St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola - Patron of Retreats and of Soldiers - July 31st

This famous founder of the Jesuits was a son of one of the most noble families of Spain. As a boy he was sent to be a page at the royal court, and there he lived on the desire to become a great soldier and win a fair lady. Later, he did, indeed, win honor for his courage in the battle of Pamplona. However, a wound from a cannon ball forced him to spend months in bed back at Loyola Castle.

Ignatius asked for some stories of knights to pass the time, but the only books on hand were stories of Our Lord and the Saints. Having nothing else to do, he read them, and his life changed from that time on. He said to himself: “These were men like me, so why can’t I do what they have done?” All the glory he had wanted before seemed worthless now, and he began to imitate the Saints in their prayers and penances and good works.

St. Ignatius had to suffer terrible temptations and humiliations before he began his great work of founding the Society of Jesus. Imagine going back to school to study Latin grammar with little boys when you are a man of thirty-three! Yet Ignatius did it because he knew he would need knowledge to help him save souls. With patience and even a laugh now and then, he took the boys’ jeers and taunts. For teaching and encouraging people to pray, he was even suspected of heresy and put in jail for a while! But that did not bother the Saint. “The whole city does not contain as many chains as I desire to wear for love of Jesus,” he said.

Ignatius was forty-three when he graduated from the University of Paris. With six other students, he made the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. They also promised to work for God in whatever way the Holy Father thought best. Later they became priests and formed the religious order of the Jesuits. Before Ignatius died, there were one thousand Jesuits and they were doing much good teaching youth and preaching.

It was the Saint’s tremendous love of Jesus which made him want to keep working for the greater glory of God. He often prayed: “Give me only Your love and Your grace. With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.”

The reading of the lives of Jesus and His Saints changed Ignatius’ whole life. Let us, too, read these inspiring books, so that we will find it easier to be virtuous and to put our lives to good use, as the Saints did.

Blessed Everard Hanse

Blessed Everard Hanse - July 30th

Everard was born in England of a non-Catholic family. He went to the University of Cambridge, and became a minister. As a preacher he was very popular, and he was quite proud of his success. Everard’s brother William, who had become a Catholic, tried to bring him into the Church, but Everard did not seem to want to listen. However, a serious sickness made him look deep into his own heart, and his brother’s words began to take effect. He sent for William and was received into the Church.

Everard became a priest after studying in France. Then, although he knew he was risking his life, he went back to England, where the Catholics were being persecuted. Just three months later, he was arrested. When he declared that he believed the Pope was the Head of the Church and that he wished all men could believe the Catholic Faith, as he did, he was condemned to death.

From prison, Blessed Everard wrote to his brother: “I cannot tell you how contented I am. This dignity (of being a martyr) is too high for a sinner, but God is merciful. The day and hour of my birth to eternal life are near.” At the place of execution he begged all Catholics to pray for him and with him! Even as he was suffering, he murmured, “O happy day!”

Let us learn from this glorious Martyr how to take little pains for the love of God, without complaining.

St. Martha

St. Martha - Patroness of Cooks and Domestic Servants - July 29th

Martha was the sister of Mary Magdalen and Lazarus, and she lived with them in the little town of Bethany near Jerusalem. They were dear friends of Jesus, and He often came to visit them. In fact, the Holy Gospel tells us: “Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus.” It was St. Martha who lovingly served Our Lord when He visited them.

One day as she was going about the house preparing everything for Jesus, she asked Him to tell her sister Mary to help her. For Mary was sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him. Our Lord was very pleased with Martha’s loving service, but He wanted her to know that listening to God’s word and praying is even more important. So He said gently: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, but only one thing is necessary, Mary has chosen the better part.”

St. Martha’s great faith in Jesus was seen when her brother Lazarus died. As soon as she heard that Jesus was coming to Bethany, Martha went to meet Him and said: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would have not died.” Then Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise. He said: “He who believes in Me, even if he die, shall live. Do you believe this?” And Martha answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are Christ, the Son of God, Who has come into the world.” Afterwards, Our Lord worked a great miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead!

Later, Jesus came again to have supper with Lazarus, and St. Martha served them at table as always, but this time with much greater love and joy.

Jesus said to Martha that to take care of our soul is more important than to take care of our body. Our body will die one day, but our soul will live forever. Therefore we have to give more importance to our soul, to be sure to save it.

