Fédération Internationale de Natation Feast of St. Fina, March12
According to the book, Saints A Year in Faith and Art:
"Born at San Gimignano, Italy in 1238, she died at fifteen, already in the odor of sanctity"
I don't know what the odor of sanctity is, but it sounds slightly unpleasant. Maybe this explains it:
In 1248 Fina’s life was changed by a serious illness, which began, progressively, to paralyse her (probably a form of tuberculous osteomyelitis). Her deep faith relieved her pain. She refused a bed and chose instead to lie on a wooden pallet. According to her legend, during her long sickness her body became attached to the wood of the table, and worms and rats fed on her rotting flesh. During her illness, she lost her father and later her mother died after a fall. In spite of her misfortune and poverty she thanked God and expressed a desire that her soul might separate from the body in order to meet Jesus Christ.
When Fina’s body was removed from the pallet, the people who were there saw white violets bloom from the wood and smelt a fresh flower fragrance through the whole house. The violets grew on the walls of San Gimignano too and still today they grow there. For this reason the people of San Gimignano call them “The Saint Fina violets”.
Just before she died, she was visited by St. Gregory the Great. I hope he looked like this:
But probably looked like this:
 |
| San Gimignano |
I don't know what the odor of sanctity is, but it sounds slightly unpleasant. Maybe this explains it:
In 1248 Fina’s life was changed by a serious illness, which began, progressively, to paralyse her (probably a form of tuberculous osteomyelitis). Her deep faith relieved her pain. She refused a bed and chose instead to lie on a wooden pallet. According to her legend, during her long sickness her body became attached to the wood of the table, and worms and rats fed on her rotting flesh. During her illness, she lost her father and later her mother died after a fall. In spite of her misfortune and poverty she thanked God and expressed a desire that her soul might separate from the body in order to meet Jesus Christ.
When Fina’s body was removed from the pallet, the people who were there saw white violets bloom from the wood and smelt a fresh flower fragrance through the whole house. The violets grew on the walls of San Gimignano too and still today they grow there. For this reason the people of San Gimignano call them “The Saint Fina violets”.
Just before she died, she was visited by St. Gregory the Great. I hope he looked like this:
 |
| Announcement of Death to St. Fina, Domenica Ghirlandaio, 1474 |
Labels: Feast Days, saints
posted by jope @ March 12, 2015
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