- “When the Lord says, ‘unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you will have no life in you’ so you ought to be partakers at the Holy Table, as to have no doubt whatever concerning the reality of Christ’s Body and Blood.” - Saint Leo, Sermon XCI:3
This is the birthday of Blessed Florida Cevoli, a Capuchin Poor Clare of Cittá di Castello. Her novice mistress was St. Veronica Giuliani (usually celebrated on July 10th).
St. John Paul II said: “Florida was inspired by the Spirit of Truth who leads believers to interiorize the Word of God.”
“When a person offers to Almighty God all that she has, her whole life, all that she enjoys, she is a holocaust ... And that is what is done by those who leave the world”. – Saint Gregory the Great
“We read of the most prudent and holy virgin St. Cecilia where it says: ‘The Gospel of Christ she always carried hidden in her heart.’” – St. Catherine of Bologna, Poor Clare
Venerable Diomira Serri, a Capuchin Poor Clare nun came from a lower working-class family, her father was a weaver. She was very much aware that she was being espoused to Christ the King:
“Thou art about to give thy hand in mystic union with Him who is thy Creator, thy Redeemer and thy Sanctifier.”
The peace of Christ, sweet love, be ever in your hearts, O mothers and sisters closest to my heart, and in the hearts of all the Christian people, through which and by which may our true and one God in perfect Trinity and the incarnate Word be forever blessed and praised. Amen.
“I do not, therefore, want to depart from that excellent virtue called hope, by which in His graciousness, He has told me I shall in truth take my place in heaven.” - Saint Catherine of Bologna
“Praise of glory always involves thanksgiving. All its actions, its movements, its thoughts and aspirations, just as they root the praise of glory more deeply in love, are like an echo of the eternal Sanctus”. – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
– (Referring to Saint Eustochia of Messina, Poor Clare): “ On the feast of Saint Andrew, Eustochia prepared to receive holy Communion, she wept as usual all day and night without ceasing… and beyond all her strength she was able to receive the Blessed Sacrament, and it seemed that her heart would break. When the time to eat arrived, she with great effort was able to go to the table. As the life of St. Andrew was being read, when it came to the place where Saint Andrew adored the Cross, she was not able to bear those devout words, and began to tremble and weep.” - From a letter of Sister Jacoba Pollicino, companion and biographer of Saint Eustochia