Our Morning Offering – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” –Monday in the Second Week of Easter
Guide Me Lord By St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who seeks those who stray and receives them when returning, make me approach Thee through the frequent hearing of Thy Word, lest I sin against my neighbour, by the blindness of human judgement, through the austerity of false justice, through comparing his inferior status, through too much trust in my merits or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement. Guide me to search diligently, each corner of my conscience, lest the flesh dominate the spirit! Amen
Saint of the Day – 16 April – Blessed William Gnoffi (1256-1317) Hermit, Ascetic and visionary of our Blessed Mother, builder of Churches and founder of communities. Patronage – Co-Patron of the City of of Castelbuono. Also known as https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/99487 Guglielmo
William Gnoffi was born in Polizzi Generosa in Sicily 1256, into a noble family. At the age of just 15, he retreated to pray in the caves near the ruins of the former Norman Monastery of Saints Cosmos and Damian.
Although William did not entered any Religious Order, he gained many converts by his own sanctity in living and preaching the Gospel of Christ which is, after all which is necesssary.
We know Blessed William travelled throughout the villages of the Madonie mountains to beg and preach the Gospel and that the Madonna appeared to him several times during his life.
He is also credited with restoring the mountain sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Alto, where he lived as a Hermit.
During his 5th year of solitary life, he one day reached Gonato, near Geraci Siculo, where he built a small Church and remained there for 11 years in penance. After forming a community of ascetics around himself, who followed him to Castelbuono, with the help of Alduino Ventimiglia, Count of Geraci, he built a Church and hermitage.
In 1288, the sacred building was named Santa Maria del Parto, in the district once called ‘Favare’ and now called San Guglielmo.
Blessed William’s life was adorned with miracles which occurred thanks to his intercession. On 16 April 1317, Bl William Gnoffi died at the age of 61. He was buried at the Abbey of Santa Maria del Parto.
In 1500, his body was recognised and placed in a silver urn, now kept in a niche in the Matrice Nuova Church of Castelbuono. In 1613, the Beatification proceedings were drawn up by the Bishop of Cefalù.
Blessed William Gnoffi is the Co-Patron Saint of the City of Castelbuono.
The urn containing his Relics is carried in procession every year during the Feast of Saint Anne, along with the silver urn containing the Saint’s skull and the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
St Benedict Joseph Labre – Known as the Beggar of Perpetual Adoration (1748-1783) Lay Penitent and Pilgrim – he “abandoned his country, his parents and whatever is flattering in the world, to lead a new sort of life, a life most painful, most penitential, not in a wilderness, nor in a cloister but in the midst of the world, devoutly visiting as a pilgrim the famous places of Christian devotion.” Canonised by Pope Leo XIII on 8 December 1881. Dearest St Benedict Joseph: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-st-benedict-joseph-labre/
Blessed Arcangelo Canetoli (1460-1513) Priest and Canon of the Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Most Holy Saviour at Bologna, Mystic gifted with the charism of prophecy and of many visions of the Blessed Virgin, Born in 1460 in Bologna, Italy and died on 16 April 1513 (aged 53) in Gubbio, Italy of natural causes. His body is incorrupt. Arcangelo was Beatified on 2 October 1748 by Pope Benedict XIV. Holy Arcangelo: https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-blessed-arcangelo-canetoli-crssb-1460-1513-priest/
St Turibius (c402-c460) Bishop of Astorga in Spain, Hermit, Monk, Defender of the Faith against heresy, in particular, the heresy of Priscilian., Miracle-worker. Born in Astorga, Spain in c402 and died there in c460 of natural causes. Patronages – Diocese of Palencia, Diocese of Santander, Diocese of Astorga, all in Spain. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Palencia, St Turibius, the Bishop of Astorga, Spain, who with the aid of Pope St Leo the Great, drove the heresy of Priscilian entirely out of Spain and, went to rest in the Lord with a great renown for miracles.” Zealous and Miraculous St Turibius: https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-saint-turibius-of-astorga-c402-c460-bishop/
St Vaise Blessed William Gnoffi (1256-1317) Hermit
Martyrs of Corinth – 9 Saints: A group of nine Christians who were tortured and Martyred together in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than three of their names – Callistus, Charisius and Leonide. They were thrown into the sea at Corinth, Greece c250.
Martyrs of Saragossa: Group of 18 Martyrs murdered in 304 in Saragossa, Spain in the persecutions of Diocletian and the prefect Dacean. We know little more than the names – Apodemus, Caecilian, Caius, Crementius, Engratia, Eventius, Felix, Fronto, Gaius, Julia, Lambert, Lupercus, Martial, Optatus, Primitivus, Publius, Quintilian, Saturnius (4 men of this name), Succesus and Urban. Their graves re-discovered in 1389 in the crypt under the Church of San Encrazia in Saragossa.
AnaStpaul 
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