St. Botvid

St. Botvid - July 28th

This Saint was born in Sweden and brought up a pagan. But when he went to England, he became a Christian. Although he was not a priest, he felt a great desire to preach the Gospel. He wanted to share his new Faith with his own countrymen.

For this reason, St. Botvid returned to Sweden to work for Our Lord there. But he was not even satisfied then. He wanted the Gospel to be preached in Finland, too. So he bought a Finnish slave, taught him the Faith, and then set him free to go back to his own country and make converts there.

That man repaid the Saint for his goodness by a terrible act of ingratitude. St. Botvid set out in a boat to take him across the sea to Finland. When they went ashore for the night and the Saint was asleep, the wicked slave killed Botvid and sailed away with the boat. Friends of the Saint came looking for him when he did not return, and a little bird led them to his body.

St. Botvid is honored as a martyr of charity and as one of the apostles of Sweden.

Today I will show appreciation and gratitude to my parents and teachers, who care so much for me.

St. Pantaleon

St. Pantaleon - Patron of Doctors - July 27th

Pantaleon came from Nicomedia, near the Black sea, in Asia. He was such a famous doctor that the Emperor himself chose him for his own doctor. There, at the wicked, pagan court, Pantaleon got into trouble. He was a Christian, but little by little he let the bad example all around him ruin him. He began to agree with the false wisdom praised by the pagans, until at last he committed the great sin of giving up his Christian Faith entirely.

A holy priest named Hermolaos was deeply saddened to see the famous doctor desert Our Lord. He went to him and, with his wise, kind words, made him realize what a sin he had committed. Pantaleon listened to him and admitted that he had done very wrong. He detested his sin and joined the Church once more. To make up for what he had done, he greatly desired to suffer and die for charity by taking care of poor sick people without any charge.

When the Emperor Diocletian began his persecution, Pantaleon at once gave away everything he owned to the poor. Not long afterwards, some jealous doctors accused him of being a Christian, and he was given the choice of denying his Faith or being put to death. Pantaleon absolutely refused to say he was not a Christian and no torture could make him do it.

There has been strong devotion in past ages to this Saint. In the East he is called the “Great Martyr and Wonder-worker.”

Let us avoid all companions, TV and radio programs, or books and magazines which could be a danger to our Faith.

St. Anne

St. Anne - Patroness of Canada, of Cabinet-Makers and of Housewives - July 26th

St. Anne is the grandmother of Our Lord and the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She and her husband, St. Joachim, had spent their lives in worshipping God and doing good, but they had one great sorrow: God had not sent them any children. For years and years, Anne begged the Lord to give her a child, and she promised to consecrate it to Him if He would. When she was already old, God answered her prayer in a far better way than she could ever have dreamed.

For the child born to St. Anne was the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the holiest of all women, the one who was to become the Mother of God. Anne took tender care of little Mary for a few years and then gave her to the service of God, as she had promised she would.

After Mary had gone to live in the holy Temple at Jerusalem, St. Anne continued her life of prayer until God called her to Heaven. Knowing what a great Saint she is, Christians have always been devoted to St. Anne, and have built beautiful churches in her honor. Perhaps one of the most famous is the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Canada, where great crowds go to ask her help in their sufferings.

St. Anne is a great saint because even though it cost her great pain, she gave Mary to God. If you feel the divine call, pray to St. Anne. She will help you to follow it, despite many difficulties.

St. James the Greater

St. James the Greater - Patron of Spain, of Chile, of Pilgrims and of Manual Laborers - July 25th

James was a fisherman like his father Zebedee and his brother John. He was on his father’s boat mending his nets when Our Lord passed by and called him and John to become fishers of men. At once they left their father and their boats to follow Jesus.

James, with St. Peter and St. John, was a special companion of Our Lord. With them, he was permitted to see what the other Apostles did not see. He was there when Our Lord raised the daughter of Jarius to life. He was taken up the mountain to see Jesus shining like the sun with His robes white as snow. He was allowed to stay with Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Holy Thursday night when He sweat blood.

St. James was an impulsive, outspoken man, who wanted Jesus to send fire down on the villages which did not receive Our Lord. But he had great faith in Jesus, and he learned to become humble and meek. To him was given the honor of being the first Apostle to die for Our Lord. The Holy Bible tell us that King Herod Agrippa had St. James put to death by the sword.

