Saint Andrew Avellino and the Importance of the Preparation for Our Death
Saint Andrea Avellino celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647); 1624; In Lanfrancos altarpiece, which stands more than four metres high in the right transept of SantAndrea della Valle in Rome, Saint Andrea Avellino gazes up, wearing an inward-looking expression. The heavens open and a host of angels descend from the skies as the wide-eyed altar-boy standing behind the saint stares up. The large angel at the upper left spreads his arms and looks down at Avellino. www.wga.hu
Saint Andrew Avellino and the importance of the preparation for our death
from an article by Dr. Durand, (Traditional Catholic Customary)
Today the Church celebrates the festivity of Saint Andrew Avellino, Theatine priest and religious, who is invoked to avoid having a sudden death. It is curious how it would be precisely this type of death that this man of God would experience; who passed from this world to eternal life after suffering a fulminating apoplexy at the foot of the altar, while he started the celebration of the Holy Mass. And it turns out that, in reality, even though death presented itself suddenly, Saint Andrew Avellino was prepared to confront her; for this reason, instead of his sudden death being a disgrace, it turned out to be truly a merciful act of God, which saved him the sufferings of the agony of his body whose soul was always vigilant.
In this same sense it is necessary to comprehend the anecdote of one of his most celebrated devotees: Pope Pius XI. We copy said anecdote [below] from the memories of the pontificate chamber master Mons. Alberto Arborio Mella di Sant'Elia, which carries the suggestive title of "Unpublished snapshots of the last five Popes" (Paulianas publisher, 1961).
"Meanwhile the winters took place. The strolls through the garden became less frequent and also less pleasant. The upsetting experiences and pains suffered had given a swat to the Pope's health. The Holy Father had told me several times that he was going to not last long, but that he did not expect to die of disease. He did not want to fall into the hands of men, but instead directly go to the hands of God."
"I pray each and every day an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory in honor of Saint Andrew Avellino so that he help me to have a sudden death, so beautiful like his."
"Horrors, my God! I exclaimed."
"Yes, quite a fright for those that would surround me but ... it is better that way ... less work to be done ... "
"No, most Blessed Father: A subitnea et improvista morte libera nos, Domine, I replied."
"What do you say?" - The Pope replied."
"The invocation of the Church, Holy Father: A subitnea et improvista morte libera nos, Domine.
"But, what are you saying?" - he repeated more loudly. Don't you understand that for us priests death is never unexpected or unforseen, even if it is sudden? We are always prepared and well disposed to die! What a lesson! I was left deeply impressed, moved by that warning that did me a lot of good."
This anecdote makes us reflect, with the purpose of the festivity of Saint Andrew Avellino, on the need to be habitually in a state of grace and in the convenience of meditating on the last things, in accordance with Sacred Scripture (Ecclesiasticus 7:40): "Memento novissima tua et in aeternum non peccabis" (Remember the last things and you will never sin again). Death should be for us Catholics a subject so natural as life and our afflictions. If we keep death present in our thoughts with more assiduity than is habitual (and not only through the loud knocks at the doors of our family and close ones), we would take more care in procuring that our salvation be appropriately tended.
Father Royo Marn teaches that one prepares for death in two ways: 1) remote and 2) proximate.
The remote way depends on us: in the maintenance of the state of grace through an authentically Christian life, always on guard and vigilant, made with prayer, penance, alms-giving, with frequency of receiving the Sacraments and the use of Sacramentals; consisting of good works and deeds, the exercise of theologal and cardinal virtues, etc. This is the preparation proper of prudent virgins, who have primed their lamps for when the Spouse arrives.
The close or proximate preparation, in contrast, depends on the Church, which disposes of the necessary means to assure the salvation of Her children in the last trance: extreme unction, general confession, the viaticum, the apostolic blessing in the article mortis, the prayers for the dying and certain Sacramentals.
