March 1--St. David of Wales, Abbot and Bishop

 

Saint Non's Chapel - Fenster 5 St.David by Wolfgang Sauber, Licensed under CC BY 3.0 Unported.

"Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd." For those of you who don’t know Welsh, that means: “Do ye the little things in life,” the last words of today’s saint, St. David of Wales, who died around 589 A.D. Born in about 500 A.D., the grandson of a king in Wales, David became “renowned as a teacher and preacher, founding monastic settlements in Wales” and elsewhere. He attended a synod in Wales denouncing the Pelagian heresy, which stated that humans were not affected by Original Sin and we could earn our way to heaven, thus getting rid of our corporate sin and also the need of Jesus as Our Savior to die for us! Due to his speech he was elected primate of the monks in his region. He was later acclaimed archbishop. His last words were: “Lords, brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. And as for me, I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us." "Do ye the little things in life."


St. Thérèse of Lisieux also taught a “Little Way” whereby doing the ordinary things of everyday life with love bring us closer to God. Both St. David and St. Thérèse point out that holiness is everyone’s calling in life, no matter our state, our abilities, or our difficulties. Every moment is an opportunity for grace or, as Saint Padre Pio said, “The present moment is the only moment of grace.” We are chosen, called, and sent forth to bring God’s love to the world. We are the children of God who praise the love of Our Father, through his beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! St. David, pray for us!

May 25--St. Mary Magdalene dé Pazzi, Virgin

 

Ecstasy of St. Mary Magdalene dé Pazzi by Allesandro Rossi

Mystics are a special breed of saint. They receive amazing visions and ecstasies that most people cannot even imagine. Some famous mystics are St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, and in the 20th century, St. Faustina Kowalska and St. Pio of Pietralcina. Today’s saint, St. Mary Magdalene dé Pazzi, was blessed with ecstatic visions on a daily basis for numerous years. Her confessor required them to be transcribed and preserved as a safeguard against deception. For six years five volumes were transcribed. However, she not only experienced great love for God, but also great trials. One was five years long!

St. Mary Magdalene dé Pazzi was born to a noble and wealthy Florence family during the Italian Renaissance in 1566. She made her first communion at the early age of ten, vowed virginity that same year, and at the age of twelve experienced her first ecstasy. She was allowed to enter a Carmelite convent at seventeen. It was during her novitiate that she became critically ill and thus allowed to take religious vows, after which she went into ecstasy for about two hours and then the following 40 days after receiving communion. She died in 1607 at the age of 41 and canonized a saint in 1669.

“Intimate union, God’s gift to mystics, is a reminder to all of us of the eternal happiness of union he wishes to give us. The cause of mystical ecstasy in this life is the Holy Spirit, working through spiritual gifts.” We may not have the gift of ecstasy, but we can meet Jesus in every person as Jesus tells us: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt. 25:40). St. Mary Magdalene dé Pazzi, pray for us!

September 23—St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), Priest & Religious

Padre Pio is one of the more amazing saints of the 20^th century.  He levitated when he was in intense prayer; he bilocated, that is, he could be in two far separated places at about the same time; he had the gift of prophecy; he could read hearts; he could bring about conversions.  However, he is most famous for the gift of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ visible on his hands, feet, and side. 

Padre Pio received much acclamation and much criticism for these spiritual gifts.  But he only wanted to love God and bring about the salvation of souls.  He would spend hours each day in the confessional listening to words of sorrow; challenging those who needed to express true penitence; forgiving with the words of absolution:  “God the father of mercies through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins through the ministry of the church.  May God give you pardon and peace and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

We are called to forgive and be forgiven:  “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  We are called to the confessional so that the priest, who is our spiritual doctor, may bring us to spiritual health through the sacrament.  Some say that we don’t need a priest; God forgives us anyway.  The purpose of the priest is to help us, not judge us.  The priest is “in the person of Christ” forgiving us in the name of God as Jesus said to his apostles:  “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn. 20:23).  Who, in suffering in serious illness or injury, would refuse to go to a doctor?  Why do we refuse to go to Christ’s doctors, his priests?  Padre Pio gave his life to bring about salvation for others.  Every priest shares in that desire.  When was the last time you went to confession?