Arius was a nice guy. He was a heretic of the Fourth century. He was a charmer. He had the ability to twist the truth in many ways. He was well versed in music. One of his means of deceiving people was to take the popular tunes of the day and write words which espoused his heresies. The big heresy he tried to promote with his lyrics was that Jesus was not Divine. He twisted some Scripture passages to bring his point home, such as Jesus not knowing when He would return (Matthew 24:36.) Arius insisted, if He was God, He had to know everything. Therefore, He could not be God. Also the fact that Jesus died, God could not die. Therefore, Jesus was not Divine. Arius taught that Jesus was created, God’s first act of creation, but He was not God. Arius claimed Jesus was special; He was just not Divine. This goes against everything we have believed in from the beginning of the Church.
Arius cut quite a figure as he went about, the troubadour priest, singing catchy lyrics to tunes everyone had already been humming. He had a slick delivery. He would sing and then speak. He even accompanied himself with a musical instrument as he spoke. He was passionate! He was zealous! He was a pied piper. Before you knew it, his doctrines were being sung by priests, fishermen, storekeepers, and farmers; mothers were caroling these little ditties to their children on their knees; everyone was singing, but it wasn’t the Lord they were praising. It was Arius and his really great personality.
Because of his ability to charm people with his music and songs, many people believed what he was teaching. He was just so doggone nice. He had a way about him. He wasn’t really nice; he just let people think he was. This was how he was able to get them to believe him. He would use Scripture passages to back up his claims. They were words taken out of context, twisted to get the effect he wanted. At first, he was condemned by Constantine in the Council of Nicea. The Nicene Creed, which was adopted at that time, was basically written to denounce all the lies that Arius was spreading. The Creed that we proclaim every Sunday at Mass was because of Arius.
But Arius had such a great smile, and such a great way of charming people, you couldn’t stay mad at him for long. Even Constantine was fooled by him, and so three years later, Constantine began supporting Arianism, and pretty soon, his false doctrine was being accepted all over the Christian world. Bishops began going over to Arius’s side. He was so elegant, although they knew in their hearts that everything he said was against the Church, they just couldn’t believe that such a nice guy could say anything that was not true.
In our book Scandal of the Cross and its Triumph, we wrote: “Arius died a horrid death right after Constantine decreed that he be brought back into the Church. It took four hundred years to finally put down the heresy of Arianism. Some say it has never been put down. For 150 years, Arianism was the religion of the Teutonic, or Germanic people of Europe. Adolph Hitler adopted Arianism, only his was a twisted version of the heresy in which he was god. He completely outlawed Christianity, imprisoning, torturing and killing bishops, priests and religious who would not deny Christ. The Heil Hitler replaced the Heil Jesus and the Heil Maria. Hitler told people they were a master race, the Arian race. And the world did not know how deadly this title and philosophy could be. It is frightening when you contemplate how close Hitler came to dominating the whole world.”
Although Hitler was never considered a nice guy, like Arius, he had a compelling way about him. When he stood at the Brandenburg gate in Berlin, and gathered hundreds of thousands of people to listen to him, they were spellbound. When he pointed his fingers at the Jews, he blamed them for everything bad that had happened to the German people. The Germans needed someone to hate for their terrible condition, and Hitler gave them the Jews to hate. The people rose up and turned their anger against the Jews, and in favor of Adolph Hitler and his gang of misfits and miscreants. And you know how that turned out. There are those who say that Arianism is still among us today. There are some religions that claim that Jesus was not Divine. Then there are other takes on Arianism, those who have espoused the Hitler version where one man holds himself up as God, and the people are spellbound by him. He gathers evil people around him as in the Hitler gang. But because he is just so darned nice, because he has the ability to sway people with his smile and his rhetoric, we can’t recognize him for who he is. We must really beware of Greeks bearing gifts, and nice guys among us.
For Full Newsletter click this link
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Bob and Penny's Message
We are in the best of times; we are in the worst of times
Family, when we wrote our book: “Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah, Prophecies and Promises” in 1999, we were concerned it would become dated material, and lose its relevance. In a way, I wish with all my heart that was so.
One of the chapters was titled: Requiem for the Age of Innocence; and God knows I wish it was no longer true, that it was a thing of the past. If anything, matters are worse. Our children are being inundated with the worst forms of ADULT literature. Children are killing children! They are being programmed to commit violence, under the guise it’s entertainment. We have an enemy, who has invaded our homes. For years, most parents were afraid to send their children to universities because they came home completely changed, spouting heresies against our Church, revolution against our government. The enemy has spread his tentacles. The age has been lowered to include children in kindergarten and up. Our children are learning things their tiny minds cannot absorb. They are being taught that marriage is not holy, between a man and a woman, but between two women or two men, as well – possibly better. Pope John Paul II said that the education of the children is the parents’ responsibility. On Judgment Day, God will ask parents to show accountability of how their children turned out. Not teachers or television producers, but parents!!!
