JUNE 12
ST. JOHN OF SAHAGUN
St. John was born at Sahagun, Spain, in the fifteenth century. He received
his education from the Benedictine monks of his town. Then John became a
parish priest. He could have lived a very comfortable life in the cathedral
parish or in other wealthy parishes. However, John felt attracted to the
poverty and simple lifestyle that Jesus had lived. Father John chose to keep
charge only of a small chapel. There he celebrated Mass, preached and taught
catechism.
Father John realized that he needed to know theology better. He enrolled in
classes at the great Catholic University of Salamanca. After four years of
hard study, he became famous as a preacher. Nine years later, he joined a
community of Augustinian friars. They were very impressed by the way he
practiced the Christian virtues. He was obedient to his superiors and
humble, too. He also continued his preaching. His beautiful homilies or
sermons brought about a change in the people of Salamanca. They had been
quarreling violently among themselves. Often young noblemen fought each
other in revenge. St. John succeeded in ending many of these bitter fights.
He even persuaded people to forgive one another.
He was not afraid to correct evils, even when the evildoers were powerful
people who could take revenge. Once he corrected a duke for the way he was
making the poor people suffer. What the priest said was true! In anger, the
duke sent two of his men to kill St. John. The two men found the priest and
approached him. Father John was so calm and kind. Both men were overcome
with sorrow and asked his pardon. Then the duke became sick. Through the
prayers of St. John, he repented of his sins and recovered.
It was the graces he received from prayer and from the Mass that gave St.
John his special power as a preacher. He celebrated the Mass with great
devotion.
St. John of Sahagun died on June 11, 1479. He was proclaimed a saint byPope
Alexander VIII in 1690.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us become effective Christians. May our
whole manner of speaking and acting bring others to Christ.
ST. JOHN OF SAHAGUN
St. John was born at Sahagun, Spain, in the fifteenth century. He received
his education from the Benedictine monks of his town. Then John became a
parish priest. He could have lived a very comfortable life in the cathedral
parish or in other wealthy parishes. However, John felt attracted to the
poverty and simple lifestyle that Jesus had lived. Father John chose to keep
charge only of a small chapel. There he celebrated Mass, preached and taught
catechism.
Father John realized that he needed to know theology better. He enrolled in
classes at the great Catholic University of Salamanca. After four years of
hard study, he became famous as a preacher. Nine years later, he joined a
community of Augustinian friars. They were very impressed by the way he
practiced the Christian virtues. He was obedient to his superiors and
humble, too. He also continued his preaching. His beautiful homilies or
sermons brought about a change in the people of Salamanca. They had been
quarreling violently among themselves. Often young noblemen fought each
other in revenge. St. John succeeded in ending many of these bitter fights.
He even persuaded people to forgive one another.
He was not afraid to correct evils, even when the evildoers were powerful
people who could take revenge. Once he corrected a duke for the way he was
making the poor people suffer. What the priest said was true! In anger, the
duke sent two of his men to kill St. John. The two men found the priest and
approached him. Father John was so calm and kind. Both men were overcome
with sorrow and asked his pardon. Then the duke became sick. Through the
prayers of St. John, he repented of his sins and recovered.
It was the graces he received from prayer and from the Mass that gave St.
John his special power as a preacher. He celebrated the Mass with great
devotion.
St. John of Sahagun died on June 11, 1479. He was proclaimed a saint byPope
Alexander VIII in 1690.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us become effective Christians. May our
whole manner of speaking and acting bring others to Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment