San Damiano, la Torre di Batibò, un affascinante antico casale, un po' dimora signorile e un po' castello. Incontriamo Jacopo Durandi, titolare di una delle sette aziende del progetto “Bottega del Monferrato Autentico”, nato per valorizzare prodotti e produttori.

7 minute podcast by Dr. Italy discussing the two churches rebuilt by St. Francis that still stand in Assisi, his home town.  To be visited on his upcoming pilgrimage to Italy.

TESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜ http://www.bastabugie.it/it/articoli.php?id=6553I FRANCESCANI CHE HANNO COMBATTUTO PER CRISTO di Roberto de MatteiI serafini sono il primo coro della gerarchia angelica, gli angeli più vicini al trono divino, dove cantano incessantemente la gloria di Dio. Lo spirito serafico è un ardente amore di Dio che si esprime però in quello spirito di pace, tranquillità e letizia che ha caratterizzato soprattutto san Francesco, il "padre serafico" per eccellenza e i suoi discepoli.Lo spirito serafico che caratterizza la Chiesa trionfante, non è in contrasto con lo spirito guerriero che caratterizza la Chiesa militante. La vita del cristiano infatti è lotta. Il combattimento cristiano, è prima di tutto un atteggiamento spirituale, che comprende la possibilità della guerra giusta e perfino della "guerra santa".Questi concetti vengono riportati alla luce da un bel volume, di cui consiglio la lettura, che ha per titolo: Guerrieri serafici. [...]I due autori ricompongono un binomio troppo a lungo separato nell'ultimo mezzo secolo: la guerra e la santità. Si tratta di una raccolta di racconti di pace e di guerra, non fantasiosi, ma autentici. Le storie dei "guerrieri serafici" sono rigorosamente basate sui documenti, anche se presentate nella maniera avvincente che si addice ai romanzi. Alla fine di ogni racconto, il lettore trova una nota bibliografica che gli permette di controllare e approfondire le vicende narrate.Si parte dall'incontro di san Francesco d'Assisi, con il sultano Al Khamil, durante la Quinta Crociata. I due sacerdoti, basandosi sulle fonti francescane, ricostruiscono il colloquio tra Francesco e il Sultano, che rimase profondamente colpito dal coraggio con cui il santo di Assisi lo invitava alla conversione. La milizia serafica era di ordine spirituale, ma Francesco era un santo dal cuore guerriero e l'impegno costante dei francescani nelle crociate - dal XIII al XVII secolo - si colloca interamente sulla scia dello spirito del Fondatore.Un cuore altrettanto forte mostrò santa Chiara, che fece fronte all'assalto dei saraceni al convento di San Damiano ad Assisi nel 1239.Contro i musulmani giganteggiano poi san Giovanni da Capestrano, condottiero a settant'anni dell'esercito cristiano a Belgrado (1456), e il padre Anselmo da Pietramelara, il cappuccino che con forza soprannaturale salvò la nave ammiraglia pontificia a Lepanto (1571). Singolare e affascinante è la figura di padre Angelo di Joyeuse, che uscì dal chiostro per salvare la Francia dagli Ugonotti. Egli era, al secolo, il duca Enrico di Joyeuse, un valoroso gentiluomo della corte di Enrico III, sposato con la virtuosa Catherine de Nogaret de La Valette, figlia del duca di Epernon. Quando la moglie morì prematuramente, Enrico voltò le spalle al mondo ed entrò in un convento di cappuccini, con il nome di padre Angelo. Qualche anno dopo, mentre la Francia era insanguinata dalla guerra religiosa, la Lega cattolica si trovò senza un capo. Ci si rivolse a lui: nessuno, quanto l' ex-duca di Joyeuse, aveva tanta autorità e conoscenza dell'arte di militare e di governo. Un breve del papa Innocenzo IX, che autorizzava il cappuccino ad uscire dal convento, sciolse i suoi ultimi dubbi. Padre Angelo divenne il capo della Lega Cattolica, combatté, vinse, negoziò l'accordo con Enrico IV, fu creato maresciallo e Pari di Francia, e infine, nel 1599, ritornò nel suo convento. Ebbe fama di grande predicatore e direttore spirituale e morì il 28 settembre 1608 a Rivoli.Grazie a un altro cappuccino, san Lorenzo da Brindisi, nell'ottobre del 1601 la vittoria contro i Turchi arrise alle forze cristiane ad Albareale, città fortificata nella bassa Ungheria, dove erano incoronati i sovrani magiari. Cappuccino fu anche il beato Marco d'Aviano, che animò e guidò i combattenti cristiani nella liberazione di Vienna del 1686.Meno conosciuto è il francescano fra Luka Ibrišimović, soprannominato "il Falco", un frate croato che, il 12 marzo 1680, spada in una mano, rosario nell'altra, sconfisse i turchi sulla collina di Sokolovac vicino a Požega, storica capitale della Slavonia, in Croazia. Oggi davanti alla cattedrale della cittadina, un monumento eretto nel 1893 lo raffigura mentre vittorioso calpesta la mezzaluna islamica.Poco note sono anche le incredibili avventure del francescano Fra Gereon Goldmann, veterano della Wehrmacht, che nel 1943, non ancora sacerdote, assicurò i conforti religiosi a migliaia di feriti. La sua autobiografia è stata tradotta in italiano con il titolo Missione SS. Un frate tra i nazisti (San Paolo, Milano 2008), ma il titolo è improprio, visto che Fra Gereon fu espulso dalle SS per la sua fede cattolica e divenne un membro della resistenza tedesca contro Hitler.A mò di conclusione i due autori pongono san Massimiliano Maria Kolbe e la Milizia dell'Immacolata fondata a Roma nel 1917 per combattere la massoneria e tutti i nemici della Chiesa. Essi ne raccolgono lo spirito in questo libro dedicato "a tutti coloro che lavorano e soffrono per la ricostruzione di un francescanesimo militante sotto le insegne dell'Immacolata".La Chiesa non ha mai professato il pacifismo. Oggi si confonde la pace, che è l'ordine della legge naturale e divina, con il pacifismo, che è un atteggiamento di rinuncia alla Verità e alla lotta per affermarla. Pacifici, ma non pacifisti, furono i guerrieri serafici: guerrieri senza odio, guerrieri mossi dall'amore di Dio e pronti per questo amore a fare l'olocausto della propria vita.Oggi più che mai abbiamo bisogno di guerrieri disposti a combattere e a morire per Cristo in un mondo che gli volta le spalle.Nota di BastaBugie: il libro di cui si parla nell'articolo è Guerrieri serafici (Tabula Fati, Chieti 2021). Il libro è dovuto alla penna di due giovani sacerdoti francescani, padre Ambrogio Maria Canavesi e padre Lorenzo Maria Waszkiewicz, italiano il primo, polacco il secondo, ottimamente ferrati entrambi nelle scienze storiche.Per ordinare il libro, clicca qui! https://www.edizionitabulafati.it/guerrieriserafici.htm

Common Threads- A San Damiano Capstone Project - On this segment of Faith in Action co-hosts Brigid Ayer and Jim Ganley are joined by Marian University students Hannah Yowler and Colleen R. Schena to talk about their passion project Common Threads clothing ministry a project of the San Damiano Scholars Capstone Project. They talk about their struggles and joys launching the project amidst the ongoing pandemic and how it is helping their community. To learn more, the email address is commonthreads15@gmail.com

Welcome back as we continue our virtual pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy. Our Host, Mary Jane Fox introduces us to St. Clare and San Damiano. Did St. Clare come from humble beginnings? Was she friends with St. Francis? What is the significance of the San Damiano crucifix? We learn about this and much more! JEWELFORTHEJOURNEY Blessed be you O God for having created me! – St. Clare of Assisi Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Saint Francis of Assisi audiobook"Lord make me an instrument of Your Peace!" Saint Francis appeals to every aspect of humanity. He is Gospel"Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most powerful Saints of our Church. Lenin, one of the founders of the Communist Revolution, said on his deathbed, "If we had had one hundred Francis' of Assisi, the revolution would have been successful."Come with us to Assisi, the land of Saint Francis. No matter where you go there, you can feel Saint Francis and Saint Clare.See many of his Miracles. Visit the Portziuncola, first Franciscan Church, the Convent of San Damiano where the Crucifix spoke to Francis, when he asked, "What do you want of me Lord" and Jesus replied,"Go and rebuild my Church which you can see, is in ruins."Visit the Hermitage, where Francis went to meditate and hear the Lord's words. Come to his Basilica and visit his tomb.Learn about the Stigmata, how it came about, and what effect it had on the rest of Saint Francis' life. Come with him as he returned to the Convent of San Damiano and Sister Clare, who cared for him. See his life and death as depicted by the many murals in the upper Basilica.https://bobandpennylord.store/search?q=francis+of+assisiLearn about Saint Francis. We need him especially today.Support the show (https://bobandpennylord.store/pages/contact-us)

TESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜ http://www.filmgarantiti.it/it/articoli.php?id=32L'ESORCISMO DI EMILY ROSE (2005) ***** di Rino CamilleriAnneliese Michel, questo il vero nome, acconsentì alla richiesta della Madonna di espiare i peccati dei giovani tedeschi e dei sacerdoti: tale espiazione consistette nelle sofferenze della possessione demoniacaLa storia che oggi raccontiamo [...] si svolse ai tempi di Paolo VI e scosse la Germania, anche se praticamente non ne superò i confini. Data l'epoca sessantottarda, la Chiesa stessa ne fu imbarazzata e la cosa finì lì. Si trattava infatti di una indemoniata, Anneliese Michel, che morì nel 1976 a soli ventiquattro anni. Gli esorcisti che l'avevano trattata furono condannati in tribunale appunto perché avevano fatto il loro mestiere, mestiere che la "scienza" rubricava sotto la voce «ciarlatanerie medievali». Poco importava che la ragazza parlasse con voci maschili e diversificate, che manifestasse una forza sovrumana, che si esprimesse in aramaico e latino e greco antichi, che facesse a pezzi ogni oggetto sacro che vedeva, che avesse piaghe incurabili nei punti della Passione, che dicesse di essere posseduta dallo spirito malvagio di un personaggio storico realmente esistito ma di cui né lei né nessuno aveva mai sentito parlare. Anneliese morì il giorno esatto che aveva predetto. Ci sono molte registrazioni audio al riguardo del suo caso. Ma il tribunale sentì solo il parere dei "periti" (cioè, medici e psichiatri) e giudicò la ragazza semplicemente epilettica. Però lei i farmaci per l'epilessia li prendeva, perché il vescovo locale, correttamente, prima di autorizzare l'esorcismo si era assicurato che non si trattasse solo di un male fisico e/o psichico. L'esorcismo non si sostituì alle cure, bensì le affiancò, perché Ia "malata" manifestava fenomeni che andavano ben oltre una normale, per quanto grave, malattia. Niente, esorcisti e pure i genitori di lei vennero condannati, in pratica, per abbandono di incapace, perché, Anneliese, quando morì, era così debilitata che pesava solo trenta chili. Il caso, prevedibilmente, scatenò le solite accuse alla Chiesa. Tanto che teologi e vescovi tedeschi, intimiditi, chiesero al Papa di abolire tout court l'esorcistato. Il Vaticano si limitò a farsi consegnare l'intero dossier, e tutto finì nel silenzio. Ma del caso di Anneliese non si scordò il cinema che sfornò [...] "The Exorcísm of Emily Rose" del 1999. [...]Anneliese era la prima dei quattro figli di un falegname bavarese. Nata a Leibfing nel 1952, amava il tennis e il pianoforte. Come i suoi familiari, era cattolica e, anzi, manifestava una religiosità particolarmente accentuata: recitava il rosario, seguiva incontri di preghiera, si dice che ogni tanto dormisse sul pavimento per penitenza. Nel 1968, a sedici anni, ebbe il primo attacco epilettico che la costrinse al ricovero a Wurzburg, dove fu adeguatamente curata. Nel 1970 si aggiunse la tubercolosi e un altro ricovero, a Mittelbert. Tornata a casa, la notte cominciò a vedere volti demoniaci, a sentire un orribile fetore, a ritrovarsi col torace e le mani deformati, a non poter muoversi né parlare. Ma poteva trattarsi di forme dell'epilessia, e continuò a curarsi. Però non guariva. Così, nel 1973 la famiglia la portò in pellegrinaggio in Italia, a San Damiano nel piacentino, dove si diceva che nel 1961 era apparsa la Madonna a Rosa Quattrini. La Chiesa non ha riconosciuto queste apparizioni né si sa se mai lo farà, anche se i pellegrini continuano ad andarci a vedere il famoso pero fiorito miracolosamente e a bere l'acqua, anch'essa ritenuta miracolosa. Comunque, Anneliese non riuscì nemmeno a entrare nella cappella. Si bloccò, disse che sentiva il terreno bruciare. Al ritorno, sul pullman, gli altri pellegrini udirono una voce bassa e roca che proferiva maledizioni, mentre una puzza insopportabile costringeva ad aprire i finestrini.In quello stesso anno Anneliese finì il liceo e si iscrisse a Pedagogia a Wurzburg, dove si innamorò, ricambiata, di uno studente, Peter Himsel. Che non la lasciò mai, nemmeno quando si accorse che la sua ragazza ogni tanto, e sempre più spesso "dava di fuori": di punto in bianco aggrediva i compagni, urlava come una pazza, smetteva di mangiare. Una domenica, mentre lui e lei passeggiavano in campagna, Anneliese ebbe un attacco dolorosissimo del suo male. Di colpo, però, il suo viso si illuminò e lei sembrò parlare con qualcuno. Quando la "visione" svanì, il dolore era scomparso e Anneliese rivelò a Peter di aver visto la Madonna. La Vergine le aveva chiesto se accettava di farsi carico di tante anime che rischiavano la dannazione: aveva tre giorni per pensarci. Peter testimoniò in seguito tutto questo, e pure che Anneliese aveva deciso di offrire a Dio se stessa, così come avevano fatto le due mistiche tedesche a cui era molto devota, Theresa Neumann (1898-1962) e Barbara Weigand (1845-1943). La Neumann, stigmatizzata, si nutrì di sola comunione per quasi quarant'anni. La Weigand, terziara francescana, vedeva continuamente la Madonna, apparizioni che il suo vescovo riconobbe.Quanto ad Anneliese, in breve tempo le vessazioni demoniache (evidentemente, era questo il tipo di espiazione riparatoria che doveva sopportare) diventarono vere e proprie possessioni, e fu lei stessa a rivolgersi al suo confessore, Ernst Alt. Questi si rese conto che il caso era serio e chiese al vescovo di Wurzburg, Josef Stangl, il permesso di procedere con l'esorcismo. Stangl (che poi divenne Primate e nel 1977 consacrò vescovo Joseph Ratzinger) dapprima consigliò di continuare con le cure. Poi, consultata un'autorità in materia, il gesuita Adolf Rodewyk, autorizzò Alt affiancandogli l'ex missionario Arnold Renz. I due eseguirono il cosiddetto Grande Esorcismo secondo il rituale del 1614. Dal 24 settembre 1975 al 30 giugno 1976 tre volte alla settimana la povera Anneliese venne esorcizzata. Ma sempre invano. I fenomeni di cui era vittima erano spaventosi ed era difficile pure riuscire a tenerla ferma, data la forza disumana che manifestava. Quando la possessione le lasciava un po' di tregua, si metteva in ginocchio e pregava da spezzare il cuore. Ci fu un momento in cui si credette ottenuta la vittoria, tanto che Anneliese riuscì a conseguire il titolo di studio. Ma fu gioia di breve durata, perché i problemi ricominciarono peggio di prima. Il rituale prevedeva che l'esorcista chiedesse il nome del diavolo che voleva scacciare. Si presentarono in tanti, ognuno con una voce diversa. Dissero di essere Giuda, Caino, Nerone, Belial, Hitler, Legione (il demone multiplo esorcizzato da Gesù a Gerasa) e Valentin Fleischmann. Quest'ultimo destò stupore, perché nessuno sapeva chi fosse. Dopo qualche ricerca si scoprì trattarsi di un prete bavarese di Ettleben, donnaiolo e ubriacone, che nel 1575 era stato condannato per aggressione e omicidio. L'ultimo demone disse di essere addirittura Lucifero. Anneliese, comunque, non era in grado di mangiare né di dormire. Morì, infatti, di denutrizione e strapazzo. Nell'aprile del 1976 disse che sarebbe morta il primo di luglio, e così fu.Anneliese Michel, dunque, acconsentì a espiare i peccati dei giovani tedeschi e dei sacerdoti (così pare si sia espressa la Madonna), e tale espiazione consistette nelle sofferenze della possessione demoniaca? In effetti, l'epoca in cui tutto ciò accadde era quella dei "ragazzi dello zoo di Berlino" e del terrorismo della Rote Armee Fraktion (le brigate rosse tedesche). Per quanto riguarda il clero cattolico di Germania, be', ancora oggi le posizioni di non piccola parte di esso danno qualche pensiero al Vaticano. La forma di espiazione, poi, pur sconcertante, non sarebbe una novità. Il vaticanista Marco Tosatti nel 2004 ci fece un libro apposito: Santi posseduti dal demonio (Piemme), nel quale ricordò in particolare le beate Christina di Stommeln (1242-1313), Eustochio di Padova (1445-1469) e Maryam Baouardy (1846-1878). Agli esorcisti che, sfiniti, chiedevano ai demoni che infestavano la povera Anneliese perché non se ne andassero, quelli rispondevano di non potere: una forza più potente di loro lo impediva. Il che confermerebbe l'assunto: Anneliese aveva accettato di sacrificare la propria vita per evitare che molte anime si dannassero. II caso di Anneliese è tornato alla luce solo nel 1997 e dalle trascrizioni è emerso anche questo suo sfogo col padre Alt: «Ho voluto soffrire per altre persone di modo che non finiscano all'inferno. Ma non avrei mai pensato che sarebbe stato così spaventoso, così orribile». Dopo la sua morte, una suora carmelitana rivelò ai coniugi Michel che la figlia le era apparsa in sogno. Sulla scorta di quel sogno, nel 1978 il corpo di Anneliese venne riesumato e ci fu chi disse che era rimasto incorrotto. Ma, a parte questa voce, nulla è mai trapelato. Così, la parola passò al cinema. Ma questo, quando non ha le autorizzazioni necessarie, deve cambiare nomi e contesto, col risultato che lo spettatore non saprà mai se sta assistendo a un film horror o no, e a poco serve scrivere nei titoli di coda «ispirato a un fatto realmente accaduto». Un eventuale iter di beatificazione per Anneliese Michel dovrebbe riportare alla luce l'intera vicenda, ma qual vescovo tedesco, oggi, avrebbe voglia di finire sotto ai riflettori per una storia di diavoli, possessioni ed esorcismi?Rino CammilleriFonte: Il Timone, maggio 2014

TESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜http://www.bastabugie.it/it/articoli.php?id=5984OMELIA V DOMENICA DI PASQUA - ANNO A (Gv 14,1-12)San Francesco, quando era alla ricerca della via da percorrere, quando voleva sapere cosa Dio voleva da lui, entrò nella chiesetta di San Damiano e pregò intensamente davanti ad un Crocifisso. Con tutto il suo cuore voleva sapere quella che era la volontà di Dio su di lui e, miracolosamente, Gesù parlò e disse: «Francesco, va', ripara la mia Casa, che, come vedi, va tutta in rovina» (FF 1334). San Francesco pensò che si trattasse della rovina materiale delle mura di quella chiesetta e, con tanta buona volontà, si mise a restaurarle. Poi si mise a restaurare altre due chiese, quella della Porziuncola e quella di San Pietro, nei pressi di Assisi. In seguito, san Francesco comprese che la missione a lui affidata da Dio era diversa, più profonda: era quella di restaurare la Chiesa di cui i cristiani sono le pietre vive. Allora egli non andò più in cerca di pietre materiali, ma si mise a predicare per città e villaggi, alternando periodi di ritiro negli eremi a periodi di intensa attività apostolica. In questo modo, san Francesco ricondusse molti a Cristo, risvegliando in altri il fervore che si era ormai spento. In poche parole, egli ridiede un volto cristiano a una società che si era allontanata dalla retta via.Questo tema è messo in luce dalla seconda lettura di oggi. San Pietro lo afferma chiaramente: «Quali pietre vive siete costruiti anche voi come edificio spirituale» (1Pt 2,5). Gesù è la «pietra d'angolo» (1Pt 2,7), ovvero la pietra fondamentale per dare stabilità all'intera costruzione. Questa pietra era stata scartata dai costruttori ed ora è divenuta «sasso d'inciampo, pietra di scandalo» (1Pt 2,8) per tutti quelli che rifiutano il Vangelo. Per essere utilizzati nella costruzione di questo edificio, le pietre devono essere lavorate e ben squadrate. Questo lavoro è iniziato con il Battesimo, per mezzo di esso siamo divenuti pietre vive, e deve continuare durante tutta la nostra vita. Ogni giorno dobbiamo uniformarci a Gesù Cristo, dobbiamo assomigliargli sempre di più. Ogni pietra che non risponde a questi requisiti viene scartata: abbiamo tempo fino al termine della nostra vita.Accogliendo la Parola di Dio e mettendola in pratica, noi siamo sempre più perfezionati e resi idonei ad essere utilizzati in questa costruzione. È necessaria la predicazione; per questo motivo, nella Chiesa primitiva, furono istituiti di Diaconi, i quali si impegnavano nel servizio della carità, dando così la possibilità agli Apostoli di dedicarsi interamente al servizio della Parola, ovvero alla predicazione, e alla preghiera. Furono scelti sette Diaconi. Gli Apostoli, vista la gran mole di lavoro che gravava sulle loro sole spalle, così dissero alla Comunità: «Non è giusto che noi lasciamo da parte la parola di Dio per servire alle mense. Dunque, fratelli, cercate fra voi sette uomini di buona reputazione, pieni di Spirito e di sapienza, ai quali affideremo questo incarico. Noi, invece, ci dedicheremo alla preghiera e al servizio della Parola» (At 6,1-7). Non è giusto che nella Chiesa vengano sacrificati gli aspetti della preghiera e della predicazione, che sono i più importanti, per una attività che rischia di diventare un "vuoto attivismo". Le parole che abbiamo ascoltate sono particolarmente valide ai nostri giorni, nei quali il valore della vita interiore non è molto compreso e, molto spesso, si apprezza solo l'attività sociale. Senza la preghiera, l'attività caritativa si trasforma in una promozione umana.Nella Chiesa, la predicazione deve avere un obiettivo principale: quello di indicare al mondo Cristo che è l'unica via che conduce al Padre, è l'unica verità a cui aderire, ed è l'unica vita delle anime nostre. Gesù lo afferma chiaramente, dicendo ai suoi Apostoli: «Io sono la via, la verità e la vita. Nessuno viene al Padre se non per mezzo di me» (Gv 14,6). Seguendo i suoi esempi non possiamo sbagliare strada, giungeremo al posto che Egli, il nostro Salvatore, è andato a prepararci, secondo quanto ci dice nel Vangelo: «Quando sarò andato e vi avrò preparato un posto, verrò di nuovo e vi prenderò con me, perché dove sono io siate anche voi» (Gv 14,3). La morale cristiana consiste nel seguire le orme di Gesù, nell'imitarlo, nel comportarci come Lui si è comportato. Osservando la morale cristiana, insegnata infallibilmente dalla Chiesa, noi siamo certi di arrivare alla Vita eterna. Il Signore verrà a prenderci, secondo la sua promessa, e ci condurrà dove è la nostra dimora eterna.Gesù, inoltre, è l'unica verità a cui credere. Non ci sono diverse verità, come se ciò fosse solo una cosa soggettiva. Gesù dice a ciascuno di noi e a tutti gli uomini del mondo: «credete in me: io sono nel Padre e il Padre è in me» (Gv 14,11). Per essere cristiani non basta comportarsi bene, bisogna pure credere a tutto quello che la Chiesa ci insegna nel suo Magistero.In questo modo, osservando la morale evangelica e credendo ai dogmi di fede, noi realizzeremo le parole che Gesù disse agli Apostoli: «chi crede in me, anch'egli compirà le opere che io compio e ne compirà di più grandi di queste, perché io vado al Padre» (Gv 14,12). Sembra incredibile, ma Gesù dice chiaramente che faremo opere più grandi di quelle da Lui compiute su questa terra. Ciò si spiega per il fatto che Gesù è andato al Padre, ovvero è stato glorificato, e agisce per mezzo dei cristiani con la potenza della sua divinità. Questo significa che, con l'Ascensione al cielo, Gesù non ha diminuito il potere di operare su questa terra, ma lo ha di molto aumentato.Prima dell'Ascensione, quando era su questa terra, la sua azione era circoscritta ad un solo popolo, quello Ebraico; ora, per mezzo della Chiesa, Gesù raggiunge e abbraccia il mondo intero. Egli rende partecipe la Chiesa di quelli che sono i suoi poteri, continua ad operare miracoli e, soprattutto, continua a convertire i cuori, servendosi del servizio dei suoi ministri.Quanto più saremo simili a Gesù, tanto più si realizzeranno le parole che abbiamo udito nel Vangelo: «Chi ha visto me, ha visto il Padre» (Gv 14,9). Gesù è una sola cosa con il Padre, in quanto è il Figlio, della stessa sostanza del Padre, la seconda Persona della Santissima Trinità. Noi, creati ad immagine e somiglianza di Dio, rifletteremo la sua luce nella misura della nostra bontà. Un pellegrino che si era recato ad Ars per conoscere il parroco di quel paese che era san Giovanni Maria Vianney, dopo averlo incontrato, così esclamò: «Ho visto Dio in un uomo». Il Signore vuole che questo si possa dire anche di noi. Se saremo buoni di cuore, non mediocri ma santi cristiani, compiremo l'opera più bella ed importante: mostreremo Dio al mondo.

X° puntata, martedì 6 aprile 2020 | Le ultime parole. Regola e Testamento di Santa Chiara d’Assisi Incontro con la “indegna serva di Cristo e pianticella del beatissimo Padre Francesco”, fondatrice delle Suore Povere di San Damiano. Pochi passi nella sua vita e nelle sue parole. Letture da La forma di vita (nota come Regola) e dal Testamentum (1252 o 1253). Ascolto musicale: Opus di Ryuichi Sakamoto, dall’album BTTB Back to the Basics (Sony, 1999)

Adattamento e messa in voce di Gaetano Marino Il Bobbia disse fra di sé: - Voglio vedere se è vero, o no! - E si mise in agguato sul canto di San Damiano. Crescioni stava là di faccia: c'era il lume alla finestra. Verso le nove, come gli avevano detto, eccoti la Carlotta che passava il ponte, colle sottane in mano, e infilava la porta di Crescioni. Vi andava proprio in gala, quella sfacciata! Allora - sangue di Diana!... In quattro salti la raggiunse in cima al pianerottolo, ché lei volava su per le scale; e Crescioni se li vide capitar dentro in mazzo, Carlotta e il suo uomo, acciuffati pei capelli.

Il Bobbia disse fra di sé: - Voglio vedere se è vero, o no! - E si mise in agguato sul canto di San Damiano. Crescioni stava là di faccia: c'era il lume alla finestra. Verso le nove, come gli avevano detto, eccoti la Carlotta che passava il ponte, colle sottane in mano, e infilava la porta di Crescioni. Vi andava proprio in gala, quella sfacciata! Allora - sangue di Diana!... In quattro salti la raggiunse in cima al pianerottolo, ché lei volava su per le scale; e Crescioni se li vide capitar dentro in mazzo, Carlotta e il suo uomo, acciuffati pei capelli.

Psalm 122:1-2 NLT 'I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.' Like the pilgrims in Israel who made their journey to Jerusalem, we consider making our approach to the incarnation with expectation and joy. A sleeping world is about to be woken from its godless stupor and face the reality that God is alive and desires friendship with humanity. I love the whole process of pilgrimage, from preparation through the journey right up to the point of arrival. While there is an objective in the arrival point, this is not the primary focus of the pilgrimage. Pilgrimage works at three levels. The first, obviously, the destination. My favourite place is to journey to San Damiano in Assisi. This the church where St Francis heard God’s call and in response began building stone upon stone seeking to obey God’s command “Build my church”. Later St Francis handed it over to a community of like-minded women, led by St Clare. However, destination though important, must be accompanied by my intention for this pilgrimage. The journey is primarily about what it is I am processing between myself and God. I have usually formulated a question within my heart which is my purpose in pilgrimage. Many voices will interact with that question from my own inner thoughts, both good and bad, to those of the pilgrims I walk beside, people who have no clue of the question I am carrying within. Yet often God’s wisdom will be found within such random conversations with people I shall never meet again. Finally, there is the purpose God has for me in making this pilgrimage. Often my question, so important and pressing at the start of my pilgrimage, fades, even dies, as I discern God’s question. This cuts to the very core of who I am and I often discover the real fruit and purpose for this pilgrimage. QUESTION: Will you treat Advent like a pilgrimage this year and consider what question you want to carry, and invite God to answer? PRAYER: I have experienced Christmas many times, but rather than sleepwalk into another, I invite you to journey with me and make this feast new and fresh.