Our phones are ringing off the hooks with Priests, CCD teachers, school librarians ordering books and DVDs on the Super Saints. And it is not confined to just our Catholic Faith. We are receiving orders from Ministers of different denominations, saying their young need viable, holy role models to imitate.
I would like to add a segment from our book: Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah:
Requiem for the Age of Innocence
“While the crowds pressed around Jesus, He began to speak to them in these words:
`This is an evil age. It seeks a sign. But no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign for the present age. The queen of the south will rise at the judgment along with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. She came from the farthest part of the world to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, but you have a greater than Solomon here. At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise along with the present generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah they reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here.’”
How did it happen?
How did we go from faith and fidelity,
to deception and betrayal?
“Those were the days, my friend; we thought they’d never end...” I still remember those days, the good old days, days filled with innocence, love and caring for one’s family, friends and neighbors, days where children revered their parents and grandparents, where the family stuck together, days of trust, days of honor, days of patriotism. Yes, we thought they would never end.
My childhood was a simple one, a life filled with awe and wonder, where with other neighborhood children, we would take hours to determine which candies we should buy for the precious penny we had to spend. They were days of dressing up as Mommies and Daddies, the Mommy serving the Daddy make-believe tea and fresh bread my Nana had made.
In the heart of Brooklyn, what would be called a ghetto or barrio today, was a neighborhood, more like a small village, where everyone knew everyone else, with many aunts and uncles (some really only friends whom we respectfully called Aunt and Uncle). You were never alone; at least one mother or grandmother was hanging out the window, at any hour of the day or night, watching your every move and reporting any mischief you got into, to your parents. We felt safe! It was a world of innocence, with coal stoves and wood-burning stoves warming our bodies and cooking our food. I can still see the dust particles floating up to heaven on the rays of the sun; I can feel the warmth of the sun streaming into our kitchen on the third floor of the apartment house we lived in. I can still feel the warm tears flowing down my cheeks when we moved away from that neighborhood as I waved good-by to everyone and everything I had ever known, and to the Age of Innocence.
We believed in our country!
We placed our hand over our hearts when we pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Tears came to our eyes, and our voices choked up a little as we sang the National Anthem of our country. We were Americans! When it was time to vote, an electricity filled the air, an excitement, with Daddy explaining the electoral system to us, the importance of casting our vote, and the merits and shortcomings of the different candidates. We were all involved, even those of us who were too young to vote. At four years old, I campaigned clandestinely, while my mother was on duty as one of the inspectors at the Polling Place. Franklin D. Roosevelt badges covering every inch of my favorite red coat, I would find myself being lifted bodily and carted to the other side of the Polling signs, when I wandered too close to the Barber Shop where the voting took place.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was our hero! We would have done anything he asked of us, even die; and many of our loved ones did! It was a time of patriotism and pride--We were Americans! Oh those were days of flags waving and speeches on the street corners, everyone crowding around the speakers or hanging out their windows to hear their platform. We believed in our country! We believed we had a personal interest in the destiny of our nation. What we said or did made a difference. We were important; we counted!
When did our world start to fall apart?
For more information about our book,
“Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah,
Prophecies and Promises”
Family, when we wrote our book: “Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah, Prophecies and Promises” in 1999, we were concerned it would become dated material, and lose its relevance. In a way, I wish with all my heart that was so.
One of the chapters was titled: Requiem for the Age of Innocence; and God knows I wish it was no longer true, that it was a thing of the past. If anything, matters are worse. Our children are being inundated with the worst forms of ADULT literature. Children are killing children! They are being programmed to commit violence, under the guise it’s entertainment. We have an enemy, who has invaded our homes. For years, most parents were afraid to send their children to universities because they came home completely changed, spouting heresies against our Church, revolution against our government. The enemy has spread his tentacles. The age has been lowered to include children in kindergarten and up. Our children are learning things their tiny minds cannot absorb. They are being taught that marriage is not holy, between a man and a woman, but between two women or two men, as well – possibly better. Pope John Paul II said that the education of the children is the parents’ responsibility. On Judgment Day, God will ask parents to show accountability of how their children turned out. Not teachers or television producers, but parents!!!
