July 4--Bl. Pier Giorgio Frasatti, Third Order Dominican

 

Pier Giorgio Frassati, in the mountains from the book A Life in Pictures by Luciana Frassati.

An ordinary man is going to be canonized! He wasn’t a cleric. He did no miracles in his lifetime. He wasn’t a visionary or a mystic. He went to school to become an engineer. He helped the poor. He was a mountain climber. He protested against injustice. He opposed Italian fascism. He is Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. St. John Paul II said he was a “man of the Beatitudes,” “a young man filled with a joy that swept everything along with it, a joy that also overcame many difficulties in his life”. Pope Francis said: “Pier Giorgio said that he wanted to return the love of Jesus that he received in Holy Communion by visiting and helping the poor.”

Frassati (1901-1925) was the son of an agnostic newspaper publisher and an artist. He became a member of the Catholic Federation of University Students and Catholic Action in Italy as a college student and also a member of the Third Order Dominicans. “He often said: ‘Charity is not enough; we need social reform’. He helped establish a newspaper entitled Momento whose principles were based on Pope Leo XIII's Rerum novarum.” He died of polio in 1925. “His parents expected Turin's elite and political figures to come to offer their condolences and attend the funeral and expected to find many of his friends there as well. All were surprised to find the streets lined with thousands of mourners as the cortege passed out of the reverence felt for him among the people he had helped.”

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati was an ordinary man with an extraordinary dedication to God, love, and holiness. This is the purpose of canonization, to show that God’s love can be exemplified in our normal, everyday lives by loving others extraordinarily. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!

October 12--Bl. Carlo Acutis, Holy Man

Photograph of Bl. Carlo Acutis, Copyrighted

He is a saint for the 21st century! Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) “was an Italian website designer who documented Eucharistic miracles and approved Marian apparitions, and catalogued both on a website he designed before his death from leukaemia. Acutis was noted for his cheerfulness, computer skills, and devotion to the Eucharist, which became a core theme of his life.” Even though he died at the age of 15, he was beatified in 2020 and has been approved for canonization, possibly in 2025.

Here are some of his inspiring quotations:

• “The Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life.”
• “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”
• “By standing before the Eucharistic Christ, we become holy.”
• “Continuously ask your guardian angel for help. Your guardian angel has to become your best friend.”
• All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies.”
• To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan”.
• “Sadness is looking at ourselves, happiness is looking towards God.”
• “Not me, but God.”
• “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven".
• “The only thing we have to ask God for, in prayer, is the desire to be holy.”
• “Our soul is like a hot air balloon. If by chance there is a mortal sin, the soul falls to the ground. Confession is like the fire underneath the balloon enabling the soul to rise again. . . It is important to go to confession often.”
• “Our goal must be infinite, not the finite. The infinite is our homeland. Heaven has been waiting for us forever.”
• “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.”

Bl. Carlo Acutis, pray for us!

June 30--Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Holy Man

 

Venerable Pierre Toussaint by Franck Louissant

The following is a sketch of Venerable Pierre Toussaint by the Archdiocese of New York Cultural Diversity Apostolate:

“Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1766-1853) was born a slave in Haiti and died a freeman in New York City. He is credited by many with being the father of Catholic Charities in New York. Pierre was instrumental in raising funds for the first Catholic orphanage and began the city’s first school for black children. He also helped to provide funds for the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a religious community of black nuns founded in Baltimore and played a vital role in providing resources to erect Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Lower Manhattan. During a Yellow Fever epidemic when many of the city’s political leaders fled the city in search of healthier rural climates, Pierre Toussaint cared for the sick and the dying. He was a successful entrepreneur, who did not hesitate to share the fruits of his labor with others.

“In recognition of Pierre Toussaint’s virtuous life, the late Cardinal Cooke introduced Pierre’s cause for canonization at the Vatican in 1968. In December 1989, the late Cardinal O’Connor had the remains of Pierre Toussaint transferred from Lower Manhattan to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown Manhattan where he is buried as the only lay person, alongside the former Cardinal-Archbishops of New York City. On December 17, 1997, Pope John Paul II declared Pierre Toussaint, Venerable, thus placing him firmly on the road to becoming North America’s first black saint. Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a man who was proud of his faith, proud of his culture and committed to serving others.”

We need saints to remind us that God is calling us to sainthood in our own time and in our own situation. We pray for Venerable Pierre Toussaint so he may pray for us.

