From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
July 30th - Blessed Man=C3=A9s de Guzm=C3=A1n
Also known as
Mamerto
Mam=C3=A9s
Manez
d. 1230
Of the three sons of Felix de Guzman and Bl. Joan of Aza, Mannes was
the middle one, Antony being the elder, and St. Dominic, founder of
the Friars Preachers, the younger.=C2 Mannes was born at Calaruega, in
the province of Burgos, in the middle of the twelfth century and had
already devoted himself to God when Dominic was born in 1170. Of most
of his life nothing is known, but he was among his younger brother's
first followers, one of the 16 who adopted the Rule of St.
Augustine in 1216 and made their profession at Prouille in the
following year. These men were "all in fact and in name excellent
preachers", and Mannes had already shared his brother's labours in
Languedoc. After they had made their vows Dominic decided on the bold
stroke of sending them straight out into the world, and Mannes with
six others went to Paris and made the first French foundation, under
Brother Matthew of France, near the university. He is next heard of as
chaplain to the nuns at Prouille, whom St. Dominic had established in
1207, and later on was put in charge of their new convent at Madrid;
the founder refers to him in a letter to the sisters: "Our very dear
brother, Brother Mannes, who has spared no pains to bring you to this
high state, will take what steps seem to him necessary to secure its continuance. He has authority from us to make visitation of the
convent, to correct what he finds amiss, and if he so judge fitting,
to change the prioress, so long as the greater number of the sisters
consent thereto."
=C2 Dominic evidently had a very high opinion of the qualities of his
brother, who had always had an attraction to the contemplative life,
making him a particularly suitable director for the Madrid nuns, an
office he filled for a dozen years.=C2 He clearly shared the peaceful
gentle disposition and personality which strongly attracted men to St.
Dominic, and had a similar serene and reasonable knowledge of the
difficulties of souls. Bl. Mannes outlived his great brother, but the
year of his death is not certain; it is generally given as 1230, but
there is a story that he visited Calaruega after St. Dominic's
canonization in 1234 and urged the people to build a chapel in his
honour, saying, "Be satisfied with a small one for the present: my
brother will know how to enlarge it when he chooses to", a prophecy
fulfilled by King Alfonso X thirty years after. Bl. Mannes was buried
at the Cistercian church of St. Peter at Gamiel d'Izan, and his cult
was approved in 1834.
See Mortier, Ma=C3=AEtres, G=C3=A9n=C3=A9raux 0.P., vol. i, pp. 2, 29, 90; = Procter,
Dominican Saints, pp. 213-215=C2 Ann=C3=A9e Dominicaine, vol. vii, p. 81=
9.
Saint Quote:
He who is kind is free, even if he is a slave. He who is evil is a
slave, even if he is king!
-- Saint Augustine of Hippo
Bible Quote:
=C2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of
charity, if any society of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration:
2. Fulfill ye my joy, that you may be of one mind, having the same
charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment. 3. Let nothing be
done through contention, neither by vainglory: but in humility, let
each esteem others better than themselves: 4. Each one not considering
the things that are his own, but those that are other men's. 5. For
let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
(Philippians 2:1-5)
<><><><>
Be simple as doves.=C2 [Matt. 10:16 ]=C2 July: Simplicity
31. God is a Being most simple in His essence, admitting no
composition whatever. If, then, we desire to render ourselves as much
like Him as possible, we should endeavor to be by virtue what He is by
nature; that is, we ought to have a simple heart, a simple soul, a
simple intention, a simple mode of action. We ought to speak simply,
and to act frankly, without deceit or artifice, always letting our
exterior reflect our interior, and never regarding anything in all our
actions except God, Whom alone we endeavor and desire to please.
--St. Vincent de Paul
Such, in fact, was the simplicity of this Saint, for his exterior was
always in entire conformity to his interior. Whoever heard his words
could immediately know what was in his heart, which he always kept
upon his lips. And however numerous and varied might be his
occupations, they all had the same end, which was to please God alone.
It might be truly said that he possessed this virtue to such a degree
that the faculties of his soul were wholly steeped in it, and whatever
he said or did proceeded from this source.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints".
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)