Our phones are ringing off the hooks with Priests, CCD teachers, school librarians ordering books and DVDs on the Super Saints. And it is not confined to just our Catholic Faith. We are receiving orders from Ministers of different denominations, saying their young need viable, holy role models to imitate.
I would like to add a segment from our book: Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah:
Requiem for the Age of Innocence
“While the crowds pressed around Jesus, He began to speak to them in these words:
`This is an evil age. It seeks a sign. But no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign for the present age. The queen of the south will rise at the judgment along with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. She came from the farthest part of the world to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, but you have a greater than Solomon here. At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise along with the present generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah they reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here.’”
How did it happen?
How did we go from faith and fidelity,
to deception and betrayal?
“Those were the days, my friend; we thought they’d never end...” I still remember those days, the good old days, days filled with innocence, love and caring for one’s family, friends and neighbors, days where children revered their parents and grandparents, where the family stuck together, days of trust, days of honor, days of patriotism. Yes, we thought they would never end.
My childhood was a simple one, a life filled with awe and wonder, where with other neighborhood children, we would take hours to determine which candies we should buy for the precious penny we had to spend. They were days of dressing up as Mommies and Daddies, the Mommy serving the Daddy make-believe tea and fresh bread my Nana had made.
In the heart of Brooklyn, what would be called a ghetto or barrio today, was a neighborhood, more like a small village, where everyone knew everyone else, with many aunts and uncles (some really only friends whom we respectfully called Aunt and Uncle). You were never alone; at least one mother or grandmother was hanging out the window, at any hour of the day or night, watching your every move and reporting any mischief you got into, to your parents. We felt safe! It was a world of innocence, with coal stoves and wood-burning stoves warming our bodies and cooking our food. I can still see the dust particles floating up to heaven on the rays of the sun; I can feel the warmth of the sun streaming into our kitchen on the third floor of the apartment house we lived in. I can still feel the warm tears flowing down my cheeks when we moved away from that neighborhood as I waved good-by to everyone and everything I had ever known, and to the Age of Innocence.
We believed in our country!
We placed our hand over our hearts when we pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Tears came to our eyes, and our voices choked up a little as we sang the National Anthem of our country. We were Americans! When it was time to vote, an electricity filled the air, an excitement, with Daddy explaining the electoral system to us, the importance of casting our vote, and the merits and shortcomings of the different candidates. We were all involved, even those of us who were too young to vote. At four years old, I campaigned clandestinely, while my mother was on duty as one of the inspectors at the Polling Place. Franklin D. Roosevelt badges covering every inch of my favorite red coat, I would find myself being lifted bodily and carted to the other side of the Polling signs, when I wandered too close to the Barber Shop where the voting took place.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was our hero! We would have done anything he asked of us, even die; and many of our loved ones did! It was a time of patriotism and pride--We were Americans! Oh those were days of flags waving and speeches on the street corners, everyone crowding around the speakers or hanging out their windows to hear their platform. We believed in our country! We believed we had a personal interest in the destiny of our nation. What we said or did made a difference. We were important; we counted!
When did our world start to fall apart?
For more information about our book,
“Beyond Sodom and Gomorrah,
Prophecies and Promises”
We Need your help!
We need your help!
We stated in this issue that these are challenging times and with that said, we want you to know we are up to the challenge.
We have made it our policy to avoid running around saying the sky is falling every time some obstacle comes in front of our mission to evangelize. And for that reason in these more difficult times we simply want to inform you how you many help us to continue our work.
Here are some ideas we want to share with you about how you can help us.
Number one is prayer. We thank you over and over for the prayers that you do for our mission. Without them we would not be here.
Next is our books and DVDs and other items. As you know our ministry receive's most of its income from the sale of our books, DVDs etc. Your support has been tremendous. Please continue and tell your friends and family that are not familiar with us about us. Remember we have all of our items listed on www.BobandPennyLord.com.
Next, we have another sister site that you may not be familiar with. www.catholicvirtualmall.com
www.CatholicVirtualMall.com is just like a shopping mall only this one is online and filled with primarily items that Catholics would purchase. You can securely shop at the major Catholic shops there.
Book shops where you can purchase Bibles or Liturgy of the Hours.
Gifts shops where you can purchase items from the Holy Land, Holy Water Fonts, Prayer Card and gift baskets of all kinds.
Shops devoted to Crucifixes, Medals, Statues and Rosaries.
Shops for music, Travel and Pilgrimage and more.
We have a food court. Here you can purchase items like Mystic Monk Coffee, Abbey Peanut Brittle, Cheese and Chocolate.
