St. Melania

St. Melania – December 31st

This Saint was the daughter of one of the richest men of Rome. She and her family were Christians, but her father was not willing to let Melania follow her vocation to become a religious. He engaged her to Pinian, the son of the ruler of Rome, and when she was only fourteen, they were married. Melania told her young husband that she would be happy if they could give themselves completely to Jesus. Pinian, however, was like Melania’s father-a good man but very much concerned about pleasing important people and being admired.

After a couple of years, Melania became gravely ill, and her husband promised God that if He would spare her life, he would let her live in the holy way she desired. She got better, but her father made her keep on dressing and behaving like the other great ladies of Rome. Then, he too, fell ill, and as he lay dying, he asked her forgiveness. “Fearing the ridicule of evil tongues,” he said, “I have made you sad by opposing your heavenly vocation.”

Melania’s mother and husband joined her in giving up worldly pleasures. They moved to a country village and made it a center of charity to travelers, poor people, slaves, and even whole families. St. Melania had huge estates all over the empire, left her by her father. Now she sold them and gave the money to churches, monasteries, captives, sick people, pilgrims and everyone who needed help. In two years, she set eight thousand slaves free.

Melania’s husband, too, became so holy and good that wherever they visited people recognized the virtues of this blessed couple. After living in Africa and practicing great mortifications, St. Melania went with her dear ones to the Holy Land. There her beloved husband and mother died. The Saint built a cell for herself near their graves and many disciples came to share her holy life. It was there, in the land of Jesus, that she died peacefully, surrounded by her religious, and saying over and over: “As the Lord willed, so it is done.”

We should obey our parents in all things. But should God call us to be His, and should our parents oppose it, first we must obey God.

Blessed Paula Cerioli

Blessed Paula Cerioli – December 24th

Paula’s name before she became a nun was Constance. She was the last of sixteen children born to an Italian countess. When Constance was only nineteen, her parents arranged a marriage for her with a rich man who was sixty years old! He was a good man, but a bit odd and quite unattractive. The poor girl could have been miserable all her life, but instead, she made the best of things, and drew closer and closer to Jesus. She counted on His help always.

Constance’s husband died nineteen years later, and she was left with a great fortune. Something her parish priest happened to say made her decide to devote her time and money to poor children and orphans. At once she took two orphans into her great mansion, and her work had started.

Other ladies joined her and they took the vows of a nun. The new community was called the Sisters of the Holy Family. Constance tool the name, Sister Paula. Some years afterwards, a group of men formed themselves into a community of brothers to help Sister Paula in taking care of orphan boys.

Sister Paula especially wanted to train farm children so that they would know how to farm the land well and not suffer poverty. She knew they would all probably spend their lives on farms and she wanted them to be happy in this way of life.

Sister Paula was always very devoted to the Holy Family, and God gave her the grace of dying peacefully one Christmas Eve.

Since I cannot offer much to help poor children, I will be very kind to them.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – Patroness of Immigrants and Emigrants - December 22nd

When Frances was a child growing up in Italy, she used to dream about being a missionary to China. She would send paper boats down a stream pretending that they were ships taking missionaries to China. And she began giving up candy because in China, she wouldn’t be able to have any.

But when she grew up, Frances was not accepted into the two convents which she asked to join because her health was not too good. She taught school until a priest asked her to help out in a small home for orphans. Things were very hard for Frances here, because of the very queer lady who ran the house. Yet Frances stuck to the work, and some other generous women joined her. Together they took vows. At last the Bishop told Frances to begin her own Congregation of missionary nuns, and without hesitating, Frances started at once. Her Congregation is called the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Before long, it began to grow, first in Italy and then in many other countries.

Frances, whom everyone called Mother Cabrini, had always had her heart set on going to China. But it seemed that God wanted her to come to America. When the Pope himself told her, “Go West, not East,” the matter was settled. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini came to the United States, and became an American citizen. She came especially to help the poor people who had come from Italy to make their home in America. She was a real mother and friend to these immigrants.

Mother Cabrini and her sisters had a very hard time in the beginning. The Archbishop of New York even told them that since things had not worked out as they had hoped, they perhaps should go back to Italy. But Mother Cabrini answered firmly, “No, Your Excellency. The Pope sent me here and here I must stay.” The Archbishop admired her pioneer spirit, and so she and her Sisters began their great work for God. Schools, hospitals, and homes for children were opened up in different states, and as the years passed, Mother Cabrini made many trips to spread her Congregation and its works. There were always difficulties, but she put all her trust in the Sacred heart. “It is He Who is doing everything, not us,” she would say.

