From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

September 22nd - Bl. Maurice Belvisotti, Capuchin Priest
Also known as Ignazio da Santhia, Lawrence Belvisotti, Ignatius of Santhi=
=C3

Father Maurice Belvisotti, 24, was ordained a priest of the Diocese of
Vercelli in 1710, and after six years of excellent service he was
offered responsible positions. Father Belvisotti felt that the Good
Lord had other things in mind for him so after much prayer and
consideration he declined the offers and applied to the Provincial of
the Capuchins of Turin to be accepted as a Novice.

During his year as a Novice, (May 24 1716 to May 24 1717) Ignatius,
(his new religious name) asked for and received no exemptions. He was
placed under the tutelage of a young novice who, although almost half
Fr Ignatius' age, set about teaching him in an over zealous manner all
about the Order, the spiritual life and even how to say Mass. Fr
Ignatius accepted this tutoring with humility and perhaps with a bit
of a smile.

Once professed, Fr Ignatius was sent to the convent at Saluzzo and was
given the office of Sacristan. Then after a short stay as Assistant
Novice Master in the Novitiate in Chieri, he was sent to Capuchin Hill
in Turin in 1723. Again he was Sacristan, not an easy job in a convent
with 87 priests and of course no concelebration. In 1731 he was made
Novice Master at Mondovi, here he remained until 1744 when an illness
of the eyes forced him to relinquish the job. Soon, however, he was
well again and even though he was nearly sixty years of age, he
accepted the work of head Chaplain of the forces of the King of
Piedmont who were fighting against the invading Franco-Hispanic
armies. Fr Ignatius was able to win the respect of both friends and
enemies by the sacramental and spiritual care he gave them as well as
the medical care he administered. Once the war ended he returned to
the regular life of Capuchin Hill.

He was then given the task of confessor and religious instructor to
the Lay Brothers; and it was in this work he was able both to increase
and to show his love for the lay brother. His natural appreciation and
love for the lay brother was evident in that he did not think twice
about lending a hand when he saw it was needed and even as guardian he
would do jobs such as questing, which were considered to be
traditionally in the realm of the lay brother.

As Fr Ignatius advanced in years, he gave his time to visiting the
sick and the poor of the city of Turin. Thousands flocked to Capuchin
Hill daily to receive a blessing from him or to hear a consoling word.
His health failing, he prepared for death. The well loved old friar
died a peaceful and gracious death on 22nd of September 1770. He was
aged 84 and had been in the Capuchins for 54 years. He was beatified
by Pope Paul VI on 17th April 1966.


Saint Quote:
He who does not give up prayer cannot possibly continue to offend God Habitually. Either he will give up prayer, or he will stop sinning.
-- St. Alphonsus Liguori

Bible Quote:
What is the key verse in Jesus' teaching on the virtue of humility in
Luke 18:9-14?
"For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, but anyone who
humbles himself will be raised up." A heart that remains in a state of
grace through the repentance of sins is a humble heart. The Lord
resists the proud and boastful but gives His grace to one who
possesses a contrite and humble heart: Both Sts. Peter and James quote
Proverbs 3:34 concerning the special grace of God which is disposed to
the humble:


<><><><>
THANK YOU, LORD!

Just this once, Lord, I want to come to you with no problems, but simply to say, Thank You:

For your forgiveness when I fail For the sheer joy of sleep when I'm
terribly tired For silent strength of humility when pride overtakes me For
the justice of your laws when people are cruel For the remedies for
sickness when I am ill For the simplicity or orderliness when I face
confusion For the assurance that you have made a place especially for me
when I feel inadequate among my peers For the joy of helping others when I
see people in need For the earthly evidence of your will when I'm trying to find out what life is all about For the reality of your world, when I stray
too far into fantasy For the rightness of reasonableness when I panic too quickly For the fun that refreshes when everything gets too serious For the renewal in moments of silence when I'm overly stressed!

Thank you Lord, for all of these things. But most of all, thank you for
your abiding presence that..... MAKES EVERY DAY I LIVE A DAY OF
THANKSGIVING!
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