San Francisco de Asís (en italiano San Francesco d’Assisi, nacido Giovanni di Pietro Bernardone; Asís, 1181/11825?-ibidem, 3 de octubre de 1226)1? es un santo umbro (italiano), diácono, y fundador de la Orden Franciscana, de una segunda orden conocida como Hermanas Clarisas y una tercera conocida como tercera orden seglar, todas surgidas bajo la autoridad de la Iglesia católica en la Edad Media. Destaca como una de las grandes figuras de la espiritualidad en la historia de la cristianidad.? De ser hijo de un rico comerciante de la ciudad en su juventud, pasó a vivir bajo la más estricta pobreza y observancia de los Evangelios. En Egipto, intentó infructuosamente la conversión de los musulmanes al cristianismo.11? Su vida religiosa fue austera y simple, por lo que animaba a sus seguidores a hacerlo de igual manera. Tal forma de vivir no fue aceptada por algunos de los nuevos miembros de la orden mientras ésta crecía; aun así, Francisco no fue reticente a una reorganización. Es el primer caso conocido en la historia de estigmatizaciones visibles y externas.12? Fue canonizado por la Iglesia católica en 1228, y su festividad se celebra el 4 de octubre.? En italiano es conocido también como il poverello d'Assisi, es decir, 'el pobrecillo de Asís'. En el siglo XII se hicieron cambios fundamentales en la sociedad de la época: el comienzo de las Cruzadas y el incremento demográfico, entre otros motivos, influyeron en el incremento del comercio y el desarrollo de las ciudades. La economía seguía teniendo su base fundamental en el campo dominado por el modo de producción feudal, pero los excedentes de su producción se canalizaban con mayor dinamismo que en la Alta Edad Media. Aunque todavía no se estaba produciendo una clara transición del feudalismo al capitalismo y los estamentos privilegiados (nobleza y clero) seguían siendo los dominantes, como lo fueron hasta la Edad Contemporánea, los burgueses (artesanos, mercaderes, profesionales liberales y hombres de negocios) comenzaban a tener posibilidades de ascenso social, y el comercio y la Banca crecían dominados por el constante afán de lucro.13? La Iglesia, protagonista de ese tiempo, también se vio influida por la nueva riqueza: no eran pocas las críticas a algunos de sus ministros que se preocupaban más por el crecimiento patrimonial y sus relaciones políticas de conveniencia. Debido a ello, diversos movimientos religiosos surgieron en rechazo a la creciente opulencia de la jerarquía eclesiástica en esa época, o se dedicaron a vivir más de acuerdo con los postulados de una vida pobre y evangélica.? Algunos de ellos medraron afuera de la institución y vivieron a su manera; tales movimientos fueron condenados hasta el punto de considerarlos herejes, como el caso de los cátaros que predicaban entre otras cosas el rechazo al mundo material, a los sacramentos, a las imágenes y a la cruz.15? En cambio, otras organizaciones —como las creadas por san Francisco de Asís y santo Domingo de Guzmán— nacieron bajo sumisión a la autoridad católica y sus miembros fueron conocidos con el nombre genérico de «monjes mendicantes».? Este movimiento extremó la práctica del voto de pobreza: sus miembros ya no vivían del trabajo de las tierras como el Císter reformado por san Bernardo de Claraval, sino que renunciaban incluso a poseer bienes propios. Así, las órdenes mendicantes terminaron por desempeñar un papel de primer orden en la vida de la Iglesia,? al lograr que la mayoría de los católicos se alejase de la búsqueda de la opulencia, algo que tornaría en el siglo XIV. Francisco de Asís nació bajo el nombre de Giovanni. Sus padres fueron Pietro Bernardone dei Moriconi y Donna Pica Bourlemont, provenzal; tuvo al menos un hermano más, de nombre Angelo.16? Su padre era un próspero comerciante de telas que formaba parte de la burguesía de Asís y que viajaba constantemente a Francia a las ferias locales. Entre algunas versiones, fue la afición a esta tierra por lo que su padre lo apodó después como Francesco o el francesito; también es probable que el pequeño fuera conocido más adelante de este modo por su afición a la lengua francesa y los cantos de los trovadores.17? Francisco recibió la educación regular de la época, en la que aprendió latín. De joven se caracterizó por su vida despreocupada: no tenía reparos en hacer gastos cuando andaba en compañía de sus amigos, en sus correrías periódicas, ni en dar pródigas limosnas; como cualquier hijo de un potentado tenía ambiciones de ser exitoso. En sus años juveniles la ciudad ya estaba envuelta en conflictos para reclamar su autonomía del Sacro Imperio. En 1197 lograron quitarse la autoridad germánica, pero desde 1201 se enfrascaron en otra guerra contra Perusa (Perugia), apoyada por los nobles desterrados de Asís. En la batalla de Ponte San Giovanni, en noviembre de 1202, Francisco fue hecho prisionero y estuvo cautivo por lo menos un año. Desde 1198 el pontificado se hallaba en conflicto con el Imperio, y Francisco formó parte del ejército papal bajo las órdenes de Gualterio de Brienne contra los germanos. De acuerdo con los relatos, fue en un viaje a Apulia (1205)? mientras marchaba a pelear, cuando durante la noche escuchó una voz que le recomendaba regresar a Asís. Así lo hizo y volvió ante la sorpresa de quienes lo vieron, siempre jovial pero envuelto ahora en meditaciones solitarias. Empezó a mostrar una conducta de desapego a lo terrenal. Un día en que se mostró en un estado de quietud y paz sus amigos le preguntaron si estaba pensando en casarse, a lo que él respondió: Estais en lo correcto, pienso casarme, y la mujer con la que pienso comprometerme es tan noble, tan rica, tan buena, que ninguno de vosotros visteis otra igual.21? Hasta ese momento todavía no sabía él mismo exactamente el camino que había de tomar de ahí en adelante; fue después de reflexiones y oraciones que supo que la dama a quien se refería era la Pobreza. El punto culminante de su transformación se dio cuando convivió con los leprosos, a quienes tiempo antes le parecía extremadamente amargo mirar. ?Se dedicó después a la reconstrucción de la capilla de San Damián. Según los relatos, lo hizo después de haber visto al crucifijo de esta iglesia decirle: Francisco, vete y repara mi iglesia, que se está cayendo en ruinas. Entonces decidió vender el caballo y las mercancías de su padre en Foligno, regresó a San Damián con lo ganado y se lo ofreció al sacerdote, pero este lo rechazó. Su padre, al darse cuenta de la conducta de su hijo, fue enojado en su búsqueda, pero Francisco estaba escondido y no lo halló. Un mes después fue él mismo el que decidió encarar a su padre. En el camino a su casa, las personas con que se encontró lo recibieron mal y, creyéndolo un lunático, le lanzaron piedras y lodo. Su padre lo reprendió severamente, tanto que lo encadenó y lo encerró en un calabozo. ? Al ausentarse el airado padre por los negocios, la madre lo liberó de las cadenas. Cuando regresó, fue ella quien recibió las reprimendas del señor de la casa, y fue otra vez en búsqueda del muchacho a San Damián, pero Francisco se plantó con calma y le reafirmó que enfrentaría cualquier cosa por amor a Cristo. Pietro Bernardone, más preocupado por lo perdido de su patrimonio,24? acudió a las autoridades civiles a forzarlo a presentarse, pero el joven rehusó hacerlo con el argumento de no pertenecer ya a la jurisdicción civil, por lo que las autoridades dejaron el caso en manos de la Iglesia. Francisco se sometió al llamado de la autoridad eclesial. Ante el requerimiento de devolver el dinero frente a su padre y al obispo de Asís, de nombre Guido, no sólo lo hizo, sino que se despojó de todas sus vestimentas ante los jueces, proclamando a Dios desde ese momento como su verdadero Padre. Ante esto, el obispo lo abrazó y le envolvió con su manto. No se sabe con certeza cuántas iglesias en ruinas o deterioradas reconstruyó; entre ellas, a la que más estima tenía era la capilla de la Porciúncula (“la partecita”, llamada así porque estaba junto a una construcción mayor). Allí fue donde recibió la revelación definitiva de su misión, probablemente el 24 de febrero de 1208,? cuando escuchó estas palabras del Evangelio: No lleven monedero, ni bolsón, ni sandalias, ni se detengan a visitar a conocidos... (Lc., 10).? Así, cambió su afán de reconstruir las iglesias por la vida austera y la prédica del Evangelio. Después de someterse a las burlas de quienes lo veían vestido casi de trapos, ahora su mensaje era escuchado con atención, y al contrario de otros grupos reformadores de la época, el suyo no era un mensaje de descalificaciones ni anatemas. En unos meses sus discípulos eran once: Bernardo di Quintavalle, Pedro Catani, Gil, Morico, Bárbaro, Sabatino, Bernardo Vigilante, Juan de San Constanzo, Angelo Tancredo, Felipe y Giovanni de la Capella. Bajo la pobreza que Francisco predicaba y pedía, los frailes hacían sus labores diarias atendiendo leprosos, empleándose en faenas humildes para los monasterios y casas particulares, y trabajando para granjeros. Pero las necesidades cotidianas hacían la colecta de limosna inevitable, labor que Francisco alentaba con alegría por haber elegido el camino de la pobreza. Comenzó también la expansión del mensaje evangélico, y para ello los estimuló a viajar de dos en dos. Hacia abril o mayo de 1209,30? Francisco se decidió a presentarse ante el papa Inocencio III, para que le aprobara la primera regla de la Orden. Con ese fin, él y sus acompañantes emprendieron el viaje a Roma. Fue bajo la intervención del obispo Guido de Asís como pudo tener audiencia con el papa. Éste y ciertos cardenales objetaban el programa franciscano por el peligro de crear otra organización nueva, debido a los movimientos anticlericales de la época y a la falta de una mínima base material de la orden; pero bajo la influencia del cardenal Juan de San Pablo y su apoyo, Francisco pudo tener una nueva audiencia para que se considerara la aprobación de su hermandad de pobres. El papa por fin aprobó la regla verbalmente, al convencerse de que la ayuda de un hombre como Francisco reforzaría la imagen de la Iglesia con su prédica y su práctica del Evangelio. No se conoce el contenido de esta primera regla.? Fue por esta época (seis años después de su conversión según Celano)32? cuando fundó, junto a Clara de Asís, la llamada segunda orden. Camino de vuelta a Asís, él y sus acompañantes se ubicaron en un lugar llamado Rivotorto, donde consolidaron sus principios de vivir en la pobreza, conviviendo entre los campesinos locales y atendiendo a leprosos; desde entonces se hacían llamar a sí mismos Hermanos Menores o Frailes Menores (el nombre fundacional de la congregación es Ordo Fratrum Minorum, abreviado O.F.M.). Después de la estadía en Rivotorto, buscó una sede para su orden; para ello pidió la ayuda del obispo Guido, pero no consiguió respuesta favorable. Fue un abad benedictino del Monte Subasio quien le ofreció la capilla de la Porciúncula y un terreno adyacente (propiamente la partecita, la porcioncita). Francisco aceptó, pero no como un regalo, sino que pagaba como renta canastas con peces.? Francisco dando un sermón a las aves, según fresco de Giotto en la Basílica dedicada al santo. Dentro del ánimo de la época de los viajes hacia el Este, hizo un intento de ir a Siria para la expansión del Evangelio en la tierra de los llamados «infieles». Esto sucedió probablemente a finales del año 1212 y nuevamente dos años más tarde. Ambas empresas se frustraron. Antes de 1215 el número de frailes se había incrementado, no sólo en Italia sino en el sur de Francia y en los reinos de España. Viajaban los franciscanos de dos en dos y convivían con la gente común; además, establecían ermitas en las afueras de las ciudades.? Durante el Concilio de Letrán de 1215, la organización adquirió un fuerte estatus legal; en ese año se decretó que toda nueva orden debía adoptar la Regla de San Benito o la de San Agustín. Para los Frailes Menores no hubo necesidad de esto, por haber sido aceptados seis años antes (aunque de palabra y no oficialmente). En este concilio el papa Inocencio III tomó la letra Tau como símbolo de conversión y señal de la cruz;36? de ahí en adelante el poverello fue devoto de este símbolo. En esa época, el cardenal Hugolino les ofreció a él y a Domingo de Guzmán la posibilidad de formar cardenales de las filas de sus órdenes. Francisco, según las crónicas de Tomás de Celano, acorde con sus principios respondió: «Eminencia: mis hermanos son llamados frailes menores, y ellos no intentan convertirse en mayores. Su vocación les enseña a permanecer siempre en condición humilde. Mantenedlos así, aún en contra de su voluntad, si Vuestra Eminencia los considera útiles para la Iglesia. Y nunca, os lo ruego, les permitáis convertirse en prelados». Bajo el pontificado de Honorio III en 1216, se promovió la indulgencia plenaria a favor de todo aquel que visitara la iglesia de Santa María de los Ángeles de Porciúncula. Obtuvo Francisco esa gracia del papa para que la peregrinación se realizara una vez al año, pero bajo fuerte oposición, puesto que pocos lugares podían disfrutar de tan alto privilegio.? Desde el año 121740? organizó capítulos en el que los Frailes Menores se reunían para intercambiar experiencias; para la organización apropiada de los territorios en que los frailes se habían dispersado, organizó también provincias de evangelización.4 Hacia el capítulo de 1219, la orden tuvo sus primeras disensiones respecto de las normas de