St. Pius X

St. Pius X – September 3rd

This great Pope’s name was Joseph Sarto. He was the son of the mailman in the little Italian town of Riese, and was given the affectionate nickname of “Beppi.” The Sarto’s were a large family, very poor, but very devout, good people. When young Joseph felt that God wanted him to be a priest, he had to make many sacrifices to reach his goal, but he did not mind. He even walked miles to school barefoot to save his one good pair of shoes.

After he was ordained a priest, Joseph Sarto labored for the souls in poor parishes for seventeen years. All the people loved him because he used to give away everything he had to help them. His sisters even had to hide his shirts or he would have nothing left to wear. Even after this good priest had become a Bishop and then a Cardinal, he still gave away what he owned to the poor, and kept nothing for himself.

When Pope Leo XIII died, Cardinal Sarto was chosen Pope, even though he kept saying he was not worthy. He took the name of Pius X, and became known as the Pope who overcame a dangerous heresy and the Pope of the Holy Eucharist, because he encouraged everyone to receive Jesus as often as they could. He also made a law permitting young children to receive Holy Communion, too. Before that time, boys and girls had to wait many years before they could receive Our Lord.

Even as Pope, St. Pius X lived as humbly and simply as ever. “I was born poor,” he said, “I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor.” He did so much to help the poor that people wondered where all the money came from. God gave him the power to work miracles, too. “Cure me, Holy Father!” a man once said, pointing to his paralyzed arm. The Pope rubbed the arm gently, saying “Yes, yes.” And the arm was healed. There were many cures like this one.

When the terrible World War! Broke out, St. Pius X suffered greatly at the thought of all those who would be killed. He had said: “I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from this horrible suffering!” And a short time later, Our Lord did indeed come for this beloved Pope.

I will pray often: “Dear Lord, I am not worthy to receive You into my heart. But in order to overcome my defects, I want to love You more and receive You in Holy Communion even every day if I can.”

St. Stephen of Hungary

St. Stephen of Hungary - Patron of Hungary - September 2nd

This Saint’s name was Vaik, but when he became a Christian at the age of ten, he was given the name of Stephen. At the same time, his father, the Duke of Hungary, and many nobles also became Christians. However, when Stephen himself became King, the country was still quite pagan and the people violent and fierce. So he set himself to establish the Church solidly in Hungary, and he was very successful.

The secret of St. Stephen’s amazing success in making his people Christian was his great devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. He placed his whole kingdom under her protection and built a magnificent church in her honor.

Stephen was a strong, fearless ruler who punished criminals and made his laws obeyed, but he was also very gentle and kind to the poor, very humble, and anxious to avoid wars as much as he could. He loved to give gifts of money to beggars without letting them know who he was.

Once, however, while he was giving these gifts in disguise, a crowd of rough beggars knocked him down, struck him, pulled his hair and his bread, and stole his purse. St. Stephen took this insult humbly and even happily. Turning his thoughts to the Blessed Mother, he said: “See, Queen of Heaven, how your soldiers have treated him whom you made King. If they were enemies of the Faith, I would know what to do with them. But since they are your Son’s subjects, I will take this joyfully and thank you for it.” In fact, the holy King made a resolution then and there to give more than ever to the beggars.

I, too, will make a resolution now: always forgive injuries, and even repay with acts of kindness those who offend me.

St. Giles

St. Giles - Patron of Cripples, Beggars and Blacksmiths - September 1st

Giles was born in Athens, Greece, and when his parents died, he used the great fortune they left him to help the poor. For this reason and especially because he worked many miracles, Giles found himself a greatly admired young man. He did not want this praise and fame at all. So, to be able to serve God in a hidden life, he left Greece and sailed to France.