Based on these two types of preparation, the distinguished dominican theologian distinguishes four types of death:
a) With remote and proximate preparation: this is the ideal death, the death of the just. Although one's life has been upright, it is always most convenient to have the last auxiliums offered by the Church which, also, can shorten Purgatory. It is the death of the just par excellence and its model is the Glorious Patriach Saint Joseph, just male, who had the consolation of dying assisted by Jesus and Mary.
b) With remote but not proximate preparation: it is less perfect than the previous one, but morally it permits to presuppose the salvation of the one who has this type of death. It tends to come precipitously, by an organic or physical accident, without allowing time to receive the last sacraments. To death herein is applied what is said regarding the Day of the Lord: He comes like a thief in the night, without anyone knowing the day nor the hour. Yet for the one who has lived in a Christian manner and in a habitual state of grace this does not have to be a tragedy. Its model is Saint Andrew Avellino.
c) With proximate but not remote preparation: this is the death of the repentant sinners, to whom even a point of contrition opens up the Heavens. It is a class of death that shows the extreme divine mercy, which wants to an extreme, that the sinner convert and live [eternally]; yet it is not most desirable by its uncertainty and because the habitual sinner runs the danger of hardening his heart and despairing at his salvation. Its model is Saint Dismas, the Good Thief, who was converted in the hallows of the cross after a miserable life of sin and crimes.
d) Without proximate nor remote preparation: It is the death of the renegade, of the one who has lived a life with his or her back to God and not even in the last instant turns back to God. It is a horrible death, the worst of all: "mors peccatorum pessima" (Psalm 33:22). This is the type of death one asks God to be distant from us in the Litanies of the Saints: "a subitnea et improvisa norte libera nos, Domine". Its model is the rich self-serving glutton who is surprised passing from this world to the other without any formed opinion.
After these considerations we clearly come to see the usefulness of the devotion to Saint Andrew Avellino, to whom we can ask that he reach for us from the Lord the needed graces to live piously and to be able to die in the arms of the Church surrounded by her last cares, since we cannot pretend to reach a level of sanctity like his, which permitted him to enter into glory from the altar of the Holy Mass, which he was disposed to celebrate. Let us thus invoke him with sincere devotion; to this end we include this prayer to him:
O Saint Andrew Avellino,
worthy son* of Saint Cajetan,
I, your devotee, plead to you,
for love of God, that you
become my advocate before
the Most High
and you obtain from His mercy
the grace to live in such a way
that I deserve to die with the
auxiliums of our Holy Mother Church.
I ask you that you scare away
all snare of the malignant enemy
throughout my earthly existence
and above all in my last moments.
Make it so the Lord free me from
a sudden and unforseen death,
so that I may be able to prepare myself
to be present before Him and that
I may hear from such a just and merciful judge
a benign and clement sentence.
So Be It.
worthy son* of Saint Cajetan,
I, your devotee, plead to you,
for love of God, that you
become my advocate before
the Most High
and you obtain from His mercy
the grace to live in such a way
that I deserve to die with the
auxiliums of our Holy Mother Church.
I ask you that you scare away
all snare of the malignant enemy
throughout my earthly existence
and above all in my last moments.
Make it so the Lord free me from
a sudden and unforseen death,
so that I may be able to prepare myself
to be present before Him and that
I may hear from such a just and merciful judge
a benign and clement sentence.
So Be It.
O Saint Andrew Avellino,
worthy son* of Saint Cajetan,
I, your devotee, plead to you,
for love of God, that you
become my advocate before
the Most High
and you obtain from His mercy
the grace to live in such a way
that I deserve to die with the
auxiliums of our Holy Mother Church.
I ask you that you scare away
all snare of the malignant enemy
throughout my earthly existence
and above all in my last moments.
Make it so the Lord free me from
a sudden and unforseen death,
so that I may be able to prepare myself
to be present before Him and that
I may hear from such a just and merciful judge
a benign and clement sentence.
