SAINT OF THE DAY -- May 20 - Saint Bernardine of Siena
May 20
St. Bernardine of Siena(1380-1444)
Patron Saint
of
Advertising, Respiratory Problems, Gambling Addictions, Public Relations and Italy
His preaching skills were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc.
Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution.
Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took
on the needs of the world.
He
was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming
strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting
crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis’s admonition to preach about
“vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”
Compared with St. Paul
by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time,
along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished
all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously
improved later because of his devotion to Mary.
When he was 20,
the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena. Sometimes as many
as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run
the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients
there for four months. He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that
a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring
for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at
her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.
At
22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later.
For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts
ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot,
sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in
another town.
Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name
of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of
the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This
was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the
insignia of factions (for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines). The
devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and
public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a
dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take
action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy and
intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.
General of a
branch of the Franciscan Order, the Friars of the Strict Observance, he
strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon
law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he
died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of
his life, dying while traveling.
Comment:
Another
dynamic saint once said, “...I will not be a burden, for I want not
what is yours, but you.... I will most gladly spend and be utterly
spent for your sakes” (2 Corinthians 12:14). There is danger that we
see only the whirlwind of activity in the Bernardines of faith—taking
care of the sick, preaching, studying, administering, always
driving—and forget the source of their energy. We should not say that
Bernardine could have been a great contemplative if he had had the
chance. He had the chance, every day, and he took it.
Prayer:
Dear Saint of the Franciscan Order,
you were a tireless preacher of God's Saving Word. By your growing love
for Jesus you spread that love all around, advertising his Holy Name.
Be kind to advertisers in our frantic times. Make them broadcast only
what is true and what can serve the well-being of humankind, while
doing all for the glory of God. Amen.
Source: American Catholic Organization
Many great miracles have been associated with
the Rosary throughout history. The tremendous power of the Rosary can
overcome any problem, be it small or large, personal or worldwide.
Miracles continue to the present day.
The Rosary is a powerful prayer!
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If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please know that my husband and I pray for you every single night.
If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE OR (1-800-799-7233)
SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Do you:
feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
avoid certain topics fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
Does your partner:
- humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?
- treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
- ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
- blame you for his own abusive behavior?
- see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
Does your partner:
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
Does your partner:
- act excessively jealous and possessive?
- control where you go or what you do?
- keep you from seeing your friends or family?
- limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
- constantly check up on you?