SAINT OF THE DAY -- March 5 - Saint John of the Cross
March 5
St. John Joseph of the Cross
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Self-denial is never an end in itself but is only a help toward greater
charity—as the life of Saint John Joseph shows.
John
Joseph was very ascetic even as a young man. At 16 he joined the
Franciscans in Naples; he was the first Italian to follow the reform
movement of Saint Peter Alcantara. John’s reputation for holiness
prompted his superiors to put him in charge of establishing a new
friary even before he was ordained.
Obedience moved John to
accept appointments as novice master, guardian and, finally,
provincial. His years of mortification enabled him to offer these
services to the friars with great charity. As guardian he was not above
working in the kitchen or carrying the wood and water needed by the
friars.
When his term as provincial expired, John Joseph
dedicated himself to hearing confessions and practicing mortification,
two concerns contrary to the spirit of the dawning Age of
Enlightenment. John Joseph was canonized in 1839.
Comment:
John
Joseph’s mortification allowed him to be the kind of forgiving superior
intended by St. Francis. Self-denial should lead us to charity—not to
bitterness; it should help us clarify our priorities and make us more
loving. John Joseph is living proof of Chesterton’s observation: "It is
always easy to let the age have its head; the difficult thing is to
keep one’s own" (G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, page 101).
Quote:"And
by this I wish to know if you love the Lord God and me, his servant and
yours—if you have acted in this manner: that is, there should not be
any brother in the world who has sinned, however much he may have
possibly sinned, who, after he has looked into your eyes, would go away
without having received your mercy, if he is looking for mercy. And if
he were not to seek mercy, you should ask him if he wants mercy. And if
he should sin thereafter a thousand times before your very eyes, love
him more than me so that you may draw him back to the Lord. Always be
merciful to [brothers] such as these" (St. Francis, Letter to a Minister).
Prayer
:
St. John Joseph, we ask today for your mighty intercession, to pray for us that we learn humility and seek an attitude of service so we, too, may follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
In His Mighty Name we pray, Amen.
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If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please know that my husband and I pray for you every single night.
If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE OR (1-800-799-7233)
SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Do you:
feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
avoid certain topics fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
Does your partner:
- humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?
- treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
- ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
- blame you for his own abusive behavior?
- see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
Does your partner:
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
Does your partner:
- act excessively jealous and possessive?
- control where you go or what you do?
- keep you from seeing your friends or family?
- limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
- constantly check up on you?