In summary we have almost everything of the Catholic nature you can think of at this site.
This is how you can help us - Holy Family Mission will receive a commission from any item you purchase through www.catholicvirtualmall.com
Make this site a favorite in your browser and tell your friends about it.
Finally, many of you have told us you would like to view some of Bob and Penny's talks and conferences.
We have a site where you can view on demand many of the talks that Bob and Penny have given.
www.BobandPennyLord.tv
The site is continuously being updated with new additions. Only requirement to watch is a very small registration fee. Then you can view any talk at the time of your choice.
The sky is not falling, and we are up to the challenge. Thank you for your prayers and your support.
Please won't you help!
We stated in this issue that these are challenging times and with that said, we want you to know we are up to the challenge.
We have made it our policy to avoid running around saying the sky is falling every time some obstacle comes in front of our mission to evangelize. And for that reason in these more difficult times we simply want to inform you how you many help us to continue our work.
Here are some ideas we want to share with you about how you can help us.
Number one is prayer. We thank you over and over for the prayers that you do for our mission. Without them we would not be here.
Next is our books and DVDs and other items. As you know our ministry receive's most of its income from the sale of our books, DVDs etc. Your support has been tremendous. Please continue and tell your friends and family that are not familiar with us about us. Remember we have all of our items listed on www.BobandPennyLord.com.
Next, we have another sister site that you may not be familiar with. www.catholicvirtualmall.com
www.CatholicVirtualMall.com is just like a shopping mall only this one is online and filled with primarily items that Catholics would purchase. You can securely shop at the major Catholic shops there.
Book shops where you can purchase Bibles or Liturgy of the Hours.
Gifts shops where you can purchase items from the Holy Land, Holy Water Fonts, Prayer Card and gift baskets of all kinds.
Shops devoted to Crucifixes, Medals, Statues and Rosaries.
Shops for music, Travel and Pilgrimage and more.
We have a food court. Here you can purchase items like Mystic Monk Coffee, Abbey Peanut Brittle, Cheese and Chocolate.
In summary we have almost everything of the Catholic nature you can think of at this site.
This is how you can help us - Holy Family Mission will receive a commission from any item you purchase through www.catholicvirtualmall.com
Make this site a favorite in your browser and tell your friends about it.
Finally, many of you have told us you would like to view some of Bob and Penny's talks and conferences.
We have a site where you can view on demand many of the talks that Bob and Penny have given.
www.BobandPennyLord.tv
The site is continuously being updated with new additions. Only requirement to watch is a very small registration fee. Then you can view any talk at the time of your choice.
The sky is not falling, and we are up to the challenge. Thank you for your prayers and your support.
Please won't you help!
Real Challenges
Real Challenges
These are challenging times for all Americans, especially for loyal Roman Catholics.
We have been discussing how we can help to clear up some of the confusion about what is truth and what is not.
It seems to us that a lot of the faithful do not know their faith. And in some cases they believe it is acceptable to believe some parts of our faith and choose not to believe others. How did we get in this mess and more important how do we get out of it.
Our Holy Fathers Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been warning us about the attacks on our Catholic Culture from relativism and secularism. Well guess what we have an abundance of them both in the good old USA.
Just last week I heard a major network newsman explain how we live in a pluralistic secular state. We used to live in a country with Judeo-Christian values. Now we live in a country with relative values and no values!
In the Judeo-Christian tradition there was absolute truth and issues that came up were black or white.
Now I hear of lot about your truth and my truth and everything is grey not black or white.
We believe the secularists have been blinded by the confusion and they are color blind.
The end result of secularism is atheism at its worst. A society with no respect for any individual.
We receive a lot of feedback from the short video clips that we have posted all over the internet. I have noticed more and more of the respondents are atheists. They even respond that it is okay to kill an unborn baby, because that is best for our society at this time. That is the fruit of secularism and relativism.
We were recently told that we must go with science over religion. However, when science and religion agree, we are told that then we have to go with the will of the people.
The latest coming at us is that we must now find common ground to resolve our differences. We do not know how to find common ground with abortion, which we believe and science tells us that a fetus is a living baby, a human being and ending its life is murder.
No wonder so many people do not know what to believe.
Now that was the bad news, what is the good news. Of course our Lord is not sitting back and letting the whole world go to Gehenna.
As He stated, His ways are above our ways, so we do not understand His plan. We simply must be faithful to Him.
The Bible tells us and our Faith teaches us that Holiness is the Will of the Father.
