ST.
MARGARET OF CORTONA (b. 1247- d. 1297) born at Laviano in Tuscany,
she died at Cortona. At the age of seven Margaret's mother died and
two years later her father married a second time. Between the
daughter and her step-mother there was little affection, and when she
was about seventeen years of age she made the acquaintance of a young
cavalier, who apparently was the son of Gugliemo di Pecora, Lord of
Valiano. Offering the love she craved, she ran away with him to his
castle near Montepulciano where they had a son. Often she tried to
persuade him that they should be married, he made promises to do so,
but failed to fulfil them. In her confessions she expressly says
that she consented to her lover's advances unwillingly under those
circumstances, indicating she was not happy with her life, having
been seduced by his false promises. Despite living in sin during
this period Margaret was charitable towards the poor and aided them.
She was also in the habit of seeking out quiet places where she would
contemplate a life of virtue and the love of Our Lord. Hence, it was
obvious Our Lord was calling her, and, had already granted her to a
certain extent the gift of prophecy. Once when some of her neighbours
admonished her to change her life and save her soul before it was too
late, she prophetically replied that they need have no fear as she
would die a saint and that her critics would come as pilgrims to her
shrine, which came true.
Her ultimate conversion
moment came by the tragic death of her lover, who was murdered while
on a journey. Margaret discovered the fact when his favourite dog
returned home without him. It led her to his body, the sight of
which filled her with shock and horror. His already decaying corpse
led her to contemplate the vanity of the life she had led and that it
would all end in death. She returned to his relatives all the jewels
and property he had given her and left his home, and with her little
son set out for her father's house. Her father would have received
her but her step-mother refused, and they were left homeless. For a
moment she felt tempted to trade upon her beauty, but she prayed
earnestly and in her soul she seemed to hear a voice bidding her go
to the Franciscan Friars at Cortona and put herself under their
spiritual direction. For three years Margaret had to struggle hard
with temptations. Naturally of a vivacious spirit she felt much
drawn to the world but the temptations only convinced her more of the
necessity of self-discipline and to consecrate herself entirely to a
religious life. She fasted rigorously, abstained from meat, living
upon bread and herbs.
After three years of
probation Margaret was admitted to the Third Order of St. Francis,
and from this time she lived in strict poverty. Her son also later
entered the Franciscan order. Following the example of St. Francis,
she went and begged her bread, but even while living on alms she gave
her services freely to others, in particular to the sick who were
poor whom she nursed. It was about the time that she became a
Franciscan tertiary that the revelations began. It was in the year
1277, as she was praying in the church of the Franciscan Friars, that
she seemed to hear these words: "What is thy wish, poverella?"
and she replied: "I neither seek nor wish for aught but Thee, my
Lord Jesus."
From this time
onward she lived in intimate communication with Christ. At first He
always addressed her as "poverella",
and only after a time of purification did He call her "My
child". While coming to lead more and more the life of a
recluse she was yet active in the service of others. She succeeded
in convincing the city of Cortona to found a hospital for the sick
who were poor, and to supply nurses for the hospital she instituted a
congregation of Tertiary Sisters known as le
poverelle. She
also established a confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy bound to
support the hospital and to help the needy. Moreover on several
occasions Margaret intervened in public affairs to put an end to
civic feuds. Twice in obedience to a Divine command, she admonished
the Bishop of Arezzo, Guglielmo Ubertini Pazzi, in which diocese
Cortona was situated, because he lived more like a secular prince and
soldier, than like a pastor of souls. The bishop was killed in battle
at Bibbiena in 1289. The year previous to this, Margaret for the sake
of greater quiet had removed her lodging from the hospital she had
founded close to the ruined church of St. Basil above the city which
she had restored. It was here that she spent her last years and
where she was laid to rest. Her incorrupt body is now in a silver
shrine over the high altar. Honoured as Blessed from the time of her
death, Margaret was finally canonized May, 16, 1728.
The original "Legend
of St. Margaret" was written by her director and friend, Fra
Giunta Bevegnati. It is almost entirely taken up with her
revelations, and was mainly dictated by Margaret herself, in
obedience to her directors. It is published by the Bollandists in
"Acta SS., mense Februarii, die 22".
According to the 'Life of
St. Margaret' recorded by the Bollandists, not only did she have the
gift of discernment of souls, Our Lord had granted her the gift of
prophecy on the feast of Saints Chrysanthus and Daria in October
declaring: “Do not forget, they are words of the Savior, though
you are greatly exacerbated by tribulations, to warn vicious men and
learned men, as far as you can, to eliminate their vices at all, and
put virtues in mind. I will infuse wondrous grace to the words that
will be uttered by you, though I will rarely speak with you, for even
without My internal wording I will (impart into) you such light, that
your words and warnings may pre-announce infallibly what must
happen.”
Although she rarely
revealed what was shown to her regarding future events, and often had
to be coaxed from her by her spiritual director, the records by the
Bollandists (February 22, n. 233) have the following prophecy from
her regarding the a time of devilish persecution – a 'Precursor
Antichrist Period' that sounds very similar to 'Satan's Century'
foretold by Pope Leo XIII:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Once
the Lord said to St. Margaret (while she was) praying and mourning:
“Be very sure that a great tribulation will occur in
the world, from which the demon Lucifer will be incited against the
Church; never since he was bound in hell has such anger been
released. He will travel the world, and he will prepare the way for
the Antichrist promptly, as one of his precursors, and such
tribulation will weigh (down), that many religious will leave their
orders, and the nuns from their own monasteries.
At
that time the order of the Friars Minor will be greatly distressed
(i.e. the Franciscan Order) ; but they will be comforted in Me, for I
will protect them and give My grace to the aforesaid religion; and
know that more abundant grace I hold them in preference to some
religious orders that exist in the universe; prepare themselves for
the tribulations for which (or to which) I make them conform, because
by observing the rule of the order, they will conform their life to
Mine. (I.e. Difficult translation. Apparently Our Lord is saying
because they are so beloved by Him, they must be tested by the
tribulations. They will pass the tribulations by remaining obedient
to the rules of their order and thereby conform their lives to
Christ.)
That malicious spirit similarly will order (or plot?) in
the world betrayals and murders, congregating a phalanx of demons
against mankind, as a city prepares the armies and snares against
another city. He will raise many dangers of the Holy Church, so that
the faithful despise it and censure the divine office* and its
preaching so earnestly, that My Word will not be freely preached.
(Or, be left free to be preached.)
(* Observation
on the prophecy of the 'divine office' – this could be a prediction
the prayer life of the Church in the Liturgy of the Hours will be
ridiculed, suppressed, etc, meaning the prayer life of the Church
will be suppressed and weakened. However, since the Liturgy of the
Hours can't 'preach', it is obvious a divinely instituted office is
implied here, no doubt the papacy. The papacy will fall under
ridicule and censure during the demonic persecutions that the Pope
will not be allowed to preach doctrine.)
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