There he went to live alone in a dark forest, making his home in a rough cave behind a thick thorn bush. Every day a dear came to give him her milk, and lived contented, safe from the danger of becoming proud at hearing himself praised. But one day, a certain king and his men went hunting in the forest and chased the deer to Giles’ cave. Then they could not see where it disappeared. One of the men shot an arrow into the thorn bush, and when they forced their way in, they discovered Giles sitting wounded by the arrow.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” demanded the King. St. Giles told them the story of his life, and when they heard it, they asked his forgiveness. The King sent his doctors to take care of the Saint’s wound. Although Giles begged to be left alone, the King felt such veneration for him that he came often to see him. Giles never would accept the King’s gifts but finally he agreed to let the King build a large monastery there, and Giles became its first abbot.

This monastery became so famous that a whole town grew up there and it was called St.Giles. When the Saint died, his grave at the monastery became a great shrine where many, many people came on pilgrimage.

The greatest virtues of St. Giles were humility and charity. The more we are generous with our brothers, sisters and companions, the more Our Lord will be generous with us.

St. Aidan

St. Aidan – August 31st

Aidan was an Irish monk who lived at the great monastery of Iona, which St. Columba had founded. One day the King of the northern part of England, St. Oswald, asked for the missionaries to preach to his pagan people. The first one to go soon came back complaining that the English were rude, stubborn and wild. “It seems to me,” said St. Aidan, “that you have been too harsh with those people.” He then explained that, as St. Paul says, first easy teachings are to be given, and then when the people have grown stronger on the word of God, they can start to do the more perfect things of God’s holy law.

When the monks heard such wise words, they turned to Aidan and said that he should be the one to go to Northern England to preach the Gospel. The humble, devout monk was well received by King St. Oswald, who used to translate Aidan’s sermons until the Saint learned English better. St. Aidan traveled all over, always on foot, preaching and helping the people. He did so much good and was so loved by the people that after thirty years, any monk or priest who came into a village was greeted with great joy by all the villagers.

On the Island of Lindisfarne, St. Aidan built a great monastery, from which so many Saints were to come that Lindisfarne became known as the Holy Island. Little by little the influence of these zealous missionaries changed Northern England into a civilized Christian land.

The secret to be friendly with everyone is to be kind to all.

St. Rose of Lima

St. Rose of Lima - Patron of Invalids And Those With Skin Diseases - August 30th

This South American Saint’s real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was called Rose, and that name remained. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. So she put a long pin into that wreath and it pierced her so deeply that she had a hard time getting the wreath off afterward. Another time she became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone, since people could not take their eyes off her. Therefore, she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered.

St. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry. That she would not do. Her love of Jesus was so great that when she talked about Him her face glowed and her eyes sparkled.

Rose had many temptations from the devil and there were also many times when she had to suffer a feeling of terrible loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to Him. In fact, in her last long, painful sickness, this heroic young women used to pray: “Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart.”

To be more pure I promise never to look at bad pictures.

Blessed Richard Herst

Blessed Richard Herst - August 29th

Richard was an English farmer who held to his Catholic faith despite the persecution going on. One day, he was ploughing in his fields when three men came to arrest him. One handed him the papers for his arrest while the other struck him with a stick. A young girl working in another part of the field ran to call Richard’s wife, and she came running with a farmhand and another man.

There was a struggle that ended when the men who had come to arrest Richard ran away. One of them, however, fell and broke his leg. Gangrene developed and the man died thirteen days later. Although he himself had said his fall was an accident, Richard Herst was tried and convicted for murder. The real reason he was out to death was because he was a Catholic. In fact, he was told that if he would give up his faith, he would not be killed. But Blessed Richard answered: “I would rather choose to die a thousand deaths than to possess a kingdom and live in mortal sin, for there is nothing as hateful to me as sin.”

The good man asked his friends to take care of his family, for he had six children. He was afraid to die as is only natural, but God gave him so much strength that after he had prayed at the foot of the scaffold, he said to the hangman who was fumbling with the rope: “Tom, I think I’ll have to come up and help you!” From his prison, Blessed Richard had written: “I find great comfort in throwing myself upon my Savoir with a most fervent love, when I consider what He has done and suffered for me. My greatest desire is to suffer with Him.”

I will live as a true Christian when alone and when with others, even if this means sacrifice.