pobreza dictadas por Francisco. Algunos persuadieron al cardenal Hugolino para que hablara con él, a fin de que la orden fuera dirigida por hermanos «más sabios»? y de acuerdo con reglas como la de San Benito, a lo que el poverello se opuso recalcando la forma de vida de humildad y simplicidad. La innovación que brotó de este encuentro fue la organización de misiones a las llamadas «tierras paganas». En 1219 se embarcó hacia el oriente, pasando por Chipre, San Juan de Acre y Damieta en el delta del Nilo, donde los cruzados estaban bajo la orden del duque Leopoldo VI de Austria. Allí, Francisco los previno de que había sido alertado por Dios de que no realizaran ningún ataque; ante sus palabras, los soldados se burlaron de él. El resultado de la siguiente batalla fue un desastre para los cruzados. Continuó su estadía y el aprecio hacia su persona crecía, incluso algunos caballeros abandonaron las armas para convertirse en frailes menores. Tomó como misión la conversión de los musulmanes. Para ello se acompañó del hermano Illuminato para adentrarse en esas tierras; al encontrarse con los primeros soldados sarracenos fue golpeado, pero inmediatamente pidió ser llevado ante el sultán de Egipto al-Malik al-Kamil. Según las crónicas de Buenaventura, el poverello, en su afán de convertirlo al cristianismo, invitó a los ministros religiosos musulmanes a entrar con él en una gran fogata (equivalente a una ordalía o prueba del fuego), para así demostrar qué religión era la verdadera; los mulás rehuyeron la propuesta. Francisco ofreció entrar solo y retó al Sultán a que, si salía ileso, se convertiría al cristianismo e incitaría a su pueblo a hacerlo; el príncipe rechazó también esa posibilidad. Al final, sus pretensiones se frustraron.? En reconocimiento, el sultán de Egipto entregó a Francisco un cuerno de marfil finamente tallado que habría oficiado de pasaporte en tierras musulmanas y que se conserva en la Basílica de Asís. Tiempo después, Francisco obtuvo del sultán al-Mu'azzam de Damasco, hermano de al-Malik, permiso solo para visitar Siria y Tierra Santa. La orden, durante su ausencia, sufrió una crisis: hubo disensiones, falta de organización y desacuerdos con la ruda vida diaria. El rumor sobre la muerte de Francisco en el Oriente dio pie a implantar reformas, entre ellas ciertas medidas disciplinarias, ayunos e incluso la institución de una casa de estudio en Bolonia; muchos consideraron estos cambios contrarios a la idea original del fundador. Enterado de estos sucesos, Francisco fue ante el papa Honorio III y le rogó que designara al cardenal Hugolino para reorganizar la orden. Las nuevas disposiciones tuvieron un nuevo Ministro General, Elías Bombarone, y una nueva regla, la de 1221 (Regla no bulada) que entre otros temas trató el año de noviciado, la prohibición del vagabundeo y de la desobediencia ante órdenes contrarias a los principios franciscanos. Ante el incremento de las vocaciones y el peligro de inclusión de gente de dudosa vocación espiritual, nació la llamada Tercera Orden, para permitir a hombres y mujeres laicos vivir el Evangelio tras las huellas de Francisco. Obtuvo su estatus legal en 1221 también con la ayuda del cardenal Hugolino. Es en posteriores escritos como se rescata su contenido, porque el original se perdió. Consistía de trece capítulos en los que se reglamentaba la santificación personal de los terciarios, su vida social y la organización de la nueva fraternidad. Bajo influencia nuevamente de este cardenal, la orden reabrió el convento de Bolonia para el estudio, a pesar de la convicción de Francisco de la primacía de la oración y la prédica de los Evangelios por sobre la educación formal. Bajo la insistencia de ministros de la orden, fue obligado a redactar una nueva regla, ya que ciertos opositores a la entonces vigente consideraban que le faltaba consistencia y definición, y que eso le impedía obtener una definitiva aprobación por parte de la Santa Sede. Nuevamente aceptó las exigencias. Para ello se retiró dos veces a la ermita de Fonte Colombo cerca de Rieti, a redactar una definitiva regla bajo ayuno y oración.? El 29 de noviembre de 1223, con otra participación del cardenal Hugolino, la regla tuvo su forma definitiva? y fue aprobada por el papa Honorio III. Terminada la labor de aprobación de la regla definitiva, Francisco decidió retornar a Umbría. Debido a la cercanía de la Navidad, a la que él tenía especial aprecio, quiso celebrarla de manera particular ese año de 1223; para ello convidó a un noble de la ciudad de Greccio, de nombre Juan, a festejar el nacimiento de Jesucristo en una loma rodeada de árboles y llena de cuevas de un terreno de su propiedad. Pretendió que la celebración se asemejara lo más posible a la natividad de Jesús de Nazaret, y montó un pesebre con animales y heno; pobladores y frailes de los alrededores acudieron a la misa en procesión. Allí el poverello asistió como diácono y predicó un sermón. Aunque no fue la primera celebración de este tipo, es considerada un importante acontecimiento religioso, una fiesta única. Francisco asistió en junio de 1224 a lo que fue su último capítulo general de la orden. Hacia principios de agosto decidió hacer un viaje a un lugar aislado llamado Monte Alvernia, a unos 160 kilómetros al norte de Asís; escogió para este viaje a algunos de sus compañeros: León, Angelo, Illuminato, Rufino y Masseo, a quien el poverello puso al mando del grupo. Estando en la cima, fue visitado por el conde Orlando, quien llevaba provisiones a los hermanos. Francisco le pidió construirle una cabaña a manera de celda, donde después se aisló. La oración ocupó un lugar central en la vida de Francisco; para ello buscaba la vida eremítica, el silencio y soledad interior. Reforzaba sus plegarias postrándose, ayunando, e incluso, gesticulando. En ese lugar, fray León fue testigo de los actos de su soledad: lamentos por el futuro de la orden y estados de éxtasis. Al saber que era espiado, decidió irse a un sitio más apartado en una saliente de montaña. En la fiesta de la Asunción Francisco decidió hacer un ayuno de cuarenta días. Por órdenes del poverello, fray León lo visitaba dos veces para llevarle pan y agua. Según los relatos que recogieron los testimonios de León, éste fue testigo de la aproximación y alejamiento de una bola de fuego que bajaba del cielo; por este prodigio, Francisco le comentó que algo grande estaría por ocurrir. Le hizo abrir tres veces el misal para encontrar respuesta, y las tres veces se abrió en la historia de la Pasión de Jesús. Probablemente el 14 de septiembre de 1224,54? oró para recibir dos gracias antes de morir: sentir la Pasión de Jesús, y una enfermedad larga con una muerte dolorosa. Después de intensas oraciones, entonces en un trance profundo —según relato de San Buenaventura—? el mismo Nazareno se le presentó, crucificado, rodeado por seis alas angélicas, y le imprimió las señales de la crucifixión en las manos, los pies y el costado; posteriormente, sus hermanos vieron los estigmas de Francisco, que él conservó por el resto de su vida.56? Sin embargo, Francisco —al igual que otros santos estigmatizados— hizo todo lo posible para ocultarlos a la vista de los demás por considerarse indigno, no del dolor que sentía, sino de ser portador de las señales de la Pasión de Cristo.? Por eso, fue desde entonces con las manos metidas entre las mangas del hábito, y con los pies cubiertos por medias y zapatos. Retornó a la Porciúncula acompañado sólo por León; en su camino hubo muestras de veneración al estigmatizado, aparentemente su acompañante hacía saber a todos acerca del prodigio.59? Mientras tanto, su salud —que desde mucho tiempo antes nunca fue buena del todo— empeoraba: El sangrado de sus heridas lo hacía sufrir constantemente. En el verano de 1225 pasó un tiempo en San Damián bajo el cuidado de sus allegados. Fue durante esta temporada cuando compuso el Cántico de las criaturas, que hizo también cantar a sus compañeros.? Se encaminó luego a Rieti, rodeado del entusiasmo popular por tocarlo o arrancar algún pedacito del paupérrimo sayo que vestía, y se instaló en el palacio del obispo. Después se hospedó en Fonte Colombo, donde fue sometido a tratamiento médico, que incluyó cauterizar con un hierro ardiente la zona desde la oreja hasta la altura de la ceja de uno de sus ojos; según los relatos, Francisco no sintió dolor al «platicar» con el fuego para que no lo dañara.? Otro intento para ser tratado por renombrados médicos fue hecho en Siena, sin buen resultado. Deseó volver a la Porciúncula a pasar sus últimos días. Arribó a Asís y fue llevado al palacio del obispo y resguardado por hombres armados, puesto que la localidad estaba en estado de guerra.62? En su lecho escribió su Testamento.22? En sus últimos momentos entonó nuevamente su Cántico al Hermano Sol —al que agregó un nuevo verso dedicado a la hermana Muerte— junto a Angelo y León. De acuerdo con su último deseo, fue encaminado a la Porciúncula, donde se estableció en una cabaña cercana a la capilla. Murió el 3 de octubre de 1226 a la edad de. Al emigrar de este mundo, el bienaventurado Francisco dejó impresas en su cuerpo las señales de la Pasión de Cristo. Se veían en aquellos dichosos miembros unos clavos de su misma carne, fabricados maravillosamente por el poder divino y tan connaturales a ella, que, si se les presionaba por una parte, al momento sobresalían por la otra, como si fueran nervios duros y de una sola pieza. Apareció también muy visible en su cuerpo la llaga del costado, semejante a la del costado herido del Salvador. El aspecto de los clavos era negro, parecido al hierro; mas la herida del costado era rojiza y formaba, por la contracción de la carne, una especie de círculo, presentándose a la vista como una rosa bellísima. El resto de su cuerpo, que antes, tanto por la enfermedad como por su modo natural de ser, era de color moreno, brillaba ahora con una blancura extraordinaria. Los miembros de su cuerpo se mostraban al tacto tan blandos y flexibles, que parecían haber vuelto a ser tiernos como los de la infancia. Tan pronto como se tuvo noticia del tránsito del bienaventurado Padre y se divulgó la fama del milagro de la estigmatización, el pueblo en masa acudió en seguida al lugar para ver con sus propios ojos aquel portento, que disipara toda duda de sus mentes y colmara de gozo sus corazones afectados por el dolor. Muchos ciudadanos de Asís fueron admitidos para contemplar y besar las sagradas llagas. Uno de ellos llamado Jerónimo, caballero culto y prudente además de famoso y célebre, como dudase de estas sagradas llagas, siendo incrédulo como Tomás, movió con mucho fervor y audacia los clavos y con sus propias manos tocó las manos, los pies y el costado del Santo en presencia de los hermanos y de otros ciudadanos; y resultó que, a medida que iba palpando aquellas señales auténticas de las llagas de Cristo, amputaba de su corazón y del corazón de todos la más leve herida de duda. Por lo cual desde entonces se convirtió, entre otros, en un testigo cualificado de esta verdad conocida con tanta certeza, y la confirmó bajo juramento poniendo las manos sobre los libros sagrados.64? San Buenaventura, Leyenda Mayor de San Francisco 15,4 Al día siguiente, el cortejo fúnebre se encaminó hacia San Damiano y después a San Giorgio, donde fue sepultado.65? Fue canonizado el 16 de julio de 1228. Sus restos se encuentran en la Basílica de San Francisco en Asís. Clara de Asís. Tuvo como modelo de su conversión a Francisco y lo siguió. Juntos organizaron la Segunda Orden Franciscana o hermanas clarisas. Francisco puso confianza en sus consejos.67? Jacoba de Settesoli. De ascendencia noble romana, y de carácter viril y enérgico, abrazó la vida religiosa al quedar viuda. Al igual que Clara, fue muy apreciada por Francisco.68? Masseo de Marignano. Dedicado a la guardia de las instalaciones.69? Angelo Tarlati. Un militar que dejó las armas para entrar a la orden.70? Junípero. Llamado por Clara el Juglar de Dios; de personalidad jovial, divertida y pintoresca.? Según los relatos, Francisco dijo alguna vez: «Mis hermanos, si sólo tuviera un bosque lleno de Juníperos…».72? Murió en 1258. Bernardo de Quintavalle. De los primeros seguidores de Francisco. Murió entre 1240 y 1246. Gil. Uno de los más devotos seguidores de la práctica franciscana; realizó viajes a Roma, Santiago de Compostela y Tierra Santa. Murió en 1262.74? Rufino. Primo de Clara de Asís, de ascendencia noble. De carácter tímido y temeroso de hablar en público; junto a León y Angelo, protagonista de la Leyenda de los tres Compañeros. León. Muy cercano a la vida del poverello como su confesor y secretario. Testigo de los momentos previos a la estigmatización de Francisco. Luego de recibir los estigmas, Francisco le obsequió la famosa "Bendición a fray León". Antonio de Padua. Llamado por Francisco «mi obispo». De gran erudición y facilidad de palabra. Fue proclamado Doctor de la Iglesia en 1245. Al no ser sacerdote, en vez de dar doctrina, practicaba una predicación exhortativa, esto es, incitaba a la conversión y a vivir una vida evangélica; predicaba también con el ejemplo, con su estilo de vida aliada a la pobreza. Su manera de predicar era por medio de laudas, o alabanzas, con el objetivo de llamar la atención de los hombres a honrar al Ser Supremo. Francisco de Asís, https://es.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francisco_de_As%C3%ADs&oldid=120109929 (consultado por última vez octubre 17, 2019).

