Saint Bernardine of Siena brings Calm among the Chaos

May 20, 2016

Saint Bernardine of Siena lived in a chaotic time somewhat like our own times.

He went around the city of Siena in Italy and placed the symbol of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist IHS all over the city.  To this day you will see that symbol over the threshold of the buildings there.

He encouraged the people of Siena to be proud of their Christian heritage and to show it outwardly. He was bringing the calm truth to the chaotic world.
Brother Joseph

Now read what Bob and Penny said about him.bernardine2

As the need arises, the Lord sends His messengers to proclaim His Word. Italy and the rest of Europe were in sorry straits, with morality and piety practically non-existent. And God sent Bernardine! His message clear, his reputation spread and penitents converged on him, lining up to have him hear their confessions.

We have always said people are innately good, made in God’s Image. There is a hunger to return to God and His Love. Bernardine’s call to reform touched every walk of life. He not only influenced members of the Church; but lawmakers as well. Reforms of St. Benedict were included in their laws, under the title of Riformazioni di frate Bernardino.
No one was excused from his preaching. He called for reform from the common man as well as from people in high places, in one instance, boldly calling to task the Duke of Milan. He brought about change! His message was so powerfully accepted, the people lit bon fires and cast their sins and worldly temptations upon them, as a firm resolve to live better, more holy lives. One of the scourges of the time was usury – the practice of exacting exorbitant interests, often resulting in the inability of the lender to pay, losing his home and all his worldly goods. To respond to this evil, Bernardine founded a society of beneficial loan societies called “Monti di Pieta.”
Although he preached relentlessly on reform, Bernardine spoke with the gentle, compassionate Heart of Jesus and that of his father Francis. Peace was his primary focus, and toward that aim, he journeyed to the far corners of Italy reconciling warring factions like the Guelphs and Ghibellines. The Guelphs were members of a political party that supported the authority of the Pope against the aristocratic party of the Ghibellines. The Ghibellines, in contrast to the Guelphs, supported the German emperors in Italy, who, hell bent on stealing all the Papal lands from the Papacy, challenged the authority of the Pope. Where all modes of diplomacy and compromise failed, Bernardine with his preaching of Peace and Love succeeded, bringing about reconciliation among the two warring factions.

Bernardine carries the symbol of Jesusbernardine1

As Bernardine traveled, so did the Holy Name of Jesus. Everywhere he went, he persuaded the dignitaries of the different cities to take down the emblems of the warring factions from their buildings – their churches and palaces – and instead place on them the Holy Name of Jesus. And till today, you can see the initials IHS – the Holy Name of Jesus on all the buildings in Siena and Florence, just to mention a few.
This symbol became his vanguard, as he paved the way for devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. His preaching on the Holy Name of Jesus was so potent and caught on so quickly, he was asked to speak in city after city. When he spoke, he held a plaque with the emblem of the Holy Name of Jesus on it, in front of him; and with the passion of He, Whom it represented, Bernardine moved the hearts of everyone in the audience to desire the emblem. Soon the emblem was clamored for, to place not only on the outside of buildings, churches and etc., but on homes.berdardine3
Now, there was a craftsman, in Bologna, Italy, who painted playing cards. Bernardine’s sermons against gambling caused him to lose his primary income. He was furious! But his anger soon turned to joy, as Bernardine persuaded him to paint the emblems IHS on plaques. In place of his earlier pursuit of creating cards, that were instruments of temptation, he now was painting day after day, the emblem of the Holy Name of Jesus, consequently becoming an instrument, bringing the Lord’s presence into the midst of a worldliness that would blot Him out. These powerful signs of hope and love spread and spread. And then because God is so generous to those who honor Him, with the huge demand for the plaques, the craftsman soon recouped his original assets and then some.

Taken from Bob and Penny Lord’s Chapter on the Life of Saint Bernardine

 

I have a suggestion that would greatly help you and us.

Purchase some of the booklets on the Life of Saint Bernardine of Siena by clicking here http://www.bobandpennylord.com/St_Bernardine_of_Siena.htm

and sharing them with your family and friends or leave them some place where others make pick it up.

I am reminded how the Monks at Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s monastery near Warsaw, Poland worked feverishly before World War II printing and distributing booklets with information on our Faith.  They distributed millions of them and after the war many folks came forward and told others that those booklets helped them to get through the War years.

I believe we are also called to do our part to distribute the calming truth among our world of chaos.

Please help us and help others.

Brother Joseph

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Posted by Brother Joseph Freyaldenhoven

