There are some saints who were very popular long ago, but not so much anymore. One of these is St. Giles. St. Giles was venerated as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saints who were invoked against diseases. They included St. Barbara against fever and sudden death, St. Blaise against throat ailments, St. Christopher against the plague, St. Denis against headaches, and St. Vitus against epilepsy. St. Giles was invoked against both plague and epilepsy, but also against mental illness and nightmares.
St. Giles was a Greek hermit who founded an abbey on the southern coast of France along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. According to one story, he was a hermit who had a red deer as a companion. When hunters shot an arrow at the deer it wounded St. Giles instead. Thus, he is also patron saint of cripples. His monastery followed the Rule of St. Benedict and he died in the eighth century, having a reputation for holiness and miracles. Travelers on the pilgrimage would stop at the abbey to visit his relics.
Nowadays, we have medicine when we are sick. We visit doctors, who are much more common today than in the days of St. Giles. God has blessed modern humanity with men and women dedicated to curing diseases and injuries. For that, we should be grateful. We should take advantage of medical personnel for physical and mental illnesses but let us not forget the illnesses of the soul that harm us: addiction, spiritual poverty, loneliness, fear, anxiety, desperation, and sin. These illnesses need more than a physician. God has also blessed us with intercessors, saints who pray on our behalf, for help from spiritual maladies. St. Giles is also the patron for a good confession. Take the hint! He can help us move to God.
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