Readings & Reflections: Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time & St. Francesco Antonio Fasani, November 27,2019
Christ warns that, when enemies seize us, persecute us, and drag us before kings because of Christ’s name, “it will lead to your giving testimony.” God himself will give us a wisdom that will render our adversaries powerless to resist or refuse – a wisdom even more awesome that the mystical writing on the wall. Perseverance in this promise brings security to our lives.
AMDG+
Opening Payer
“Lord, by your cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the gospel.” Lord Jesus, You have offered to give us the wisdom to speak and to address our adversaries or those who may reject us due to our faith. Lord we claim that promise to be upon us! In your Name, I pray. Amen.
Reading 1
Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,
with whom he drank.
Under the influence of the wine,
he ordered the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
to be brought in so that the king, his lords,
his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
When the gold and silver vessels
taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,
and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers
were drinking wine from them,
they praised their gods of gold and silver,
bronze and iron, wood and stone.
Suddenly, opposite the lampstand,
the fingers of a human hand appeared,
writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.
When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;
his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,
and his knees knocked.
Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.
The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,
whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;
if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,
you shall be clothed in purple,
wear a gold collar about your neck,
and be third in the government of the kingdom.”
Daniel answered the king:
“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;
but the writing I will read for you, O king,
and tell you what it means.
You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.
You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,
so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,
might drink wine from them;
and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone,
that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.
But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.
“This is the writing that was inscribed:
MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.
These words mean:
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
Gospel
Lk 21:12-19
Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection 1 – The Writing on the Wall
God took King Nebuchadnezzar who was filled with pride and self and worked in his life. He brought Nebuchadnezzar to the end of himself, honored Him and blessed the pagan king to full faith in Him. Belshazzar, the new king of Babylon, was a different story.
Belshazzar ignored God, His Word and His will. He paid a terrible price. His story stands as a powerful warning to those who would turn against God. His is the handwriting on the wall of those who refuse to honor God in spirit and in truth.
Daniel appeared to have lost his influence in Babylon because King Belshazzar did not seem to know about him; but when a man is faithful to the word of God and proclaims it without apology, sooner or later he will have an opportunity to speak, even to important men. God will bless him in the most appropriate time. He will reach down and take His faithful servants and put them in a place where they will have the occasion to speak for Him.
Today, our Lord wants us to examine the handwriting on the wall of our community life. What is the truth behind our community affairs?
We claim that we are living in the Spirit, abiding by God’s will, yet we may have found it difficult to accept the truth. There appears a struggle in community to distance itself from the historical foundations of our community. However, a careful reading of history is enough to remind us of how our community came to be.
Today, the questions being presented are matters related to sensitive community issues that relate to subsidiarity, discernment, transparency and empowerment. They are not new. We all know them yet we fail to address them. As Daniel speaks, “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.” Daniel 5:22
We all need to examine our hearts and the handwriting on the wall, lest we lose everything in the midst of disciple indifference, declining attendance, discouraging response to our evangelical charisms and diminishing financial support.
Lord, we thank you for caring more about who we can become rather than what we settle for. Keep showing us the unpleasantness in our community that needs to be rooted out so that we can become free and find the land of true beauty. Let NOT the words inscribed on Belshazzar’s wall be upon us… “MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.” Daniel 5:25
Have mercy on us, Lord, and give us the grace to be humble and to abide by Your will and the TRUTH that will set us free.
Reflection 2 – Affiliating yourself with Christ
Affiliating yourself with Christ and being His disciple implies a lot of things and one of them Jesus stated in today’s gospel, “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony.” Are you ready for such circumstance in your life? Or are you about to jump ship and give up your faith in our Lord Jesus?
It is indeed amazing that despite what the Scripture states and their fulfillment in history, people still embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Our Lord has assured us that He will always be by our side. And for those who continue to be faithful to Him, they are blessed with the kind of courage to face any adversary, even death itself. And for those who are not actually called upon to render to the Lord this supreme testimony of love, all are given the strength not to run away from any duty and responsibility, little or great, through fear of sacrifice, persecution and death. Even those who are naturally timid, God gives the courage to stand by what is right in His eyes and gives them the words to respond to any litigation and questioning.
It may not be within our own strength to suppress the sensible fear which we inherit from our fallen nature but with Jesus in our hearts He gives us the grace so that fear may not take possession of our will and effectively paralyze our acts. With God’s grace, we can go through any trial or persecution and all human strength can only amount to nothing but mere weakness.
