#blessedmariapilarofstfrancisborgia — Public Fediverse posts

Quote of the day, 24 July: Blessed Maria Pilar of Guadalajara

Memories of Blessed Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia
Father Fabián of St. Joseph’s Testimony

Let me first tell of the very good impression that Sister Pilar made on me in her brief greeting and conversation when she was the Turn Sister during my first visit to the monastery. It seemed to me, without seeing her because of the Turn, that I was speaking with an angel. There was such simplicity, candor, kindness and sweetness in her words! As she was at the Turn for many years, and I went to the Carmel frequently, I can confirm this. She was most attentive and obliging. She ran and literally flew to attend to the requests of those who came to the Turn; and she would do so with such a spirit of charity!

I remember one instance very well. I came to the Turn on a warm summer day. I was tired, perspiring, and thirsty. I asked her for a glass of water for the love of God. On the point of giving me the glass of water that she brought, she held back and said, “Wait, Father, I’m going to bring you some that is cooler.”In an instant, she returned, saying to me with great charity: “Drink this, Father: it’s very good and very cool!” I was very grateful, seeing in this act her goodness, her spirit of sacrifice, her sweetness of character, her immense charity. She was a nun who was good at everything.

José Vicente Rodríguez, o.c.d.

Chapter 1, Sister Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia

Blessed Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia
Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

Rodriguez, J 2016, The Dialogues of the Carmelites of Guadalajara: The Story of Three Martyred Carmelite Nuns of the Spanish Civil War, translated by the Carmel of St. Joseph, Carmelite International Publishing House, Trivandrum.

Featured image: The Blessed Martyrs of the Carmel of Guadalajara, Spain are depicted in this painting. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

#BlessedMariaPilarOfStFrancisBorgia #BlessedMartyrsOfGuadalajara #heroicCharity #martyrdom #theTurn #VivaCristoRey

24 July: Blessed Maria Pilar of Saint Francis Borgia Martínez García, Blessed Maria Sagrario of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Moragas Cantarero and Companions

July 24
BLESSED MARIA PILAR OF SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA MARTÍNEZ GARCÍA, BLESSED MARIA SAGRARIO OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA MORAGAS CANTARERO AND COMPANIONS
Virgins and Martyrs

Optional Memorial

In one single memorial, we remember our sisters who were martyred in the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939. Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia (born at Tarazona on Dec. 30, 1877), Teresa of the Child Jesus and of St. John of the Cross (born at Mochales on March 5,1890), and Maria Angeles of St. Joseph (born at Getafe on March 6, 1905), Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of Guadalajara, Spain, were martyred on July 24, 1936, and beatified by Saint John Paul II on March 29, 1987. Maria Sagrario was born at Lillo (Toledo) on 8th January 1881. A pharmacist by trade, she was one of the first women in Spain to be admitted to this qualification. Through her spirit of prayer and her love for the Eucharist, she was a perfect embodiment of the contemplative and ecclesial ideal of the Teresian Carmel. She was martyred on 15th August 1936, a grace for which she had longed; she was beatified by Saint John Paul II in 1998.

Those who wish to celebrate two specific commemorations today may observe the optional memorial of the three Blessed Martyrs of Guadalajara, and on August 16, Blessed Maria Sagrario.

From the Common of Martyrs or the Common of Virgins, except for the following:

Office of Readings

The Second Reading

Strophe 30,7-8

From the Spiritual Canticle of St. John of the Cross

The flowers of virginity and martyrdom

“We shall weave these garlands flowering in your love and bound with one hair of mine.”

This verse most appropriately refers to Christ and the Church, for in it, the Church, the Bride of Christ, addresses Him saying: let us weave garlands (understanding by garlands, all the holy souls engendered by Christ in the Church). Each holy soul is like a garland adorned with the flowers of virtues and gifts, and all of them together form a garland for the head of Christ, the Bridegroom.

