In the 14th century, a number of English men and women withdrew from the world. They lived alone as hermits or anchorites. Their hermitage, or cell, was a small room attached to a local church. Each room had two windows. One pierced the church wall. Through this window, the anchorite received communion. Through the second window, the anchorite received food brought to him or her by village people.
The other farmhands thought Isidore was lazy and caused them extra work. Like them, Isidore was a day laborer on a wealthy estate in Madrid, Spain, about a thousand years ago. Because Isidore took time to go to Mass before coming to work, the other farmers thought they were doing some of his share of the work. They didn’t like that. Little did they know that Isidore did have some extra help, but it wasn’t them!
In the Mass on St. Philip Neri’s feast day, we pray, “Lord, keep us always cheerful in our work for the glory of your name and the good of our neighbor” (Sacramentary, page 638). Philip was known for his cheerfulness and sense of humor. He used these gifts to serve God and to help others to grow in their faith.
In May of 1429, a young woman clad in white armor rode her horse onto the battlefield at Orleans. Behind her marched hundreds of French soldiers. Following her battle cry, they defeated the English and won great victories for France during the Hundred Years' War.
Justin was born in Palestine around the year 100. He was well educated and became a professor of philosophy. He was interested in the meaning of life and why the world and people exist.
Charles Lwanga was born in Uganda on the continent of Africa in the last half of the 19th century. He and other young men and boys were required to work for King Mwanga. King Mwanga was an evil man who treated all people harshly, especially the boys who worked for him.
Paula Frassinetti led a happy life in Genoa, Italy, until she was 9. That was when her mother died, in 1818, leaving Paula to care for her father and four brothers and their household. At this young age, she made many sacrifices to give attention to her family.
Anthony of Padua felt that God called him to try many new and different things. As he felt the tug of God’s love, he gave up one job to work at another. He did this over and over.
In the Opening Prayer on June 22, we pray, “Give us the courage to proclaim our faith by the witness of our lives” (Sacramentary). Thomas More was a man of great faith and courage whose life shows us what it means to be a witness to our faith.
Does it surprise you that a man who once wanted to put Christians to death became one of the Church’s greatest saints? That man is Saint Paul.