December 9—St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, Holy Man

 

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“On 9 December 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is now Mexico City. She asked him to go to the Bishop and to request in her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac, where she promised to pour out her grace upon those who invoked her. The Bishop, who did not believe Juan Diego, asked for a sign to prove that the apparition was true. On 12 December, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac. Here, the Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill and to pick the flowers that he would find in bloom. He obeyed, and although it was winter time, he found roses flowering. He gathered the flowers and took them to Our Lady who carefully placed them in his mantle and told him to take them to the Bishop as "proof". When he opened his mantle, the flowers fell on the ground and there remained impressed, in place of the flowers, an image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac.” (vatican.va) 

Pope St. John Paul II, when he canonized St. Juan Diego in 2002, said: “Happy Juan Diego, true and faithful man! We entrust to you our lay brothers and sisters so that, feeling the call to holiness, they may imbue every area of social life with the spirit of the Gospel. Bless families, strengthen spouses in their marriage, sustain the efforts of parents to give their children a Christian upbringing. Look with favor upon the pain of those who are suffering in body or in spirit, on those afflicted by poverty, loneliness, marginalization or ignorance. May all people, civic leaders and ordinary citizens, always act in accordance with the demands of justice and with respect for the dignity of each person, so that in this way peace may be reinforced.” (vatican.va)

Miguel Cabrera, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/MIguel_Cabrera_-_Fiel_retrato_do_vener%C3%A1vel_Juan_Diego.jpg This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.

August 16--St. Stephen of Hungary, Holy Man

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The conversion of a nation or people requires two things, the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ and someone around whom Christianity focuses. In Ireland it was St. Patrick; in Germany, St. Boniface; in Bohemia, St. Wenceslas; and in Hungary, St. Stephen. St. Stephen was the first king of Hungary, crowned around AD 1000. Hungary was one of the last areas of Europe to be Christianized. Stephen was born pagan but was baptized as a child by St. Adalbert of Prague and was a devout Christian. His father imposed Christianity by force, but still worshipped pagan gods. After his father died, he was named leader of the Magyars, the people of Hungary, but then claimed kingship of Hungary. This led to consolidation of his rule. He did this by spreading Christianity throughout Hungary, establishing dioceses which were independent of the Holy Roman Empire. He forced his subjects to give up pagan rituals. He also fought pagan opponents. After consolidating power, he opened a new pilgrimage route to Jerusalem through Hungary, often meeting pilgrims. With peace and a land route to the Holy Land, his fame spread. He set up counties, with the county seats becoming a center of Church organization. He died in 1038 after a 43-year reign. He was canonized in 1083.

Missionaries are the first to bring Christianity to new peoples, but their work needs to be supported. In Europe, much of that support was given through rulers. St. Stephen of Hungary brought about the Christianization of Hungary, which also helped maintain Hungary’s culture. Christianization does not impose an outside colonialization but brings out the best of the native culture through the glory of God. Catholics are members of a universal Church embodied in a specific culture and people. Thus, we can say, “God bless America!”

*https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/32611649955

August 25--St. Louis IX, Holy Man

To be a holy man or holy woman; isn’t that what we all should try to be? Holiness is the attribute that Isaiah hears the angels proclaim of God: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” (Is. 6:3) The Psalmist declares: “Holy is the Lord our God”. (Ps. 99:9) And so when we hear of a king, a secular ruler, declared to be a holy man and a saint, it may take us aback. How can a king, who wages war and passes judgment on others, be considered holy?

St. Louis IX, King of France, was such a man. He dedicated his life to justice, which is especially desired in a king. As supreme judge of France he would hear appeals by anyone of his subjects. He abolished trial by ordeal and introduced the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings. He created provosts and bailiffs to enforce application of his new legal system. Even in war he maintained the need for justice. When in war against his brother-in-law, Henry III of England, he negotiated a settlement for peace rather that fight for a total victory. He led the seventh and eighth crusades, both of which failed. His purpose in both was to bring aid to Christians suffering under the Muslim Saracens.

Justice was a hallmark of his reign, as was service to the poor. Every day he would invite thirteen guests from among the poor to eat with him. He would often serve the poor who came for a meal during Advent and Lent. He established three monasteries and sponsored the construction of great Gothic cathedrals. St. Louis died of typhoid fever at Tunis during the eighth crusade in 1270 and was canonized in 1297. We ask for his intercession on our behalf for justice and service in our day.

July 13--St. Henry, Holy Man

A few kings have made it into the calendar of saints, including St. Louis IX of France, St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia, and St. Stephen of Hungary. Among them we have today’s saint, St. Henry II of Bavaria, who was Holy Roman Emperor from 1014-1024. As emperor, St. Henry was responsible for maintaining the unity, peace, and stability of the empire. To that extent, he was involved in many military expeditions throughout central Europe and Italy. He established closer ties with the Church and employed clergy as checks to the secular nobility.

He stressed service to the Church, promoted monastic reform, missionary activity, and made many charitable foundations for the poor. He also supported clerical celibacy. At one point he tried to become a monk, but was denied permission by the abbot, being told that his role in life was to be emperor. He succeeded in persuading the pope to include the word “filioque” in the Nicene Creed, which means that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both God the Father and God the Son.