The loving garlands can refer to what we call aureoles; these are also woven by Christ and the Church and are of three kinds:

The first kind is made from the beautiful flowers of all the virgins. Each virgin possesses her own aureole of virginity, and all these aureoles together will be joined into one and placed on the head of Christ, the Bridegroom.

The second aureole contains the resplendent flowers of the holy doctors. All these aureoles will be entwined into one and set upon the head of Christ over that of the virgins.

The third is fashioned from the crimson carnations of the martyrs. Every martyr has an aureole of martyrdom, and these red aureoles woven together will add the final touch to the aureole of Christ the Bridegroom.

So beautiful and fair will Christ the Bridegroom be with these three garlands when He is seen in heaven.

Therefore, we shall weave these garlands, the soul says, flowering in your love.

The flower of these works and virtues is the grace and power they possess from the love of God. Without love, these works will not only fail to flower, but they will all wither and become valueless in God’s sight, even though they may be perfect from a human standpoint. Yet, because God bestows His grace and love, they are works that have blossomed in His love.

“And bound with one hair of mine.” This hair is her will and the love she has for the Beloved. This love assumes the task of the thread in a garland. As the thread binds the flowers together, so love fastens and sustains the virtues in the soul. As St. Paul remarks: “Charity is the bond of perfection” (Col 3:14).

Responsory

R/. Even if you should have to suffer for justice’s sake, happy will you be. Do not be afraid and do not stand in awe of them, but adore the Lord Christ in your hearts * always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
V/. It is better, if God so wills it, to suffer and do good deeds than to do evil, * always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.

MORNING PRAYER

Canticle of Zechariah

Ant. This life, I live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God who has loved me and given himself for me.

Prayer

Father, strength of the humble,
you sustained in martyrdom the virgins
Blessed Maria Pilar, (Maria Sagrario) and companions.
As they willingly shed their blood for Christ the King,
may we, through their intercession,
be faithful to You and to your Church until death.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

EVENING PRAYER

Canticle of Mary

Ant. What joy when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

A sad reminder of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War
Francoist troops taking away Republican militiamen from a mountain, probably to take them to a firing block, in Somosierra, during the Battle of Guadarrama, July-August 1936. These men most likely were farmers or workers.
Image credit: Cassowary Colorizations (Some rights reserved)

Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.

Featured image: Individual portraits of the Blessed Martyrs of the Discalced Carmelite nuns, murdered duing the Spanish Civil War. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

#BlessedMariaPilarOfStFrancisBorgia #DiscalcedCarmelite #LiturgyOfTheHours #MariaSagrarioOfStAloysiusGonzaga #martyrs #SpanishCivilWar

Join us as we honor the four Blessed Discalced Carmelite nuns martyred during the Spanish Civil War. Their faith, courage and love is inspiring!
Music credit: Sean Beeson

“Jesus, I love you!”

Confidence without limits in the mercy of God, hoping for everything from Jesus through Mary, who, as my mother and the mother of mercy, will watch over me.

Abandonment to what God desires of me, and for that, my Jesus, to love You madly and to aspire to intimate union with You.

May nothing and no one occupy my heart, but only You, my Spouse.

Blessed Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia

Retreat resolutions, 1933

Saint Thérèse says she understood that in order to arrive at being a saint it was necessary to suffer very much, to deny nothing to God and to forget oneself, and she added afterwards, “My God, I choose all! I don’t want to be a saint by halves.” This is what I have to do, not to wish to be a saint by halves, but to choose all sufferings…. Thus, I must allow myself to be transfixed, broken to pieces and consumed.

Second, obedience: to obey promptly, without reply, without murmuring interiorly or exteriorly. My superiors represent God, be they who they may, with their defects or virtues. The soul who is obedient to her superiors or confessors can be sure that she is going along the straight path of perfection.

Blessed Teresa of the Child Jesus and St. John of the Cross

Retreat resolutions (date unknown)

Jesus, I love you!… Love is nourished by suffering. Let us love Jesus greatly, suffering much for His love, because He suffered more for us.

