St. Peter Fourier

St. Peter Fourier – December 9th

Peter was born in France and was educated by the Jesuits. He did very well in school, and when he graduated, he opened a little school of his own. He was not satisfied with his life though, and so he entered the Congregation of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine.

For thirty years, St. Peter was a parish priest in a village where many lived bad lives. He worked and prayed for his people and started several holy associations for the men, women, and young girls.

St. Peter was especially concerned for the children. He started a Congregation of nuns to teach poor children in free schools. The Saint himself taught the nuns how to handle the children and what to teach them. He wanted to make sure that the students learned to make bills and write correct letters so that they could obtain good jobs when they finished their schooling.

As to non-Catholic children, he told his nuns, “Treat them kindly and lovingly. Do not let the other children tease them. Do not speak harshly of their religion, but rather show how good and reasonable our Faith is when you speak to the whole class.”

St. Peter was made the Superior of his Congregation, but he spent the last four years of his life doing what he liked best-teaching the children of the poor in a free school he had opened.

When I feel to grumble because I cannot have something I would like, I will think of the many children who have much less than I.

St. Thomas of Villanova

St. Thomas of Villanova – September 22nd

Thomas was born in Spain. His father was a miller in the town of Villanova, and from his kind parents, Thomas learned to be very charitable to the poor. He did very well in school and became a teacher of philosophy when he finished his studies. Next he joined the Augustinian Fathers. After he became a priest, he was given many important positions and finally was made Archbishop of the city of Valencia.

His priests tried to make him change his old, mended habit for more dignified robes, but St. Thomas told them his old clothes had nothing to do with his duty of taking care of souls. Every day, in his great charity, he fed several hundred poor people. When he received a large sum of money to buy furniture for his house, he gave it to a hospital, saying: “What does a poor monk like me want with furniture?” No wonder he was called the “father of the poor!”

St. Thomas was very gentle with sinners at a time when most people were not. Once when he tried to make one man change his sinful ways, the man angrily insulted him and furiously stormed out of the room. “It was my fault,” said the humble Archbishop. “I told him a little too roughly.” Never would he permit anyone to criticize someone absent. “He may have had a good intention in doing what he did,” the Saint would say. “I, for one, believe he did.”

Before he died, St. Thomas gave to the poor everything he had. He even directed that his bed was to be sent to the jail for the prisoners to use.

I will try not to be selfish anymore. This Saint once said, “If you want God to hear your prayers, you should help those who are in need.”

St. John of Sahagun

St. John of Sahagun - June 12th

St. John was born in Sahagun, Spain. He received his education from the Benedictine Monks of his town, and then became a parish priest. He could have lived a very comfortable life in the cathedral parish or in other wealthy parishes, but John wanted to imitate Our Lord’s poverty. He chose to keep charge only of a small chapel, where he offered Mass, preached, and taught catechism. He began to be very hard on himself and to practice real poverty.

St. John next went to the great University of Salamanca, because he realized that he that he needed to know theology better. After four years of study, he became famous as a preacher. Nine years later, after a serious but successful operation, he joined a community of Augustinian Friars. There he was outstanding for his obedience and humility. His beautiful sermons brought about a change in the people of Salamanca. They were always quarreling violently among themselves and often the young noblemen fought each other in revenge. St. John succeeded in ending a great many of these bitter fights and persuading people to forgive. He was not afraid to correct evils, even when the sinners were important people who might take revenge. Once he corrected a powerful Duke for the way he was making the poor people suffer. In anger, the Duke sent two men to kill St. John. But when these two saw the Saint, so calm and holy, they were struck with sorrow and asked his pardon. Then the Duke fell sick, and through the prayers of St. John, he repented his sins and even got better.

It was the graces he received from prayer and from the Holy Mass that gave St. John his special power as a preacher. He said Mass so devoutly that sometimes he had the great privilege of seeing Jesus at the moment of the Consecration.

This Saint was so calm and inspiring because he was holy. If we keep our conscience clean, we, too, will have peace and be very happy.

St. Rita of Cascia

St. Rita of Cascia - Saint of the Impossible (Wife, Mother, Widow, Nun) - May 22nd

Rita was born in a little Italian village when her good parents had already grown rather old. They had fervently begged God to send them a child, and they brought her up very well. However, when, at fifteen, she asked them to let her enter the convent, they wanted her to marry, instead.

The man they chose for Rita turned out to be a very mean, unfaithful husband. He had such a hot temper that everyone in the neighborhood was afraid of him. Yet, for eighteen years, his wife patiently took all his insults. Her prayers, gentleness and goodness at last won hi heart, and he returned to God. In fact, when his temper seemed to about to get the best of him, he would leave the house because he did not want to make Rita feel bad, and would return when he calmed down.

The Saint’s happiness over her husband’s conversion did not last long, for one day he was suddenly murdered. Yet she forgave his murderers and tried to make her two sons forgive them, too. When she saw that they, instead, were determined to revenge their father’s death, she prayed, “Lord, I would rather see my sons dead than see them stain their souls with sin.” Her courageous prayer was answered. In one year, both sons died, and while she nursed them lovingly, Rita had the grace to persuade them to forgive, and to ask God’s forgiveness for themselves.

Left alone in the world, the Saint now tried three times to enter the convent in Cascia, but that community was not permitted to accept widows. She did not give up, however, and at last, they made an exception for her. In the convent, Rita was outstanding for her obedience and charity. She had great devotion to Jesus Crucified and once, while praying, she asked Him to let her share some of His pain. One thorn from His crown of thorns pierced for forehead and made a sore that never healed. In fact, it grew so bad and gave off such an odor that St. Rita had to stay away from the other Sisters. She was happy to suffer, and died when she was seventy-six years old.

If we want to convert a person who is far from God, let us pray with faith and without ceasing, until we receive this grace.