Feb 20, 2009 - St. Anthony Mary's 480th Anniversary Priestly Ordination

In 1529, February 20, at age 26, he was ordained. God’s deep love for Anthony Mary was shown by the following miracle. It was recorded by all the contemporary Cremonese historians and attested in the process of canonization.

            It was the custom in those days, as it is now, that a priest's first mass should be celebrated with great pomp and solemnity and that a banquet should then be given in the house of the newly-ordained. Anthony Mary, who disliked all show and pomp, requested that all exterior solemnities be avoided, for he longed to be alone to celebrate for the first time in quiet and recollection the Divine Mysteries. Absorbed in meditating on the great Sacrifice and his heart burning with love for God, he went to the foot of the altar. A profound and religious silence prevailed among those present, and all eyes were turned on him, a sign of the great event about to take place. At the solemn moment of consecration, a marvelous light encircled him and a multitude of Angels descended, and surrounding him, assisted reverently at the Mass. This heavenly vision lasted until the end of Communion. The joy and astonishment of those present can only be imagined. The report of the miracle quickly spread through the city and each one thanked God in his heart, sure that the new priest must be the angel sent from heaven for the salvation of the people and so, indeed, it proved to be.

Novena To Saint Anthony M. Zaccaria

From the Foreword to the Novena to St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria 

In the first half of the fifteenth century in Italy shone the luminous figure of Anthony Mary Zaccaria. This young saint, full of passion for God’s love, was a great reformer of religious customs of the clergy and the Christian people. Above all, he was the founder of the Clerics Regular of St. Paul (Barnabites), the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, and the Laity of St. Paul.

Anthony Mary Zaccaria, born in Cremona, Italy in 1502, was a student and graduate in medicine from the University of Padua; a doctor of body and soul in his native city; a fervent catechist and a zealous priest in Milan and elsewhere. For a decade his apostolate was characterized by an intense devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar (he was the promoter of the Forty Hours Devotion), and by a passionate love of the cross and the crucified Christ (he instituted the ringing of bells on Friday afternoon to commemorate Christ’s death). Anthony Mary was guided by an extraordinary zeal of St. Paul, chosen by him to be his master and model on earth, and his special patron in heaven.

Exhausted from his pastoral work, Anthony Mary died at only 36 years old, leaving behind admirable examples of penance and of spirituality. In the novena here presented, his ascetic-mystic thought continuously emerges. This thought can be found in his six Sermons and eleven Letters, which remained as his testament and a mirror of his soul and his missionary call: in these writings resounds an unceasing appeal against vices, and toward holiness.

Cardinal Ratzinger wrote: “I have to say that the image of this saint is dear to me because he is one of the great figures of Catholic reform… an authentic man of God and of the Church, a man burning with zeal, a demanding forger of consciences, a true leader able to convert and lead others to good.”

Like all the saints, Zaccaria is a figure of permanent relevance: an encounter with him symbolizes an invitation to return to a charism of a unique vocation, a return desired by the Second Vatican Council, as an indispensable element of true renewal. The Church venerates the saints and honors their images. Celebrating their names and their memory, she proclaims Christ’s marvels in his servants and proposes to the faithful examples to imitate (Sacrosantum Concilium, 11).

The saints manifest the face and the presence of God in the world. They contribute to the spiritual life of the Church on earth, and form with us one mystical body. As friends and coheirs of Christ, they intercede for us. As our brothers and benefactors, they teach us the way to reach heaven. (Lumen Gentium, 49-50)

Anthony Mary Zaccaria merits to be known and followed in his teachings: he counts among the category of priests, who in the course of centuries, have left a splendid example of holiness. As a spiritual master, he continues to spread and proclaim the Word of God and to teach the “sublime wisdom of Jesus Christ” (Liturgy of July 5)

Bishop Andrea M. Erba, CRSP

Bishop Emeritus of Velletri-Segni,

Rome, 15 November 2008

Solemnity of Mother of Divine Providence

Day 1  of the Novena – for FAITH

“It is necessary that you always trust in God’s help and come to know by experience that you are never to be without it.”  