Saint Bernardine of Siena

May 6, 2009

Saint Bernardine of Siena
“Apostle of Italy” – Friar Minor – Missionary – Reformer
Our love story with St. Bernardine or San Bernardino, as we have known and loved him, began a long time ago – about the time we got to know St. Catherine of Siena and the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena. For, you see, right adjacent to the Basilica of St. Francis is the Oratory of St. Bernardine. Each time, we would go to visit the Miracle of the Eucharist of Siena, we would see the sign of the Oratory; but along with it, the dreaded sign – the Oratory was being restored! Finally, one day, the door was open! and so we went in and took pictures. You could see the restoration had not been completed, if even started. That was over twenty years ago. But God has patience with us, and here we are twenty-three books later writing about our dear St. Bernardine.
We have so many memories of this fabulous Saint. One time, when we went to visit our loves in Siena, the Eucharist and St. Catherine of Siena, we just happened to land in the midst of a Festa[1] celebrating the Feast Days of Saints Bernardine and Catherine, co-patrons of Siena. With all the pageantry of medieval Siena, the flags of their sixteen regions, twirling and blowing in the wind, young men, dressed as knights and pages, processed in the streets, carrying relics of Siena’s and our two beloved Saints. It was an awesome sight – Church in all its pomp and glory giving praise and honor to Our Lord and His Mother, through the memory of these two faithful Saints, who colored the lives, and continue to color the lives of all who learn about them!
Siena is a land of contrasts – the holy and the worldly! It is truly a Renaissance city, echoing days past, you think at first glance. But then your eyes and hearts travel upward to the tops of buildings everywhere, and you see niches with the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus on almost every government building, home, palace and etc., as well as a plaque of the Holy Name of Jesus. (But more on that later!)
As you drink it all in, the tiny elegant shops, the ancient churches nestled in between them, the cobble stone streets where our two Saints walked, you find yourself keeping pace with the proud of Siena as they stroll and take time to renew old acquaintances and acquire new ones. And before you know it, you are enveloped in the Siena of yesterday and you are lost in awe and wonder. Every time, we think of our returning to Italy, our hearts beat a little faster for part of our Pilgrimage will most certainly be in Siena.
September 8, 1380 – an Apostle of Italy is born
To share with you the life of this electrifying Saint, we need to go back to the Tuscany of the 15th Century, puffed up by its ancient Etruscan[2] history, and its involvement in the birth of Renaissance. As we walk through the narrow streets and glance at the age old walls that still surround Siena, we find ourselves in the 15th Century, our souls soaring. This is where it all happened, where God would take the impossible and make it miraculous. Siena and the Sienese are a proud people – set aside by their antiquity and culture. Amongst all this grandeur and pride, how will we find one from this class, who will embrace the life of the Poverello![3]
Our Story begins on the 8th of September,[4] 1380 in the village of Massa Marittima, one of Siena’s seventeen contrade, or districts, in the home of the governor, a descendant of the nobility of the Albizeschi. Into this opulent[5] setting a new life will begin – Bernardino, future Friar, Missionary and Reformer. The joy of bringing a new life into the world will not last for this couple. Before their little boy would reach his seventh year on earth, his parents would go to the Father.
But God does not leave us orphans. Bernardino would have the loving care of his devout aunt and her equally holy daughter, who would provide him with the tools, which would turn him into a future Saint. Not only did they nurture him, as if he was their very own son, they gave him an invaluable religious education which would fare him well later on in life. He continued to grow into a fine youngster, when at around eleven years old, he was sent by his uncles to a school in Siena, to receive the education required of people of his class – that of civil and canon law. The boy excelled in his studies. Not only that, but he was charming and handsome, a joy to be around, always the life of the party, very like his predecessor, his future father in Faith – St. Francis. But although he was fun to be around, he could not bear to hear profanity or crude jokes. That is when his good humor would evaporate and he would most sharply protest, taking exception with those engaging in this vulgar behavior. One time, a member of the upper class thought it would be a good idea to lead the young pious Bernardino into a life of immorality and depravity. That earned him a good beating at the hands of Bernardino, who, when the culprit tried again, asked his friends to aid him in discharging mud and stones at the would be tempter. Except for those rare times, you would find Bernardino engaging and loving, calm and gracious.
He felt strongly about living a life worthy of His Mother Mary, of whom he had a great affection. At age seventeen, in 1397, having completed his studies, he enrolled in the Confraternity of Our Lady, which was connected to the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital. He spent the next three years, removed from the world, in quiet meditative contemplation, when, in 1400, a plague struck Siena, and he came out of his solitary life to aid the suffering masses. He not only tended their fever-racked bodies, he addressed their fears of dying. And when they succumbed to the fever, he prepared them for their final journey to the Father. Not only that, but with the aid of ten companions, he took upon himself the entire supervision of the hospital for the next four months. And this was at age twenty! Needless to say, he was quite up to the task.
But a price had to be paid! Some of his companions were infected with the deadly fever and died. But God was not finished with Bernardine, yet. The unrelenting, night and day, care of the plague-stricken masses did not kill him, but so debilitated his health, he contracted a fever, and never quite regained his strength. But that did not stop him! He had many more years to serve his Lord and Lady, and he would not let weakness of body stop him from his appointed task.
After the plague was over, Bernardine returned home, only to find his favorite aunt blind and confined to her bed. He spent the next fourteen months compassionately caring for his aunt, as he had for the victims of the plague. This gentle soul spoke quietly to his aunt and one night, she gave up her spirit to the Lord, nestled in her nephew’s arms.
[1] Festival

[2] Etruscan civilization dating back to 800 B.C – It is purported these were tribes from Lydia, an ancient country in Asia Minor. They invaded much of Italy and ruled Rome from 6th Century B.C. till about the 3rd. Century B.C. They had a loosely structured religion, with many deities. They would meet once a year at the Shrine of Voltumna, overlooking Lake Bolsena and discuss religion.
[3] “The Poor One” as St. Francis was called
[4] Mother Mary’s birthday
[5] affluent, prosperous, rich, wealthy
For More Information on Saint Bernardine of Siena click here

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Posted by Brother Joseph Freyaldenhoven