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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 |
SEPTEMBER 1
ST. GILES
St. Giles was born in Athens, Greece, in early times. When his parents died, he used the large fortune they left him to help the poor. 
SEPTEMBER 2
BLESSED JOHN DU LAU AND THE SEPTEMBER MARTYRS
Blessed John was the archbishop of Arles, France..
SEPTEMBER 3
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
St. Gregory was born in 540 in Rome. His father was a senator. His mother is a saint, St. Celia.
SEPTEMBER 4
ST. ROSE OF VITERBO
St. Rose was born in 1235 in Viterbo, Italy. She lived at the time when Emperor Frederick had conquered land that belonged to the Church.
SEPTEMBER 5
ST. LAWRENCE JUSTINIAN
St. Lawrence Justinian was born in Venice, Italy, in 1381.
SEPTEMBER 6
BLESSED BERTRAND
Blessed Bertrand lived in the last half of the twelfth and first part of the thirteenth centuries.
SEPTEMBER 7
BLESSED JOHN DUCKETT AND BLESSED RALPH CORBY
Blessed James Duckett studied at the English college of Douay and became a priest in 1639.
SEPTEMBER 8
BIRTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
We do not usually celebrate the birthdays of the saints.
SEPTEMBER 9
ST. PETER CLAVER
St. Peter Claver, the Spanish priest of the Society of Jesus was born in 1580.
SEPTEMBER 10
ST. NICHOLAS OF TOLENTINO
St. Nicholas was born in 1245 in Ancona, Italy. His parents had waited long and anxiously for a child.
SEPTEMBER 11
BLESSED LOUIS OF THURINGIA
Blessed Loius, the German prince, lived during the last part of the twelfth and first part of the thirteenth centuries.
SEPTEMBER 13
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch around 344.
SEPTEMBER 15
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Our Lady had many great joys as the mother of Jesus, but she had much to suffer, too.
SEPTEMBER 16
ST. CORNELIUS AND ST. CYPRIAN
St. Cornelius, a holy priest of Rome, was elected Pope in 251. He accepted because he loved Christ.
SEPTEMBER 17
ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE
St. Robert Bellarmine was born in Italy in 1542.
SEPTEMBER 18
ST. JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO
St. Joseph was born on June 17, 1603, in a small Italian village to poor parents.
SEPTEMBER 19
ST. JANUARIUS
St. Januarius lived in the fourth century. He was born either in Benevento or Naples, Italy.
SEPTEMBER 20
ST. ANDREW KIM TAEGON AND ST. PAUL CHONG HASANG
St. Andrew Kim Taegon was a priest and St. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay person.
SEPTEMBER 21
ST. MATTHEW
St. Matthew was a tax collector in the city of Capernaum, where Jesus was living.
SEPTEMBER 22
ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
St. Thomas was born in Spain in 1488.
SEPTEMBER 24
ST. PACIFICUS
St. Pacificus, a little Italian boy born in 1653 was named Charles Anthony. He was just five years old when his loving parents died.
SEPTEMBER 25
ST. SERGIUS
St. Serguis, the famous Russian saint lived in the fourteenth century.
SEPTEMBER 27
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
St. Vincent de Paul, the son of poor French peasants, was born in 1581.
SEPTEMBER 28
ST. LAWRENCE RUIZ AND COMPANIONS
St. Lawrence Ruiz, and his fifteen companions were killed for their faith in 1637, in Nagasaki, Japan.
SEPTEMBER 29
ST. MICHAEL, ST. GABRIEL, ST. RAPHAEL
Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are called "saints" because they are holy.
SEPTEMBER 30
ST. JEROME
St. Jerome was a Roman Christian who lived in the fourth century.
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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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