St. Augustine

St. Augustine - Patron of Theologians, Printers and Brewers - August 28th

This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of his life in wicked living and false beliefs. Though he was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived and though he had been brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride darkened his mind so much that he could not see or understand the divine truth any more.

Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terribly ashamed of himself. “What are we doing?” he cried to his friend Alipius. “Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!”

Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, “How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?” Just then he heard a child singing, “Take up and read!” Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine needed for in it St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.

He was baptized, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest Saints that ever lived. He became very devout and charitable, too. On the wall of his room he had the following sentence written in large letters: “Here we do not speak evil of anyone.” St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often, and prayed with great fervor right up until his death. “Too late have I loved You!” he once cried to God, but with his holy life he certainly made up for the sins he committed before his conversion.

Thinking over the lives of the Saints, we should tell ourselves, “Can you not do what these men and women did?” Certainly we can, if we pray and strengthen our will.

St. Joseph Calasanctius

St. Joseph Calasanctius - Patron of Schools - August 27th

Joseph was born in his father’s castle in Spain. He went to college and there overcame the temptation to sin offered him by a young women who was a relative of his. After becoming a priest, Joseph was given high positions and he did his work very successfully. Yet he felt that God was calling him to do some special work for poor children in Rome. Obediently he gave up everything he had in Spain and went to Rome.

There his heart was filled with pity for all the orphans and homeless children he saw everywhere. They were ignorant and uncared for, and Joseph began to gather them together to teach them all the regular subjects, but especially their religion. Other priests joined him and soon the humble Saint had to become the Superior of a new Religious Order. But he never let his duties as Founder and Superior stop him from teaching his beloved children. He would even sweep the classrooms himself and lead the little ones to their homes after school was over.

St. Joseph had much to suffer from people who tried to take over his Order and run it the way they wanted. Once he was even led through the streets like a criminal and almost put in jail, although the good priest had done nothing wrong. When he was ninety years old, the Saint received the terrible news that his Order had been forbidden to continue as he had founded it. Yet in all his suffering, Joseph only said: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. My work has been done simply out of love of God.

Two years later, the Saint died a calm, peaceful death. And several years afterwards, his Order of the Fiarist Fathers was allowed to continue St. Joseph’s wonderful mission.

I will try to be as patient as this Saint. I will never take revenge on those who hurt me with words or deeds.

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. Louis of France

St. Louis of France - Patron of Thrid Order Members and of Barbers - August 25th

When this Prince was still small, his good mother, Queen Blanche, hugged him tightly and told him, “I love you, my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child, but I would rather see you dead at my feet than ever have you commit a mortal sin.” Louis never forgot those words so often repeated by his mother and he became one of the holiest rulers the world has ever known.

Once he asked a good friend which he would prefer, to be a leper or to have committed a mortal sin. The man said, “I would rather commit thirty sins than be a leper!” King Louis replied sadly, “This is a wild, foolish answer. When a man dies, all his sicknesses end, but mortal sin is a terrible disease which does not end with death. If you love me, I beg you to choose any suffering rather than give in to mortal sin!”

Busy as he was, the King found time for two daily Masses and for several hours of prayer.

An enemy of all injustice, of all impure entertainments and swearing, St. Louis ruled his people with such wisdom, charity and fairness that even foreign kings asked him to settle their disagreements. To his wife and eleven children he was a good husband and father, and as long as his mother lived, he showed her every respect.

St. Louis was a Crusader, too, who twice led an army against the Turks to protect the Christians in the Holy Land. The first time, he was taken prisoner, but even in jail, he behaved as a true Christian knight, unafraid and noble in all his ways. He was freed and returned to take care of his kingdom in France, yet as soon as he could, he started back to fight the enemies of Faith again. On the way, however, this greatly-loved King fell sick and died. A few hours before he breathed his last, he prayed, “Lord, I will enter into Your house, worship in Your holy temple, and give glory to your name.”

I will think of the many prayers of King St. Louis, and I will promise to offer Our Lord every morning my whole day.