Broeder Hans van Bemmel vertelt over de kerststal van het stadsklooster San Damiano in Den Bosch, die vol levensmiddelen staat. / Reportage over de tentoonstelling 'Utrecht, Caravaggio en Europa' in het Centraal Museum. / De Beschouwers van het levensbeschouwelijke nieuws zijn communicatieadviseur Eric van den Berg en twittertheoloog Alain Verheij. Zij spreken over o.a. de kerstcommercials. / Marije van den Berg vertelt over de wereldmeidenclub voor vluchtelingen. Eén keer per 14 dagen komt een aantal vluchtelingenmeiden bij hen thuis. / Miniatuur over Dominicaans Leven door Michael-Dominique Magielse, oud-journalist en dominicaan.

Ep 0030 | 4-7-17 This week on Up in Your Business, Kerry discusses Holy Week and starting a new church with Father Fred Ball of the San Damiano Catholic Ecumenical Church. To learn more visit www.upyourbusiness.org

Im Rahmen unseres diesjährigen Bibelkreis-Wochenendes im Kloster Bad Wimpfen begleitete uns Pfarrer Thomas Fritz als geistiger Leiter. Es waren sehr interessante und bereichernde Vorträge und Diskussionen. Die Vorträge möchten wir gerne auch all denen zur Verfügung stellen, die nicht dabei waren oder diese nochmals anhören möchten. ************ Weitere Informationen zu unserer lebendigen und modernen Gemeinde im nordbadischen Bruchsal erhalten Sie unter www.kath-bruchsal-michaelsberg.de Infos zu unseren Online-Predigten erhalten Sie unter www.fritzSbox.de oder unter www.predigt.online Den kostenlosen Podcast mit den aktuellsten Predigten können Sie auch abonnieren unter folgendem RSS-Feed: http://lebenmitvision.podspot.de/rss

