St. Seraphin of Montegranaro
(1540-1604)
O God, who didst inflame the heart
of St. Seraphin with the fire of Thy love,
grant, we beseech Thee,
that at his intercession we may walk in his footsteps
and be inflamed with the same fire of love.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
At 16, Seraphin entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order by his desire to consecrate himself to the service of God. He was edified for his high degree of perfection, humility, charity, mortification, and self-sacrifice. Seraphin was devoted to the night prayer (the midnight office) and in the evenings he visited the Blessed Sacrament, being there for hours absorbed in prayer and contemplation. Seraphin emulated the life of Saint Francis by fasting, dressing simply, and showing consideration for all.
The miraculous power with which God rewarded the charity of His servant continued to manifest itself. Countless sick were restored to health when he made the Sign of the Cross over them.
Inflamed with the love of God, Seraphin retuned to the kingdom of the Lord on 12 October, 1604, and after which where many miracles occurred at his grave. Seraphin attained his sainthood from Pope Clement XIII who canonized him in 1767.
St. Seraphin of Montegranaro, Religious (Memorial)
Reading
Joel 4:12-21
Thus says the LORD:
Let the nations bestir themselves and come up
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there will I sit in judgment
upon all the neighboring nations.
Apply the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe;
Come and tread,
for the wine press is full;
The vats overflow,
for great is their malice.
Crowd upon crowd
in the valley of decision;
For near is the day of the LORD
in the valley of decision.
Sun and moon are darkened,
and the stars withhold their brightness.
The LORD roars from Zion,
and from Jerusalem raises his voice;
The heavens and the earth quake,
but the LORD is a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the children of Israel.
Then shall you know that I, the LORD, am your God,
dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain;
Jerusalem shall be holy,
and strangers shall pass through her no more.
And then, on that day,
the mountains shall drip new wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk;
And the channels of Judah
shall flow with water:
A fountain shall issue from the house of the LORD,
to water the Valley of Shittim.
Egypt shall be a waste,
and Edom a desert waste,
Because of violence done to the people of Judah,
because they shed innocent blood in their land.
But Judah shall abide forever,
and Jerusalem for all generations.
I will avenge their blood,
and not leave it unpunished.
The LORD dwells in Zion.
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Luke 11:27-28
While Jesus was speaking,
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
If you commit any sin,
repent of it at once and resolve to amend.
If it is a grievous sin, confess it as soon as possible.
~ St. Alphonsus Liguori ~
No comments:
Post a Comment