Our Saint of the Day 😇 watched his father kill a relative in a duel over property.
Hello John,
Today's readings share the remarkable story of Romuald, a man of unwavering faith and resilience. His journey of founding monasteries, facing illness, and enduring unjust accusations is truly inspiring. Despite the challenges he encountered, Romuald remained dedicated to his calling and continued to spread the message of hope and perseverance. If you are able, please consider making a donation to help us further our mission in providing resources in the spirit of St. Francis. Donate today! |
Saint of the Day for June 19: Romuald
Saint Romuald’s Story In the midst of a wasted youth, Romuald watched his father kill a relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near Ravenna. After three years, some of the monks found him to be uncomfortably holy and eased him out. Romuald spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to give his life to Christ in martyrdom, and got the pope’s permission to preach the gospel in Hungary. But he was struck with illness as soon as he arrived, and the illness recurred as often as he tried to proceed. During another period of his life, Romuald suffered great spiritual dryness. One day as he was praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding and I will instruct you”), he was given an extraordinary light and spirit which never left him. At the next monastery where he stayed, Romuald was accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a dissolute life. Amazingly, his fellow monks believed the accusation. He was given a severe penance, forbidden from offering Mass, and excommunicated—an unjust sentence that he endured in silence for six months. The most famous of the monasteries Romuald founded was that of the Camaldoli in Tuscany. Here began the Order of the Camaldolese Benedictines, uniting the monastic and eremitical lives. In later life Romuald’s own father became a monk, wavered, and was kept faithful by the encouragement of his son. Reflection Christ is a gentle leader, but he calls us to total holiness. Now and then, men and women are raised up to challenge us by the absoluteness of their dedication, the vigor of their spirit, the depth of their conversion. The fact that we cannot duplicate their lives does not change the call to us to be totally open to God in our own particular circumstances.
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Loving Father to the Son of God Joseph held before his very eyes the one who is himself the ultimate enticement of the human heart. His yes to the Father’s plan echoed in the life he shared with Mary and Jesus, just as the “I do” of marital consent resounds in the daily life of the Christian couple. Purified by Mary’s lJoseove and then the love of her son, Joseph cared for them both with an upright and undivided heart. Joseph’s love of Mary freed him from the bonds of concupiscence. Sensual lust had no place in the home at Nazareth. The sole pride of Joseph’s life was the privilege of caring for Jesus and his mother. An ongoing purification of vision assured Joseph’s ability to recognize and fulfill the will of God in everything. —from the book Joseph: The Man Who Raised Jesus
by Fr. Gary Caster |
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A Celebration for Freedom
Reflect In 2021, Juneteenth became a nationally recognized holiday. It commemorates the end of slavery in the confederate states. The word “Juneteenth” is a combination of the month of June and the 19th, which is the day in 1865 when the Union Army established full authority over the state of Texas. This holiday is an opportunity to stand with our sisters and brothers of color, acknowledging the evils of slavery in our country.
Pray God of freedom,
You continually showed us in Scripture and history
how you are always for the poor, the marginalized,
those held under the weight of unjust oppression.
We who call ourselves American citizens name and repent
for the evils of slavery and the many effects of racism in our country.
Help me to be committed to owning my biases
and listening to the voices that call me to do better as a human being,
as a follower of Jesus.
Amen. Act Consider reading a book on the perspective of a man or woman on the experience of being Black in America today—perhaps Howard Thurman or Cole Arthur Riley. How might their perspective change you for the better? Today's Pause+Pray was written by Patricia Breen. Learn more here! |
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