July 20 John of Pulsano d. 1139 #4 p 7-20-11

Good Morning
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Take a look at my entry written on 7-21-08. Not much has changed for me since then – except the inertia of atrophy.

It’s July and it’s hot and humid. My two two-mile walks got my sweat glands pumping. I’m a sweater. That seems to be more common with age or with lethargy and/or with heatandhumidity. I’ve also picked up some new pains. Why are my middle digit on both hands and both feet routinely painful. There’s an absence of flexibility but my fingers and toes get more normal [not the new normal] with flexing and squeezing a Spalding. Then there’re the ravages of gravity that easily wins over the absence of adequate exercise, especially strength exercise. [And with all the time on my hands – moreso on my tush – I should be exercising and countervailing gravity and atrophy. ‘Should be’ – with all due deference to Albert Ellis – should be enough to get me off my tush. Alas, not yet so. Ora pro me.


July 20

John of Pulsano d. 1139

Born in Matera in the Kingdom of Naples, he entered the Benedictines near Taranto. Twelfth century Catholicism: Naples: Benedictines. Putting this man into context vis a vis Church, Faith, St. Benedict, and the Kingdom of Naples assumes that you should know enough about all of these from your education and from your personal study.

[One of the tenets of Ignatian Spirituality and Cursillo is personal study. Daily increments of knowledge to solidify your foundation of faith and the framework of religion.]

We got Catholic History in Catholic grammar school – including some biography of great saints like Benedict. Of course, I got plenty of Church History in Cheverus H.S., especially Jesuit History, some of which was naturally important as a contrast to the Benedictines et al.

My favorite history course ever, History of the Western World, was taught at Fairfield University in the summer of 1968. Much of the History of the Western World is Church History. Most of my study of Church History since then has been via biographies, mostly biographies of the saints.

John of Pulsano was disliked because of his austerities. Think about this a second. John of Pulsano’s “austerities” were extreme compared by his brethren at Taranto to the ‘normal’ Benedictine habits of the day. Read Benedict’s rules, they are a meditation and exhortation worthy of adoption by us normal people. In modern view, they are ‘extreme’. John of Pulsano took Benedit’s rules to heart and to an ‘extreme’.

So, the Beneditine monks of Taranto did not like John of Pulsano because he lived the Benedictine Rule in such a way as to, shall we say, put them to shame. His expectations of himself, might we say, made the other monks feel uncomfortable? Inadequate? Whatever.

They looked at how John of Pulsano lived his Benedictine vows and disliked him. It seems to me that such living is worthy of being disliked: such living should make others uncomfortable. Would not that be a good thing for them?

John Pulsano then joined the community of St. William of Vercelli (1085-1142) for a time.

[About 1119, William of Vercelli had attracted so many followers that a monastery was built on Monte Vergine under the rule of St. Benedict known as the Hermits of Monte Vergine (Williamites). William of Vercelli’s austere rule was obviously an attraction for John of Pulsano. The austerity of William’s rule led to dissension among his monks. To restore peace, William of Vercelli left under the protection of Roger I of Naples who built a monastery for him near Salerno.

William of Vercelli founded monasteries – with austere Benedictine rule – throughout Naples. It seems to me that a leader is best when he has followers simpatico with his ‘rule’. One attracts similar people by one’s modus vivandi. When there is dissension among the followers, it seems to me that the more austere are the ones who leave to begin again. Partially the story of my ‘abbot’ career.]

John of Pulsano left William of Vercelli’s monastery to preach at Ban.

John of Pulsano spent time as a hermit in Sicily, where he was imprisoned (The reason for which I did not look for this time either.).

John of Pulsano escaped from prison in Sicily and went to Capua.

In his later years, John founded a monastery at Pulsano.

John of Pulsano kept moving – looking for better opportunities, finding a better fit for his modus vivandi, being ‘fired’, imprisoned, retreating into hermitville. A lifetime on the move. How much did John of Pulsano change? He was famous for preaching, prophecy, and miracles.

I project no small part of my life onto this saint’s moving around. NO, I am not famous for anything – tho, I do preach ok, I am prophetic in an OT sort of way, and, in a few small instances, I’ve been around when a miracle occurred. I doubt if I’ve gotten better with time. But, a tad wiser – maybe too late. Still, I am given adequate time to do whatever it is I’ve been put here to do. And I am still here. Please pray for me so that I do something approximating what is the will of God for me.


7-21-08

When you are at the peak of your game, when your personal and professional discipline are at the best and getting better, then it will not be unlikely for you to be the odd man out.

Lead or follow but always be true to your vocation, God’s will, God’s calling you in our faith and family….


AMDG

wtn
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