Blessed Maria Angeles of St. Joseph

Letter to her eldest sister and godmother, Sr. Trinidad, O.I.C. (date unknown)

Let us live in the presence of Jesus, with complete abandonment in Him, desiring nothing more than to please Him and always doing what He asks of us until we reach the happy end of this journey of life.

Blessed Maria Sagrario of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Selected quotes from the Carmel of St. Anne and St. Joseph, Madrid

The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939, was a time of intense anti-Catholic sentiment and hatred of men and women members of religious institutes. Many religious individuals, including members of the Carmelite family, faced persecution and martyrdom for their faith. Today, we remember four Discalced Carmelite nuns who gave their lives during this tumultuous period.

Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia, Teresa of the Child Jesus and St. John of the Cross, and Maria Angeles of St. Joseph were Discalced Carmelite nuns from the Monastery of Guadalajara, Spain. They were martyred on 24 July 1936, and were beatified by Saint John Paul II on 29 March 1987. Maria Sagrario of St. Aloysius Gonzaga was prioress of the Carmel of St. Anne and St. Joseph in Madrid. A pharmacist by trade, she was one of the first women in Spain to achieve this qualification. She was martyred in Madrid on 15 August 1936, a grace for which she had longed, and was beatified by Saint John Paul II on 10 May 1998.

Let’s reflect on the quotes from these great martyrs:

• Blessed Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia’s retreat resolutions capture her deep trust in God’s mercy and her total abandonment to His will. Her profound love for Jesus and aspiration for intimate union with Him reflect the core of Teresian spirituality.
• Blessed Teresa of the Child Jesus and St. John of the Cross shared a significant insight into the path to sainthood. Her reflection on the necessity of suffering, obedience, and total self-giving is a powerful call to deeper commitment in our spiritual journey.
• Sister Maria Ángeles of St. Joseph beautifully expressed her love for Jesus. This captures the essence of the spirituality of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross—finding love in suffering and drawing closer to Jesus through the acceptance of trials.
• Blessed Maria Sagrario of St. Aloysius Gonzaga highlights the importance of humility, suffering, and total self-offering in the pursuit of holiness. Her deep faith and dedication to following God’s will, even in the face of suffering, serve as a powerful example for us all.

Father, strength of the humble,
you sustained in martyrdom the virgins
Blessed Maria Pilar, (Maria Sagrario) and companions.
As they willingly shed their blood for Christ the King,
may we, through their intercession,
be faithful to You and to your Church until death.

Rodriguez, J 2016, The Dialogues of the Carmelites of Guadalajara: The Story of Three Martyred Carmelite Nuns of the Spanish Civil War, translated by the Carmel of St. Joseph, Carmelite International Publishing House, Trivandrum.

Featured image: Watercolor of a Spanish monastery created with Adobe Express text-to-image tools. Image credit: © 2023 Carmelite Quotes (Some rights reserved)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/23/ep14-martiresdescalzas/

#BlessedCarmeliteMartyrsOfSpain #BlessedMariaAngelesOfStJoseph #BlessedMariaPilarOfStFrancisBorgia #BlessedMariaSagrarioOfStAloysiusGonzaga #BlessedTeresaOfTheChildJesusAndOfStJohnOfTheCross #humility #love #MartyrsOfGuadalajara #spirituality #suffering #TeresianCarmel

July 24
BLESSED MARIA PILAR OF SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA MARTÍNEZ GARCÍA, BLESSED MARIA SAGRARIO OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA MORAGAS CANTARERO AND COMPANIONS
Virgins and Martyrs

Optional Memorial

In one single memorial, we remember our sisters who were martyred in the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939. Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia (born at Tarazona on Dec. 30, 1877), Teresa of the Child Jesus and of St. John of the Cross (born at Mochales on March 5,1890), and Maria Angeles of St. Joseph (born at Getafe on March 6, 1905), Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of Guadalajara, Spain, were martyred on July 24, 1936, and beatified by Saint John Paul II on March 29, 1987. Maria Sagrario was born at Lillo (Toledo) on 8th January 1881. A pharmacist by trade, she was one of the first women in Spain to be admitted to this qualification. Through her spirit of prayer and her love for the Eucharist, she was a perfect embodiment of the contemplative and ecclesial ideal of the Teresian Carmel. She was martyred on 15th August 1936, a grace for which she had longed; she was beatified by Saint John Paul II in 1998.

