Così il Figliuolo di Dio vedendo tanta nostra superbia, con tanta pompa, volendoci indurre alla vera umiltà e al disprezzo degli onori, pompe e vanità del Mondo è disceso non dal cavallo, ma dal sommo Cielo, dal seno dell’eterno Padre e si è posto in un basso e vilissimo luogo, in una stalla e in un presepio, affinché noi discendessimo da tanta superbia, da tanta pompa e da tante vanità, a seguirlo per la vera umiltà.

 sant’Andrea Avellino

 
Lettera a Cornelia d’Alessandro del 9 dicembre 1588.

(Lettere scritte dal glorioso S. ANDREA AVELLINO a diversi suoi divoti …., tomo I, n. 293, pag. 446 - Stamperia di Novello de Bonis, Stampatore Arcivescovale, Napoli 1731)

ENGLISH BIOGRAPHY

There was a priest called Andrew (part one)

Part one: since he was born, till when he came back to Naples (1547) Andrew is the name he gave himself. His baptismal name was Lancillotto Avellino, and like Sir Lancelot of Arthur’s court he w...

There was a priest called Andrew (part two)

Part two: since spiritual conferences of the Society of Jesus to his solemn vow In December of the same year, members of the Society of Jesus, then a very new order, came to Naples to give a serie...

There was a priest called Andrew (part three)

Part three: since the trip to Rome till his mission in Milan and in Placencia He had never seen the imperial city, and now, of course, he wanted to call on the Theatine Pope Paul IV and to meet t...

There was a priest called Andrew (part five)

Part five: since the last days on the Earth till his canonization The young lay brothers who were assigned to assist the aging Andrew tended to lead rather tricky existences. One day Andrew...

There was a priest called Andrew (part four)

Part four: since the meeting with Farnese family till the last days on the Earth Thus occurred the first meeting between two men who would become life-long friends. Andrew would love and be l...