ALL POSTS TAGGED: BLEST ARE WE



Titus came from a Catholic family in the Netherlands that actively encouraged the children to serve the Lord. Three of Titus’ sisters became nuns, and a brother became a Franciscan priest. Titus was ordained a Carmelite priest in 1905, when he was 24 years old.


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Alphonsus was what we call a “gifted” student today. He was a lawyer by the time he was 16 years old! He came from a wealthy family in Naples, Italy, and had every advantage in life from the moment he was born in 1696. But his parents were spiritually devoted people, and Alphonsus was taught that the greatest blessing he had been given was his faith. He prayed often and attended Mass even on days when he was appearing in court.


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John Vianney was born a peasant in Dardilly, France, in 1786. As a youth, John shepherded sheep on his father’s farm. It was during the French Revolution, and it was illegal for Catholics to attend Mass at the time. But the Vianney family traveled distances every Sunday to worship and pray in secret. Because of this, young John saw priests as particularly heroic to the people. Even after the revolution ended, when religion could again be practiced openly, John felt drawn to the vocation of the priesthood.


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Edith Stein was born in 1891 in Breslau, Poland, to a Jewish family. As a child, she was an extraordinary student, and in 1916 she received a doctorate in philosophy and began to teach at a university. Her family was religious, but Edith had no interest in religion. Eventually she became drawn to the Catholic faith after reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila.


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Clare’s parents wanted a good life for their daughter, who was born in Assisi in Italy in 1194. But what they wanted for Clare was not what Clare had in mind. At age 15 she refused to marry. One day she heard St. Francis, who was also from Assisi, preach. At that moment, she knew what she must do with her life. She knew she wanted to be like Francis. She would live a humble life dedicated to Jesus.


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Raymund Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894. His family was very poor, but they were rich in spirit. In 1914, his father was captured and killed by the Russians for fighting for Polish independence.


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Helena had two wishes. She wanted to be a good mother. And she was. She wanted to find the cross on which Jesus had been crucified. And she did.


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Giuseppe Sarto was born in 1835 to a poor but faithful family in Italy. He never understood the importance that was placed on money. He was very content with what he already had and didn’t want anything more. Giuseppe placed great value on his relationship with God. He held the belief that as long as he had his faith and the love of God, he had everything that he needed.


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Even as a baby, Isabel de Flores so pretty that she was called “Rose,” the most beautiful of all the flowers. Growing up in Lima, Peru, where she was born in 1586, Isabel developed a talent for gardening, so it is not surprising that she took the name “Rose” as her confirmation name. As she tended the flowers in her family garden, she prayed. Her relationship with God was the most important thing in her life.


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During the Middle Ages, many European kings believed that they had a divine right to rule, so they did whatever they wanted. They treated people unfairly. They taxed heavily. They did not worry about justice. Louis IX of France was not like that. He believed that good kings served others.


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