Forty-nine years after she died, Mother Cabrini was canonized. She is the first American citizen to be made a Saint.

Where did this sickly woman get the strength to do all she did? In prayer. We, too, will find the courage we need in nothing else but in prayer.

St. Catherine Laboure

St. Catherine Laboure – November 28th

Zoe Laboure was the daughter of a French farmer, and she was the only one of her large family who did not go to school. She could not read or write at all. Her mother died while she was still very young, and Zoe had to run the house when her older sister became a nun.

Zoe, too, would have liked to enter the convent when she was in her early teens, but had to wait until she was twenty-four. She became a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and took the name of Catherine.

Shortly after she finished her period of training as a postulant, Sister Catherine began to receive the special privilege of seeing the Blessed Mother. One night, she was awakened from sleep by a “shining child” who led her to the chapel. There Our Lady came to talk to her. The Blessed Mother, in another vision, showed herself standing on a globe with streams of light coming from her hands. Underneath were the words: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to thee!” Sister Catherine was told that a medal was to be made of this picture of Our Lady and that all who wore it would receive many graces from God through His Mother’s prayers.

Sister Catherine told her confessor and he later told the bishop. So it was that the medal which we call the miraculous medal was made, and soon many, many people all over the world were wearing it. Yet no one in the convent knew that humble Sister Catherine was the one to whom Our Lady had appeared! She spent the remaining forty-five years of her life answering the door, looking after the hens that provided the nuns with eggs, and taking care of old and sick people. She was happy to keep her special privilege hidden, for she was only interested in serving God as best she could.

I will wear the Miraculous Medal and often repeat the ejaculation: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to thee!”

Bl. Philippine Duchesne

Bl. Philippine Duchesne – November 17th

This Saint, who labored for Christ in the United States, was born into a wealthy French family. As a youngster, there was nothing especially holy about Philippine. In fact, she often did her best to get her own way and was apt to command everyone else to do what she wanted. In school, her favorite subject was history, and she later became very interested in stories about the American Indians.

At the age of seventeen, Philippine entered the convent, but she was not allowed to take her vows when the time came, because of the French Revolution. All the Professed Sisters were forced by the Revolutionaries to leave the country, and Philippine had to go home. Still she did not give up her desire to belong to Jesus, and several years later she joined the newly Society of the Sacred Heart.

Mother Philippine Duchesne’s great desire was to be a missionary, but she was fifty before she was sent to the United States, which was still a mission land at this time. In Mississippi, she and a small group of Sisters started a free school for the children of poor families, both white and Indian. The work was hard, because of the different languages and ways of the people. But despite the many difficulties, Mother Duchesne never lost her youthful enthusiasm, even though she did become less commanding and more gentle as she grew older.

Mother Duchesne was a real heroine who went through terrible journeys, nearly died from yellow fever and overcame all kinds of obstacles to open Convents in the New World. Then when she was seventy-one, she resigned her position as Superior and went off to open a school among her beloved Indians. She died at the age of eighty-three in a tiny room in which she had chosen to live in great poverty.

I will ask Our Divine Lord to increase my faith and confidence in Him, especially when things are hard.

St. Gertrude the Great

St. Gertrude the Great - Patroness of the West Indies - November 16th


Gertrude entered a Convent in Saxony when she was very young and under the care of St. Mechtildis, she grew to be a very happy and holy nun.


Gertrude was a likeable, intelligent young woman who did very well in Latin studies. In fact, she liked the study of religion less than her other subjects her other subjects at first. But when she was twenty-six, Jesus appeared to her and told her that from now on, she would think only of loving Him and trying to become perfect. Now she began to study the Holy Bible with deep delight and became very learned in our holy religion.


Jesus appeared to St. Gertrude many times. He showed her His own Sacred Heart and twice He let her rest her head on this Heart of His. Because of her great love for Jesus, her divine Spouse, St. Gertrude tried to correct her every fault, not matter how small. She trusted in Him with her whole heart and was full of peace and joy.


St. Gertrude had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and loved to receive Holy Communion often, even though in those days, it was not the custom. She was also very devoted to St. Joseph, and foster-father of Jesus.


