July 9
Ifigenia Gaillar, Teotisa Pélissier, Andrea Minutte, Mariana De Rocher, Mariana Béguine-Royal And 27 More Religious, Martyrs of Orange (+1794)
Martyrs
During the French Revolution, sixty nuns from Vaucluse were arrested and taken to the Orange prison “for having wanted to destroy the Republic with fanaticism and superstition.” Today we know the schedule they lived while waiting to be judged: 5 hours: get up, meditate, Holy Mass; 7 hr.: breakfast; 8 a.m.: litany of saints and other prayers.
Biography
9 a.m.: several appear before the court; there they will say a joyful goodbye; those who stay, pray the prayers for which they leave and meditate on the words of Jesus on the cross; 6 p.m.: the drum roll announces that the condemned women are going up to the scaffold, the prisoners are praying for the dying; When the drum falls silent, sing the Te Deum..." None is afraid, none signs the oath that would prevent death; they sing a hymn whose chorus says: "Far from the guillotine/ Causing me any fear/ My God makes me see in it/ A precious means/ That along a new path/ Leads me straight to heaven." Thirty-two were guillotined; the rest saved their heads, because the Convention ordered a stop to the executions.
Practical advice
As soon as you have the opportunity, accept a setback without complaining, without leaving for tomorrow the good that you can do today.