What is Holiness you may ask? We believe as Mother Teresa often quoted that we are called to become Saints.
How do we do that? We believe the best and fastest way to become a Saint is to study them and see how they handled the problems of their days and times.
Each Saint is endowed with some special gift from God making them unique and individual.
Finally, where can we learn about the Saints?
Now you have asked the question we are prepared to answer with fervor.
Purchase some of our books, dvds, cds or minibooks about the Saints.
In these Treasures you will encounter people just like you and us on the path to Sainthood. Each path was unique and each Saint had their own trials and tribulations.
After reading about and viewing their lives you will begin to see life more clearly, the purpose of life here will be more meaningful and you will begin on your path to Sainthood.
We thank you for your continued support of our mission of evangelization especially now during these serious times.
May God bless America.
Brother Joseph
These are challenging times for all Americans, especially for loyal Roman Catholics.
We have been discussing how we can help to clear up some of the confusion about what is truth and what is not.
It seems to us that a lot of the faithful do not know their faith. And in some cases they believe it is acceptable to believe some parts of our faith and choose not to believe others. How did we get in this mess and more important how do we get out of it.
Our Holy Fathers Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been warning us about the attacks on our Catholic Culture from relativism and secularism. Well guess what we have an abundance of them both in the good old USA.
Just last week I heard a major network newsman explain how we live in a pluralistic secular state. We used to live in a country with Judeo-Christian values. Now we live in a country with relative values and no values!
In the Judeo-Christian tradition there was absolute truth and issues that came up were black or white.
Now I hear of lot about your truth and my truth and everything is grey not black or white.
We believe the secularists have been blinded by the confusion and they are color blind.
The end result of secularism is atheism at its worst. A society with no respect for any individual.
We receive a lot of feedback from the short video clips that we have posted all over the internet. I have noticed more and more of the respondents are atheists. They even respond that it is okay to kill an unborn baby, because that is best for our society at this time. That is the fruit of secularism and relativism.
We were recently told that we must go with science over religion. However, when science and religion agree, we are told that then we have to go with the will of the people.
The latest coming at us is that we must now find common ground to resolve our differences. We do not know how to find common ground with abortion, which we believe and science tells us that a fetus is a living baby, a human being and ending its life is murder.
No wonder so many people do not know what to believe.
Now that was the bad news, what is the good news. Of course our Lord is not sitting back and letting the whole world go to Gehenna.
As He stated, His ways are above our ways, so we do not understand His plan. We simply must be faithful to Him.
The Bible tells us and our Faith teaches us that Holiness is the Will of the Father.
What is Holiness you may ask? We believe as Mother Teresa often quoted that we are called to become Saints.
How do we do that? We believe the best and fastest way to become a Saint is to study them and see how they handled the problems of their days and times.
Each Saint is endowed with some special gift from God making them unique and individual.
Finally, where can we learn about the Saints?
Now you have asked the question we are prepared to answer with fervor.
Purchase some of our books, dvds, cds or minibooks about the Saints.
In these Treasures you will encounter people just like you and us on the path to Sainthood. Each path was unique and each Saint had their own trials and tribulations.
After reading about and viewing their lives you will begin to see life more clearly, the purpose of life here will be more meaningful and you will begin on your path to Sainthood.
We thank you for your continued support of our mission of evangelization especially now during these serious times.
May God bless America.
Brother Joseph
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Free Shipping expanded to Audio CDs
We have stated many times, that our Mission is Evangelization through Communications. We continue to expand our Ministry in light of our Mission Statement.
Also, when any opportunity presents itself, we take advantage of it and pass any savings along to you. At this time we are expanding our Free Shipping including our Minibooks or Little Treasures to our Audio Cds. For listing of our Audios cds click this link.
http://www.bobandpennylord.com/audiocds.htm
Also, when any opportunity presents itself, we take advantage of it and pass any savings along to you. At this time we are expanding our Free Shipping including our Minibooks or Little Treasures to our Audio Cds. For listing of our Audios cds click this link.
http://www.bobandpennylord.com/audiocds.htm
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Saint Bernardine of Siena
Saint Bernardine of Siena
"Apostle of Italy" - Friar Minor - Missionary - Reformer
Our love story with St. Bernardine or San Bernardino, as we have known and loved him, began a long time ago - about the time we got to know St. Catherine of Siena and the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena. For, you see, right adjacent to the Basilica of St. Francis is the Oratory of St. Bernardine. Each time, we would go to visit the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena, we would see the sign of the Oratory; but along with it, the dreaded sign - the Oratory was being restored! Finally, one day, the door was open! and so we went in and took pictures. You could see the restoration had not been completed, if even started. That was over twenty years ago. But God has patience with us, and here we are twenty-three books later writing about our dear St. Bernardine.