St. Gertrude wrote many beautiful prayers, which have been very helpful in teaching many souls. After suffering for about ten years, but always very cheerfully, St. Gertrude went to join the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who had made her His spouse.


I will have a picture of the Sacred Heart enthroned in my bedroom. Also, I will spread devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Blessed Madeline of Canossa

Blessed Madeline of Canossa – November 8th

Madeline was one of those very lovable children, full of life, and pretty as a picture. She was the daughter of an Italian nobleman, and her rich parents showered her with love. But when she was only five, her dear father died. Two years later, her mother married again and Madeline was entrusted to a governess, who was supposed to be like a good mother to her. Instead, this mean woman treated the beautiful and intelligent child in the worst way possible. Madeline’s brother and sisters tried to tell on the governess, but that clever woman always made it look as though she were right and the child was guilty.

How did Madeline take all this? The great sorrow she felt and the humiliations she suffered only served to strengthen her character. A serious illness attacked her next, and when it was over, her worried relatives were happy to see that she was the same lovely, cheerful young lady as before. But there was one difference. Madeline had resolved to turn down all chances to marry, because she had decided to become a nun.

At first, she thought God wanted her to serve Him as a Carmelite. Later, she realized that she was to be Foundress of a Congregation of nuns who would take care of children. God blessed the new Institute in every way. Schools, homes for orphans, raining centers for the blind and for the deaf and dumb were opened in many cities. Madeline’s tender heart was full of love for little ones in difficulty, because she remembered how much she herself had suffered as a child.

This Saint had a great devotion to our Heavenly Mother and when she was dying she said three Hail Marys with touching love. At the third, she stretched out her arms, and her eyes shone as though she could see the Blessed Virgin coming for her. Then she bowed her head and left this earth forever.

I will remember in my prayers all the little children without a mother. I will pray to our Blessed Lady to be their Mother.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque – October 17th

Margaret Mary is the famous French nun to whom Our Lord showed His Sacred Heart. As a child, she had a horror of being naughty and she was a healthy, happy little girl who loved the nuns at school. But when she was eleven, she became very sick and it was four years before she was well again. Her father had died, and an aunt had moved into their home. This aunt and her husband made Margaret Mary and her beloved mother suffer very much. Day after day, the young teenager would hide herself in the garden to cry and pray. What hurt her most was to see her mother being hurt.

Yet Margaret Mary grew to love good times and a few years later, she was considering marriage. Her mother wanted her to marry and so did her relatives, especially when she brought beggar children into the garden to try to teach them!

But Christ wanted her for His own. Margaret Mary hesitated a while, neither marrying nor entering the Convent, but at last she generously gave herself to Jesus as His bride.

In the Visitation Convent she entered, she was of good example to everyone because of her charity and humility. Often she made others impatient since she was rather slow and clumsy, but she was dear to Jesus, and He began to appear to Sister Margaret Mary to show her how much He loves us all. Jesus wanted her to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart. It was a very hard thing to do, because many people thought the good Sister really had not seen Our Lord at all. Some were very angry with her for trying to spread the new devotion, and all this brought great suffering to the Saint. Yet she still did her best to carry out Our Lord’s wish, and today, this wonderful devotion to the Sacred Heart is practiced all over the world.

Our Lord made great promises to St. Margaret Mary for those who are devoted to His Most Sacred Heart. Some of these promises are: “I will comfort them in all their afflictions. I will establish peace in their homes. I will bestow abundant blessings on all their undertakings. I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.” The greatest promise Our Lord made is this: “My Divine Heart shall be the safe refuge in the last moment to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday for nine months in a row.” I want to make sure of making the Nine First Fridays.

St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila – October 15th

As a little girl in her parents’ rich home in Spain, Teresa and her brother Rodrigo loved to read the lives of the saints and martyrs. It seemed to them that the martyrs got to Heaven an easy way, so the two of them set out secretly to go to the land of the Moors. As they walked along, they prayed that they might die for Christ. But they had not gotten far when they met an uncle, who at once took them back to their worrying mother! Next the two little ones decided to be hermits in their garden, but they never could get enough stones together to build their huts!

