From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

May 31st - Blessed Nicolas Barr=C3=A9

Bl. Nicolas Barre was born in Amiens, France, on 21 October 1621.
Educated by the Jesuits, he joined the Minims of St Francis of Paola
at the age of 19. While still a deacon he was asked to teach
philosophy, and after ordination he became a theology teacher while
continuing as preacher and as director of the famous library at the
convent of Place Royale, Paris.

After falling ill, he was sent to the friary in Amiens and then to
Rouen, where he carried out his apostolate mainly with the Third Order
of Minims. Here he first met the young women who were to join him in
the popular missions as teachers in the "Little Charitable Schools"
for poor children. He had been praying and reflecting on this project
for 15 years. In his view, the root cause of all social evils was the
lack of education and training for young people.

He began a movement offering popular education. The little charitable
schools multiplied in the parishes, where first women and then men
were called upon by the parish priest or Bishop. The "trade schools"
soon developed, enabling young people earn some income.

Gradually, he felt drawn by the Holy Spirit to suggest to both the men
and women teachers that they form their own community, without vows or cloister, for the purpose of educating ordinary people. Called by
Canon Roland to Rheims, then to Lisieux and later to other towns in
France, "the Charitable Teachers" gave rise to several foundations
inspired by the same apostolic spirit. Nicolas Barre was consulted
several times by the young John Baptist de la Salle, thus playing a
decisive role in the foundation of the Brothers of the Christian
Schools.

As the number of teachers increased, Nicolas Barre was also spiritual
director to many people, especially those suffering interior trials.
With extraordinary discernment, he taught them the way of abandonment
in faith that he had learned from his own experience. His wisdom and
holiness became so famous that it was often said that "hopeless cases
must be sent to Fr Barre".

Nicolas Barre tirelessly sought to lead both the people he directed
and the charitable teachers to the prayer of the heart inspired by contemplation of the inexpressible mystery of God, who out of love
became man and "even a little child". Nicolas Barre, the spiritual
master, was both an apostle and a mystic and expressed this
magnificently in his Spiritual Canticle, a mystical poem of
abandonment to God. His life was marked by the message and charism of
St Francis of Paola: humility, charity and evangelical penance, which
bore fruit in the education and formation of youth, fostering each
individual's growth in their journey of faith. He died in Paris on 31
May 1686.
=C2=A9 L'Osservatore Romano, Editorial and Management Offices, Via del Pellegrino, 00120, Vatican City, Europe, Telephone 39/6/698.99.390.


Saint Quote:
Charity is the sweet and holy bond which links the soul with its
Creator: it binds God with man and man with God.
-- Saint Catherine of Siena

Bible Quote:
Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man
love the world,
=C2 the charity of the Father is not in him.=C2 (1 John 2:15) DRB


<><><><>
O Mother and Handmaid of God
By St Methodius (c 815 =E2=80=93 885)
(Brother of St Cyril)

Your name, O Mother of God,
is replete with all graces and Divine blessings.
You have contained Him who cannot be contained,
and nourished Him who nourishes all creatures.
He who fills heaven and earth
and is the Lord of all,
was pleased to be in need of you,
for it was you who clothed Him with that flesh
which He did not have before.
Rejoice, then, O Mother and Handmaid of God!
Rejoice, because you have made Him a debtor
who gives being to all creatures.
We are all debtors to God
but He is a debtor to you.
That is why, O most holy Mother of God,
you possess more goodness
and greater charity, than all the other Saints
and have freer access to God than any of them,
for you are His Mother.
Be mindful of us, we beg you, in our miseries,
for we celebrate your glories
and know how great is your goodness.
Amen

--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)