Bible Verse
- Romans 15:4 -
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so
that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope.
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How can any sane person have hope in the midst of the declining world in
which we live? The frivolous can; they do not think about the future much at
all. But thinking people find the future grim and often become cynical.
Winston Churchill, one of the most brilliant and influential people of his
generation, died despairing. His last words were "There is no hope." No
hope? Romans 15:4 says that a Christian can have hope and even marks a
promising pathway to it. That pathway leads first, through teaching; second,
through patient endurance; and third, through encouragement.
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June 5th - Blessed Ferdinand
Prince of Portugal, b. in Portugal, 29 September, 1402; d. at Fez, in
Morocco, 5 June, 1443. He was one of five sons, his mother being Philippa,
daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his father King John I,
known in history for his victories over the Moors and in particular for his
conquest of Ceuta, a powerful Moorish stronghold, and his establishment of
an episcopal see within its walls. In early life Ferdinand suffered much
from sickness, but bodily weakness did not hinder his growth in spirit, and
even in his boyhood and youth he gave evidence of remarkable qualities of
soul and intellect. With great strength of character and a keen sense of
justice and order he combined an innocence, gentleness, and charity which
excited the wonder of the royal court. He had a special predilection for
prayer and for the ceremonies and devotions of the Church. After his
fourteenth year he recited daily the canonical hours, rising at midnight for
Matins. Always severe with himself, he was abstemious in his diet and fasted
on Saturdays and on the eves of the feasts of the Church. He cared for the
spiritual as well as the corporal necessities of his domestics, while his
solicitude for the poor and oppressed was unbounded. His generosity towards
the monasteries was impelled by his desire to share in their prayers and
good works. He had himself enrolled for the same reason in all the pious
congregations of the kingdom.
Upon the death of his father in 1433, his brother Edward (Duarte) ascended
the throne, while he himself received but a small inheritance. It was then
that he was induced to accept the grand-mastership of Aviz, in order that he
might be better able to help the poor. As he was not a cleric, his brother,
the king, obtained for him the necessary papal dispensation. The fame of his
charity went abroad, and Pope Eugene IV, through the papal legate, offered
him the cardinal's hat. This he refused, not wishing, as he declared, to
burden his conscience.
Though living a life of great sanctity in the midst of the court, Ferdinand
was not a mere recluse. He was also a man of action, and in his boyhood his
soul was stirred by the heroic campaign against Ceuta. His mother, the
queen, had nurtured the martial spirit of her sons, and it is even said that
on her deathbed she gave them each a sword, charging them to use it in
defence of widows, orphans, and their country, and in particular against
unbelievers. An opportunity soon presented itself. In 1437 Edward planned an
expedition against the Moors in Africa and placed his brothers Henry and
Ferdinand in command. They set sail 22 Aug., 1437, and four days later
arrived at Ceuta. During the voyage Ferdinand became dangerously ill, in
consequence of an abcess and fever which he had concealed before the
departure, in order not to delay the fleet. Through some mismanagement the
Portuguese numbered only 6000 men, instead of 14,000, as ordered by the
king. Though advised to wait for reinforcements, the two princes, impatient
for the fray, advanced towards Tangiers, to which they lay siege. Ferdinand
recovered slowly, but was not able to take part in the first battle.
The Portuguese fought bravely against great odds, but were finally compelled
to make terms with the enemy, agreeing to restore Ceuta in return for a safe
passage to their vessels. The Moors likewise demanded that one of the
princes be delivered into their hands as a hostage for the delivery of the
city. Ferdinand offered himself for the dangerous post, and with a few
faithful followers, including Joćo Alvarez, his secretary and later his
biographer, began a painful captivity which ended only with his death. He
was first brought to Arsilla by Salą ben Salą, the Moorish ameer. In spite
of sickness and bodily sufferings, he continued all his devotions and showed
great charity towards his Christian fellow-captives. Henry at first repaired
to Ceuta, where he was joined by his brother John. Realizing that it would
be difficult to obtain the royal consent to the restoration of the fortress,
they proposed to exchange their brother for the son of Salą ben Salą, whom
Henry held as a hostage. The Moor scornfully rejected the proposal, and both
returned to Portugal to devise means of setting the prince free. Though his
position was perilous in the extreme, the Portuguese Cortes refused to
surrender Ceuta, not only on account of the treachery of the Moors, but
because the place had cost them so dearly and might serve as a point of
departure for future conquests. It was resolved to ransom him if possible.
Salą ben Salą refused all offers, his purpose being to recover his former
seat of government.
Various attempts were made to free the prince, but all proved futile and
only served to make his lot more unbearable. On 25 May, 1438, he was sent to
Fez and handed over to the cruel Lazurac, the king's vizier. He was first
condemned to a dark dungeon and, after some months of imprisonment, was
compelled to work like a slave in the royal gardens and stables. Amid insult
and misery Ferdinand never lost patience. Though often urged to seek safety
in flight, he refused to abandon his companions and grieved more for their
sufferings, of which he considered himself the cause, than for his own. His
treatment of his persecutors was respectful and dignified, but he would not
descend to flattery to obtain any alleviation of his sufferings. During the
last fifteen months of his life he was confined alone in a dark dungeon with
a block of wood for his pillow and the stone floor for a bed. He spent most
of his time in prayer and in preparation for death, which his rapidly
failing health warned him was near at hand. In May, 1443, he was stricken
with the fatal disease to which he finally succumbed. His persecutors
refused to change his loathsome abode, although they allowed a physician and
a few faithful friends to attend him. On the evening of 5 June, after making
a general confession and a profession of faith, he peacefully gave up his
soul to God. During the day he had confided to his confessor, who frequently
visited him, that the Blessed Virgin with St. John and the Archangel Michael
had appeared to him in a vision. Lazurac ordered the body of the prince to
be opened and the vital organs removed, and then caused it to be suspended
head downwards for four days on the walls of Fez. Nevertheless he was
compelled to pay tribute to the constancy, innocence, and spirit of prayer
of his royal victim. Of Ferdinand's companions, four shortly afterwards
followed him to the grave, one joined the ranks of the Moors, and the others
regained their liberty after Lazurac's death. One of the latter, Joćo
Alvarez, his secretary and biographer, carried his heart to Portugal in
1451, and in 1473 his body was brought to Portugal, and laid to rest in the
royal vault at Batalha amid imposing ceremonies.
Prince Ferdinand has ever been held in great veneration by the Portuguese on
account of his saintly life and devotion to country. Miracles are said to
have been wrought at his intercession, and in 1470 he was beatified by Paul
II. Our chief authority for the details of his life is Joćo Alvarez, already
referred to. Calderon made him a hero of one of his most remarkable dramas,
"El Principe Constante y Mįrtir de Portugal".
Taken from:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06039c.htm
Saint Quote:
It behooves us unanimously and inviolably to observe the ecclesiastical
traditions, whether codified or simply retained by the customer practice of
the Church.
-St. Peter Canisius
Bible Quotes:
5 And hope confoundeth not: because the charity of God is poured forth in
our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us. (Romans 5:5)
8 Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory; thy
greatness all the day long. (Psalms 70:8)
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The Prayer for Courage
Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous,
teach me to serve You as You deserve:
to give and not count the cost,
to fight and not heed the wound,
to toil and not seek rest,
to labor and not seek reward,
save that of feeling that I do Your will. - Amen.
- Saint Ignatius of Loyola
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