We have so many memories of this fabulous Saint. One time, when we went to visit our loves in Siena, the Eucharist and St. Catherine of Siena, we just happened to land in the midst of a Festa[1] celebrating the Feast Days of Saints Bernardine and Catherine, co-patrons of Siena. With all the pageantry of medieval Siena, the flags of their sixteen regions, twirling and blowing in the wind, young men, dressed as knights and pages, processed in the streets, carrying relics of Siena's and our two beloved Saints. It was an awesome sight - Church in all its pomp and glory giving praise and honor to Our Lord and His Mother, through the memory of these two faithful Saints, who colored the lives, and continue to color the lives of all who learn about them!
Siena is a land of contrasts - the holy and the worldly! It is truly a Renaissance city, echoing days past, you think at first glance. But then your eyes and hearts travel upward to the tops of buildings everywhere, and you see niches with the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus on almost every government building, home, palace and etc., as well as a plaque of the Holy Name of Jesus. (But more on that later!)
As you drink it all in, the tiny elegant shops, the ancient churches nestled in between them, the cobble stone streets where our two Saints walked, you find yourself keeping pace with the proud of Siena as they stroll and take time to renew old acquaintances and acquire new ones. And before you know it, you are enveloped in the Siena of yesterday and you are lost in awe and wonder. Every time, we think of our returning to Italy, our hearts beat a little faster for part of our Pilgrimage will most certainly be in Siena.
September 8, 1380 - an Apostle of Italy is born
To share with you the life of this electrifying Saint, we need to go back to the Tuscany of the 15th Century, puffed up by its ancient Etruscan[2] history, and its involvement in the birth of Renaissance. As we walk through the narrow streets and glance at the age old walls that still surround Siena, we find ourselves in the 15th Century, our souls soaring. This is where it all happened, where God would take the impossible and make it miraculous. Siena and the Sienese are a proud people - set aside by their antiquity and culture. Amongst all this grandeur and pride, how will we find one from this class, who will embrace the life of the Poverello![3]
Our Story begins on the 8th of September,[4] 1380 in the village of Massa Marittima, one of Siena's seventeen contrade, or districts, in the home of the governor, a descendant of the nobility of the Albizeschi. Into this opulent[5] setting a new life will begin - Bernardino, future Friar, Missionary and Reformer. The joy of bringing a new life into the world will not last for this couple. Before their little boy would reach his seventh year on earth, his parents would go to the Father.
But God does not leave us orphans. Bernardino would have the loving care of his devout aunt and her equally holy daughter, who would provide him with the tools, which would turn him into a future Saint. Not only did they nurture him, as if he was their very own son, they gave him an invaluable religious education which would fare him well later on in life. He continued to grow into a fine youngster, when at around eleven years old, he was sent by his uncles to a school in Siena, to receive the education required of people of his class - that of civil and canon law. The boy excelled in his studies. Not only that, but he was charming and handsome, a joy to be around, always the life of the party, very like his predecessor, his future father in Faith - St. Francis. But although he was fun to be around, he could not bear to hear profanity or crude jokes. That is when his good humor would evaporate and he would most sharply protest, taking exception with those engaging in this vulgar behavior. One time, a member of the upper class thought it would be a good idea to lead the young pious Bernardino into a life of immorality and depravity. That earned him a good beating at the hands of Bernardino, who, when the culprit tried again, asked his friends to aid him in discharging mud and stones at the would be tempter. Except for those rare times, you would find Bernardino engaging and loving, calm and gracious.
He felt strongly about living a life worthy of His Mother Mary, of whom he had a great affection. At age seventeen, in 1397, having completed his studies, he enrolled in the Confraternity of Our Lady, which was connected to the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital. He spent the next three years, removed from the world, in quiet meditative contemplation, when, in 1400, a plague struck Siena, and he came out of his solitary life to aid the suffering masses. He not only tended their fever-racked bodies, he addressed their fears of dying. And when they succumbed to the fever, he prepared them for their final journey to the Father. Not only that, but with the aid of ten companions, he took upon himself the entire supervision of the hospital for the next four months. And this was at age twenty! Needless to say, he was quite up to the task.
But a price had to be paid! Some of his companions were infected with the deadly fever and died. But God was not finished with Bernardine, yet. The unrelenting, night and day, care of the plague-stricken masses did not kill him, but so debilitated his health, he contracted a fever, and never quite regained his strength. But that did not stop him! He had many more years to serve his Lord and Lady, and he would not let weakness of body stop him from his appointed task.