The judge who was suppose to condemn the Apostle was so moved by St. James’ faith in Jesus that right than and there he declared himself to be a Christian. For that, he, too, was condemned to death to be beheaded. As he walked beside St. James to his execution, he begged the Apostle to forgive him for arresting him. St. James turned and embraced him. “Peace be to you!” he said, and kissed him. And they died for Jesus together.

Jesus loves and chooses who are generous and ready to say “yes”.

St. Boris and Gleb

St. Boris and Gleb - July 24th

These two brothers were sons of St. Vladimir of Kiev, the first Christian prince in Russia. Their father had had many wives before he was converted, but afterwards he had lived as Jesus teaches us in the Gospel. Boris and Gleb were his sons by his Christian wife Anne, and they were true Christians themselves.

In order to have more power when King Vladimir died, his oldest son planned to kill both Boris and Gleb. Boris was warned as he was coming back with his soldiers from a battle against some wandering tribes. His men at once prepared to defend Boris from his brother, but he would not permit it, “it is better for me to die alone,” he said, “than to be the occasion of death to many.” So he sent them away and sat down to wait. During the night, he thought about the martyrs who had been put to death by their own close relatives, and he thought of how empty everything on earth is except good deeds, true love, and true religion. When in the morning, his brother’s hired murderers arrived and began striking him with spears, Boris did nothing but call down peace on them.

St. Gleb was killed soon after. The wicked older brother invited him to come to his palace for a friendly visit. As he was sailing down the river Gleb’s boat was boarded by fierce, armed men. He was terrified at first and begged them not to kill him. Yet he would not defend himself by fighting-not even when he saw that they were determined to kill him. Instead, St. Gleb quietly prepared himself to die. “I am being killed,” he said, “and for what I do not know. But you know, Lord. And I know You said that for Your name’s sake brother would bring death to brother.”

Only a few years after their death, the people of Russia began going on pilgrimages to the tomb of the two brothers and miracles took place. Saints Boris and Gleb are called martyrs, because they accepted death as Christ did, without defending themselves.

If anyone hurts our feelings today, we will be patient and forgiving.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

St. Lawrence of Brindisi - July 23rd

The name of this Italian saint was Caesar de Rossi. He took the name Lawrence when he became a Capuchin monk at the age of sixteen. He was sent to the University of Padua to study theology but he surprised everyone by learning six foreign languages, also. St. Lawrence had a wonderful knowledge of the Holy Bible, too.

After he was ordained a priest, he became a popular preacher, and because he could speak Hebrew, he worked for the conversion of the Jews living in Rome.

Later, St. Lawrence was sent to establish his Order of Capuchins in Austria, where the Emperor and others did not want them. By his tender care for victims of a plague, the holy priest won the Emperor to his cause, and many monasteries were opened. Next, the Emperor asked the Saint to persuade the German princes to fight the Turks, who were trying to wipe out Christendom. He did convince the princes, but the leaders insisted that he go with the army into battle to make the victory sure. When the soldiers saw how large the Turkish army was, they wanted to retreat. So St. Lawrence himself led the charge, with the crucifix in his hands. He made them all call on the holy name of Jesus and told them to fear nothing. The Turks were completely defeated, and all the praise for the victory went to St. Lawrence.

But the Saint never prided himself for having done anything good. He put all his trust in God and gave all the glory to Him.

Prayer is the secret of success. The person who prays will always be courageous and successful.

St. Mary Magdalen

St. Mary Magdalen - Patroness of Penitent Sinners - July 22nd

Mary Magdalen was well known as a sinner when she first saw Our Lord. She was very beautiful and very proud, but after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life. When Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, Mary came to weep at His feet. Then with her long beautiful hair, she wiped His feet dry and anointed them with expensive perfume. Some people were surprised that Jesus let such a sinner touch Him, but Our Lord could see into Mary’s heart, and he said: “Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much.” Then to Mary He said kindly, “Your faith has made you safe. Go in peace.”

From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and His Apostles. And when Our Lord was crucified, she was there at the foot of His cross, unafraid for herself, and thinking only of His sufferings. No wonder Jesus said of her: “She has loved much.”

After Jesus’ body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices early Easter Sunday morning. Not finding the sacred body, she began to weep, and seeing someone whom she thought was the gardener, she asked him if he knew where the Body of her beloved Master had been taken. But then the Person spoke in a voice she knew so well: “Mary!” It was Jesus, risen from the dead! And He had chosen to show Himself first to Mary Magdalen, the repentant sinner.

