ALL POSTS TAGGED: BLEST ARE WE

Louise was born into a wealthy French family in 1591, but all the money in the world could not stop sadness from touching her life. Her mother died when was young and her father died when she was a teenager. She was raised by her aunt, a nun, and Louise felt called to religious life, but she was discouraged from it. Instead, her priest arranged for Louise to marry a young man named Antoine LeGras, who could provide her with a comfortable life.

An apostle leaves home and country, family and friends, to preach the good news of God’s love. God uses the apostle to reach out to pagans who believe in many gods. They do not know the beauty and goodness of the one true God. The apostle Patrick brought the great good news of the Christian God to the Irish.

The Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John tell us everything we know about Joseph, the husband of Jesus’ mother, Mary. But the importance of Joseph’s part in God’s plan is first found in the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promises to send a Messiah to save all people. The Savior will come from the “house of David,” which means that he will be an ancestor of King David. Both Matthew and Luke Gospels tell us that Joseph was from the family of David.

Imagine how your life would change if you had to move to an unknown land more than 6,000 miles away! That’s what happened to Turibius of Mogrovejo, born in 1538.

Margaret was born in 1555 in England. She was raised as a Protestant, a member of the Church of England, but after her marriage to John Clitherow, she made the decision to become Catholic. It was a brave decision, because Margaret lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who wanted to rid England of all Catholics and the practice of the Catholic faith.

Benedict was a slave, but he always knew that his only true master was Jesus. Benedict’s parents, Christopher and Diana Manasseri, were taken from their home in Africa and sold into slavery in Messina, Italy, where Benedict was born in 1524.

Vincent Ferrer, the most gifted preacher of his time, often gave his sermons outdoors because no church could hold the huge crowds that came to hear him speak about God’s love and forgiveness.
 

Stanislaus is the patron saint of Poland. Some people call him the second John the Baptist because, like John, Stanislaus stood up for his faith.

Juanita came from a wealthy family in Santiago, Chile, where she was born in 1900. There was a chapel on the family property and Juanita attended Mass every day from the time she was a small child. She could hardly wait for her First Communion so that she could receive Jesus.

Margaret was born in Florence, Italy, in 1287. She was a great disappointment to her wealthy parents. She was born blind and with very serious spine and leg problems. Her parents were ashamed of her and told people that she had died at birth.