St. Servulus – December 23rd
From boyhood, this Saint of Rome had the disease called palsy. All his life, he was helpless. He could not stand or even sit up straight. He could not feed himself or even turn from one side to another.
Every day, his mother and his brother carried him to the great Church of St. Clement. There on the church steps he stayed, and people passing by gave him money. But Servulus was by no means an ordinary beggar. First of all, he never complained about his sufferings or asked for pity. Indeed, he was so cheerful that people were amazed to hear him singing hymns of thanksgiving to God. And any money he had left over after paying for his own needs he would give to people poorer than himself.
St. Servulus’ one great desire was to give God praise and honor. He offered up his constant pain for the love of God. Little by little the Saint saved up enough money to buy himself some books of the Bible. He could not read, but he would ask others to read to him, and he listened so carefully that he learned all the books he had by heart.
After years of living in pain and spiritual joy, Servulus fell ill. As he lay dying, he asked the poor people he had helped to gather round him and sing hymns with him. Then he suddenly cried out, “Listen! Do you hear the marvellous music of heaven?” Right afterwards, he passed away, and his body was buried in St. Clement’s Church, where he had spent his life.
This Saint had a very good heart. What about me? Am I generous?
