June 19 Venerable Matt Talbot

Venerable Matt Talbot (1856-1925)

June 19                                                       

            Matt is considered the patron saint of those struggling with alcoholism. Matt Talbot walked the streets of Dublin as a mystic soul and an ambassador for Christ. He was born in Dublin, where his father worked on the docks and had a hard time supporting a family. After a few years of schooling, Matt obtained work as a messenger for some liquor merchants; there he began to drink excessively. From age 12 to 28, Matt was a very active alcoholic! Although he had the reputation of being a hard worker, his work ethic was simply the means by which to finance his "hard drinking."

            One day he decided to take “the pledge” for three months, make a general confession, and begin to attend daily Mass. Matt’s first seven years after making this pledge were especially hard. Avoiding his former drinking places was nearly impossible. He began to pray as intensely as he used to drink. He also tried very hard to pay back people from whom he had borrowed or stolen money while he was drinking.

            Most of his life Matt worked on the Dublin docks, like his father had. He joined the Secular Franciscan Order and began a life of strict penance. He strictly abstained from meat nine months a year. Matt taught himself to read and, as he did so, effectively began a course of study that included the Bible and other spiritual classics, the lives of saints, doctrinal books, and works of mystical and ascetical theology. Though his job did not make him rich, Matt contributed heartily to the missions. On an otherwise blank page in one of Matt’s books, the following is written: “God console thee and make thee a saint. To arrive at the perfection of humility, four things are necessary: to despise the world, to despise no one, to despise self, to despise being despised by others.”

            After 1923 his health failed, and Matt was forced to quit work. He remained sober for 41 years. He collapsed and died from heart failure on his way to church on Trinity Sunday. Fifty years later, Pope Paul VI gave him the title “Venerable.”

            He had to take one day at a time. So do the rest of us.

April 3 or 4 St. Benedict the Black

St. Benedict the Black (1526-1589) NOTE: The surname "the Moor" as he is sometimes called, is a misnomer originating from the Italian “il moro” (the black). 

April 3 or 4

            His parents were slaves brought from Africa to Messina, Sicily. Freed at 18, Benedict did farm work for a wage and soon saved enough to buy a pair of oxen. He was very proud of those animals. In time he joined a group of hermits around Palermo and was eventually recognized as their leader. Because these hermits followed the Rule of St. Francis, Pope Pius IV ordered them to join the First Order.

            Benedict was eventually novice master and then guardian of the friars in Palermo—positions rarely held in those days by a brother. In fact, Benedict was forced to accept his election as guardian. And when his term ended, he happily returned to his work in the friary kitchen. Among Franciscans a position of leadership is limited in time. When the time expires, former leaders sometimes have trouble adjusting to their new positions. The Church needs men and women ready to put their best energies into leadership—but men and women who are gracefully willing to go on to other work when their time of leadership is over. 

            Admonition IV of St. Francis states: “I did ‘not come to be served but to serve’ (Mt 20:28), our Lord tells us. Those who are put in charge of others should be no prouder of their office than if they had been appointed to wash the feet of their confreres. They should be no more upset at the loss of their authority than they would be if they were deprived of the task of washing feet.” 

            In later life Benedict was not possessive of the few things he used. He never referred to them as “mine” but always called them “ours.” His gifts for prayer and the guidance of souls earned him throughout Sicily a reputation for holiness. Following the example of St. Francis, Benedict kept seven 40-day fasts throughout the year; he also slept only a few hours each night.

            After Benedict’s death, King Philip III of Spain paid for a special tomb for this holy friar. Canonized in 1807, he is honored as the patron of Blacks in North America.

Sacred and Immaculate Hearts

 Sacred and Immaculate Hearts-Jesus and Mother Mary

Although not explicitly Franciscan in origin, the contemporary devotion to the Twin Hearts on the Friday and Saturday following the Solemn Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is deeply Scriptural and resonates within Franciscan spirituality. In his encyclical Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis points out the theological contributions of Saint Bonaventure in paragraphs 106-108. He writes that Bonaventure “presents the heart of Christ as a source of the sacraments and of grace and urges that our contemplation of that heart become a relationship between friends, a personal encounter of love.”

In paragraph 110 when writing about feminine encounter with Christ, Pope Francis includes the Franciscan Saint Angela of Foligno (3^rd order). “A number of holy women, in recounting their experiences of encounter with Christ, have spoken of resting in the heart of the Lord as the source of life and interior peace.” In paragraph 177 he quotes Saint Bernard, “in exhorting us to union with the heart of Christ, draws upon the richness of this devotion to call for a conversion grounded in love.”

This year the optional Saturday memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) falls on June 13^th, which is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. It thus bumps St. Anthony into an optional status as well, as two extremely popular devotional saints vie for attention, so to speak. Just an example of how several devotional items or issues can “stack up” on any particular day. That is especially true of Saturdays, which are traditionally devoted to BVM. Or when the Sunday celebration “overtakes” the date of a saint. Whatever choices are made, our eyes ultimately (should) land on Jesus, the source of all holiness and grace. Or as I saw it put into a slogan: "Two Saints. One Mission. Lead Souls to Jesus."

June 13 St. Anthony of Padua--CA Mission

Saint Anthony of Padua/ San Antonio de Padua (1195-1231)

            Anthony was another would-be Franciscan missionary whom God called to other work. He was baptized with the name "Fernando." His parents were Martin and Maria Bulhom.  In 1210 he joined the Canons of St. Augustine in Lisbon. This monastery, however, was too close to Fernando’s worldly friends and to the kings quarrels with the Church. Two years later Fernando was allowed to transfer to the monastery at Coimbra, a city 100 miles north of Lisbon. There he studied Scripture and prepared for ordination.

After the bones of the first Franciscan martyrs in Morocco, commeorated on January 16, were brought to Coimbra in 1220, Fernando told the friars begging at the monastery door, “Dearest brothers, gladly will I take the habit of your order if you will promise that as soon as I do so you will send me to the land of the Saracens, there to reap the same reward as your holy martyrs and gain a share in their glory.”

The friars’ place in Coimbra was dedicated to St. Anthony the Egyptian hermit, and so Fernando took that name. A year later he went to Morocco, but poor health forced him back. His boat was sidetracked to Sicily where he joined the friars going to the 1221 Pentecost Chapter in Assisi. There Anthony saw St. Francis and was assigned to the northern province where he served at the hermitage in Monto Paolo near Bologna.

In the summer of 1222 Anthony attended the ordination of several friars. At the dinner afterwards the superior asked one of the friars to preach. All the Dominicans and Franciscans present declined except for Anthony. He amazed the friars with a marvelous sermon on Christ’s obedience, even to death on a cross. A hidden talent was revealed!

Anthony soon received permission to preach throughout northern Italy, where heretics had recently won many followers. The Church’s wealth was causing a bitter controversy, and the poor and simple lives of wandering dissident preachers contrasted sharply with the lives of many priests and bishops. Anthony won converts by his sermons and by his simple way of living.

Soon Anthony received another job: teaching theology to the friars in Bologna. His previous studies in Coimbra served him well at this time. Anthony the teacher always heeded the command St. Francis addressed to him that this study of theology must not destroy the spirit of holy prayer and devotion. Indeed, Anthony’s students learned Scripture from a man as holy as he was learned.

In 1224 Anthony was sent to southern France, where the Albigensians had made many converts, to preach the gospel. There he earned the nickname “Hammer of Heretics.” In fact, Anthony won over the dissidents as much by his holiness and great charity as by his learning.

In 1227 Anthony returned to northern Italy where he was made provincial of the friars in that area. He continued his popular preaching. Only in 1228 did Anthony come to Padua where he immediately won over the people. Thousands listened to his Lenten series in 1231. Under the influence of his preaching the city of Padua afterwards passed a law against the then commonly accepted practice of imprisoning debtors until they paid off the complete debt.

St. Anthony preached in a Sermon (#274 of the collection): “When a crystal is touched or struck by the rays of the sun, it gives forth brilliant sparks of light. When a person of faith is touched by the light of God’s grace, they too must give forth sparks of light in good words and deeds and so bring God’s light to others.” 

In the spring of 1231, at age 36, Anthony withdrew with his companions Brother Luke and Brother Roger to the friary at Camposampiero where he had a sort of treehouse built as a hermitage. There he prayed and prepared himself for death.

On June 13, 1231, he became very ill and asked to be taken back to Padua. At the friary in Arcella, on the way, Anthony received the last sacraments. Shortly before he died, he called out, “I see my Lord.” Anthony was canonized less than a year after his death and was named a Doctor of the Church in 1946. But why is the most common depiction of St. Anthony with the child Jesus in his arms or even with the child standing on a book the saint holds?

When Anthony was a guest in the house of the Lord of Chateauneuf in France, he prayed far into the night when suddenly the room was filled with light more brilliant than the sun. Jesus appeared to St. Anthony under the form of a little child. The master of the house, attracted by the bright light that emanated from the room, was drawn to witness the vision but promised to tell no one about it right away. He waited until after Anthony’s death to talk of the vision.

Some see a similarity and connection between Anthony’s experience and that of St. Francis when he reenacted Jesus’ nativity in the creche at Greccio. It is said that the Christ Child became alive in Francis’ arms. There are other accounts of an appearance of the child Jesus to Francis and some of the other friars, as well. These speak of a fascination with the humility and vulnerability of Christ who emptied himself in the Incarnation to become one like us in all things except sin. 

June 10, 1926-2026 Gaudi centennial

 In Barcelona, Spain, 100 years ago on June 10, 1926, Venerable Antoni Gaudi died from injuries he sustained from being hit by a tram. He was 73 years old, just shy of his 74^th birthday on June 25th. He had been to St. Philip Neri Church for confession and daily Mass and was walking back to work at the Sagrada Familia. The accident knocked him unconscious and he was taken to the old Santa Creu Hospital. Because of his disheveled look and tattered clothes, he was taken for a beggar. For the past several years he had been basically living at the Sagrada Familia, so dedicated as he was to the building of this “Cathedral of the Poor,” as it was commonly known. After a funeral that was attended by thousands, he is buried in the crypt level of the Basilica.

Widely known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernisme, he is nicknamed “God’s Architect” and his cause for canonization as a saint is underway. In April 2025 he was proclaimed “Venerable” by Pope Francis. Gaudi’s namesake patron saint is St. Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13^th. 

St. Clare and the Eucharist-Corpus Christi

Saint Clare and the Eucharist

You will find depictions of St. Clare holding a monstrance aloft. As we celebrate this weekend the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (known as Corpus Christi in Latin), I thought it most appropriate to relate the story:

In 1240 Saracen (Arab or Muslim) mercenaries attacked the Italian countryside and approached the town of Assisi containing the church and convent of San Damiano, where the Franciscan women lived. This army was actually sent by Roman Emperor Frederick II, who was at war with Pope Innocent IV and the Papal States! Although gravely ill, St. Clare instructed the sisters to bring her the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. She prostrated herself before it and according to biographer Thomas Celano, OFM, she prays, “Behold, my Lord, is it possible you want to deliver into the hands of pagans your defenseless handmaids, whom I have taught out of love for you? I pray you, Lord, protect these your handmaids whom I cannot now save by myself.”  Suddenly she and the sisters hear a clearly audible voice: “I will always protect you!” Then Clare went to the doorway of the convent and held the Eucharist high in the direction of the advancing attackers. According to contemporary historical accounts, the invading soldiers were instantly struck with awe and stopped in their tracks. The presence of the eucharistic Christ had a profound effect on them, striking terror in their hearts and causing them to flee without harming the nuns or the town.