(St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Constitutions XVII)

 Opening Prayer

Gracious Father,

fount of holiness,

with hearts full of confidence

and loving obedience to your will,

we pray, together with

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria,

for the grace of a life of virtue,

in imitation of Christ, your Son.

Incline our hearts

to the promptings of the Holy Spirit,

so that He may guide us

and keep us in the path that leads to you.

And by His help may we become

genuine disciples of your

immeasurable goodness

and unfathomable love for all.

This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

First Reading

From the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (1:8-12)

I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is heralded throughout the world. God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in proclaiming the

gospel of his Son, that I remember you constantly, always asking in my prayers that somehow by God’s will I may at last find my way clear to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine.

 Second Reading

From the letter of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria to the Reverend Father Bartolomeo Ferrari (Letter VI)

Dearly beloved in Christ, why do you entertain any doubts? Haven’t you experienced in this undertaking that you never lacked the necessary means to help those in need? Nothing is more certain and reliable than experience. Those who love you do not possess the wealth either of a Paul or of a Magdalene; they do, however, trust in the One who enriched them both. Thus as a result of both your faith and theirs God will provide for any person under your care. You can be sure that, before you speak and in the very moment of speaking, Jesus Crucified will anticipate and accompany, not only every word of yours, but your every holy intention.Don’t you see that He Himself has opened the doors for you with His own hands? Who, then, will hinder you from entering the hearts of people and from changing them so completely as to renew them and beautify them with holy virtues? Nobody, of course − neither the devil nor any other creature.

 Invocations

• St. Anthony, precursor of Catholic reform…Pray for us.
  
• St. Anthony, faithful administrator of the divine mysteries…Pray for us.
  
• St. Anthony, priest solicitous in making gain in others…Pray for us.
  

 Prayer

Christ, our Savior, you endowed St. Anthony Mary with the light and flame of a solid faith.Increase our faith, so that we may learn to love the living true God. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be… 

Closing Prayer

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria,
continue your work as doctor and priest
by obtaining from God healing
from my physical and moral sickness,
so that free from all evil and sin,
I may love the Lord with joy,
fulfill with fidelity my duties,
work generously for the good of my brothers and sisters,
and for my sanctification.
I also beg of you to secure for me
the special favor I seek in this novena…
(State your intention here.)
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

____________________

To receive a copy of the Novena please write to :

Barnabite Spiritual Center  

4301 Hecktown Road

Bethlehem, PA 18020

Donation of $ 1.00 is greatly appreciated to cover the mailing expenses. 

366 Spiritual Sayings of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria

FOREWORD
by Fr. Giovanni M. Villa, CRSP, Superior General of the Barnabite Fathers

"I am pleased to present to you this calendar with St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria’s thoughts, which will accompany you during the days of the year. These thoughts are taken from the writings of this Saint, who lived in the 16th century: a time very similar to our time, which is marked by great transformation and a decadence of faith and religious morals. The people of St. Anthony Mary’s time had a need of a convincing and persuasive example and testimony. It was for this that he chose St. Paul the Apostle as his spiritual guide and master. Like St. Paul who had been completely changed by the grace of the Lord, so St. Anthony Mary desired that everyone might carry out the “reform”: change oneself according to Jesus’ word, so that he may in turn change others and the society he lives in."....

For more information how to order your personal copy please go to: BarnabiteSpiritualCenter.spotblog.com

Who St. Anthony M. Zaccaria is for you?

1. How has Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria been an inspiration to you?

Saint Anthony Zaccaria has been an inspiration by his extraordinary embrace of patience despite many obstacles. He was quoted as saying, “No one can come close to God unless he willingly practices patience in many tribulations."

2. What is the spiritual message St. Anthony Zaccaria proclaims? How did he proclaim it, e.g., by witness, practice, verbal or written proclamation?

Saint Anthony Zaccaria's message is that his followers have the capacity to become great saints. They need to give back to Jesus Crucified the good qualities and graces that He has given to them. He manifested this in the way he lived his life and proclaimed it in verbal and written form.

