St. Veronica of Milan – January 13th
St. Veronica was born in a small village near Milan. Her parents were very poor but they were hard working and very pious. Because she was so poor, she never had the chance to learn how to read or write. But she learned from her devout parents how to pray. She prayed always and worked hard to help them.
Veronica wanted to become a nun, but she was very worried because she could not read or write. She used to rise at night to try to teach herself. One day Our Lady appeared to her and told her not to worry, because all she had to know were three things. The first was to be pure in intention, which meant to do all her duties only to please God. The second was to mind her own business and to hate grumbling and criticism. The third was to forget her own troubles in thinking of the sufferings of Jesus every day. Our Blessed Mother’s holy advice made Veronica very happy and she tried to practice it.
After preparing herself for three years, Veronica was admitted into the convent of St. Martha of Milan. She was assigned the duty of begging for daily food. Every moment of her life she tried to obey her superior, because she knew that if she obeyed her superior, she obeyed God.
St. Veronica died a saint at the age of fifty-two.
Let us, too, follow Our Lady’s advice; that is, let us do everything for the love of Jesus, never complain, and remember each day that Jesus suffered and died for us.
