From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
January 23rd - Blessed Mother Marianne Cope
The life of Blessed Mother Marianne Cope was ordinary, in her opinion.
To those around her, however, her heart of service and love was
nothing short of extraordinary. Born into a poor family of eight
children in Germany, Marianne emigrated to the United States at a
young age, growing up in upstate New York. While she was called at a
very early age to serve the Lord, Marianne delayed entering the
convent in Syracuse for nine years, working in a factory to help
support her family after her father fell ill. In 1863, she made her
vows. Her intention was to teach, but the Lord had other plans for
her.
After a series of teaching positions, that eventually led to mostly administrative positions, Marianne found herself working in
healthcare. She successfully served as administrator of several small
clinics and hospitals, and became known for treating patients who most facilities turned away. She looked with kindness on the =E2=80=9Coutcasts= =E2=80=9D of
society, including alcoholics and drug users, and others the world had
written off. As news of her caring heart and practical mind (despite
never attending school past the eighth grade) spread, she received a life-changing offer from a Catholic priest in Moloka'i, Hawai=E2=80=
=99i. He
asked Marianne for help running a small community for lepers. She
responded enthusiastically, writing, =E2=80=9CI am hungry for the work and =
I
wish with all my heart to be one of the chosen Ones, whose privilege
it will be, to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of the souls of
the poor Islanders... I am not afraid of any disease, hence it would
be my greatest delight even to minister to the abandoned =E2=80=98lepers.= '=E2=80=9D
Marianne and six sisters from her order traveled to Hawai'i, where =
she
would spend the next thirty years tirelessly working to aid those in
need.
In 1888, Mother Marianne moved to Kalaupapa, a leper isolation
community established by Hawaiian King Kamehaha V, and ministered to
by Blessed Father Damien. She undertook administration of that colony
upon his death, working to =E2=80=9Cbring joy=E2=80=9D into the lives of th=
e ill. She
miraculously remained healthy throughout her service, known for
unflinching courage, and a cheerful disposition. For Mother Marianne,
looking upon the faces of her people, outcasts though they might be,
was like =E2=80=9Clooking upon the face of Christ.=E2=80=9D
Robert Lewis Stevenson, famed poet, met Mother Marianne in 1889, and
wrote the following poem:
To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferers smiling at the rod,
A fool were tempted to deny his God.
He sees, and shrinks; but if he look again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!--
He marks the sisters on the painful shores,
And even a fool is silent and adores.
Mother Marianne was venerated by Pope John Paul II in April 2004,
following reports by the faithful of miraculous cures at her
intercession. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in May 2005.
=C2 by Jacob
=C2 Quotations of Blessed Marianne Cope:
=E2=80=9CWe bring no gift to Your Majesty except our service in behalf of y= our
suffering people, whose infirmity we bear in our hearts."
--Blessed Marianne Cope
=E2=80=9CGod giveth life; He will take it away in His own good time. Meanwh= ile
it is our duty to make life as pleasant and as comfortable as possible
for those of our fellow-creatures whom He has chosen to afflict."
--Blessed Marianne Cope
=E2=80=9CWhat little good we can do in this world to help and comfort the suffering, we wish to do it quietly and so far as possible unnoticed
and unknown."
--Blessed Marianne Cope
=E2=80=9COur dear heavenly Mother Mary=E2=80=A6how little do our trials and=
sorrows
appear when compared to her bitter sufferings."
--Blessed Marianne Cope
<><><><>
Solitude
=C2 =C2 While Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd because of the man=
y
miracles he performed and because of his gentle doctrine, he, the
lover of solitude, again withdrew to a secluded place where, after
being useful to his neighbor, he could freely return to prayer and contemplation.
=C2 =C2 It is a good, indeed necessary, thing for people who are much embattled to take refuge from the fray within themselves, to cultivate themselves, and in their innermost, care-filled hearts to fix their
gaze on the divine realities and ask God for what is essential for the
guidance and progress of all people. In this way they help with silent
prayer those whom they have instructed in the faith, to give them the
power to understand, so that the word of God may not fall on the empty
air.
--Simon Fidati of Cascia, O.S.A.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)