3. What are the dates and times Saint Anthony Zaccaria lived?

What influenced them to be charged with living the gospel of Jesus Christ?Saint Anthony Zaccaria was born in Cremona, Italy in 1502 and died there in 1539. After several years of caring for people's bodies as a physician, Saint Anthony felt a greater urge to care for their souls.
Genuine love for his fellowman influenced him to be charged with living the gospel of Jesus Christ as a priest.

4. Did Saint Anthony Zaccaria start a religious order or foundation or create many followers?

Saint Anthony Zaccaria was the founder of three religious groups; Clerics Regular of St. Paul known as The Barnabites (priests), The Angelic Sisters of Saint Paul (nuns) and The Laity of Saint Paul.

5. What is the '"take home message" you want us to remember about Saint Anthony Zaccaria so that his spirituality now becomes a part of our spirituality?

Saint Anthony Zaccaria held Jesus Christ in the forefront of his mind. He never wavered in this regard. Like Christ, Saint Anthony Zaccaria with his love and compassion lived to ease the burdens of those less fortunate.

________

written by Ms. Fran Stahlecker

A Daily Lesson in Holiness of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria on FERVOR - July

On FERVOR

July 1
The good and holy fervor is, the fire of the Father, the splendor of the Son, and the flame of the Holy Spirit.

July 2

Because it is His gift, without great fervor no one will ever become great in front of God.

July 3

Authentic spiritual fervor consists in a vigorous and continuous reform of the mind toward good.

July 4

Fervor is a stimulus for any perfection, an increase of good will, a confirmation of holy resolutions and stable perseverance.

July 5

Fervor is in the mind’s eye, through which one concentrates exclusively on the sincere honor of God while dismissing everything else.

July 6

Fervor leads to the observance of all divine precepts and counsels, not only those which are known but also those which can be surmised.

July 7

Out of love of God, fervor makes the hate of oneself [one’s self diminish] grow beyond any measure. This is why it exterminates all passions, like a very strong army formation.

July 8

The Devil saw the formation of the fervent and became afraid at the sight, because he was forced, against his will, to always bring it new crowns.

July 9

True fervor always grows in prosperity as in adversity. It grows in consolations as in desolations.

July 10

Fervor does not know any way or measure, since it always believes to have done nothing. It always looks at what has to be done and the more it gains, the more it desires.

July 11

Fervor wants to know God through the virtues of the heart in order to advance to the order of the Seraphims.July 12 The fervent are situated at the highest degree of freedom. They pity those who lack fervor.

July 13

Fervor leads toward an active, noble and contemplative life, without omitting those things needed for each state.

July 14

Those who complain because God does not give them fervor, add blasphemy to their lack of proper disposition.

July 15

Rid yourself of what is contrary to fervor, like distractions of the mind and pleasures of the senses. God will then ignite fervor in you.

July 16

When fervor becomes perfect it sometimes seems to loosen up, but actually it has not diminished, rather it has transcended into a delightful habit.

July 17

When goodwill and firm resolutions remain steadfast, do not be sad even though fervor seems to be dead. Although the sensible fervor may have failed, it cannot be dead.

July 18

Fervor starts as a gift from God, is kept through a firm resolution, and must never stop during this life.

July 19

An indecisive person loses fervor and becomes lukewarm.

July 20

Acquire stability and fervent perseverance in spiritual matters so that you may never again way between fervor and tepidity, but rather may enjoy a steady and holy fervor, nourished by life-giving water and enriched by new vigor.

July 21

Retain selfsame fervor both when the Superior is present and when he is absent and also when you deal with others exactly as you would with your Superior.

July 22

Fervor leads toward an active, noble and contemplative life, without omitting those things needed for each state.

July 23

I hope to grow in Jesus' love; and the good Lord crucified will give me back the spiritual light and fervor, which used to keep me spiritually alive.

July 24

Never allow yourself to be entangled in imaginations and dreams while praying, and also never abandon prayer should you feel no sensible fervor, but rather renounce the latter if it came upon you, and consider yourself unworthy of it.