So Be It.
worthy son* of Saint Cajetan,
I, your devotee, plead to you,
for love of God, that you
become my advocate before
the Most High
and you obtain from His mercy
the grace to live in such a way
that I deserve to die with the
auxiliums of our Holy Mother Church.
I ask you that you scare away
all snare of the malignant enemy
throughout my earthly existence
and above all in my last moments.
Make it so the Lord free me from
a sudden and unforseen death,
so that I may be able to prepare myself
to be present before Him and that
I may hear from such a just and merciful judge
a benign and clement sentence.
So Be It.
* Saint Avellino entered the monastery of the Theatines, which had been recently founded by Saint Cajetan.
Translated from the Spanish by Jan Paul von Wendt -
costumbrario.blogspot.com
Saint Andrew Avellino and the importance of the preparation for our death
from an article by Dr. Durand, (Traditional Catholic Customary)
Today the Church celebrates the festivity of Saint Andrew Avellino, Theatine priest and religious, who is invoked to avoid having a sudden death. It is curious how it would be precisely this type of death that this man of God would experience; who passed from this world to eternal life after suffering a fulminating apoplexy at the foot of the altar, while he started the celebration of the Holy Mass. And it turns out that, in reality, even though death presented itself suddenly, Saint Andrew Avellino was prepared to confront her; for this reason, instead of his sudden death being a disgrace, it turned out to be truly a merciful act of God, which saved him the sufferings of the agony of his body whose soul was always vigilant.
In this same sense it is necessary to comprehend the anecdote of one of his most celebrated devotees: Pope Pius XI. We copy said anecdote [below] from the memories of the pontificate chamber master Mons. Alberto Arborio Mella di Sant'Elia, which carries the suggestive title of "Unpublished snapshots of the last five Popes" (Paulianas publisher, 1961).
"Meanwhile the winters took place. The strolls through the garden became less frequent and also less pleasant. The upsetting experiences and pains suffered had given a swat to the Pope's health. The Holy Father had told me several times that he was going to not last long, but that he did not expect to die of disease. He did not want to fall into the hands of men, but instead directly go to the hands of God."
"I pray each and every day an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory in honor of Saint Andrew Avellino so that he help me to have a sudden death, so beautiful like his."
"Horrors, my God! I exclaimed."
"Yes, quite a fright for those that would surround me but ... it is better that way ... less work to be done ... "
"No, most Blessed Father: A subitnea et improvista morte libera nos, Domine, I replied."
"What do you say?" - The Pope replied."
"The invocation of the Church, Holy Father: A subitnea et improvista morte libera nos, Domine.
"But, what are you saying?" - he repeated more loudly. Don't you understand that for us priests death is never unexpected or unforseen, even if it is sudden? We are always prepared and well disposed to die! What a lesson! I was left deeply impressed, moved by that warning that did me a lot of good."
This anecdote makes us reflect, with the purpose of the festivity of Saint Andrew Avellino, on the need to be habitually in a state of grace and in the convenience of meditating on the last things, in accordance with Sacred Scripture (Ecclesiasticus 7:40): "Memento novissima tua et in aeternum non peccabis" (Remember the last things and you will never sin again). Death should be for us Catholics a subject so natural as life and our afflictions. If we keep death present in our thoughts with more assiduity than is habitual (and not only through the loud knocks at the doors of our family and close ones), we would take more care in procuring that our salvation be appropriately tended.
Father Royo Marn teaches that one prepares for death in two ways: 1) remote and 2) proximate.
The remote way depends on us: in the maintenance of the state of grace through an authentically Christian life, always on guard and vigilant, made with prayer, penance, alms-giving, with frequency of receiving the Sacraments and the use of Sacramentals; consisting of good works and deeds, the exercise of theologal and cardinal virtues, etc. This is the preparation proper of prudent virgins, who have primed their lamps for when the Spouse arrives.
