Warning from Paul

Let me warn anyone bent on following Christ to listen to Saint Paul:
One who claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as he walked. Would
you follow Christ? Then be humble as he was humble; do not scorn his
lowliness if you want to reach his exaltation. Human sin made the road
rough but Christ's resurrection leveled it; by passing over it himself
he transformed the narrowest of tracks into a royal highway.
Two feet are needed to run along this highway; they are humility
and charity. Everyone wants to get to the top--well, the first step to
take is humility. Why take strides that are too big for you--do you
want to fall instead of going up? Begin with the first step, humility,
and you will already be climbing.
-- St. Caesarius of Arles

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June 17th - St. Teresa of Portugal

Teresa was the eldest daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and the
sister of Saints Mafalda and Sancha. She married her cousin, King
Alfonso IX of Leon.

The couple had several children, but the marriage was declared invalid
for the reason of consanguinity. She returned to Portugal and founded
a Cistercian Convent for 300 nuns in Lorvão. Teresa then moved into
the convent, although she did not take vows.

In 1231, at the request of Alfonso’s second wife and widow Berengaria,
she left to settle a bitter succession dispute between their children
over the throne of Leon. With peace between them, she returned to the
convent, took vows, and remained there as a nun for the rest of her
life.


Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)

There are two categories of Saints in popular devotion: those whom one
speaks about and prays to, and those who are in the “archives,” filed
away in silence. This latter category of saints is not spoken of or
invoked.

In a certain way, this is normal because the Church has so many saints
that some naturally draw more attention than others; thus the latter
fall into oblivion. To a certain degree this corresponds to the
history of Divine Providence. Such saints remain in the Calendar of
Saints are remembered in the regions where they lived or the
religious orders to which they belonged, but they do not attain a
large, widespread devotion. When History ends, they will be venerated
in Heaven by all those of lesser sanctity. This is normal and
understandable.

But it is not natural that all the saints who radiate a sentimental
piety that dominates many circles in the Church move rapidly to the
category of “forgotten saints.” At the same time, others who are often presented under the deformed prism of this piety seldom or never fall
into such oblivion. For instance, there is systematic silence
regarding Kings, Queens, and Princes who were saints. Who among us had
ever heard about St. Teresa of Portugal? Before reading this
selection, I did not know that she existed; nor did I know anything
about her sisters, who are also saints.

It would be good for us to recover these saints, raise them from
oblivion and offer them the devotion they deserve. It is curious to
note how this sentimental piety constantly sabotages anti-egalitarian
saints from receiving worship. Consciously or unconsciously, it favors
the Revolution. If we would make a compilation of all the saints that
were set aside by this dubious school of piety, we would have a
magnificent gallery of counter-revolutionary saints.

What this insufficient excerpt tells us is that St. Teresa was Queen
of Leon for a time, her marriage was annulled, and she founded a
Convent in Portugal after she returned to her homeland. Also, she was
called to settle a dispute over the succession of the throne of Leon
in which her children were involved.

It is a cold exposition of a few facts without any details of her
moral life and virtues. This chronology does not allow us to make any particular comment. It is an implicit invitation to set her aside.
Again, it looks like her rich life was sabotaged, confirming what we
said about the biases of the school of sentimental piety.

Let us ask St. Teresa of Portugal--and her sisters St. Mafalda and St. Sancha--to help us find the more counter-revolutionary saints and
bring them to light for the greater glory of God.

http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j182sd_TeresaofPortuga_6-17.shtml


Saint Quote:
Beside each believer stands an Angel as protector and shepherd,
leading him to life.
--St. Basil the Great

Bible Quote
For the spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world: and that,
which containeth all things, hath knowledge of the voice. (Wisdom
1:7)


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Act of Contrition To the Sacred Heart And Prayer for Pardon And Grace

MOST Sacred and Adorable Heart of Jesus! humbly and with contrite
heart I prostrate myself before Thee. bitterly bewailing that I was
remiss in Thy love and have offended Thee by my ingratitude and
unfaithfulness, thereby becoming unworthy of the manifestations of Thy
love. Filled with confusion and fear, I can but say, "I have sinned
against Thee, I have sinned!" Most Amiable and Divine Heart, have
mercy on me, though I do not deserve mercy. Reject me not, but reveal,
rather, I beseech Thee, the excess of Thy mercy by granting me, a poor
sinner, who appears before Thee in the abyss of his nothingness and
misery, pardon for my sins.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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