Those who wish to celebrate two specific commemorations today may observe the optional memorial of the three Blessed Martyrs of Guadalajara, and on August 16, Blessed Maria Sagrario.

From the Common of Martyrs or the Common of Virgins, except for the following:

Office of Readings

The Second Reading

Strophe 30,7-8

From the Spiritual Canticle of St. John of the Cross

The flowers of virginity and martyrdom

“We shall weave these garlands flowering in your love and bound with one hair of mine.”

This verse most appropriately refers to Christ and the Church, for in it, the Church, the Bride of Christ, addresses Him saying: let us weave garlands (understanding by garlands, all the holy souls engendered by Christ in the Church). Each holy soul is like a garland adorned with the flowers of virtues and gifts, and all of them together form a garland for the head of Christ, the Bridegroom.

The loving garlands can refer to what we call aureoles; these are also woven by Christ and the Church and are of three kinds:

The first kind is made from the beautiful flowers of all the virgins. Each virgin possesses her own aureole of virginity, and all these aureoles together will be joined into one and placed on the head of Christ, the Bridegroom.

The second aureole contains the resplendent flowers of the holy doctors. All these aureoles will be entwined into one and set upon the head of Christ over that of the virgins.

The third is fashioned from the crimson carnations of the martyrs. Every martyr has an aureole of martyrdom, and these red aureoles woven together will add the final touch to the aureole of Christ the Bridegroom.

So beautiful and fair will Christ the Bridegroom be with these three garlands when He is seen in heaven.

Therefore, we shall weave these garlands, the soul says, flowering in your love.

The flower of these works and virtues is the grace and power they possess from the love of God. Without love, these works will not only fail to flower, but they will all wither and become valueless in God’s sight, even though they may be perfect from a human standpoint. Yet, because God bestows His grace and love, they are works that have blossomed in His love.

“And bound with one hair of mine.” This hair is her will and the love she has for the Beloved. This love assumes the task of the thread in a garland. As the thread binds the flowers together, so love fastens and sustains the virtues in the soul. As St. Paul remarks: “Charity is the bond of perfection” (Col 3:14).

Responsory

R/. Even if you should have to suffer for justice’s sake, happy will you be. Do not be afraid and do not stand in awe of them, but adore the Lord Christ in your hearts * always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
V/. It is better, if God so wills it, to suffer and do good deeds than to do evil, * always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.

MORNING PRAYER

Canticle of Zechariah

Ant. This life, I live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God who has loved me and given himself for me.

Prayer

Father, strength of the humble,
you sustained in martyrdom the virgins
Blessed Maria Pilar, (Maria Sagrario) and companions.
As they willingly shed their blood for Christ the King,
may we, through their intercession,
be faithful to You and to your Church until death.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

EVENING PRAYER

Canticle of Mary

Ant. What joy when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

A sad reminder of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War
Francoist troops taking away Republican militiamen from a mountain, probably to take them to a firing block, in Somosierra, during the Battle of Guadarrama, July-August 1936. These men most likely were farmers or workers.
Image credit: Cassowary Colorizations (Some rights reserved)

Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.

Featured image: Individual portraits of the Blessed Martyrs of the Discalced Carmelite nuns, murdered duing the Spanish Civil War. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/22/martfemsp24lit/

#BlessedMariaPilarOfStFrancisBorgia #DiscalcedCarmelite #LiturgyOfTheHours #MariaSagrarioOfStAloysiusGonzaga #martyrs #SpanishCivilWar