July 25

One thing is exterior fervor and devotion, and quite another is interior fervor and true devotion. And that is why you should know that God very often for your own good takes away this exterior fervor and devotion that you may understand that this is not within your own power, but God's gift, and thus you may humble yourself more and more.

July 26

Authentic spiritual fervor consists in a vigorous and continuous reform of the mind toward good.
July 27

Those who complain because God does not give them fervor, add blasphemy to their lack of proper disposition.

July 28

The good and holy fervor is, the fire of the Father, the splendor of the Son, and the flame of the Holy Spirit.

July 29

True fervor always grows in prosperity as in adversity. It grows in consolations as in desolations.
July 30

Rid yourself of what is contrary to fervor, like distractions of the mind and pleasures of the senses. God will then ignite fervor in you.

July 31

Fervor starts as a gift from God, is kept through a firm resolution, and must never stop during this life.

by late Fr. Louis Peter Bonardi, CRSP (a Barnabite)

The Forty Hours' Devotion or more commonly known as the Forty Hours, is a definite form of divine worship of the Blessed Sacrament in the Catholic Church. This form of worship is effected by the Holy Eucharist being solemnly exposed for adoration for forty hours in memory of the period of time Christ's Body lay in the tomb, and for the purpose of making reparation. The founder or institutor is the person responsible for starting this particular devotion.

The Forty Hours' Devotion presents a process of successive developments throughout the ages. From very simple and almost private beginnings, all of a sudden this devotion assumed a solemn and resplendent form of worship universally accepted.

In the first part of the Sixteenth Century and up to the Council of Trent, it was not an era in which the spirit dominated over matter. The Renaissance had awakened the people but it also had a corrupting influence on their morals. What marked the religious decadence in these years was the culmination of evil customs and abuses of the preceding centuries. All sorts of abuses were prevalent even in churches with practices unbecoming to divine worship. The Holy Eucharist the glory and the most treasured possession of the church was the subject of profanity, irreverence, and indignities, As a result, Christ in the Eucharist was exiled from His churches and relegated to obscure corners of sacristies. It was evident that in order to reform the Christian people, the churches had to be restored to their former splendor of the house of prayer; the Blessed Sacrament had to be returned to its church and take a prominent place in it, and the people had to be brought back to Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

It is the Forty Hours' Devotion which really became the means of accomplishing this. A Eucharist devotion under such name was established back in the Twelfth Century in the city of Zara. It was Pope Alexander III who gave his approbation and granted an indulgence for this pious practice. Mention of Prayer of the Forty Hours was made in Milan In 1527 and again in 1529. The Forty Hours' Devotion as we know it today in the Catholic Church did not start until 1537, and this took place in Milan, Italy.

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria is the founder of the Forty Hours' Devotion. In his zeal for the salvation of souls, St. Anthony Mary had already founded two religious orders, one of Priests, the Bamabite Fathers, and one of Nuns, the Angelics Sisters of St. Paul. Devotion to Christ Crucified and Christ in the Blessed Sacrament was the double-edged sword which the Saint employed in combating the enemies of the Church of that century. Before he became a Priest, he was a Doctor of Medicine. His medical experience helped him to put his finger on the sore spot of the society of his day which was a conspicuous lack of Eucharistic life among the people. To obviate this critical situation, he plunged into a great sea of activity. In 1539, when only thirty-six years of age St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria died of sheer exhaustion, obedient to the common of St. Paul never to spare oneself when the glory of God and the salvation of souls are involved.

Some sources refer to the Forty Hours as having been started in 1534 in Milan by a Cremonese hermit Fra Bono. Documentary evidence, however, points to the year 1537 as the most probable. In regard to Fra Bono, it has been ascertained that he was what one might call the right hand of St. Anthony Mary in establishing this devotion and in preparing the churches to receive it.

