Jmj

On October 15, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- "saints" and "blesseds" whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Teresa of Jesus Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada of Ávila [Teresa de Jesus] [better known as “St. Teresa of Avila”] (Spanish, noblewoman, Carmelite nun and reformer, mystical writer, Doctor of the Church, died at age 67 in 1582 [beatified 1614, canonized 1622] [incorruptible])

St. Agileus of Carthage (North African, martyred c. 300)
St. Antiochus of Lyons (French, bishop, 5th century)
St. Aurelia of Strasburg [Aurelie] (French, princess, hermitess for 55 years, d. 1027)
St. Callistus of Huesca (Spanish, martyred by Moslems in 1003)
St. Cannatus of Marseilles (French, bishop, 5th century)
St. Euthymius of Opso [baptized Nicetas] (Galatian [from part of what is now Turkey], hermit [cave, tower, and island], deacon, abbot, c. 898)
St. Fortunatus of Rome (Italian, early martyr)
Bl. Francis Roslaniec of Wysmierzyce [Franciszek] (Polish, diocesan priest, martyred by Nazis at Linz [Austria] at age 52 in 1942 [beatified 1999])
St. Gaius of Nagasaki (Korean, converted Buddhist monk, Dominican tertiary in Japan, martyred at about age 52 in 1624 [beatified 1867])
St. Leonard of Vandoeuvre (French, hermit, abbot, c. 570)
St. Odilo of Gorze (French, Benedictine abbot, c. 950)
St. Sabinus of Catania (Sicilian, bishop, hermit, c. 760)
St. Severus of Trier (French, missionary opposing Pelagian heresy, bishop in Germany, c. 455)
St. Thecla of Kitzengen (British, missionary nun, abbess, c. 790)
Bl. Willa of Nonnberg (Austrian, Benedictine nun, hermitess, c. 1050)

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints or blesseds and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Additional information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 15, 2004

Answers

[Note: I am copying the following several (indented) messages from the old, obsolete "saints" thread for this day of the year, so that the old thread can later be deleted. JFG]

[From the writings of St. Teresa of Avila:]
"We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to look upon Him present within us."
"Let nothing trouble you, let nothing make you afraid. All things pass away. God never changes. Patience obtains everything. God alone is enough."

-- October 15, 2001.

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Dear John: I give you the two poems I like best from St. Teresa in the beautiful and musical way she wrote them:

Nada te turbe,
nada te espante,
todo se pasa,
Dios no se muda,
la paciencia
todo lo alcanza.
Quien a Dios tiene
nada le falta:
Sólo Dios basta.

Vivo sin vivir en mí (1515-1582) Vivo sin vivir en mí,
y de tal manera espero,*
que muero porque no muero.
Vivo ya fuera de mí
después que muero de amor;
porque vivo en el Señor,
que me quiso para sí;
cuando el corazón le di
puse en él este letrero:
que muero porque no muero.
Esta divina prisión
del amor con que yo vivo
ha hecho a Dios mi cautivo,
y libre mi corazón;
y causa en mí tal pasión
ver a Dios mi prisionero,
que muero porque no muero.
¡Ay, qué larga es esta vida!
¡Qué duros estos destierros,
esta cárcel, estos hierros
en que el alma está metida!
Sólo esperar la salida
me causa dolor tan fiero,
que muero porque no muero.
¡Ay, qué vida tan amarga
do no se goza el Señor!
Porque si es dulce el amor,
no lo es la esperanza larga.
Quíteme Dios esta carga,
más pesada que el acero,
que muero porque no muero.
Sólo con la confianza
vivo de que he de morir,
porque muriendo, el vivir
me asegura mi esperanza.
Muerte do el vivir se alcanza,
no te tardes, que te espero,
que muero porque no muero.
Mira que el amor es fuerte,
vida, no me seas molesta;
mira que sólo te resta,
para ganarte, perderte.
Venga ya la dulce muerte,
el morir venga ligero,
que muero porque no muero.
Aquella vida de arriba
es la vida verdadera;
hasta que esta vida muera,
no se goza estando viva.
Muerte, no me seas esquiva;
viva muriendo primero,
que muero porque no muero.
Vida, ¿qué puedo yo darle
a mi Dios, que vive en mí,
si no es el perderte a ti
para mejor a Él gozarle?
Quiero muriendo alcanzarle,
pues tanto a mi Amado quiero,
que muero porque no muero.

[* Alternate version: "y tan alta vida espero"]
Vocabulario:
letrero - sign, inscription
destierros - exile
hierros - irons, chains
acero - steel
do = donde - where
venga ligero - (may death) come quickly
no me seas molesta - (life,) don't inconvenience me
no me seas esquiva - (death,) don't evade me


-- Enrique Ortiz -- October 16, 2001.

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Mil gracias, Enrique.
JFG

-- October 17, 2001.

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 15, 2004.