Im Rahmen unseres diesjährigen Bibelkreis-Wochenendes im Kloster Bad Wimpfen begleitete uns Pfarrer Thomas Fritz als geistiger Leiter. Es waren sehr interessante und bereichernde Vorträge und Diskussionen. Die Vorträge möchten wir gerne auch all denen zur Verfügung stellen, die nicht dabei waren oder diese nochmals anhören möchten. ************ Weitere Informationen zu unserer lebendigen und modernen Gemeinde im nordbadischen Bruchsal erhalten Sie unter www.kath-bruchsal-michaelsberg.de Infos zu unseren Online-Predigten erhalten Sie unter www.fritzSbox.de oder unter www.predigt.online Den kostenlosen Podcast mit den aktuellsten Predigten können Sie auch abonnieren unter folgendem RSS-Feed: http://lebenmitvision.podspot.de/rss

Clara significa: "vida transparente" "El amor que no puede sufrir no es digno de ese nombre" -Santa Clara. De sus cartas: Atiende a la pobreza, la humildad y la caridad de Cristo Clara nació en Asís, Italia, en 1193. Su padre, Favarone Offeduccio, era un caballero rico y poderoso. Su madre, Ortolana, descendiente de familia noble y feudal, era una mujer muy cristiana, de ardiente piedad y de gran celo por el Señor. Desde sus primeros años Clara se vio dotada de innumerables virtudes y aunque su ambiente familiar pedía otra cosa de ella, siempre desde pequeña fue asidua a la oración y mortificación. Siempre mostró gran desagrado por las cosas del mundo y gran amor y deseo por crecer cada día en su vida espiritual. Ya en ese entonces se oía de los Hermanos Menores, como se les llamaba a los seguidores de San Francisco. Clara sentía gran compasión y gran amor por ellos, aunque tenía prohibido verles y hablarles. Ella cuidaba de ellos y les proveía enviando a una de las criadas. Le llamaba mucho la atención como los frailes gastaban su tiempo y sus energías cuidando a los leprosos. Todo lo que ellos eran y hacían le llamaba mucho la atención y se sentía unida de corazón a ellos y a su visión. Su llamada y su encuentro con San Francisco. Cofundadora de la orden La conversión de Clara hacia la vida de plena santidad se efectuó al oír un sermón de San Francisco de Asís. En 1210, cuando ella tenía 18 años, San Francisco predicó en la catedral de Asís los sermones de cuaresma e insistió en que para tener plena libertad para seguir a Jesucristo hay que librarse de las riquezas y bienes materiales. Al oír las palabras: "este es el tiempo favorable... es el momento... ha llegado el tiempo de dirigirme hacia El que me habla al corazón desde hace tiempo... es el tiempo de optar, de escoger..", sintió una gran confirmación de todo lo que venía experimentando en su interior. Durante todo el día y la noche, meditó en aquellas palabras que habían calado lo más profundo de su corazón. Tomó esa misma noche la decisión de comunicárselo a Francisco y de no dejar que ningún obstáculo la detuviera en responder al llamado del Señor, depositando en El toda su fuerza y entereza. Cuando su corazón comprendió la amargura, el odio, la enemistad y la codicia que movía a los hombres a la guerra comprendió que esta forma de vida eran como la espada afilada que un día traspasó el corazón de Jesús. No quiso tener nada que ver con eso, no quiso otro señor mas que el que dio la vida por todos, aquel que se entrega pobremente en la Eucaristía para alimentarnos diariamente. El que en la oscuridad es la Luz y que todo lo cambia y todo lo puede, aquel que es puro Amor. Renace en ella un ardiente amor y un deseo de entregarse a Dios de una manera total y radical. Clara sabía que el hecho de tomar esta determinación de seguir a Cristo y sobre todo de entregar su vida a la visión revelada a Francisco, iba a ser causa de gran oposición familiar, pues el solo hecho de la presencia de los Hermanos Menores en Asís estaba ya cuestionando la tradicional forma de vida y las costumbres que mantenían intocables los estratos sociales y sus privilegios. A los pobres les daba una esperanza de encontrar su dignidad, mientras que los ricos comprendían que el Evangelio bien vivido exponía por contraste sus egoísmos a la luz del día. Para Clara el reto era muy grande. Siendo la primera mujer en seguirle, su vinculación con Francisco podía ser mal entendida. Santa Clara se fuga de su casa el 18 de Marzo de 1212, un Domingo de Ramos, empezando así la gran aventura de su vocación. Se sobrepuso a los obstáculos y al miedo para darle una respuesta concreta al llamado que el Señor había puesto en su corazón. Llega a la humilde Capilla de la Porciúncula donde la esperaban Francisco y los demás Hermanos Menores y se consagra al Señor por manos de Francisco. Empiezan las renuncias De rodillas ante San Francisco, hizo Clara la promesa de renunciar a las riquezas y comodidades del mundo y de dedicarse a una vida de oración, pobreza y penitencia. El santo, como primer paso, tomó unas tijeras y le cortó su larga y hermosa cabellera, y le colocó en la cabeza un sencillo manto, y la envió a donde unas religiosas que vivían por allí cerca, a que se fuera preparando para ser una santa religiosa. Para Santa Clara la humildad es pobreza de espíritu y esta pobreza se convierte en obediencia, en servicio y en deseos de darse sin límites a los demás. Días más tardes fue trasladada temporalmente, por seguridad, a las monjas Benedictinas, ya que su padre, al darse cuenta de su fuga, sale furioso en su búsqueda con la determinación de llevársela de vuelta al palacio. Pero la firme convicción de Clara, a pesar de sus cortos años de edad, obligan finalmente al Caballero Offeduccio a dejarla. Días más tardes, San Francisco, preocupado por su seguridad dispone trasladarla a otro monasterio de Benedictinas situado en San Angelo. Allí la sigue su hermana Inés, quien fue una de las mayores colaboradoras en la expansión de la Orden y la hija (si se puede decir así) predilecta de Santa Clara. Le sigue también su prima Pacífica. DamianoSan Francisco les reconstruye la capilla de San Damián, lugar donde el Señor había hablado a su corazón diciéndole, "Reconstruye mi Iglesia". Esas palabras del Señor habían llegado a lo más profundo de su ser y lo llevó al más grande anonadamiento y abandono en el Señor. Gracias a esa respuesta de amor, de su gran "Si" al Señor, había dado vida a una gran obra, que hoy vemos y conocemos como la Comunidad Franciscana, de la cual Santa Clara se inspiraría y formaría parte crucial, siendo cofundadora con San Francisco en la Orden de las Clarisas. Cuando se trasladan las primeras Clarisas a San Damián, San Francisco pone al frente de la comunidad, como guía de Las Damas Pobres a Santa Clara. Al principio le costó aceptarlo pues por su gran humildad deseaba ser la última y ser la servidora, esclava de las esclavas del Señor. Pero acepta y con verdadero temor asume la carga que se le impone, entiende que es el medio de renunciar a su libertad y ser verdaderamente esclava. Así se convierte en la madre amorosa de sus hijas espirituales, siendo fiel custodia y prodigiosa sanadora de las enfermas. Desde que fue nombrada Madre de la Orden, ella quiso ser ejemplo vivo de la visión que trasmitía, pidiendo siempre a sus hijas que todo lo que el Señor había revelado para la Orden se viviera en plenitud. Siempre atenta a la necesidades de cada una de sus hijas y revelando su ternura y su atención de Madre, son recuerdos que aún después de tanto tiempo prevalecen y son el tesoro mas rico de las que hoy son sus hijas, Las Clarisas Pobres. Sta. Clara acostumbraba tomar los trabajos mas difíciles, y servir hasta en lo mínimo a cada una. Pendiente de los detalles más pequeños y siendo testimonio de ese corazón de madre y de esa verdadera respuesta al llamado y responsabilidad que el Señor había puesto en sus manos. Por el testimonio de las misma hermanas que convivieron con ella se sabe que muchas veces, cuando hacía mucho frío, se levantaba a abrigar a sus hijas y a las que eran mas delicadas les cedía su manta. A pesar de ello, Clara lloraba por sentir que no mortificaba suficiente su cuerpo. Cuando hacía falta pan para sus hijas, ayunaba sonriente y si el sayal de alguna de las hermanas lucía más viejo ella lo cambiaba dándole el de ella. Su vida entera fue una completa dádiva de amor al servicio y a la mortificación. Su gran amor al Señor es un ejemplo que debe calar nuestros corazones, su gran firmeza y decisión por cumplir verdaderamente la voluntad de Dios para ella. Tenía gran entusiasmo al ejercer toda clase de sacrificios y penitencias. Su gozo al sufrir por Cristo era algo muy evidente y es, precisamente esto, lo que la llevó a ser Santa Clara. Este fue el mayor ejemplo que dio a sus hijas. La humildad brilló grandemente en Santa Clara y una de las mas grandes pruebas de su humildad fue su forma de vida en el convento, siempre sirviendo con sus enseñanzas, sus cuidados, su protección y su corrección. La responsabilidad que el Señor había puesto en sus manos no la utilizó para imponer o para simplemente mandar en el nombre del Señor. Lo que ella mandaba a sus hijas lo cumplía primero ella misma con toda perfección. Se exigía mas de lo que pedía a sus hermanas. Hacía los trabajos mas costosos y daba amor y protección a cada una de sus hijas. Buscaba como lavarle los pies a las que llegaban cansadas de mendigar el sustento diario. Lavaba a las enfermas y no había trabajo que ella despreciara pues todo lo hacía con sumo amor y con suprema humildad. "En una ocasión, después de haberle lavado los pies a una de las hermanas, quiso besarlos. La hermana, resistiendo aquel acto de su fundadora, retiró el pie y accidentalmente golpeó el rostro a