What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

We are on the cusp Lent, which word comes from Old English lencten, for "spring".  The Latin term is Quadragesima, which refers to "fortieth" as in more or less the fortieth day from Easter.  In Germany you say Fastenzeit and the French, sticking closer to Latin, say Carême (in French the circumflex usually indicates an  "s" which morphed out of the orthography) and in Spanish Cuaresma.  In Italy, where I am, we call this season Quaresima.  Some people, such as the Rita Skeeter of Catholic blogging might have lead you to think that in Italian you say "Quaresimo", as if the word were masculine in gender, but happily there are editing features in blog software.  I am happy for that nearly every day!

Each day of Lent has its proper Collect.  I will do my best to keep up with these.   This is not what I consider my lenten penance, though it might be for you to read them patiently.

Yesterday was the feast of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows according to the calendar of the Novus Ordo, however, in the older, so-called "Tridentine" Missal we find that either 27 or 28 February was given to him.   His date is most properly 27 February since that is the day he died and was born into heaven in 1862.  I visited his shrine beneath the great mountain Gran Sasso in Italy while I was in seminary.

Little Francesco Possenti came from a large family, 13 children, in Spoleto and was baptized in the same baptismal font as St. Francis of Assisi.  During a childhood illness he promised to become a religious if he were healed. This actually happened twice, but like many of us who make promises to God if He would only do something for us, Francesco forgot about it.  However, during a procession in honor of an image of Our Lady of Sorrows, Francesco finally felt strongly the calling to be a religious.  He took off for a Passionist house and noviatiate on the eve of his engagment.  

When Francesco made his vows he was given the name in religion of Gabriel adding of Our Lady of Sorrows.  Gabriel made a special promise to spread devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. His writings are imbused with this devotion and a special focus on the Passion of the Lord.  He was known for his perfect observance of the rule of the Passionists.

While still young was contracted tuberculosis.  He remained always in good spirits, never quitting his harsh mortifications however.  Before he could be ordained a priest, he died embracing an image of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Gabriel was canonized by Pope Benedict XV 1920 and declared him patron of Catholic youth. In 1959, Pope John XXIII named him the patron of the Abruzzi region, where he spent the last two years of his earthly life. His is also invoked by seminarians and novices. St. Gemma Galgani attributed to St. Gabriel the curewhich led her also to her vocation as a Passionist.

So, since I was not in any condition yesterday to do much, let us look at his Collect today, from the 1962 Missale Romanum.

COLLECT:
Deus, qui beatum Gabrielem
dulcissimae Matris tuae dolores assidue recolere docuisti,
ac per illam sanctitatis et miraculorum gloria sublimasti:
da nobis, eius intercessione et exemplo;
ita Genetricis tuae consociari fletibus,
ut materna eiusdem protectione salvemur.

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
O God, who taught blessed Gabriel
to reflect constantly upon the sorrows of Your most sweet Mother,
and through her raised him on high by the glory of holiness and miracles:
grant us, by his intercession and example;
so to be joined to the tears of Your Mother,
that we may be saved by her maternal protection.

"I want to break my own will into pieces, I want to do God’s Holy will, not my own. May the most adorable, most loveable, most perfect will of God always be done." St. Gabriel