Today I will often say the invocation, “Jesus, make me love You more and more.” When the love of God fills our hearts, it purifies them from every stain of sin.

St. Praxedes

St. Praxedes - July 21st


This Roman maiden came from a family of saints who had been converted by the great Apostles Peter and Paul. When she and her sister, St. Pudentiana, were left with a huge fortune by their holy father, Senator Pudens, they used it all for God. Together they prayed, read sacred books, helped the poor, and comforted the Christians suffering in prison for the Faith.


When St. Pudentiana died, Praxedes continued doing the same good deeds alone. Although the Christians were being persecuted terribly and she helped them in every way she could, the Saint herself was never arrested. Perhaps because she came hid Christians in her home, gave all her money away, and even buried the bodies of the martyrs.


Her heart broke to see how the Christians had to suffer, especially when she had nothing left to give away. It was then that she asked God to take her to Heaven, since she could not be of any service any more.


Today I will offer to Our Lord a few little sacrifices for the persecuted Christians in different parts of the world.

St. Jerome Emiliani

St. Jerome Emiliani - Patron of Orphans and Abandoned Children - July 20th

Jerome was the son of a noble family of Venice, Italy. He was a good soldier and was put in command of a fortress high in the mountains. While defending this post, he was taken prisoner and thrown into a dungeon. Chained in that miserable prison, he began to regret the careless way he had been living. He was sorry that he had thought so little about God. Jerome promised the Blessed Mother that he would live a better life is she would help him. His prayers were answered and he escaped to safety.

With a grateful heart, he went straight to a church and hung up his chains in front of Mary’s alter. Later Jerome became a priest and devoted himself to works of charity. His special love was for the many homeless orphan children he found in the streets. He rented a house for them, gave them clothes and food, and taught them the catechism.

St. Jerome started a Congregation of men to take care of the poor, especially orphans, and to teach youth. He did all he could for the poor peasants, too. He would work with them in the fields and talk to them of God’s goodness while he worked.

The Pope named St. Jerome Emiliani the patron saint of orphans and homeless children.

Let us respect our companions and let us try to give them good example.

St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul - Patron of Charitable Institutions - July 19th

Vincent was the son of poor French peasants. When he grew up and became famous, he loved to tell people how he had taken care of his father’s pigs. Because he showed himself to be very intelligent his father sent him to school. And after finishing his studies Vincent became a priest.

At first, he was given an important position as the teacher of rich children, and he lived rather comfortably. Then one day, he was called to the side of a dying peasant, and in front of many people, this man declared that all his past confessions had been bad ones, all sacrileges! Suddenly Vincent realized how badly the poor people of France needed spiritual help. When he began to preach to them, crowds went to confession, and he finally decided to found a congregation of priests to work especially among the poor.

The charities of St. Vincent de Paul were so many that it seems impossible for one man to have done so much. He took care of criminals who were made to labor in the sailing ships. He founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac. He opened hospitals and homes of money for poor areas, sent missionaries to many countries, and bought back prisoners from the Mohammedans. So charitable a man, however, humbly admitted that he was not so by nature. “I would have been hard, rough and ill-tempered,” he said, “were it not for God’s grace.”

Am I selfish? Jesus asks me to be good to others, especially to those who suffer. He says to me, too, “Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me”.

St. Camillus de Lellis

St. Camillus de Lellis - Patron of Sick and Hospitals - July 18th

This Italian Saint’s life for twenty-five years was not one to be imitated, because he was a rough-and-ready soldier with a terrible love of gambling and temper that got him into trouble all the time.

At last he had gambled away every penny he had, plus his gun, and even the shirt he was wearing. To earn some money, he took a job with builders putting up a new monastery for the Capuchin monks. The Superior there urged Camillus to change his ways, and his words had a good effect. Camillus kept thinking about them until he finally fell to his knees and begged God for mercy. Then he entered the Capuchin monastery, but a bad sore on his leg made it impossible for him to stay.

St. Camillus went to a hospital in Rome, and though his leg pained him all his life, it healed enough to let him work there tending the sick. In each person, Camillus felt he was serving Jesus Himself, and people were amazed to see how gentle and tender this tall, husky man was with his poor patients. In those days, hospitals did not have regular nurses, and very often rough, careless servants made the patients suffer greatly. So St. Camillus founded a congregation of devoted servants of the sick.