The close or proximate preparation, in contrast, depends on the Church, which disposes of the necessary means to assure the salvation of Her children in the last trance: extreme unction, general confession, the viaticum, the apostolic blessing in the article mortis, the prayers for the dying and certain Sacramentals.
Based on these two types of preparation, the distinguished dominican theologian distinguishes four types of death:
a) With remote and proximate preparation: this is the ideal death, the death of the just. Although one's life has been upright, it is always most convenient to have the last auxiliums offered by the Church which, also, can shorten Purgatory. It is the death of the just par excellence and its model is the Glorious Patriach Saint Joseph, just male, who had the consolation of dying assisted by Jesus and Mary.
b) With remote but not proximate preparation: it is less perfect than the previous one, but morally it permits to presuppose the salvation of the one who has this type of death. It tends to come precipitously, by an organic or physical accident, without allowing time to receive the last sacraments. To death herein is applied what is said regarding the Day of the Lord: He comes like a thief in the night, without anyone knowing the day nor the hour. Yet for the one who has lived in a Christian manner and in a habitual state of grace this does not have to be a tragedy. Its model is Saint Andrew Avellino.
c) With proximate but not remote preparation: this is the death of the repentant sinners, to whom even a point of contrition opens up the Heavens. It is a class of death that shows the extreme divine mercy, which wants to an extreme, that the sinner convert and live [eternally]; yet it is not most desirable by its uncertainty and because the habitual sinner runs the danger of hardening his heart and despairing at his salvation. Its model is Saint Dismas, the Good Thief, who was converted in the hallows of the cross after a miserable life of sin and crimes.
d) Without proximate nor remote preparation: It is the death of the renegade, of the one who has lived a life with his or her back to God and not even in the last instant turns back to God. It is a horrible death, the worst of all: "mors peccatorum pessima" (Psalm 33:22). This is the type of death one asks God to be distant from us in the Litanies of the Saints: "a subitnea et improvisa norte libera nos, Domine". Its model is the rich self-serving glutton who is surprised passing from this world to the other without any formed opinion.
After these considerations we clearly come to see the usefulness of the devotion to Saint Andrew Avellino, to whom we can ask that he reach for us from the Lord the needed graces to live piously and to be able to die in the arms of the Church surrounded by her last cares, since we cannot pretend to reach a level of sanctity like his, which permitted him to enter into glory from the altar of the Holy Mass, which he was disposed to celebrate. Let us thus invoke him with sincere devotion; to this end we include this prayer to him:
O Saint Andrew Avellino,
worthy son* of Saint Cajetan,
I, your devotee, plead to you,
for love of God, that you
become my advocate before
the Most High
and you obtain from His mercy
the grace to live in such a way
that I deserve to die with the
auxiliums of our Holy Mother Church.
I ask you that you scare away
all snare of the malignant enemy
throughout my earthly existence
and above all in my last moments.
Make it so the Lord free me from
a sudden and unforseen death,
so that I may be able to prepare myself
to be present before Him and that
I may hear from such a just and merciful judge
a benign and clement sentence.
So Be It.
worthy son* of Saint Cajetan,
I, your devotee, plead to you,
for love of God, that you
become my advocate before
the Most High
and you obtain from His mercy
the grace to live in such a way
that I deserve to die with the
auxiliums of our Holy Mother Church.
I ask you that you scare away
all snare of the malignant enemy
throughout my earthly existence
and above all in my last moments.
Make it so the Lord free me from
a sudden and unforseen death,
so that I may be able to prepare myself
to be present before Him and that
I may hear from such a just and merciful judge
a benign and clement sentence.
So Be It.
* Saint Avellino entered the monastery of the Theatines, which had been recently founded by Saint Cajetan.
Translated from the Spanish by Jan Paul von Wendt -
costumbrario.blogspot.com
November 10 - Saint Andrew Avelino (1521-1608) - The importance of the preparation for our death
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