Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

The Month of February Dedicated to the Holy Family

Saint: Saint Oswald (-992); Blessed Villana de'Botti (1332-1361)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 22 The Sleeping Arrangements of the Monks 

Mass: Is 55:10-11; Resp Ps 34; Mt 6:7-15 

Look to Him that you may be radiant with joy.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

OUR LADY OF SNOWS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down ...

(Is 55:10)

The first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah certainly speaks of Redwoods these days, days of rain and snow and wind and so on. It's a bit much. On the other hand, all things wet and cold are busy watering the earth, making it fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats. And flowers as shown in today's photo just keep on. At the same time, we continue to face temptations in one form or another and combat them with the Word. One of our saints of the day, 14th century Italian Blessed Villana de'Botti ran away from home at the age of 13 to join a convent. She was refused so returned home only to be married off by her family. Not long afterwards, Villana fell away from the faith, preferring pleasure over things of God. That lasted until she was looking at herself in the mirror one day and her reflection suddenly changed to a demon. This was enough to get Villana running to the local Dominican friars for help. In short order, she became a Dominican tertiary, focused on her vocation of married life and spent her free time (and not so free time I would guess) praying and reading Scripture and the lives of the saints. And that's not all. Villana was given to religious ecstasies at Mass, visions of Our Lady and the saints, and had the gift of prophecy. It seems she put on the armor of Christ and went to battle with any other demons that might dare to manifest themselves. Not surprisingly, Villana became the object of much ridicule and slander, but even her fiercest opponents eventually came to see her as a living saint. After Villana died at the age of 30, her body was taken to Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and the dear Dominican friars were unable to bury her for a month due to the constant crowd of mourners. It happens that way with holy people. Ridiculed one moment, seen as a saint the next. O the beauty of our faith tradition. Villana was beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1824.*

And what does all this mean for us? I was reminded this morning when I had the privilege of proclaiming Genesis 3:1-19 to put on the armor of Christ just as Blessed Villana did: 

Pray, and read the Bible and the lives of the saints. And don't let curiosity kill the cat. Sister Josephine, OSB, of happy memory will answer: "Satisfaction got it back." 

During the battle they called on God, and He heard them because they had put their trust in Him.

(1 Chr 5:20)

SAINT OSWALD,

BLESSED VILLANA DE'BOTTI,

PRAY FOR US.

*See Catholic News Agency, "Blessed Villana de'Botti

Today's photo: This was yesterday around noon. Otherwise, we've had intermittent freezing rain and hail. And it keeps on. I sought the Lord, and He answered me.

© Gertrude Feick 2023