Pedro Garavito was born in Alcántara, Spain, in 1499 and, at the age of sixteen, entered the Franciscan Order. There he led a life of strict penance, particularly with regard to food and sleep, to a degree that is difficult for us to imagine today. This is why we tend to admire the saints for their asceticism rather than imitate it. While this is understandable, it can also have negative long-term effects. In fact, asceticism has almost completely disappeared from the life of the Church, so that, in general, fasting barely exists anymore. We risk losing the ability to imagine restraining ourselves from bodily comforts for love of the Lord.
Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist: “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves”
NOTE: As today is the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist, we will interrupt our series on the lives of the saints and meditate on the passage foreseen for this occasion, taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke.
Lk 10:1-9
After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Heart of the Redeemer
Those who receive a special commission from the Lord do not always have an easy time of it. They encounter resistance of all kinds, often from the people closest to them. However, it is precisely in such circumstances, when the chosen ones cling to their mission despite all the difficulties, that God’s work bears fruit, revealing its divine origin.
This was the case with Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, whose feast day we celebrate today according to the traditional calendar.
Saint Hedwig: Purified by Suffering and Lover of the Poor
With joy, I ventured to undertake this series on the lives of the saints in order to meditate on them and benefit from their example. But I did not know what awaited me, nor the wonderful people I would encounter. Through them, the life of Christ becomes so palpable that our own efforts seem insignificant in comparison to those they undertook to follow the Lord. Thus, their shining example teaches us humility.
What heroic saints have made and continue to make God’s light shine in the world! They followed the Lord with such patience and perseverance, undaunted by the difficulties they encountered along the way! Through them, the Lamb of God has left an unforgettable witness imprinted on the firmament of the Church.
Saint Teresa of Ávila: A light for those who seek.
Anyone interested in the inner path of following Christ will quickly come across Saint Teresa of Ávila, who was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
Teresa was born on March 28, 1515, the third child of Don Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda’s second marriage. Considered a very pious child, she was encouraged by her parents to be devout through reading appropriate books and listening to readings, especially those regarding the veneration of Mary and the legends of the saints.
In 1531, at the age of 16, her father sent her to the Augustinian convent in Ávila for further education. However, she had to leave after 18 months due to illness.
Saint Callistus: From Slave to Pope
Today, we celebrate the memory of an early-century pope whose story is very moving: Pope Callixtus I (*160 †222/223).
Much of his life remains unknown, and his implacable enemies are the main source of information about him, so some details may be biased by their hostility.
THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS: Saint Edward, King of England
In a way, the saints embody the Gospel in action and thus bear witness to the authenticity of our faith. They are a great treasure for our Church. We could say that they are like stars in the firmament of the Church.
Starting today, I want to begin a short series talking about the saint of the day and others whom I would like to introduce. I hope that, through their examples, each of these meditations will strengthen us in following Christ. After a brief biography, I will share some reflections on their legacy.
Those who prefer to follow the meditation on the day’s reading or Gospel will find the respective link at the end of each text.
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Gratitude
Lk 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 1And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
Listen and put into practice
Lk 11:27-28
While Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
According to the traditional calendar, today we celebrated the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary. Throughout the centuries, the Church has held in high esteem the special vocation of the Mother of God and has rightly dedicated a special feast to her divine motherhood.
A stronger had to come!
Lk 11:14-26
Jesus was driving out a devil and it was dumb; and it happened that when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives devils out.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Any kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses against house. So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? – since you claim that it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your judges, then. But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares.