St. Flora of Beaulieu

St. Flora of Beaulieu – October 5th

This French saint came from a good family and entered a convent of nuns which was called Beaulieu. She was an innocent, good girl who had resisted all her parents’ plans to marry her. But once she gave herself to God as His spouse, He allowed her to prove her love by overcoming all kinds of trials and temptations.

Sometimes it seemed to Sister Flora that she was leading too comfortable a life. At other times, she was tempted to return home to enjoy herself.

Yet, because she kept trying to love God, she grew dearer and dearer to Him. At last, He blessed her with wonderful visions and the gift of knowing the future. Soon, people realized that Sister Flora was very holy and they came to ask her prayers and her advice. Once Holy Communion was brought to her from a church eight miles away, by an angel. This Saint also received the privilege of suffering the pain of Christ’s cross, which she seemed to feel pressing into her, and making a wound in her side. She joyfully accepted this suffering put of her great love for our Lord.

I will force myself to be brave and full of courage when the devil suggests things to me which would offend our Lord.

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi - Patron of Italy, of Catholic Action, and of Merchants - October 4th

As a young man in his Italian hometown of Assisi, Francis loved parties and good times. He was handsome and rich, so he bought himself the finest clothes and spent money right and left. Francis had no desire to study or to learn his father’s business-he just wanted to have fun. Yet he was never impure or selfish.

After two illnesses and other adventures, Francis realized that he must serve Christ, and so he began by praying much more and making sacrifices to grow strong in spirit. Once he kissed a horrible-looking leper, while giving him money. Often he gave his clothes and money to the poor and served the sick in hospitals. Still he felt he must do more. He fasted and prayed and began to go around in rags, in order to humble himself. It is not hard to imagine how his former rich friends must have looked at him now! His father was so angry that he beat him and locked him up at home. Francis bore all this suffering for love of Christ, and when his father took everything from him in disgust, Francis put all his trust in his Father in Heaven. He said that he was married to “Lady Poverty” and he began to live as a beggar, with no shelter or food but what kind people gave him. Everywhere he went, he urged people to stop sinning and to go back to God. Soon many men began to realize how close to God this poor man was, and they became his disciples. That is how the great Franciscan Order of priests and brothers began.

Even after the Order had been spread all over Italy, Francis insisted that they should not own anything and should all love poverty as he did. The brothers helped the poor and sick and preached everywhere. St. Francis had the power of working miracles and even of making birds and animals obey him! As a reward for his great love, Christ gave him His own wounds in his hands and feet, but the humble Francis tried to hide them.

When he had been sick for a long time and was told he could only live a few more weeks, he exclaimed, “Welcome, Sister Death!” He asked to be laid on the ground and covered with an old habit. Then he urged his Brothers to love God, to love poverty, and to obey the Holy Gospel. “I have done my part,” he said. “May Christ teach you to do yours.”

For love of God, today I will help someone, without asking or accepting a reward of any kind.

Padre Pio and America

Padre Pio and America

By: Frank M. Rega

First titled, The Holy Man on the Mountain, this book tells the fascinating life story of Padre Pio, with emphasis on his life as a seminarian, young priest and his early decades at San Giovanni Rotondo. Incredible is the number of times the Capuchins sent him home sick unto death while a seminarian and young priest and how he was finally sent to remote San Giovanni Rotondo “for a couple of weeks of mountain air”. He never left. But from this small, remote mountain friary, he became world famous and exercised unbelievable influence on the entire world–though early on, he was forbidden by his superiors to preach, to write or to correspond. A few clerics developed enmity toward Padre Pio, resulting several times in orders from his superiors that he be moved. It is simply hilarious to learn why he never was–though being under obedience, he was entirely willing to do so.

The author also weaves in the Saint’s early work with L’Americana, Mary Pyle, his “foreign ambassadress,” and then with the American GI’s who came to visit him during WWII, when San Giovanni Rotondo was liberated from the Germans. Padre Pio developed a special love for Americans and America–to the point that he wished that all Americans would become his spiritual children.

This book demonstrates Padre Pio’s great love for his parents, his amazing sense of humor, his abstemious eating, his uncanny knowledge of people (even before they visited), and his profound supernatural awareness. In sum, Padre Pio and America is an inspiring book that will instill a profound awe in readers because it shows the impact a truly saintly priest can have on all who come into contact with him–and in Padre Pio’s case, even on the whole world!

To order this book, go to:

https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage_gr/product_id/686/

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena - Patroness of Italy and of Nursing - April 30th

This glorious saint is the Patroness of Italy, her country. She was the youngest child in a family of twenty-five children. Her mother and father wanted her to wear pretty clothes and choose a husband, but Catherine wanted only to become a nun. When she cut off her long, beautiful hair, to make herself unattractive, her family was so angry that they scolded her all day long and made her work like a slave in her own home. At last, however, they let her become a sister.


St. Catherine suffered terrible temptations after, but she always fought the bravely. Once she said to Jesus, “Where were you, Lord, when I had such shameful temptations?” And Jesus answered, “Daughter, I was in your heart and I made you win with my grace.”


Jesus often appeared to St. Catherine and talked with her lovingly. One night, when all people were out on the streets celebrating, He appeared to her praying alone in her room. With Him was His Blessed Mother. She took Catherine’s hand and lifted it up to her Son. Jesus put a ring on the Saint’s finger and so she became His bride.


In St. Catherine’s time, the Church had many troubles, and there were fights going all over Italy. The Saint wrote letters to Kings and Queens and went herself to beg rulers to make their peace with the Pope and to avoid wars.


Catherine never forgot that Jesus was in her heart-no matter how busy she was. And through her, Jesus converted the sick people she lovingly nursed and the prisoners she visited in jail. The Pope himself accepted Catherine’s advice to go back to Rome from France because it was God’s will that he govern the Church from Rome. The Pope listened to St. Catherine and went back, because he knew how close she was to God.


Let us offer our whole heart to God so that like St. Catherine, we will discover how wonderful it is to love the Lord.

St. Catherine's head incorrupted