In that same year of 1537, there was in Milan a Capuchin Father who was famous for his preaching and holiness of life, Father Joseph Piantanida de Femo. The Capuchin sources testify that Father da Femo seeing the distress of the city because of wars promised peace from God while preaching if the Milanese people would take over the Forty Hours’ Devotion for one year.
This testimony, although not lacking altogether in authority, contradicts the

Bamabite tradition and the testimony of an eye witness of the events of the year 1537. The Capuchin tradition was codified almost half a century after the narrated facts. By then, the Forty Hours had been accepted in most of Italy through the merits principally of Capuchin Fathers. The fact that Father Joseph da Femo was the first Capuchin to promote the Forty Hours in his missions helped to confuse the issue.

The tradition of the Capuchin Fathers rests absolutely with Father Joseph da Femo to the exclusion of any other concerning the founder of the Forty Hours. On the contrary, the tradition of the Barnabite Fathers in the institution of the Forty Hours is for the founder of their Order at the exclusion of anyone else. The Barnabite and the Capuchin traditions can be somewhat reconciled in the light of the testimony of Gianmarco Burigozzo, the Milanese merchant, who witnessed and left a written narrative of the beginning of the Forty Hours' Devotion in 1537. It
is, therefore concluded that St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria with his first followers is the founder of the Forty Hours' Devotion. He exposed the Eucharist with solemnity without the use of veils and richly adorned it with tapestries, lights and flowers. He proposed and obtained that each church of the city take up in turns the Forty Hours' Devotion. Probably, the Saint would not have had such a great response from the people if the preacher of the Cathedral, Father Joseph de Femo, had not recommended in his fervor and zeal the practice to the faithful.

At the present stage of study, the following represents the conclusions of the problem. Father Joseph da Femo is the first promoter of this devotion throughout Italy and the greatest in accomplishments. St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria is the founder of the Forty Hours' Devotion as it is know today in the Catholic Church, that is, a solemn and public exposition of Blessed Sacrament observed in all of the Catholic Churches.

______

NOTE:

Abstract from theses “The Origin of the Forty Hours Devotion and its Modern Founder” Presented by Fr. Louis Peter Bonardi, CRSP to Niagara University, 1961).

Day 9- For Brotherly Love

Let us run like madmen not only toward God but also toward our neighbors,

who alone can be the recipients of what we cannot give to God,

since He has no need of our goods.

(St. A. Zaccaria, Letter to B.Ferrari and G. Morigia)

A reading from the second Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (Gal 2:15-21)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

A reading from the forth Sermon of St. Anthony Zaccaria

You wish to know how to acquire the love of God as well as to find out whether it is in you? One and the same thing helps you acquire, expand, and increase it more and more, and reveals it as well when it is present. Can you guess what it is? It is love ―the love of your neighbor.
God is a long way from our direct experience; God is spirit (John 4:24); God works in an invisible fashion. Thus, His spiritual activity cannot be seen except with the eyes of the mind and of the spirit, which in most people are blind, and in all are wavering and no longer accustomed to seeing. But man is approachable, man is body; and when we do something to him, the deed is seen. Now, since He has no need of our things, whereas man does, God has set man as a testing ground for us. In fact, if you have a friend very dear to you, you will also hold dear those things he loves and cherishes. Therefore, since God holds man in great esteem, as He has shown, you would show meanness and indeed little love for God, if you did not think very highly of what He bought at a great price.


Invocations
Saint Anthony, man gentle and humane …Pray for us
Saint Anthony, Man burning with charity…Pray for us
Saint Anthony, Man ruthless against vices…Pray for us

Prayer
Eternal Father, you love everyone and want everyone to be saved, grant that we do find you and love you in our brothers and sisters so that they too, through me, may find you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be...

Prayer to St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria

Saint Anthony Zaccaria, helper of the poor and the sick, you who devoted your life to our spiritual welfare, listen to my humble and hopeful prayer. Continue your work as doctor and priest by obtaining from GOD healing from my physical and moral sickness, so that free from all evil and sin, I may love the LORD with joy, fulfill with fidelity my duties, work generously for the good of my brothers and sisters, and for my sanctification. AMEN