ST CAMILLUS DE LELLIS- Founder of Red Cross

 

       "If there were no poor people in the world, we should have to go below the earth to look for them and rescue them, to show them compassion and do them good!" These words of St. Camillus de Lellis, summarized his person and spirituality. He dedicated his life to the works of Charity and to bringing joy to weary souls.

        Born on the 25th of May, 1550 at Chieti in the Abruzzi, part of Naples. His mother Camilla was nearly fifty when she gave birth to him, and his Father was an officer of both the Neapolitan and French Royal armies and was seldom home. Thus, Camillus grew up not being well directed in the ways of the Lord. He entered the military, however, and after some years in the army, his regiment was disbanded in 1575. After wasting all his possession, he took work as a laborer in a Capuchin friary. It was to the words and encouragements of the Guardian (Superior) of the community that he owes his conversion. He entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Order but because of a leg ailment which seemed incurable, he was denied admission to the Order. Then, he began his life of Charity and asceticism. He felt that he needed a religious Order that will be dedicated to this works of Charity and thus, he sought to become a priest. Through the help of a donor, he was able to pass through the seminary training and was ordained on the Pentecost of 1584.

ST. BENEDICT OF NURSIA.

 

       The scriptures are always there for our nourishment and sanctification. However, very few pay attention to its dictates or try to obey it without compromise. Just as Jesus mentioned in the scriptures, that the road that leads to damnation is large and many follow it but that which leads to life is narrow and only few finds it. To the glory of God, the great father of western monasticism, St. Benedict, who we celebrate today, was not just among those who found that rugged path but he taught many thousands of souls after him to follow that path, and he continues, even till today, to teach it to many.

ST. VERONICA GIULLANI

St Veronica Giullani was born on the 27 December 1660, originally named Ursula. It is told that at the age of three years Giuliani had already began to show immense compassion for the poor. She would set apart a portion of her food for the poor, and even part with her clothes when she met a poor child scantily clad. In 1677, at the age of 17, Giuliani was received into the monastery of the Capuchin Poor Clares in Citta di Castello in Umbria, Italy, taking the name of Veronica in memory of the Passion. 

St. Veronica Giullani. The Holocaust of the Will

        "I have found Love; Love has let himself be seen! This is the cause of my suffering. Tell everyone about it, tell everyone!" These were the last words of the Capuchin Poor Clare Nun, St. Veronica Giullani. Her life was that of a total dedication to God, especially to the passion of Christ. We have a grasp of her spirituality from her 22,000 pages’ diary. The diary does not contain a well ordered and articulated writing for publication. She only wrote freely about her experience in religious life and her encounters with her divine spouse according to the advice of the Bishop.

Her life, simply put, was a life offered to God as a holocaust. It was spent in love of God, in dedication to the passion of her divine spouse, in love for the blessed Virgin, in love and obedience to the Church despite the seemingly harsh treatment and in an outburst of love for her neighbour.

Her love for her neighbour is visible in the many ways she acted with immense charity towards those around her. One day, Christ appeared to her with a pair of Golden shoes, to thank her for the gifts of shoes she gave to a beggar. But her love was more visible in how much she prayed for the conversion of sinners. In an outburst of her love for sinners and desire to see them saved, she cries out "O sinners... all men and all women, come to Jesus' heart; come to be cleansed by his most precious blood.... He awaits you with open arms to embrace you".  She spent a great part of her life praying for sinners; she would say "We cannot go about the world preaching to convert souls but are bound to pray ceaselessly for all those souls who are offending God... particularly with our sufferings, that is, with a principle of crucified life"

ST. NICHOLAS PICK AND COMPANIONS - GIFT OF FAITH

The book of Hebrew teaches us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and conviction of things not seen. The catechism is not mistaken when it teaches that “Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him” (C.C.C. 153). We can only begin to understand the reality of faith as a gift from God, when we begin to consider things that people have done because of their faith. The early Christian community sold what they had and submitted the money; what holy stupidity. The martyrs of old rejoiced at the face of martyrdom because of faith in the resurrection; what unreasonable way of acting. Vibrant men and pretty women abandon their wealth and normal life to embrace the strictness and austerity religious life; all because of faith. It is the same faith, a gift of God, that made the holy martyrs of God, who we celebrate today, to give up their lives for the sake of the future resurrection.