After the plague was over, Bernardine returned home, only to find his favorite aunt blind and confined to her bed. He spent the next fourteen months compassionately caring for his aunt, as he had for the victims of the plague. This gentle soul spoke quietly to his aunt and one night, she gave up her spirit to the Lord, nestled in her nephew's arms.
[1] Festival
[2] Etruscan civilization dating back to 800 B.C - It is purported these were tribes from Lydia, an ancient country in Asia Minor. They invaded much of Italy and ruled Rome from 6th Century B.C. till about the 3rd. Century B.C. They had a loosely structured religion, with many deities. They would meet once a year at the Shrine of Voltumna, overlooking Lake Bolsena and discuss religion.
[3] "The Poor One" as St. Francis was called
[4] Mother Mary's birthday
[5] affluent, prosperous, rich, wealthy
For More Information on Saint Bernardine of Siena click here
"Apostle of Italy" - Friar Minor - Missionary - Reformer
Our love story with St. Bernardine or San Bernardino, as we have known and loved him, began a long time ago - about the time we got to know St. Catherine of Siena and the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena. For, you see, right adjacent to the Basilica of St. Francis is the Oratory of St. Bernardine. Each time, we would go to visit the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena, we would see the sign of the Oratory; but along with it, the dreaded sign - the Oratory was being restored! Finally, one day, the door was open! and so we went in and took pictures. You could see the restoration had not been completed, if even started. That was over twenty years ago. But God has patience with us, and here we are twenty-three books later writing about our dear St. Bernardine.
We have so many memories of this fabulous Saint. One time, when we went to visit our loves in Siena, the Eucharist and St. Catherine of Siena, we just happened to land in the midst of a Festa[1] celebrating the Feast Days of Saints Bernardine and Catherine, co-patrons of Siena. With all the pageantry of medieval Siena, the flags of their sixteen regions, twirling and blowing in the wind, young men, dressed as knights and pages, processed in the streets, carrying relics of Siena's and our two beloved Saints. It was an awesome sight - Church in all its pomp and glory giving praise and honor to Our Lord and His Mother, through the memory of these two faithful Saints, who colored the lives, and continue to color the lives of all who learn about them!
Siena is a land of contrasts - the holy and the worldly! It is truly a Renaissance city, echoing days past, you think at first glance. But then your eyes and hearts travel upward to the tops of buildings everywhere, and you see niches with the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus on almost every government building, home, palace and etc., as well as a plaque of the Holy Name of Jesus. (But more on that later!)
As you drink it all in, the tiny elegant shops, the ancient churches nestled in between them, the cobble stone streets where our two Saints walked, you find yourself keeping pace with the proud of Siena as they stroll and take time to renew old acquaintances and acquire new ones. And before you know it, you are enveloped in the Siena of yesterday and you are lost in awe and wonder. Every time, we think of our returning to Italy, our hearts beat a little faster for part of our Pilgrimage will most certainly be in Siena.
September 8, 1380 - an Apostle of Italy is born
To share with you the life of this electrifying Saint, we need to go back to the Tuscany of the 15th Century, puffed up by its ancient Etruscan[2] history, and its involvement in the birth of Renaissance. As we walk through the narrow streets and glance at the age old walls that still surround Siena, we find ourselves in the 15th Century, our souls soaring. This is where it all happened, where God would take the impossible and make it miraculous. Siena and the Sienese are a proud people - set aside by their antiquity and culture. Amongst all this grandeur and pride, how will we find one from this class, who will embrace the life of the Poverello![3]
Our Story begins on the 8th of September,[4] 1380 in the village of Massa Marittima, one of Siena's seventeen contrade, or districts, in the home of the governor, a descendant of the nobility of the Albizeschi. Into this opulent[5] setting a new life will begin - Bernardino, future Friar, Missionary and Reformer. The joy of bringing a new life into the world will not last for this couple. Before their little boy would reach his seventh year on earth, his parents would go to the Father.