St. Teresa herself wrote down these amusing stories of her childhood. The fact is that when she grew to be a teenager, however, she read so many novels and foolish romances that she lost much of her love for prayer, and she began to think more of dressing up to look pretty. But after she recovered from a bad illness, Teresa read a book about the great St. Jerome, and then and there, she made up her mind to become a Bride of Christ.

As a nun, St. Teresa often found it hard to pray and besides that, she was quite sick for some time. In those days many visitors used to come to the convent to talk with the nuns; and this practice, too, made it difficult for the Sisters to keep closely united to God. Teresa, like many others nuns, wasted much time this way. But one day, in front of a picture of Jesus, she felt great sorrow that she did not love God more. She started then to live for Him alone, no matter what sacrifice had to be made. In return for her love, Our Lord gave St. Teresa the privilege of hearing Him talk to her. She learned to pray in a marvelous way, too, and she wrote down in obedience all that she had experienced.

St. Teresa of Avila is very famous for having opened new Carmelite convents in which no worldly conversations with visitors disturbed their prayer. Her nuns made many sacrifices for Jesus and worked and prayed with great love. She herself gave them the example, not only by the way she prayed, but by the way she worked in spinning, cleaning, and sweeping the house.

Always St. Teresa placed all her hopes in God. Once in opening a new Convent, she had just a few coins to her name. “Teresa and this money are nothing,” she said. “But God, Teresa and this money are enough.” With a man-like courage, a heart full of love of God, and a wonderful sense of humor, this marvelous nun performed a great service for Christ’s Church.

From the life of this Saint, as well as of many other saints, we can see how the reading of books can change a person. From now on I resolve to choose good books as gifts for my family and friends.

St. Bridget of Sweden

St. Bridget of Sweden - Patroness of Sweden - October 8th

From the time she was a child, Bridget was greatly devoted to the Passion of Our Lord. When she was only ten, she seemed to see Jesus on the Cross and to hear Him say, “Look upon Me, My daughter.” “Who had treated you like this?” cried the holy child. “They who despise Me and refuse My love for them,” answered Jesus. From then on, Bridget tried to stop people from offending Our Lord any more.

While she was just a very young teenager, she was married to a young man named Ulf who, like herself, set his whole heart on serving God. They had eight children, of whom one was St. Catherine of Sweden. At the Swedish court of King Magnus and Queen Blanche, Bridget tried to make these rulers lead better lives, but they did not listen to her for the most part. All her life, the Saint had many marvelous visions and received special messages from God. In obedience to them, she visited many rulers and important people in the Church to tell them what God expected of them.

After her good husband died, Bridget put away forever her wealthy clothes and lived as a poor nun. Later, she founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior, who are called Bridgettines. She still kept up her own busy life, however, traveling about doing good everywhere. And through all this activity, Our Lord continued to reveal many secrets to her, all of which she received without the least bit of pride.

Shortly before she died, the Saint went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where Jesus had lived. At the shrines there, she had visions of what Our Lord had said and done in each place. All St. Bridget’s revelations on the sufferings of Jesus were published after her death.

I will learn from St. Bridget the devotion to Jesus Crucified. Like this saint, I, too, for love of Jesus Crucified, will keep my soul pure from every fault, and will go to Confession and Holy Communion often.

St. Flora of Beaulieu

St. Flora of Beaulieu – October 5th

This French saint came from a good family and entered a convent of nuns which was called Beaulieu. She was an innocent, good girl who had resisted all her parents’ plans to marry her. But once she gave herself to God as His spouse, He allowed her to prove her love by overcoming all kinds of trials and temptations.

Sometimes it seemed to Sister Flora that she was leading too comfortable a life. At other times, she was tempted to return home to enjoy herself.

Yet, because she kept trying to love God, she grew dearer and dearer to Him. At last, He blessed her with wonderful visions and the gift of knowing the future. Soon, people realized that Sister Flora was very holy and they came to ask her prayers and her advice. Once Holy Communion was brought to her from a church eight miles away, by an angel. This Saint also received the privilege of suffering the pain of Christ’s cross, which she seemed to feel pressing into her, and making a wound in her side. She joyfully accepted this suffering put of her great love for our Lord.

I will force myself to be brave and full of courage when the devil suggests things to me which would offend our Lord.

