# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Peter of Alcantara, Confessor
# (Oct 19). Sourced directly from
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/10-19.txt, English/Sancti/10-19.txt.
# Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one continuous vita. No
# Lectio7-9 own content (a direct `@Commune/C5:LectioN in 2 loco`
# cross-reference) -- not transcribed, per the bare-cross-reference
# convention.
id: st-peter-of-alcantara
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Petrus, Alcántaræ in Hispánia nobílibus paréntibus natus, a
        teneris annis futuræ sanctitátis indícia prǽbuit. Décimo sexto
        ætátis anno ordinem Minórum ingréssus, se ómnium virtutum
        exemplar exhibuit. Tum munus concionatoris ex obediéntia
        exercens, innumeros a vitiis ad veram pœniténtiam traduxit.
        Primævum sancti Francisci institutum exactíssime reparáre
        cupiens, ope divina fretus et apostolica munítus auctoritate,
        angustíssimum et pauperrimum cœnobium juxta Pedrósum fundávit;
        quod vitæ genus asperrimum, ibi feliciter cœptum, per diversas
        Hispaniæ provincias usque ad Indias mirifice propagátum fuit.
        Sanctæ Teresiæ, cujus probaverat spíritum, in promovenda
        Carmelitárum reformatióne adjútor fuit. Ipsa autem, a Deo
        edocta quod Petri nómine nihil quisquam péteret quin prótinus
        exaudirétur, ejus precibus se commendare et ipsum, adhuc
        viventem, sanctum appellare consuevit.


        Principium obsequia, qui ipsum velut oraculum consulébant,
        summa humilitate declinans, Cárolo quinto imperatóri a
        confessiónibus esse recusávit. Paupertátis rigidíssimus custos,
        una tunia, qua nulla deterior esset, contentus erat. Puritátem
        ita coluit, ut a fratre in extremo morbo sibi inserviénte ne
        leviter quidem tangi passus sit. Corpus suum perpetuis
        vigiliis, jejuniis, flagellis, frigore, nuditate atque omni
        genere asperitátum in servitútem redégit; cum quo pactum
        iníerat ne ullam in hoc sæculo ei requiem præbéret. Caritas
        Dei et próximi, in ejus corde diffúsa, tantum quandoque
        excitábat incendium, ut e cellæ angustiis in apertum campum
        prosilire, aërisque refrigerio conceptum ardórem temperare
        cogerétur.


        Gratia contemplatiónis admirábilis in eo fuit: qua cum
        assidue spíritus reficerétur, intérdum áccidit ut ab omni
        cibo et potu plúribus diébus abstinúerit. In áëra frequenter
        sublatus, miro fulgóre coruscare visus est. Rápidos flúvios
        sicco pede trajecit. Fratres in extrema penuria, cælitus
        deláta alimónia, cibávit. Báculus, ab ipso terræ defixus, mox
        in viridem ficulneam excrevit. Cum noctu iter ágeret, densa
        nive cadente, dírutam domum sine tecto ingréssus est, eique
        nix in áëre péndula pro tecto fuit, ne illíus copia
        suffocarétur. Dono prophetíæ ac discretiónis spirituum
        imbutum fuísse sancta Teresia testátur. Denique, annum agens
        sexagesimum tertium, hora qua prædixerat, migrávit ad
        Dóminum, mirábili visióne Sanctorúmque præséntia confortatus.
        Quem eodem momento in cælum ferri beáta Teresia procul distans
        vidit; cui póstea appárens dixit: O felix pœniténtia, quæ
        tantam mihi promeruit glóriam!
      en: >-
        Peter was born at Alcantara, a small town in the Province of
        Estramadura, in Spain. His father was a lawyer and Governor of
        the town, and his mother was of good extraction. The holiness
        of his life was foreshadowed from his earliest years. In the
        sixteenth year of his age he entered the Order of Friars Minor,
        wherein he showed himself a pattern to all. He undertook the
        work of preaching in obedience to his Superiors, and thereby
        brought many to turn away from sin to true repentance. He
        conceived a great desire to bring back the observance of the
        Rule of St. Francis to the uttermost straitness of old times,
        and to that end, supported by God's help, and armed with the
        approval of the Apostolic See, he founded a new stern and poor
        house near Pedraso, from which the harder way of life, therein
        happily begun, spread marvellously through diverse Provinces
        of Spain even to the Indies. He was an helper to holy Theresa,
        with whom he was like-minded, in bringing about the
        Reformation of the Carmelites. She was taught of God that no
        one should ask anything in the name of Peter without being
        heard, and was used to ask him to pray for her, and to call
        him a Saint while as he was yet alive.


        He humbly excused himself from accepting the courtesies of
        princes, by whom his advice was sought as that of an oracle,
        and declined to become the Confessor of the Emperor Charles V.
        He was a very careful keeper to poverty, and contented himself
        with a single tunic than which none was worse. Purity he
        carried to such a point that when he was lying sick of his
        last illness, he would not allow the brother who ministered to
        him to touch him, how lightly soever. He brought his body into
        bondage by unceasing watching, fasting, scourging, cold,
        nakedness, and all manner of hardships, having made it a
        promise never to allow it any rest in this world. The love of
        God and his neighbour, which was shed abroad in his heart,
        somewhiles burnt so that he was fain to run from his cell into
        the open air to cool himself.


        He was marvellous how his thoughts became altogether rapt in
        God, so that somewhiles it befell that he neither ate nor
        drank for the space of several days. He was oftentimes seen to
        rise into the air, shining with an unearthly glory. He passed
        dry-shod over torrents. When his brethren were in the last
        state of need, he fed them with food from heaven. A staff
        which he fixed in the earth grew presently into a green
        fig-tree. Once while he was travelling by night in the midst
        of an heavy snow-storm, and took refuge in a ruined and
        roofless house, then the falling snow made a roof over him
        lest he should be overwhelmed. Holy Theresa beareth witness
        that he had the gift of prophecy and of the discerning of
        spirits. At length, in the 63rd year of his own age, at the
        hour which he had himself foretold, he passed away to be for
        ever with the Lord, cheered in his last moments by a
        wonderful vision and by the presence of Saints. At the instant
        of his death, blessed Theresa, then afar off, saw him carried
        to heaven. He appeared to her afterwards, and said: O what
        happy penance, to have won for me such glory!
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