Clara. Pese al moretón y la sangre que había salido de su nariz, volvió a tomar con ternura el pie de la hermana y lo besó." Con su gran pobreza manifestaba su anhelo de no poseer nada mas que al Señor. Y esto lo exigía a todas sus hijas. Para ella la Santa Pobreza era la reina de la casa. Rechazó toda posesión y renta, y su mayor anhelo era alcanzar de los Papas el privilegio de la pobreza, que por fin fue otorgado por el Papa Inocencio III. Para Santa Clara la pobreza era el camino en donde uno podía alcanzar mas perfectamente esa unión con Cristo. Este amor por la pobreza nacía de la visión de Cristo pobre, de Cristo Redentor y Rey del mundo, nacido en el pesebre. Aquel que es el Rey y, sin embargo, no tuvo nada ni exigió nada terrenal para si y cuya única posesión era vivir la voluntad del Padre. La pobreza alcanzada en el pesebre y llevada a su cúlmen en la Cruz. Cristo pobre cuyo único deseo fue obedecer y amar. La vida de Sta. Clara fue una constante lucha por despegarse de todo aquello que la apartaba del Amor y todo lo que le limitara su corazón de tener como único y gran amor al Señor y el deseo por la salvación de las almas. La pobreza la conducía a un verdadero abandono en la Providencia de Dios. Ella, al igual que San Francisco, veía en la pobreza ese deseo de imitación total a Jesucristo. No como una gran exigencia opresiva sino como la manera y forma de vida que el Señor les pedía y la manera de mejor proyectar al mundo la verdadera imagen de Cristo y Su Evangelio. Siguiendo las enseñanzas y ejemplos de su maestro San Francisco, quiso Santa Clara que sus conventos no tuvieran riquezas ni rentas de ninguna clase. Y, aunque muchas veces le ofrecieran regalos de bienes para asegurar el futuro de sus religiosas, no los quiso aceptar. Al Sumo Pontífice que le ofrecía unas rentas para su convento le escribió: "Santo padre: le suplico que me absuelva y me libere de todos mis pecados, pero no me absuelva ni me libre de la obligación que tengo de ser pobre como lo fue Jesucristo". A quienes le decían que había que pensar en el futuro, les respondía con aquellas palabras de Jesús: "Mi Padre celestial que alimenta a las avecillas del campo, nos sabrá alimentar también a nosotros". Mortificación de su cuerpo Si hay algo que sobresale en la vida de Santa Clara es su gran mortificación. Utilizaba debajo de su túnica, como prenda íntima, un áspero trozo de cuero de cerdo o de caballo. Su lecho era una cama compuesta de sarmientos cubiertos con paja, la que se vio obligada a cambiar por obediencia a Francisco, debido a su enfermedad. Los ayunos. Siempre vivió una vida austera y comía tan poco que sorprendía hasta a sus propias hermanas. No se explicaban como podía sostener su cuerpo. Durante el tiempo de cuaresma, pasaba días sin probar bocado y los demás días los pasaba a pan y agua. Era exigente con ella misma y todo lo hacía llena de amor, regocijo y de una entrega total al amor que la consumía interiormente y su gran anhelo de vivir, servir y desear solamente a su amado Jesús. Por su gran severidad en los ayunos, sus hermanas, preocupadas por su salud, informaron a San Francisco quien intervino con el Obispo ordenándole a comer, cuando menos diariamente, un pedazo de pan que no fuese menos de una onza y media. La vida de Oración Para Santa Clara la oración era la alegría, la vida; la fuente y manantial de todas las gracias, tanto para ella como para el mundo entero. La oración es el fin en la vida Religiosa y su profesión. Ella acostumbraba pasar varias horas de la noche en oración para abrir su corazón al Señor y recoger en su silencio las palabras de amor del Señor. Muchas veces, en su tiempo de oración, se le podía encontrar cubierta de lágrimas al sentir el gran gozo de la adoración y de la presencia del Señor en la Eucaristía, o quizás movida por un gran dolor por los pecados, olvidos y por las ingratitudes propias y de los hombres. Se postraba rostro en tierra ante el Señor y, al meditar la pasión las lágrimas brotaban de lo mas íntimo de su corazón. Muchas veces el silencio y soledad de su oración se vieron invadidos de grandes perturbaciones del demonio. Pero sus hermanas dan testimonio de que, cuando Clara salía del oratorio, su semblante irradiaba felicidad y sus palabras eran tan ardientes que movían y despertaban en ellas ese ardiente celo y encendido amor por el Señor. Hizo fuertes sacrificios los cuarenta y dos años de su vida consagrada. Cuando le preguntaban si no se excedía, ella contestaba: Estos excesos son necesarios para la redención, "Sin el derramamiento de la Sangre de Jesús en la Cruz no habría Salvación". Ella añadía: "Hay unos que no rezan ni se sacrifican; hay muchos que sólo viven para la idolatría de los sentidos. Ha de haber compensación. Alguien debe rezar y sacrificarse por los que no lo hacen. Si no se estableciera ese equilibrio espiritual la tierra sería destrozada por el maligno". Santa Clara aportó de una manera generosa a este equilibrio. Milagros de Santa Clara Santa ClaraLa Eucaristía ante los sarracenos En 1241 los sarracenos atacaron la ciudad de Asís. Cuando se acercaban a atacar el convento que está en la falda de la loma, en el exterior de las murallas de Asís, las monjas se fueron a rezar muy asustadas y Santa Clara que era extraordinariamente devota al Santísimo Sacramento, tomó en sus manos la custodia con la hostia consagrada y se les enfrentó a los atacantes. Ellos experimentaron en ese momento tan terrible oleada de terror que huyeron despavoridos. En otra ocasión los enemigos atacaban a la ciudad de Asís y querían destruirla. Santa Clara y sus monjas oraron con fe ante el Santísimo Sacramento y los atacantes se retiraron sin saber por qué. El milagro de la multiplicación de los panes Cuando solo tenían un pan para que comieran cincuenta hermanas, Santa Clara lo bendijo y, rezando todas un Padre Nuestro, partió el pan y envió la mitad a los hermanos menores y la otra mitad se la repartió a las hermanas. Aquel pan se multiplicó, dando a basto para que todas comieran. Santa Clara dijo: "Aquel que multiplica el pan en la Eucaristía, el gran misterio de fe, ¿acaso le faltará poder para abastecer de pan a sus esposas pobres?" En una de las visitas del Papa al Convento, dándose las doce del día, Santa Clara invita a comer al Santo Padre pero el Papa no accedió. Entonces ella le pide que por favor bendiga los panes para que queden de recuerdo, pero el Papa respondió: "quiero que seas tu la que bendigas estos panes". Santa Clara le dice que sería como un irespeto muy grande de su parte hacer eso delante del Vicario de Cristo. El Papa, entonces, le ordena bajo el voto de obediencia que haga la señal de la Cruz. Ella bendijo los panes haciéndole la señal de la Cruz y al instante quedó la Cruz impresa sobre todos los panes. Larga agonía Santa Clara estuvo enferma 27 años en el convento de San Damiano, soportando todos los sufrimientos de su enfermedad con paciencia heroica. En su lecho bordaba, hacía costuras y oraba sin cesar. El Sumo Pontífice la visitó dos veces y exclamó "Ojalá yo tuviera tan poquita necesidad de ser perdonado como la que tiene esta santa monjita". Cardenales y obispos iban a visitarla y a pedirle sus consejos. San Francisco ya había muerto pero tres de los discípulos preferidos del santo, Fray Junípero, Fray Angel y Fray León, le leyeron a Clara la Pasión de Jesús mientras ella agonizaba. La santa repetía: "Desde que me dediqué a pensar y meditar en la Pasión y Muerte de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, ya los dolores y sufrimientos no me desaniman sino que me consuelan". El 10 de agosto del año 1253 a los 60 años de edad y 41 años de ser religiosa, y dos días después de que su regla sea aprobada por el Papa, se fue al cielo a recibir su premio. En sus manos, estaba la regla bendita, por la que ella dio su vida. Cuando el Señor ve que el mundo está tomando rumbos equivocados o completamente opuestos al Evangelio, levanta mujeres y hombres para que contrarresten y aplaquen los grandes males con grandes bienes. Podemos ver claramente en la Orden Franciscana, en su carisma, que cuando el mundo estaba siendo arrastrado por la opulencia, por la riqueza, las injusticias sociales etc., suscita en dos jóvenes de las mejores familias el amor valiente para abrazar el espíritu de pobreza, como para demostrar de una manera radical el verdadero camino a seguir que al mismo tiempo deja al descubierto la obra de Satanás, aplastándole la cabeza. Ellos se convirtieron en signo de contradicción para el mundo y a la vez, fuente donde el Señor derrama su gracia para que otros reciban de ella. El Señor en su gran sabiduría y siendo el buen Pastor que siempre cuida de su pueblo y de su salvación, nunca nos abandona y manda profetas que con sus palabras y sus vidas nos recuerdan la verdad y nos muestran el camino de regreso a El. Los santos nos revelan nuestros caminos torcidos y nos enseñan como rectificarlos. Tras los pasos de Santa Clara en Asís En la Basílica de Sta. Clara encontramos su cuerpo incorrupto y muchas de sus reliquias. En el convento de San Damiano, se recorren los pasillos que ella recorrió. Se entra al cuarto donde ella pasó muchos años de su vida acostada, se observa la ventana por donde veía a sus hijas. También se conservan el oratorio, la capilla, y la ventana por donde expulsó a los sarracenos con el poder de la Eucaristía. Hoy las religiosas Clarisas son aproximadamente 18.000 en 1.248 conventos en el mundo Fuente: corazones.org Vidas de Santos y Beatos. 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