St. Theresa of Lisieux

St. Theresa of Lisieux - Patroness of Foreign Missions and of Aviators

- October 3rd

St. Theresa, often called the Little Flower, was the youngest of the five daughters born to Louis and Zelie Martin. She was a very lively, lovable little girl, whose father called her his “little queen.” Yet she was quite sensitive and touchy, and in the story she wrote of her life, she tells how the Infant Jesus helped her overcome this defect.

It was Theresa’s great desire to enter the Carmelite convent where two of her sisters were already nuns. But since she was only fifteen, permission was not granted. Theresa felt sure that Jesus wanted her to spend her life loving Him alone, so she kept praying and asking to be admitted. She even dared to ask the Pope himself to grant her heart’s desire. And finally she was allowed to enter.

Although she was only fifteen, St. Theresa did not expect to be babied. “Obedience, prayer and sacrifice” were her program. She had a thirst to suffer for the love of God, and she had the spiritual courage of real heroine. “May Jesus make me a martyr of the heart or of the body-or even better, both!” she wrote, and she meant it. Whenever she suffered from the bitter cold in her plain cell or whenever she was humiliated, she would offer her pain to her beloved Jesus and hide it under a smile. She called herself Jesus’ little ball, and told Him to do with her whatever He pleased.

St. Theresa was very humble, and she called her great confidence in God her “little way” to sanctity. She always had a burning desire to become a saint and wanted to find a “short cut,” an “elevator” to take her quickly to sanctity. So she looked in the Holy Bible, and found the words, “Whoever is a little one, let him come to me.” When she lay dying, she could say: “I have never given the good God anything but love, and it is with love that He will repay. After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my Heaven doing good upon earth.”

St. Theresa taught us her LITTLE WAY. Yes, it is a small and yet a great thing to offer Jesus the flowers of our little sacrifices moment by moment.

St. Emily de Rodat

St. Emily de Rodat – September 19th

Emily was a lively little French girl who sometimes had temper tantrums, but still was very devout. A cousin who once tried to kiss her received a hard slap. Yet when she was a young lady of sixteen, she began to cut short her prayers and think more of having fun and carefree times. For one year, she was like this, and felt restless and bored. Then she began to see that only God could make her happy and never again did she change her mind.

For a number of years, Emily was not sure what kind of a nun she should be. But in her twenty-eighth year, she suddenly decided her mission would be to teach poor children. She began with the help of other young women, and soon the Congregation of the Holy Family had been founded. Like all holy Foundresses, Emily had to face many sufferings and trials, but her Congregation grew steadily. When some people told lies about her and others wrote insulting letters to her, the Saint used these occasions to humble herself. She would answer respectfully and gently, and when one of the Sisters was upset at that, Mother Emily said, “Don’t you know that we are the scum of the earth, and that anyone can trample on us?”

As a young girl, she had once been quite proud of herself, but now she paid so little attention to her appearance that at times, she looked ridiculous! Although St. Emily was a strong woman, she was also a very cheerful soul. “Keep your enthusiasm, and be brave,” she once wrote to a postulant. “Put all your trust in God, and preserve a holy cheer.” This she herself did through her every trial and suffering.

I will never shorten my prayers, and I will keep my mind on them, so God will hear me and bless me in my life.

St. Hildegard

St. Hildegard – September 17th

God favored this German nun with many special messages and she felt she should write them down, but she was too afraid. Everyone wrote in Latin in her time and she did not know Latin very well. Besides, she feared people would not believe that her visions were real. At last, however, after she had become Abbess of her convent, St. Hildegard wrote about Our Lord’s love for us, about His kingdom, the angels, the devil, and hell. An Archbishop read her writings and approved them, saying: “These visions are from God.” The Pope himself expressed happiness at these favors God had granted her, and warned her not to become proud.

St. Hildegard had many unusual talents. She wrote hymns and sacred poems and even a holy play for her nuns to enjoy in recreation time. She wrote two books on medicine and science. The scientific book is a very careful description of trees, fish, birds, animals, and metals.

Although very sick and often criticized by many people, the Saint wrote hundreds of letters to emperors and kings, to popes and bishops, and to other saints. She traveled to many convents and monasteries and to many cities to tell people what Our Lord had told her. Nor was she afraid to scold those who were sinning, and to warn some that God would punish them. If they became angry, it did not frighten St. Hildegard. “I am a poor vessel made of earth,” she would say, “and I do not say these things of myself. They come from God, the calm Light.” Her whole life was full of much activity joined with a deep peace in God, and in this same joyful peace, she died.