Even when he was very sick, the Saint dragged himself out of his bed to ask the patients if they wanted anything. Once, one sick man begged him to make his bed a little more comfortable. “You beg me!” exclaimed Camillus. “Don’t you know yet that you have to give me orders, for I am your servant?”

Let us visit the poor and the sick to help them. One day Jesus will tell us, “I was hungry and you fed Me; I was sick and you visited Me”.

St. Alexis

St. Alexis - Patron of Pilgrims and Beggars - July 17th

Alexis was the only son of a rich Roman senator. From his good Christian parents, he learned great charity for the poor and it made him very happy to give help to beggars. Alexis wanted to give up his wealth and honors but his parents had chosen a rich bride for him. Because it was their will, he married her. Yet right on his wedding day, he obtained her permission to leave her for God. Then, in disguise, he traveled to Syria in the East and lived in great poverty near a church of Our Lady.

One day, after seventeen years, a picture of our Blessed Mother spoke to tell the people that this beggar was very holy. She called him “the man of God.” Alexis became famous, and that was the last thing he wanted, so he fled back to Rome. He came as a beggar to his own home. His parents did not recognize him, but they were very kind to all poor people and so they let him stay there. In a corner under the stairs, Alexis lived for seventeen years. He used to go out only to pray in church and to teach little children about God. The servants were often very mean to him, and though he could have ended all these sufferings just by telling his father who he was, he chose to say nothing. What great courage and strength of will that took!

After Alexis died, his family found a note on his body which told them who he was and how he had lived his life of penance, from the day of his wedding until then, for the love of God.

If God asks you to leave your dear ones for Him, generously obey the call of our heavenly Father.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

- July 16th

Mt. Carmel is a mountain in Palestine. It became famous when the prophet Elias, who lived before Our Lord was born, worked a great miracle there. For many years there had been no rain in that land, and everything was dying. Elias went up Mt. Carmel to beg the Lord to send the rain, and his prayer was answered.


Much later, after Pentecost, some of the Jews who had become Christians decided to build a shrine on Mt. Carmel in honor of Mary, the Mother of God. There, several times a day, they went to pray together. For this reason the people started to call them “friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.” This was the way the Carmelite Order was begun.


Many, many years later, St. Simon Stock, an Englishmen, became Superior of all the Carmelites. Since they were bring persecuted, he prayed with great confidence to Our Lady. In her goodness, she appeared to St. Simon and gave him the brown scapular, promising her protection to all those who would wear the blessed habit. Many miracles proved her words.


St. Pius X said that the same blessings could be had by wearing the scapular medal, which has a picture of Our Lady of the Scapular on one side and the Sacred Heart on the other.


Let us wear the holy scapular or medal. We will be protected by Our Lady in life and helped by her in death. And after death, she will bring us to Heaven.

St. Henry the Emperor

St. Henry the Emperor - Patron of Benedictine Oblates - July 15th

Henry was Duke of Bavaria when one night he had an unusual vision. St. Wolfgang, who had been his beloved teacher when he was a boy, appeared to him and pointed to the words, “After six” written on the wall. What could that mean? Perhaps Henry was to die in six days? With that thought, he prayed with great fervor for six days, only to find himself alive and in perfect health. Perhaps it meant six month? The good Duke devoted himself to doing good more than ever. At the end of six months, he was healthier than before. So he decided he had six years to get ready for a holy death. But instead of dying after that time had passed, he was elected Emperor of Germany, and then he understood what the vision had meant.

As Emperor, Henry worked hard to keep his people happy and at peace. To defend justice he had to fight many wars, but he always won, since before every battle he prayed and made his soldiers pray. He preserved both his purity and his humility, even though as Emperor, he received great honor and power. He and his wife, St. Cunegundes, lived as brother and sister, and when they went to Rome to be crowned Emperor and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, it is said that Jesus rewarded Henry for his purity and justice with a wonderful vision. The Saint was praying in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, when he saw Our Lord Himself, Jesus the Eternal Priest, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

Even when we are very busy, we should stop a few minutes now and then, to say a prayer for the salvation of our souls.

St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure - July 14th

Bonaventure’s name means “good luck”, and it is said that St. Francis of Assisi gave it to him when he was a baby, after curing him from a serious sickness. Bonaventure became a Franciscan and left his own country of Italy to study at the University of Paris. He became a learned writer and such a great lover of God that he was called the “Seraphic Doctor.”