SAYINGS OF ST. THERESA OF THE CHILD JESUS

St Theresa of the Child Jesus, though she lived but only 24 years in this earth has, through her life of simplicity and holiness, gained a lot of admiration and love from many. Many delight in saying that the Little Flower lived her life doing little things with great love, and this gained her sanctity. Nevertheless, persistence in doing all for the love of God is not something easy. It takes a lot of sacrifice and strength of will to arrive at that level of self-denial and obedience.

One of the things that so much popularized the little saint was her autobiography, which she wrote out of Obedience. The book titled ‘Story of a Soul’, has been a source of light and inspiration to many. Thus, she merited the title of Doctor of the Church because of that simple but glorious writing.

Here are some of the extracts from the book and some other of her writings that shows the spirit and life of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, who Pope St. Pius X described as the greatest saint of Modern time.

1.       “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”

-St. Theresa of the Child Jesus.

St. Maria Goretti. My Chastity, My Glory.

“If the God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, Your Majesty, He will save us; and even if He does not, then you must know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18. NJB). This was the response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to King Nebuchadnezzar. Such, also, was the reply of the pure virgin Maria Goretti to her murderer. The only difference is that, while God saved the three men of old from the fiery furnace, He saved Maria Goretti from the pains and worries of this life unto a life of endless peace and joy.

                Maria Goretti was Born on the 16^th October, 1890 in Corinaldo, in the Ancona Province in Italy. She was the third of the seven children of her parents. Her Father, a farmer, died when she was still nine. Consequently, the mother and some of Maria’s other siblings had to work harder in the farm, to sustain the family. Maria, in turn, would have to take care of the household chores which included cooking, sewing, taking care of her baby sister, Teresa and so on. The family, also, had to share a house with another family which included Giovanni Serenelli and his son, Alessandro. At a very tender age, Maria showed so much sense of devotion and virtue that her life was exemplary.

St. Thomas, the Apostle. A HEALING DISBELIEF

   

Some persons are of the opinion, perhaps through experience, that those who repented from a terrible and sinful way of life, love God more than those who have been pure all through their lives, and those who once doubted a particular idea or truth, believes with greater strength, once they are convinced. This, as history has proven, is not always the case. We have the lives of such figures like St. Theresa of the child Jesus and St. Catherine of Siena as prove against the idea. However, this seems to be the case with the Holy Apostle, St. Thomas.

   

ST. MARIA KATHARINA KASPER – FOUNDRESS OF THE POOR HANDMAIDS OF JESUS CHRIST (PHJC)

The life of St. Maria Katharina Kasper explains clearly the saying widely attributed to Frederick R. Barnard - “My life: a picture worth a thousand words”. The real benefit of a picture is what it stirs up within the beholder and the life of St. Katharina, from the 19^th century till this present century, has been a light shining on others; showing the way to our heavenly Father. 

Saint Katharina Kasper lived in Germany, in the Westerwald area, from 1820 to 1898. She was born on the 26^th of May 1820 in Dernbach, Germany. Her parents; Henry and Catherine Kasper, were poor peasant farmers who lived a deep religious life. Katharina was a sickly child and because of this, missed school often but the few times she was able to go to school, she learned so quickly. She loved reading and she especially liked the ‘Bible’ and ‘The Imitation of Christ’ by Thomas a Kempis. God endowed her with Divine wisdom and insights. After the death of her father, life became very difficult for her family, that she had to start working in order to take care for her mother. The difficulties in her family did not hinder her from seeing to the needs of other poor people around her. 

ST. FRANCIS-MARY CROESE OF CAMPOROSSO_ PADRE SANTO

The book of Hebrew asserted that, with so many cloud of witnesses, a great a cloud around us, we too, then, should throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that slings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which lies ahead of us” (Hebrew 12:1 NJB). Francis-Mary was very much aware of this that he decided to be a lay brother, following the humble witness of his seraphic father Francis.

            Born at Camporosso (Imperial) Italy, on 27^th December, 1804. He was named John Evamgelist. His family owned a modest house and maintained small parcels of farmland. At the age of 18, his zeal for the service of God led him to seek admission among the Friars Minor Conventuals, where he took