Sometimes we think it is difficult to be good because many around us are not good. They may even make fun of us and be mean to us. But we will learn from this Saint to be brave and be different, which means to be what we should be.

St. Edith of Wilton

St. Edith of Wilton – September 16th

Edith was the daughter of the English King, Edgar. She was taken by her good mother to a convent, there to be brought up and educated. When she was not yet fifteen, her father the king, came to visit her. It was the day she was to become a professed as a nun, but he wanted to see is she really knew what she was doing. In front of the altar, therefore, he ordered rich gold and silver jewels to be laid down on a carpet. Nearby, Edith’s mother stood holding a nun’s veil and the book of psalms. The young girl had to make her choice while all present prayed to God to show her what life to choose. Yet no one was surprised when Edith chose religious life, for they knew how much she loved God.

St. Edith could have become the Abbess of any one of three convents, but she chose to stay in the convent where her holy mother was the Superior. There she served her sisters without any thought that she was a princess. When her father and brother died, the nobles wanted Edith to leave the convent and become their queen, but she again chose to keep living in humble work and obedience rather than wear a crown.

The Saint died a joyful death when she was only twenty-two.

Let us say this little prayer, “Dear Lord, I offer myself to You. Do with me what You wish.”

Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta

Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta – September 7th

Maria Assunta was a young Italian country girl who spent her days as a teen doing farm chores and helping in the fields. Every one of the young men and women around the countryside knew that they could not use any rough or immodest words when she was around-there was something so pure about her that no one would have dared.

Maria entered the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. In her humility she felt so much less worthy than her Sisters that she always chose the less pleasing chores for herself. Joyfully and with a smile ever on her lips, she would “work for Jesus,” as she said. “I want to take advantage of every chance I get to work for sanctity.”

Sister Mary Assunta was sent as a missionary to China. A fierce storm arose on this trip, and the ship seemed about to sink. “Aren’t you afraid, too?” one of the passengers asked the calm-looking Sister. “No,” answered Blessed Maria Assunta. “There’s no reason why I should be. It’s all the same to me whether I reach my mission or go to the bottom of the ocean, if that’s what Jesus wants.”

Blessed Maria was stationed at the same spot where seven Sisters of her Congregation had been killed four years before. So she hoped to be able to give her life for Our Lord, too, but in the meantime, she worked hard, cooking for the Sisters and the orphans they cared for. When typhoid fever struck that region, she lovingly nursed her Sisters, without a thought of the danger to herself. One year after she had come to China, Blessed Maria Assunta caught typhoid, too, and died of it. At her death, a mysterious, sweet perfume filled her room and followed her body as it was carried to the cemetery. Even the pagans came to her grave to pray to her and ask her protection.

Let us pray to receive the strength we need to overcame ourselves and give our best to duties we do not like.

St. Elizabeth Bichier

St. Elizabeth Bichier - August 26th

As a little girl, Elizabeth’s favorite game was building castles in the sand. Many years later, this holy Frenchwomen had to take charge of building many convents for the Order of nuns she founded. “I guess building was meant to be my business,” she joked, “since I started it so young!”

During the time of the French Revolution, Elizabeth’s family would have lost everything they owned because the republicans were taking property from the nobles. But this daring young lady of nineteen studied law in order to fight their case in court. When she won and saved her family from ruin, the village shoemaker exclaimed: “All you have to do now is marry a good republican!” Elizabeth, however, had no intention of marrying anyone-republican or noble! On the back of a picture of Our Lady, she had written: “I dedicate and consecrate myself to Jesus and Mary forever.”

With the help of St. Andrew Fournet, she started her Order of Sisters called the Daughters of the Cross, to teach children and to take care of the sick. St. Elizabeth would face any danger to help people. Once she found a tramp lying sick in a barn. She brought him to the convent hospital and did all she could for him until he died. The next morning the police chief came to tell her she could be arrested for sheltering a man believed to be a criminal. Elizabeth was unafraid. “I only did what you yourself would have done, sir,” she said. “I found this poor sick man, I took care of him until he died. I am ready to tell the judge just what happened.” Of course, the Saint’s honesty and charity won her so much respect and admiration that no one thought of criticizing what she did.