The women of the Second Order Franciscans or Poor Clares are very devoted to eucharistic adoration.  The occasion of this miraculous intervention was etched so vividly in their memories that the Poor Clares have celebrated it ever since as “Covenant Day” (June 22), recalling the promise God proclaimed that day, that they would always be protected. It’s easy to dismiss this story as a legend, but Clare’s biographers, like Celano who knew her personally, recorded it as fact. Pope Alexander IV later confirmed her sanctity and cited this miracle as one of many signs of her deep holiness. Eucharistic devotion was very important to Saint Francis and from him, St. Clare and her sisters learned to hold a deep devotion to Christ in the Eucharist.

So, what is the lesson in Franciscan spirituality we can take from this story? As one Franciscan website teaches, it is about putting eucharistic faith into action! Here are three ways to follow Clare’s example today:

1. Believe it like she did.

If you struggle with belief in the Real Presence, ask for the grace to believe. Start reading church teaching on the Eucharist. Ask questions. Pray in adoration, even if it feels dry.

2. Protect your home with prayer.

Clare’s convent was her spiritual home. She covered it with prayer. You can do the same in your home—daily prayer, blessings, family Rosary and Scripture reading create a spiritual shield.

3. Spend time with Christ in the Eucharist.

Find eucharistic adoration near you. Set a regular time to go. Even if it’s 15 minutes a week, be consistent. Bring your fears, your family and your needs to God. Eucharist is not a mere symbol—Christ is your King and Protector and Defense Against Evil.

San Juan Capistrano -CA Mission

 

St. John of Capistrano/San Juan Capistrano (1368-1456)

October 23

            John studied law at the University of Perugia and became a lawyer in Naples. Appointed Governor of Perugia before he was 30, John brought peace and justice to that region. As a public fficial he was once thrown into prison during a civil war. There he reexamined his life and decided to become a Franciscan, which he did in 1416.

            He and James of the March, a fellow Franciscan saint commemorated on November 28, studied theology under Bernardine of Siena. After his ordination in 1425, he began a very successful preaching career in Italy. Large crowds heard him praise the beauty of God’s ways and expose the ugliness of sin. So great was John’s impact that cities petitioned the pope to send John to them. His nickname, “The Apostle of Europe,” was well deserved.

            Pope Eugene IV was especially grateful for John’s wise advice. When the schismatic Council of Basel elected an anti-pope, John worked vigorously against popular support for that choice. The Church sent John to northern Italy to counter heretical groups there and he went to Bohemia to reconcile the Hussites.

            John was a very significant influence within the Order. Because of his preaching many young men joined the friars. By 1443 he held the highest post among the Observant friars in Italy. John declined the bishopric of Aquila and later of Rieti.

            John’s period in history didn’t lack excitement. The Great Western Schism, the Hundred Years’ War, and the fall of Constantinople all occurred in his lifetime. At the direction of Pope Callistus III, John preached a crusade to save Western Europe from the Turks, who were advancing from recently conquered (in 1453) Constantinople, last outpost of the decimated Byzantine Empire.  The Christians won a decisive victory at Belgrade in 1456. Worn out from that crusade, John died in Hungary on October 23, 1456. He was canonized in 1690.

            John‘s tomb in Villach, Hungary, bears this inscription: “This tomb holds John, by birth of Capistrano, a man worthy of all praise, defender and promoter of the faith, guardian of the Church, zealous protector of his Order, an ornament to all the world, lover of truth and justice, mirror of life, surest guide in doctrine; praised by countless tongues, he reigns blessed in heaven.”

            A comment from Father Patrick McCloskey, OFM: "In John of Capistrano, Jesus found a very energetic man. No hardship was too great, no self-sacrifice was too costly if John could show more people the wisdom of God’s ways and the folly of sin. John used his talents tirelessly for the spread of the gospel. Perhaps his example can help us to find energy we have not previously tapped."