Keep the faith amidst any adversary as Jesus will always be there to defend us! He is our Defender and Counselor and He will set us free in any difficult situation if we speak and act His truth.
Direction
Depend on God’s wisdom and on His never-ending presence and protection.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me the grace to live and fight for your cause. In Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Reflection 3 – Be good and persevere at persecution
Joseph (not his real name) was the model of a trusted military officer, rising in his nation’s army to the rank of colonel in the Special Forces. With this came great opportunity, both for good and bad. Deployed into a region racked with drug trafficking, Joseph was intent on bringing justice to that plague area. He and his troops began dealing with the criminals to protect the people. Some of his superiors, who were corrupt and took bribes from the drug runners, ordered him to turn his head to let them move their drugs. He repeatedly refused until he was finally set-up, arrested and imprisoned for 8 years – for doing good. Sadly, we live in a world where at times doing good brings suffering. This was true for Joseph; his payment for serving his people was unjust imprisonment.
The apostle Peter, having also been jailed for doing good, understood that kind of heartache. He gave us this perspective: “It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Pt 3:17). To follow Jesus is never easy. Jesus said to his disciples, “No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master” (Mt 10:24). If Jesus was persecuted and crucified, we can expect the same kind of treatment from the world, for we are his followers. After all, Jesus did not promise us a life of comfort and luxury as He said, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” (Lk 9:58). He did not promise us a smooth flight; just a safe landing. Hence, Jesus gives his followers an assurance, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (Lk 21:17-19). We will not, and we should not run away from all these trials and persecutions in the name of Christ. In all these sufferings, Jesus is with us, and he will always lead us to final victory and glory.
During these times, there are no more bloody persecutions. But the challenges and persecutions we have now, though not bloody, are equally serious. To stand for what is morally right, to fight for the truth, and to defend the weak and the voiceless unborn babies are becoming more and more difficult in a society like ours which adores money, power and luxury as the highest good. Our moral values and spiritual convictions are seriously challenged and even ostracized and ridiculed by the worldly people.
These are the times when we have to make stand as followers of Jesus. We are called to show our fidelity and loyalty to Jesus despite all the sufferings and persecutions. Then we can expect that Jesus will always be with us to lead us to final victory and glory. Armed with deep trust in God, we say, like St. Paul, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom 8:31)? God will give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you eager to bear witness to the joy and freedom of the gospel?
Let’s examine ourselves and pray, “Lord, by your cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joy and confidence and make me a bold witness of your saving truth that others may know the joy and freedom of the gospel.”
Reflection 4 – Not a hair of your head will perish
If the Gospel message is good news, then why do so many people treat Christians with contempt and hostility for their beliefs and practices? Jesus warns his followers that they will be confronted with wickedness, false teaching, persecution, as well as the temptation to renounce their faith when it is put to the test.
Satan destroys and kills – God restores and gives life
The real enemy of the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ – is Satan (also called Lucifer), the powerful leader of the fallen angels who rebelled against God and who were cast out of heaven. Satan opposes God and all who follow his rule of peace and righteousness (moral goodness) on the earth. Jesus calls Satan a “murderer” who turns brother against brother and the “father of lies” who twists the truth and speaks falsehood (John 8:44). Satan not only opposes God’s rule, he seeks to destroy all who would obey God. Satan will use any means possible to turn people away from God. He tempts people through envy, deception, hatred, and fear to provoke hostility towards those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is Jesus’ response to hostility and persecution? Love, forbearance, and forgiveness. Only love – the love which is rooted in God’s great compassion and faithfulness – can overcome prejudice, hatred, and envy. God’s love purifies our heart and mind of all that would divide and tear people apart. Knowing God as our compassionate Father and loving God’s word of truth and righteousness (moral goodness) is essential for overcoming evil. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear those who would oppose us or treat us harshly for following the Lord Jesus. He promises to give us supernatural strength, wisdom, and courage as we take a stand for our faith and witness to the truth and love of Christ.
The Gospel is good news for the whole world because it is God’s eternal word of truth, love, pardon, and salvation (being set free from sin and evil) through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has won the victory for us through his atoning death on the cross for our sins and his rising from the grave – his resurrection power that brings abundant life and restoration for us. That is why the Gospel has power to set people free from sin, fear and death, and bring peace, pardon, and new life.