Let us learn from this Saint to do things for God alone. What people might think of us, should never stop us from doing our duties.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal

St. Jane Frances de Chantal - August 21st

Jane’s father was President of the lawmakers in the section of France. He was a devout man who brought his children up well after the death of his wife. Jane, whom he dearly loved, he married to Christopher, the Baron de Chantal. Jane and Christopher were very happy, for they were very much in love and God blessed them with four children. Jane showed her love for God by loving her husband and children with her whole heart.

Then, suddenly, a great sorrow fell upon that happy home. Baron Christopher was accidentally shot by a friend who had gone hunting with him. When he died, Jane was heart-broken, yet as a good Christian should, she forgave the man who had caused his death and even became his child’s godmother.

Now Jane Frances began to ask Our Lord to send her a holy priest to guide her, so she would know what to do with her life. In the meantime, she prayed and brought up her children in the love of God. She visited the poor and sick and comforted the dying. When she met St. Francis de Sales, she knew this was the holy man God had sent to guide her. Following his plan, she and three other young women started the order of the Sisters of the Visitation. But first Jane Frances had to overcome the objections of her relatives. By now Jane’s oldest daughter was married to St. Francis’ young brother, and she sent her two younger daughters with her to bring up. But her fifteen-year-old son, who was to stay with his grandfather, threw himself to the ground across the doorway, sobbing. Jane knew God wanted her to go and that He Himself would take the best care of her son, so she stepped over the boy and went away with tears spilling down her cheeks.

St. Jane showed this same courage in all the difficulties that faced her as she opened up many convents, and in fighting her own temptations. “Despite all her suffering,” wrote St. Vincent de Paul, “her face never lost its peaceful look. And she was always perfectly faithful to God. So I consider her one of the holiest souls I have ever met.”

Like this Saint, let us always obey the Will of God, even when it costs us great sacrifices. If we do it, we, too, will become saints.

Blessed Joan Delanoue

Blessed Joan Delanoue - August 17th

When this French girl was twenty-five, her widowed mother died and left her the store they had been running. Joan was not an evil girl, but she thought only of making money, and she committed many little sins to do it. She had once been devout, but now there was little love or charity in her heart. Her mother had always been generous to beggars. Joan, instead, would buy food only just in time for dinner, so that she could tell any beggars who came to the door during the day: “I have nothing to give you.”

Joan was not happy, however. At last, when she was twenty-seven, a good priest helped her to start living up to her Faith with love and fervor. Then she finally saw that her “business” was to give away money, not hoard it. Joan began taking care of poor families and orphans, even closing up her shop entirely to devote her time to them. People called her houseful of poor orphans, “Providence House.” Later, she persuaded other young women to help her, and they became the Sisters of St. Anne of Providence in Saumur, Joan’s town.

Joan treated her body so harshly that St. Grignion de Monfort told her that pride was making her do too much penance. Then she saw that her heart was really full of love of God, so he said: “Go on in the way you have begun. God’s spirit is with you. Follow His voice and fear no more.”

When Blessed Joan died, the people of Saumur said, “That little shopkeeper did more for the poor of Saumur than all the town councilors put together. What a women! And what a saint!”

There are so many poor people in the world. Many, many die hunger. Today, and every day, I will not waste food; instead I will eat even what I do not like, and offer this sacrifice to Our Lord so he will help the hungry people.

St. Athanasia

St. Athanasia - August 14th

St. Athanasia was born on an island near Greece. She married a young army officer, but only sixteen days after the wedding, her husband was killed in a battle. After this, the young widow realized more than ever how quickly everything on earth passes. She began to want God alone, yet because her parents desired it, Athanasia married again. Together she and her good husband helped the poor and the sick.

On Sundays, the Saint used to gather her neighbors in her house and read them a piece from the Holy Bible. Afterwards she would explain it to them in her own words. She wanted everyone to share her love for God’s word.

When Athanasia’s husband left with her permission to become a monk, she changed her house into a convent and became Abbess of the nuns who joined her. For a while they stayed there in the middle of that noisy town and practiced very great penance. Then a wise Abbot advised them to move to a quieter spot. There, so many women joined them that they had to add on to their buildings. And St. Athanasia became so well known that the Empress Theodora called her to court to be her adviser. Then Saint fell sick very shortly after she went back to her convent, but she kept working and praying as usual, until at last she gave her nuns her blessing and died.

Let us love the virtue of purity and the things of God. These will give us true happiness, not the passing joys of this world….