FEAST OF ST. JOHN OF
CAPISTRANO
Proverbs, Chapter 1, Verse 33
But whoever obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm.”
We must move toward inward
peace!
This was the oath he swore to our father
Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him
without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
In modern times, with all the violence that is
going on in the whole world and with America at the center of any response to
terror and terrorists, and rogue nations how should we respond? First and
foremost without fear for the Lord is our King. We should search our
hearts and seek to retain a heart of peace. Our response must be
measured and used with no malice. We must stop evil but not with
hatred. We should love the humanity of our enemies, pray for them and do
good to them if we can.
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink." (Romans 12:20)
According to the CIA world fact book many of the
countries in which we have the greatest troubles have the lowest per capita
income per person in the world. For example per capita in the US is $57,400
a year versus $1700 in North Korea (note the US is 20th in per capita (Hong
Kong is 19); it is interesting to note the number one nation in per capita is Lietchtenstein
(big money launders) at $139,100). Our enemies are hungry and used or
abused by ruff creatures of men. Imagine what could happen if we could
use the great economic power of this country and other countries of goodwill to
raise the good men in these regions up: to feed the hungry, give drink to the
thirsty: to empower men of goodwill and remove the ruff creatures of men from
power.
716 The
People of the "poor" - those who, humble and meek, rely solely on
their God's mysterious plans, who await the justice, not of men but of the
Messiah - are in the end the great achievement of the Holy Spirit's hidden
mission during the time of the promises that prepare for Christ's coming. It is
this quality of heart, purified and enlightened by the Spirit, which is
expressed in the Psalms. In these poor, the Spirit is making ready "a
people prepared for the Lord."
2559 "Prayer
is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things
from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and
will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who
humbles himself will be exalted; humility is
the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not
know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of
prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."
St. John was born in 1386 at Capistrano in the Italian Province of the Abruzzi. His father was a German knight and died when he was still young. When war broke out between Perugia and Malatesta in 1416, St. John tried to broker a peace. Unfortunately, his opponents ignored the truce and St. John became a prisoner of war. On the death of his wife he entered the order of Friars Minor, was ordained and began to lead a very penitential life. John became a disciple of Saint Bernadine of Siena and a noted preacher.
·
The world at the time was in need of strong men
to work for salvation of souls.
·
Thirty percent of the population was killed by
the Black Plague, the Church was split in schism and there were several men
claiming to be pope.
·
As an Itinerant priest throughout Italy,
Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, St. John preached to
tens of thousands and established communities of Franciscan renewal.
·
He reportedly healed the sick by making the Sign
of the Cross over them. He also wrote extensively, mainly against the heresies
of the day.
·
He was successful in reconciling heretics.
Things to Do
·
St. John struggled with finding his vocation.
Younger people can pray to St. John for help in discerning God's will for their
lives.
·
Learn more about the times that St. John
Capistrano lived, such as the Crusades, the Black Plague, anti-popes.
·
St. John is the patron of jurists. We can turn
to him to help discern major decisions. We can also follow his example of
strict self-discipline in order to think more clearly.
·
In 1776 in Southern California, Father Junipera
Serra founded the Mission of
San Juan Capistrano, named for St. John, for mission work to the
Indians. The mission is a historical site, and has both a Catholic Basilica and
the original smaller chapel that are still used for Catholic liturgy. See the Wikipedia
page. There is also a tradition of the swallows returning to San
Juan every March 19. Find out more about this annual event.
Daily Devotions
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