One of Bonaventure’s famous friends was St. Thomas Aquinas. Thomas asked him one day where he got all the beautiful things he wrote. St. Bonaventure took his friend by the hand and led him to his desk. Pointing to the large crucifix which always stood on the desk, he said, “Look! It is He Who tells me everything. He is my only Teacher.” Another time, when Bonaventure was writing the life of St. Francis of Assisi, he was so full of fervor that St. Thomas exclaimed: “Let us leave a Saint to write the Saint!”

St. Bonaventure always kept himself humble, even though his books made him famous. The Pope wanted him to become an Archbishop, but Bonaventure begged to be excused from the honor. He did accept the office of Superior of the Franciscans because he knew it was God’s will. Then, later on, another Pope commanded him to become a Cardinal, and he sent two messengers to present him with the red hat that is given only to Cardinals. The Pope’s messengers found the Saint washing dishes in one of the monasteries! Since his hands were greasy, he asked them to hang the hat on a tree branch, and to be patient with him until he finished the dishes. Then he dried his hands and sorrowfully went out to accept the new honor. As a Cardinal, St. Bonaventure was a great help to the Pope, Blessed Gregory X. It was said, “No one ever saw Bonaventure without feeling great respect and affection for him, because he was gentle, polite, humble, pleasing to all, prudent, pure, and virtuous in every way.”

“Jesus is my only Teacher,” said St. Bonaventure. We, too, should have a crucifix on our desk, or in our own room and turn often to Jesus for light and for strength.

St. Francis Solano

St. Francis Solano - Patron of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru - July 13th

Francis was born in Spain. Even as a young boy, he was a wonderful peacemaker. Once he threw himself between two fighting boys and took blows from both of them without moving. In that way, he forced them to stop, because neither wanted to hit him.

When he was twenty, Francis became a Franciscan. His desire to be a missionary was satisfied when he was sent to Peru in South America. On the way, he preached the Faith to many Negro slaves. When their ship was wrecked in a storm, the captain ordered everyone, except the slaves, to save themselves in a lifeboat. But Francis refused to leave the slaves alone on the sinking ship. He stayed with them, prayed with them and baptized them. Right afterwards, half the ship went down. Francis and the rest of the slaves were rescued, and he got safely to Peru.

There the Saint learned the many Indian languages, traveled far and wide preaching, and baptized great numbers. He worked so many miracles that he was called the “Wonder-worker of the New World.” Yet he was so simple that in his great love for Our Lady, he loved to play his flute and sing in front of her altar.

The courage of St. Francis Solano was amazing. Once when some Indians planned to massacre a great number of Christians, he went out alone to try to talk them out of it. And he spoke so beautifully of how Jesus suffered and died for us that on that very day, many of those men accepted the Faith and were baptized!

The way to please God the most is to do something good for our neighbor every time we can, and to do it for the love of God. At the judgment, Jesus will tell us, “What you did to other, you did to Me.” And He will reward us.

St. John Gualbert

St. John Gualbert - July 12th

St. John was the son of an Italian nobleman. He and his father were heartbroken when the only other brother, Hugh, was murdered by a man who was supposed to be his friend. Urged on by his father and by his own anger, John began looking for a way to avenge his brother’s death. He felt that his personal honor depended on it.

One Good Friday, he came face to face with the murderer in a narrow passageway. John drew his sword and started toward the man, who fell upon his knees and crossed his arms on his chest, imploring forgiveness, in the name of Our Lord’s holy Passion and Death. At that moment, John remembered how Jesus forgave His murderers as He was dying on the cross. With a tremendous effort, he dropped his sword, embraced his enemy and moved on down the road.

When he came to a monastery church, he went and knelt before the crucifix and asked for forgiveness for his sins. Then a miracle happened! Christ on the cross bowed his head three times, as if to tell John that He was pleased with him for forgiving his enemy and that his own sins were forgiven. Such a change came over John that he went straight to the Abbot of that monastery and asked if he could join the monks.

When John’s father heard about it, he said he would burn the whole monastery if his son did not come out. The monks did not know what to do, but John solved the problem by cutting off his hair himself and borrowing a habit from one of the monks. Even his father was moved at that, and so he let him remain.

St. John later went off to live a stricter life and to start his own Community of monks. He became a model to all for his great love for poverty and for the poor, and by his humility. God granted him the power to work miracles and cure the sick who came to him for help.

Even the greatest offenses can be forgiven with the help of God. If we forgive those who do wrong to us, God will also forgive us our offenses to Him.