May 11--St. Ignatius of Laconi, Religious

 

St. Ignatius of Laconi

Which is it: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3) or “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours” (Lk. 6:20)? For our saint today, it is both! St. Ignatius of Laconi was born December 10, 1701 in Laconi on the island of Sardinia as the second of seven children to poor peasants. Thus, he truly was poor in the manner of Luke’s offering. He lived the peasant life until he joined the Franciscan Capuchin religious order in 1722. As a professed religious he dedicated himself to physical poverty, but also to poverty of spirit, whereby God calls us to depend wholly upon him. He died in 1781 on Sardinia.

He was the official beggar for his community. The people of his town appreciated his quiet and modest manner. They knew he gave to them more than he received! “He seldom spoke; when required he spoke with exceptional kindness and great affection. He would also instruct the children and the uneducated that he came across, and went out to comfort the sick and urge sinners to be converted and to perform penance.”

How about us? Are we called to voluntary poverty or are we called to total dependence on God? How about some of the first and all of the second! Almsgiving does not have to be done only during Lent. We can give of ourselves to others who need what we can give to them, whether it be our time, our treasure, or our talents. Nonetheless, we are all called to be poor in spirit, to absolute and total dependence on God, ALWAYS! One of St. Ignatius’s quotations is “Trust God.” How apt! And yet, how difficult! St. Ignatius of Laconi, pray for us!