St. Henry seems to be a contradiction regarding sainthood. Although he was devout and supported the Church, he also was a man of his times, engaging in wars and putting down rebellions that attacked his power as king and emperor. This seems to be a contradiction, but it is more about what sainthood really means. It means being holy in the state of life one is in. St. Henry was ambitious. He was political. These are not inherently evil. He used the power of his office to bring about peace and justice to the best of his ability, even when he was wrong. To be a saint means being a disciple of Christ, whether one is a king or a ditch-digger, a queen or a seamstress.

June 19—Venerable Matt Talbot, Holy Man and Third Order Franciscan

“Hi, my name is Matt and I am an alcoholic.” That may be the greeting today’s saint would give if he were to go to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. Ven. Matt Talbot was an Irishman born in 1856 and died in 1925. He was a laborer and a man of modest means. He started drinking at about the age of 15 when he was a messenger for liquor merchants and, for almost 15 years he was an active alcoholic. Finally, he decided to “take the pledge” to give up drinking for three months, and then six months, and then for his whole life, which he did, albeit with great difficulty at times. He went to daily Mass, read religious books, and repaid debts incurred when he was drinking. He became a Third Order Franciscan, which means that he followed the example of St. Francis of Assisi as a layman, and modeled himself on the sixth century Irish monks. He died of heart failure on his way to Mass on Trinity Sunday.

Venerable Matt Talbot is the patron of alcoholics and those seeking sobriety. Alcoholism can ensnare anyone and render life miserable to the point of poverty, homelessness, abandonment by family, and despair of God. Talbot received God’s grace to overcome his alcoholism. We all need God’s grace to overcome our own “addictions”, those habits that pull us away from God and into our own selfishness. Sin itself is the ultimate addiction, whereby we turn in on ourselves in self-hatred and reject God’s love and mercy. Mercy requires repentance so we may turn back to God, who receives us as a forgiving prodigal father.

April 17—St. Benedict Joseph Labre, Holy Man

We see them in the park or under the highway bridge or in the wooded area near the river.  They are the homeless, the poor who have no place to rest their heads.  We attempt to deprive them of the dignity deserving of all humans when we only see their poverty and their state of being outcast.  Our saint was one such outcast, a homeless drifter who visited shrines as a part of his religious life, St. Benedict Joseph Labre. 

After numerous attempts to join religious orders to live the solitary life of prayer he desperately craved, he decided to make the open air his monastery.  He eventually found his way to Rome where his confessor described his first meeting:  “I noticed a man close beside me whose appearance at first sight was decidedly unpleasant and forbidding. His legs were only partially covered, his clothes were tied round his waist with an old cord. His hair was uncombed, he was ill-clad, and wrapped about in an old and ragged coat. In his outward appearance he seemed to be the most miserable beggar I had ever seen. Such was the spectacle of Benedict the first time I beheld him."  Holiness was hidden beneath the cloak of poverty.

We have the opportunity to meet the homeless and minister to them, whether at the local shelter or Open Door Mission.  These men, women, and children are not necessarily the holy hermits that St. Benedict was, but they are God’s beloved.  We are called to shelter, feed, clothe, give drink, visit the sick and imprisoned, and bury our brothers and sisters as Jesus taught (Mt. 25:35-45).  St. Benedict Joseph Labre, patron of the homeless, pray for us.

March 4—St. Casimir, Holy Man

Most saints on the Roman calendar are priests or religious or martyrs.  Today’s saint was a layman and a Polish prince as well.  The second son of the king of Poland lived in the fifteenth century.  When he was fifteen his father, Casimir IV, sent him to conquer Hungary and become king there.  Reluctantly, but dutifully, he followed his father’s request.  However, he was outnumbered and his officers suggested he withdraw.  He did and the king was so upset that he imprisoned Casimir for three months.  Casimir decided never to become involved in war again and he returned to a life of prayer and study.  He also chose a life of celibacy, even when urged to marry the emperor’s daughter.  He died at the age of 23 from lung disease.  He is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.

Doing God’s will is not always easy, especially if it conflicts with the will of those we love.  Casimir attempted to do his earthly father’s will, but ended up deciding to do his heavenly father’s will.  Our families are here to guide us to heaven, but when they guide us wrongly, we need to turn to God even more closely.  Our parents may do wrong, our children may do wrong, our siblings may do wrong, but God will never do wrong and will always strengthen us in the virtues of faith, hope, and love if we but focus on him first, last, and always.  Then we may turn to our children, our parents, and our siblings to guide them on the right path by our own example, our fortitude, and our prayers on their behalf.  St. Casimir can be our model to follow.