St. Benedict Joseph Labre

Today is the feast of my patron saint for 2010. Here is some information about him:
St. Benedict Joseph Labre, Pray for us!

St. Benedict Joseph Labre

(d. 1783)

Benedict Joseph Labre was truly eccentric, one of God's special little ones. Born in France and the eldest of 18 children, he studied under his uncle, a parish priest. Because of poor health and a lack of suitable academic preparation he was unsuccessful in his attempts to enter the religious life. Then, at 16 years of age, a profound change took place. Benedict lost his desire to study and gave up all thoughts of the priesthood, much to the consternation of his relatives.

He became a pilgrim, traveling from one great shrine to another, living off alms. He wore the rags of a beggar and shared his food with the poor. Filled with the love of God and neighbor, Benedict had special devotion to the Blessed Mother and to the Blessed Sacrament. In Rome, where he lived in the Colosseum for a time, he was called "the poor man of the Forty Hours Devotion" and "the beggar of Rome." The people accepted his ragged appearance better than he did. His excuse to himself was that "our comfort is not in this world."

On the last day of his life, April 16, 1783, Benedict Joseph dragged himself to a church in Rome and prayed there for two hours before he collapsed, dying peacefully in a nearby house. Immediately after his death the people proclaimed him a saint.

He was officially proclaimed a saint by Pope Leo XIII at canonization ceremonies in 1883.

Comment:

In a modern inner city, one local character kneels for hours on the sidewalk and prays. Swathed in his entire wardrobe winter and summer, he greets passersby with a blessing. Where he sleeps no one knows, but he is surely a direct spiritual descendant of Benedict, the ragged man who slept in the ruins of Rome’s Colosseum. These days we ascribe such behavior to mental illness; Benedict’s contemporaries called him holy. Holiness is always a bit mad by earthly standards.

Patron Saint for 2010

I have just become aware of a blog that promotes having a patron saint for the year. This practice is mentioned in St. Faustina's diary as something that the sisters in her order did every year. Marianne, from the Patron Saint blog, insists that, although she is the "middle man," so to speak, it is actually the saint that chooses us. She has received feedback about the spiritual growth and experiences associated with this devotion and is convinced that the saint chooses us for a particular reason(s). Here is an excerpt from her blog:

"I truly believe that I am only a go-between between the two of you and that it is really the saint "choosing" you! Why? So many people that I have assisted have emailed me again and again telling me of the connections, intercessions and even miracles that have occurred due to their spiritual guides! I have been overwhelmed and awed by all of this and am humbled and honored to have taken on this task. I always suggest that you take some time to research your saints so you get to know them better and then you will be able to recognize the connections and intercessions that you and your saint will share."

To discover your patron saint for 2010 visit Marianne's blog: The 2010 Patron Saint of the Year Ministry

My patron for this year is St. Benedict Joseph Labre. I can't wait to get to know him better!

ht: Become What You Are