July 21 2021 - St. Lawrence of Brindisi - Producing fruit a hundredfold

Augusto_Mussini_-_S._Lorenzo_da_Brindisi

St. Lawrence of Brindisi devoted himself to many different forms of service in his 60 years: Franciscan priest, Army chaplain, diplomat & peacemaker, miracle-worker, exorcist, theologian, biblical scholar, linguist, confessor, mystic, and leader of the Counter-Reformation, doctor of the Church.  Certainly a man of many talents. 

A 17th Century  contemporary of his, the Cardinal theologian Cajetan, said that St. Lawrence of Brindisi was “an incarnation of the old apostles, who, speaking to all nations, were understood by all.  He is a living Pentecost.” St. Lawrence was certainly enlivened by the Holy Spirit, he was able to preach effectively in at least 6 languages. 

As vicar general for the Capuchins he combined his brilliance, his great administrative skill, and his great sensitivity and human compassion.  He founded many friaries, in Prague, Vienna, Bohemia, Madrid, and Austria.

What was the source of his greatness, of his devotion, of his fortitude, and immense energy?  No doubt he allowed the seed of the Word of God to be planted deeply in his heart, to borrow the image from the Gospel today. And that seed did not remain dormant and unnourished. Lawrence had a vibrant interior life—particularly a great love for the Mass and a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin to whom he attributed his vocation. He would sometimes be so caught up in ecstasy during the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice that he would be weeping with love and adoration.

He cleared his soul of the thorns of earthly attachment by a life of poverty and simplicity. He cleared out the rocks in his soul of hard-heartedness, stubbornness, resentment. 

If we wish to become the person God made us to become, we too must nurture the seed of the Word of God and till the soil of our souls. To develop a burning love of Christ, we must seek purification from all of our sins, habituating ourselves in the ways of Christ through a fervent practice of the virtue, enlightenment of mind through meditation of His Holy Word, and seek as our true nourishment prayer and the Sacraments. 

In the words of St. Lawrence: “My dear souls, let us recognize, I pray you, Christ’s infinite charity towards us in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist. In order that our love be a spiritual love, He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us.”

May we seek that new heart, new love, new spirit, and new energy for the work of the Gospel in the Eucharist we celebrate and receive this day, that our lives may bear fruit a hundredfold, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the Holy Spirit may animate the lives of all Christians, deepening in them conviction for the Gospel. 

That our young people on summer vacation may be kept safe from the poisonous errors of our culture, and that their families may be places where the faith is practiced and cherished.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering. We pray.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

 

July 21, 2017 - St. Lawrence of Brindisi - "He is a living Pentecost"

A 17th Century contemporary of his, the Cardinal theologian Cajetan, said that St. Lawrence of Brindisi was “an incarnation of the old apostles, who, speaking to all nations, were understood by all.  He is a living Pentecost.” St. Lawrence was certainly enlivened by the Holy Spirit, he was able to preach effectively in at least 6 languages.

Saint Pope John XXIII honored this gifted son of St. Francis by proclaiming him a Doctor of the Universal Church with the title “Apostolic Doctor”.

St. Lawrence accomplished so many different kinds of service in his sixty years of life: Army chaplain, diplomat & peacemaker, miracle-worker, exorcist, theologian, biblical scholar, linguist, confessor, mystic, and leader of the Counter-Reformation, doctor of the Church.  As vicar general for the Capuchins he combined his brilliance, his great administrative skill, and his great sensitivity and human compassion.  He founded many friaries, in Prague, Vienna, Bohemia, Madrid, and Austria.

What was the source of his greatness, of his devotion, of his fortitude, and courage?  His effectiveness as a preacher derived from an intense interior life—particularly his great love for the Mass and the Blessed Virgin to whom he attributed his vocation. He would sometimes be so caught up in ecstasy during the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice that he would be weeping with love and adoration.

If we wish to become the person God made us to become, we too must make the interior journey: we must come to have a burning love of Christ, seeking purification sins, habituating ourselves in the ways of Christ through a fervent practice of the virtue, enlightenment of mind through meditation of His Holy Word. We must seek to see as our true nourishment prayer and the Sacraments.

Fulton Sheen often said that the reason many of us are not the saints God made us to be, is because we do not wholly wish to become them. We play pretend at seeking God, instead of really making Him our life’s quest.

In the words of St. Lawrence: “Christ came into this world to do battle with Satan, to turn the world to faith and the true worship of God.”

May our faith and worship be purified and strengthened by this holy Saint, may he help us to deepen our zeal and courage for the Gospel, to develop our gifts for the building up of the Church, for the work of God, for his Glory, and the salvation of souls.
 
- - - - - - - -
For Bishop Nelson Perez, the next shepherd of our diocese; for our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Daniel Thomas; for Bishop-emeritus Richard Lennon; that the Holy Spirit will continue to enlighten and empower them with grace, confidence and hope.  We pray.

For our Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of July: that our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life. We pray.

That the Holy Spirit may enlighten all Christians, deepening in them conviction for the Gospel. We pray.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering. We pray.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.