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.
