St. Paul of the Cross - Oct. 20th

  

 Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, who was born in 1694 in the republic of Genoa. His infancy and youth were spent in great innocence and piety.

In an ecstasy, He was inspired by God to found a congregation dedicated to the Passion of Christ called the Passionists. During the ecstasy he had a vision of the habit, which the Passionists wear today. He was a missionary for 50 years in Italy. He believed he was a great sinner, and so treated himself with great rigor. He died a saintly death at the age of 81.

In the office of readings today, he exhorts all to practice every virtue and especially to imitate the patience of Christ, for he says, “this is the summit of pure love”.

He said, we should live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ Crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy.

St. Paul of the Cross said, “For if man is united inwardly with the Son of the living God, he also bears his likeness outwardly by his continual practice of heroic goodness, and especially through patience reinforced by courage, which does not complain either secretly or in public. Conceal yourselves in Jesus Crucified, and hope for nothing except that all men be thoroughly converted to His will.”

He said, “When you become true lovers of the Crucified, you will celebrate the feast of the Cross in the inner temple of the soul, bearing all in silence, and not relying on any creature. Since festivals ought to be celebrated joyfully, those who love the Crucified should honor the feast of the Cross by enduring silence with a serene and joyful countenance, so that their suffering remains hidden from men and is observed by God alone. For in this feast there is always a solemn banquet, and the food presented is the will of God, exemplified by the love of our Crucified Christ.”

Today, let us heed the words of St. Paul of the Cross, and therefore become one with our beloved Crucified Savior and so celebrate the feast of our Crucified Savior within the temple of our heart-- in patience, in silence, and with joy for Him, who died for love of us.