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 March
9
St. Dominic Savio
St. Dominic Savio model of the youth in the entire world.
"I can't do big things," St. Dominic Savio once said,
"but I want everything to be for the glory of God." At
an early age he already knew how to work for God. This heroism in
little things is the stuff of holiness.
At the age of five Dominic had already learned to serve Mass. Neither
rain nor heavy snows could keep him away from the altar. The parish
priest more than once found the boy kneeling on the church steps,
awaiting his arrival. Closer to the Eucharist as an altar boy, he
had still to wait two more years before he was allowed to make his
First Holy Communion. At the age of seven he was admitted to the
Eucharistic Banquet—a remarkably early age for those times.
When Don Bosco was looking for young men to train as priests for
his Salesian Order, his parish priest suggested Dominic Savio. Dominic
became more than a credit to Don Bosco's school— everyone
in the school saw from the way he prayed that this boy was different.
He single-handedly organized those who were to be the nucleus of
Don Bosco's order.
At the age of twelve confided to his Confessor, St. John Bosco:
“I feel the need of becoming a saint. If I do not become a
saint, I am wasting my time. God wants me to be a saint, and I must
become one.” Then Saint John Bosco, who is his mentor, said
to him: The prescription was as follows: “Cheerfulness always.
Constant piety. Perseverant study. Remember, Dominic, no need to
get upset. ‘The Lord is not in the whirlwind”
The formula worked magic in the heart of the boy. His holiness overflowed
in the apostolic zeal that soon manifested itself among his companions.
He exposed himself to physical danger in order to conciliate older
boys who had decided to settle a furious quarrel with stones. His
zeal to do good urged him to found the Immaculate Conception Sodality,
the purpose of which was to draw many young boys to Christ, especially
through the frequent reception of the Sacraments and through devotion
to Our Lady.
For all that, Dominic was a normal, high-spirited boy who sometimes
got into trouble with his teachers because he would often break
out laughing. However, he was generally well disciplined and gradually
gained the respect of the tougher boys in Don Bosco's school.
One day Dominic began to feel sick and was sent home to get better.
While at home he grew worse, instead, and received the last Sacraments.
He was only fifteen then, but he did not fear death. In fact, he
was overjoyed at the thought of going to Heaven. Just before he
died, he tried to sit up and asked his father to read some prayers
for him.
"Goodbye," he murmured to his good father. Suddenly his
face lit up with a smile of great joy and happiness. "I am
seeing such wonderful things!" he exclaimed. Then he spoke
no more, for he had gone to Heaven. '
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St. Dominic Savio prayers and inspiring profile. |
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| LIVES
OF THE SAINTS |
MARCH 1
St. Felix II
St Felix II, the pope is an ancestor of the future Pope St. Gregory the Great who lived from 540 to 604. 
MARCH 2
Blessed Charles the Good
Count Charles of Flanders, was called "the good" by the people of his kingdom. They named him for what they found him to truly be.
MARCH 3
Blessed Katharine Drexel
Blessed Katharine was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 26, 1858. Katharine's mother died when she was a baby.
MARCH 4
St. Casimir
St. Casimir was born in 1458, son of Casimir IV, king of Poland. Casimir was one of thirteen children.
MARCH 5
St. John Joseph of the Cross
St. John Joseph of the Cross was born in southern Italy on the feast of the Assumption, 1654. He was a young noble, but he dressed like a poor man.
MARCH 6
St. Colette
St. Nicolette was named in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra. She was born in 1380. Her loving parents nicknamed her Colette from the time she was a baby.
MARCH 7
St. Perpetua and St. Felicity
St. Perpetua and St. Felicity lived in Carthage, North Africa, in the third century. It was the time of the fierce persecution of Christians by Emperor Septimus Severus.
MARCH 8
St. John of God
St. John was born in Portugal on March 8, 1495. His parents were poor, but deeply Christian. John was a restless boy.
MARCH 9
St. Frances of Rome
St. Frances was born in 1384. Her parents were wealthy, but they taught Frances to be concerned about people and to live a good Christian life.
MARCH 10
St. Simplicius
St. Simplicius became pope in 468. Sometimes it seemed to him that he was all alone in trying to correct evils that were everywhere.
MARCH 11
St. Eulogius of Spain
St. Eulogius lived in the ninth century. His family was well-known and he received an excellent education. While he learned his lessons, he also learned from the good example of his teachers.
MARCH 12
St. Fina (Seraphina)
St. Fina was born in a little Italian town called San Geminiano. Her parents had once been well off, but misfortune had left them poor.
MARCH 13
St. Euphrasia
St. Euphrasia was born in the fifth century to deeply Christian parents. Her father, a relative of the emperor, died when she was a year old.
MARCH 14
St. Matilda
St. Matilda was born about 895, the daughter of a German count. When she was still quite young, her parents arranged her marriage to a nobleman named Henry.
MARCH 15
St. Zachary
St. Zachary was a Benedictine monk from Greece who lived in the eighth century. He became a cardinal and then pope.
MARCH 16
Blessed Torello
Blessed Torello was born in 1202, in Poppi, Italy. His life as a child in the village was ordinary and uneventful. But after his father's death.
MARCH 17
St. Patrick
St. Patrick was believed born in fifth-century Britain to Roman parents. When he was sixteen, he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland.
MARCH 18
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
St. Cyril was born around 315 when a new phase was beginning for Christians. Before that date, the Church was persecuted by the emperors.
MARCH 19
St. Joseph
St. Joseph is a great saint. He was Jesus' foster-father and Mary's husband.
MARCH 20
St. Cuthbert
St. Cuthbert lived in England in the seventh century. He was a poor shepherd boy who loved to play games with his friends.
MARCH 21
St. Serapion
St. Serapion lived in Egypt in the fourth century. Those were exciting times for the Church and for St. Serapion.
MARCH 22
St. Deogratias
St. Deogratias was ordained bishop of the City of Carthage when it was taken over by barbarian armies in 439.
MARCH 23
St. Turibius of Mongrovejo
St. Turibius was born in 1538 in Leon, Spain. He became a university professor and then a famous judge.
MARCH 24
Blessed Didacus
Blessed Didacus Joseph was born on March 29, 1743, in Cadiz, Spain. He was baptized Joseph Francis.
MARCH 25
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
The time arrived for Jesus to come down from heaven. God sent the Archangel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth where Mary lived.
MARCH 26
St. Ludger
St. Ludger was born in northern Europe in the eighth century. After he had studied hard for many years, he was ordained a priest.
MARCH 27
St. John of Egypt
St. John was man who desired to be alone with God was to become one of the most famous hermits of his time.
MARCH 28
St. Tutilo
St. Tutilo lived in the late ninth and early tenth centuries. He was educated at the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Gall.
MARCH 29
St. Jonas and St. Barachisius
King Sapor of Persia reigned in the fourth century. He hated Christians and persecuted them cruelly. He destroyed their churches and monasteries.
MARCH 30
St. John Climacus
St. John was believed born in Palestine in the seventh century. He seems to have been a disciple of St. Gregory Nazianzen.
MARCH 31
Blessed Joan of Toulouse
In 1240, some Carmelite brothers from Palestine started a monastery in Toulouse, France.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God?
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