Saintly Saturday - Bl. Alexandrina Maria da Costa



On October 13, the Church celebrates the life of the mystic Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa. Born in Balasar, Portugal on March 30, 1904, she & her sister, Deolinda, were brought up in the Catholic Faith. At the age of seven, she was sent to live with a carpenter’s family so that she could be educated in a primary school.

Back in Balasar, at the age of 14, three men broke into her home & attempted to attack her. She jumped out of a window to protect her virtue, but injured herself in the process, becoming fully paralyzed & bedridden by the age of 21. With the aid of the Mother of God, she accepted her suffering as the Will of God & offered it for the conversion of sinners, as well as for peace around the world. “I have no purpose other than that of giving glory to God and saving souls.”

From 1938-1942, she received a mystical gift; she overcame her paralysis to relive the Passion of Christ every Friday for three hours. On October 31, 1942, she asked Pope Pius XII for the world to be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her only source of sustenance from March 27, 1942 until her death was her daily communion.

Many who visited her bedside were comforted by her words. She died October 13, 1955 with the final words, “I am happy, because I am going to Heaven.” Her grave is visited regularly by pilgrims, where they can read these words she requested be etched into her headstone: “Sinners, how much I want to tell you…Do not risk losing Jesus for all eternity, for He is so good. Enough with sin. Love Jesus, love Him!” She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 25, 2004.


Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa, Pray for Us!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Bronze Pole & The Crucifix

Image
Numbers 21:4-9 was the first reading from the daily Mass yesterday (4/8/2025). The passage details what happened to the Israelites who grumbled against Moses & the Lord, questioning why they were led to the desert, only to die. God punished them by sending saraph serpents which bit & killed many of them. They went to Moses, imploring him to intercede & ask God to take the serpents away. God, in turn, had Moses make a serpent & attach it to a bronze pole. Anyone bitten was to look upon it & they would live. The translation used for the Mass reading does not say the people would be “healed” , only that they would “live” . Curious about how the passage had been translated in other Bibles, I went to the Bible Gateway website . I looked up at least 25 Bible translations, most of which used the word “live”. Two used “recovered” , & three said “healed” (Douay Rheims 1899, The Voice, & Wycliffe). That got me thinking…why would God want the Israelites to live, but ...
Read more

Gospel Reflection - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Image
Genesis 2:18-24 & Mark 10:2-16 Both the first reading and the Gospel speak to the sanctity of the bonds of marriage and family.  In the first reading, we hear about God creating Eve to be a suitable partner for Adam.  The two become one flesh, man and woman joined together to not only keep one another company, but to procreate and tend to the land.  In the Gospel, once again those Pharisees are trying to trip up Jesus.  His reply is an admonishment to their hardened hearts, reaffirming that marriage is for one man and one woman and that no human can separate what God has joined.   Unfortunately, we have become a throwaway society.  We overbuy food that ends up spoiled and tossed.  Clothing and furniture tears or breaks and rather than repairing them, we throw them out.  We get rid of things in good condition when the newest model is released (game systems, cell phone).  The same applies even to marriages and friendships.  I have...
Read more

Feast of the Epiphany

Image
On this Feast of the Epiphany, my thoughts for this reflection have come from several sources. As I share each thought, I will also share from where I received the inspiration for it. We hear in the Gospel that the Magi were led by a star from the East. When they arrived in Jerusalem, Herod inquired about the star’s appearance. He sent them to search for the child, with a request that they return so that he, too, may pay homage. This star preceded them to Bethlehem, stopping over the place where Baby Jesus lay.  Inspired by our priest’s homily at Mass last evening, I began to ponder myself as a star. Is the light of my star a bright beacon, leading others to Christ through my words & actions? Or have I let my star grow dimmer by the earthly worries & trials of human frailty? I must continue to polish my star, so that its light can remain a strong guide for those I encounter on a daily basis. That polishing process can be done through frequent reception of the sacraments ...
Read more