From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

September 26th - St. John of Meda
Also known as John Oldrati, John Oldradi, John of Como

THERE is considerable discussion about the origins of the penitential association of lay-people who were in the middle ages called
Humiliati, and the quite unreliable legend of St. John of Meda does
little but add to the confusion. In the earlier part of the 12th
century numbers of persons of good position in northern Italy, while
still living =E2=80=9Cin the world=E2=80=9D, gave themselves up entirely to=
works of
penance and charity; and we are told that in the year 1134 some of the
men, on the advice of St. Bernard, gave up secular life altogether and
began community life at Milan.

At this time, it is said, there was a certain secular priest from
Como, John of Meda, who had been a hermit at Rodenario, following a
vision of the Virgin Mary, joined the Humiliati in 1134. He belonged
to the Oldrati of Milan, and was a welcome recruit for the new
community. On his recommendation they chose to live under the Rule of
St. Benedict, which St. John adapted to their needs, but they
nevertheless called themselves =E2=80=9Ccanons=E2=80=9D. Among the peculiar observances which St. John is supposed to have introduced was the
daily recitation of the Little Office of our Lady and the use of a
special Divine Office, called simply the =E2=80=9COffice of the Canons=E2= =80=9D.
Whatever the early history of the Humiliati, the order eventually went
into a bad decline and was suppressed by the Holy See in 1571.

In the Acta Sanctorum, September, vol. vii, the Bollandists have
published a short medieval life, introducing it with lengthy
prolegomena. It is much to be feared that this pretended biography and
indeed the whole traditional early history of the Humiliati is no
better than a romance. A review of the controversy is impossible here,
but it has been excellently summarized, with abundant bibliographical references, by F. Vernet in DTC., vol. vi, cc. 307-321. It must
suffice to mention the important work of L. Zanoni, Gli Umiliati nei
loro rapporti con I'Eresia (1911); the earlier investigation of
Tiraboschi, Vetera Humiliatorum Monumenta (1766-1768); and the perhaps hypercritical article of A. de Stefano, =E2=80=9CLeOrigini dell' ordine deg=
li
Umiliati=E2=80=9D in the Rivista storico-critica delle scienze teologice, v= ol.
ii (1906), pp. 851-871.


Bible Quote:
But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they
shall render an account for it in the day of judgment. (Matt. 12:36)
DRB


Saint Quote:
"It is no small struggle to be freed from self-esteem. Such freedom is
to be attained by the inner practice of the virtues and by more
frequent prayer; and the sign that you have attained it is that you no
longer harbour rancour against anybody who abuses or has abused you."
--St. Maximos the Confessor.


<><><><>
God's spirit

God's spirit is all about you all day long. You have no thoughts, no
plans, no impulses and no emotions that He does not know about. You
can hide nothing from Him. Do not make your conduct conform only to
that of the world and do not depend on the approval or disapproval of
others. God sees in secret, but He rewards openly. If you are in
harmony with the Divine Spirit, doing your best to live the way you
believe God wants you to live, you will be at peace. I pray that I may
always feel God's presence. I pray that I may realize this Presence
constantly all through the day.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)