But God does not leave us orphans. Bernardino would have the loving care of his devout aunt and her equally holy daughter, who would provide him with the tools, which would turn him into a future Saint. Not only did they nurture him, as if he was their very own son, they gave him an invaluable religious education which would fare him well later on in life. He continued to grow into a fine youngster, when at around eleven years old, he was sent by his uncles to a school in Siena, to receive the education required of people of his class - that of civil and canon law. The boy excelled in his studies. Not only that, but he was charming and handsome, a joy to be around, always the life of the party, very like his predecessor, his future father in Faith - St. Francis. But although he was fun to be around, he could not bear to hear profanity or crude jokes. That is when his good humor would evaporate and he would most sharply protest, taking exception with those engaging in this vulgar behavior. One time, a member of the upper class thought it would be a good idea to lead the young pious Bernardino into a life of immorality and depravity. That earned him a good beating at the hands of Bernardino, who, when the culprit tried again, asked his friends to aid him in discharging mud and stones at the would be tempter. Except for those rare times, you would find Bernardino engaging and loving, calm and gracious.
He felt strongly about living a life worthy of His Mother Mary, of whom he had a great affection. At age seventeen, in 1397, having completed his studies, he enrolled in the Confraternity of Our Lady, which was connected to the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital. He spent the next three years, removed from the world, in quiet meditative contemplation, when, in 1400, a plague struck Siena, and he came out of his solitary life to aid the suffering masses. He not only tended their fever-racked bodies, he addressed their fears of dying. And when they succumbed to the fever, he prepared them for their final journey to the Father. Not only that, but with the aid of ten companions, he took upon himself the entire supervision of the hospital for the next four months. And this was at age twenty! Needless to say, he was quite up to the task.
But a price had to be paid! Some of his companions were infected with the deadly fever and died. But God was not finished with Bernardine, yet. The unrelenting, night and day, care of the plague-stricken masses did not kill him, but so debilitated his health, he contracted a fever, and never quite regained his strength. But that did not stop him! He had many more years to serve his Lord and Lady, and he would not let weakness of body stop him from his appointed task.
After the plague was over, Bernardine returned home, only to find his favorite aunt blind and confined to her bed. He spent the next fourteen months compassionately caring for his aunt, as he had for the victims of the plague. This gentle soul spoke quietly to his aunt and one night, she gave up her spirit to the Lord, nestled in her nephew's arms.
[1] Festival
[2] Etruscan civilization dating back to 800 B.C - It is purported these were tribes from Lydia, an ancient country in Asia Minor. They invaded much of Italy and ruled Rome from 6th Century B.C. till about the 3rd. Century B.C. They had a loosely structured religion, with many deities. They would meet once a year at the Shrine of Voltumna, overlooking Lake Bolsena and discuss religion.
[3] "The Poor One" as St. Francis was called
[4] Mother Mary's birthday
[5] affluent, prosperous, rich, wealthy
For More Information on Saint Bernardine of Siena click here
Introducing CatholicVirtualMall.com
We would like to introduce you to www.CatholicVirtualMall.com our sister site.
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We have superstores like Aquinasandmore.com and CatholicCompany.com along with many specialtly stores like Maryshop.com.
This is the site for classic authors like CS Lewis and G K Chesterton, for Rosaries, Statues and Medals.
CatholicVirtualMall.com is just like a mall near your town. For example, most malls are a location with many stores to choose from. They usually have a foodcourt and specialty shops along with their banner stores. Now for CatholicVirtualMall.com we have the same as a normal mall. Keep in mind with malls you have to checkout at each store. This should clear up the shopping questions about checkout. Simply checkout of each store individually just like you would at a mall. Finally, since the economy is still very flat, many of these stores are offering special offers and discounts.
Remember that any items purchased through CatholicVirtualMall.com benefits Holy Family Mission in our apostolate to produce television programs at no cost to EWTN.
Your feedback is welcome.
Brother Joseph
Check out www.CatholicVirtualMall.com click here
CatholicVirtualMall.com is a site dedicated to bringing many Catholic sources together under the umbrella of one site. for shopping ease and security.
We have superstores like Aquinasandmore.com and CatholicCompany.com along with many specialtly stores like Maryshop.com.
This is the site for classic authors like CS Lewis and G K Chesterton, for Rosaries, Statues and Medals.
CatholicVirtualMall.com is just like a mall near your town. For example, most malls are a location with many stores to choose from. They usually have a foodcourt and specialty shops along with their banner stores. Now for CatholicVirtualMall.com we have the same as a normal mall. Keep in mind with malls you have to checkout at each store. This should clear up the shopping questions about checkout. Simply checkout of each store individually just like you would at a mall. Finally, since the economy is still very flat, many of these stores are offering special offers and discounts.
Remember that any items purchased through CatholicVirtualMall.com benefits Holy Family Mission in our apostolate to produce television programs at no cost to EWTN.
Your feedback is welcome.
Brother Joseph
Check out www.CatholicVirtualMall.com click here
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