Endurance never gives up hope in God
Jesus tells his disciples that if they endure to the end they will gain their lives – they will inherit abundant life and lasting happiness with God. Endurance is an essential strength which God gives to those who put their trust in him. Endurance is the patience which never gives up hope, never yields to despair or hatred. Patience is long-suffering because it looks beyond the present difficulties and trials and sees the reward which comes to those who persevere with hope and trust in God. That is why godly endurance is more than human effort. It is first and foremost a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to bear up under any trial or temptation.
Endurance is linked with godly hope – the supernatural assurance that we will see God face to face and inherit all the promises he has made. Jesus is our supreme model and pioneer who endured the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2). “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus willingly shed his blood for us – to win for us pardon and peace with God. Our joy and privilege is to take up our cross each day to follow the Lord Jesus.
True martyrs live and die as witnesses of Christ and the Gospel of peace
The word “martyr” in the New Testament Greek means “witness”. The Book of Revelation says that “Jesus was the faithful witness …who freed us from our sins by his blood” (Revelation 1:5). Tertullian, a second century lawyer who converted when he saw Christians singing as they went out to die by the hands of their persecutors, exclaimed: “The blood of the martyrs is seed.” Their blood is the seed of new Christians, the seed of the church.
The third century bishop, Cyprian said: “When persecution comes, God’s soldiers are put to the test, and heaven is open to martyrs. We have not enlisted in an army to think of peace and to decline battle, for we see that the Lord has taken first place in the conflict.” True martyrs live and die as witnesses of the Gospel. They overcome their enemies through persevering hope and courage, undying love and forbearance, kindness, goodness, and compassion.
God may call some of us to be martyrs who shed their blood for bearing witness to Jesus Christ. But for most of us, our call is to be ‘dry’ martyrs who bear testimony to the joy and power of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus.
We do not need to fear our adversaries
What will attract others to the truth and power of the Gospel? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. God will give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ and to bear witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?
“Lord Jesus Christ, by your atoning death on the cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joyful hope, courage, and boldness to witness the truth of your love for sinners and your victory over the powers of sin, Satan, and death.” – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2019/nov27.htm
Reflection 5 – Blessed are the persecuted
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says to his disciples (including you and me), “People will persecute you, so get used to it, accept it, and remember that by persevering — with me at your side — your eternal life in the glory of heaven is secure.”
He said we’d be summoned into synagogues, which in Jesus’ day was like being sent to the principal’s office in grade school. (Yeah, the little kid in us can identify with that!)
Perhaps you’ve been called into your employer’s office after praying with co-workers. Or maybe your job has been threatened because you refuse to cooperate with illegal and immoral business activities.
Perhaps people have ranted and raged at you and insulted you because you spoke up against abortion or same sex marriages. Or you’ve had to endure someone’s efforts to set you “straight” about their misconceptions of Catholic beliefs. I’ve been told: “Stop writing all this misleading stuff about some dead guy named Jesus. I have been trying to un-brainwash my friend who reads your reflections.”
People persecute us because they don’t understand. Repeat what Jesus prayed as he hung on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” Whether they were taught to believe the deceptions or they have consciously chosen to reject the truth, we must continue to love them. We cannot change their minds by arguing with them, but we can reveal Jesus to them by persistently giving them his love through our actions.
When it’s time to back up our actions with Holy Spirit-inspired words, we are not to worry. If we are called into the office (or whatever our “synagogue” is) on account of our Christianity, we first forgive and then we open our mouths, relying on the Holy Spirit to give us wise and caring words that our adversaries cannot contradict. Oh, they might persist in disagreeing with us, just as the scribes and Pharisees did with Jesus. To the ears of non-Christians, it might even sound like they’re defeating us, but they cannot change the truth no matter how hard they try.
Truth is the hardest substance in the universe. It’s unchangeable, undentable, unbreakable. As the truth comes out of our mouths and the contrasting misinterpretation of the truth comes out of our adversaries, anyone who is genuinely seeking to know the truth will experience enlightenment.
Persecutors remind us that we are doing the Lord’s work. When we are not persecuted, it’s because we’re living such a watered-down version of the faith that no one around us feels challenged by the truth. – Read the source: http://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2018-11-28
Reflection 6 – Strong suction cups hold our faith in place
How strong is your faith? Don’t measure it by how readily your prayers get answered. We’re wrong if we assume that “I didn’t get the help I prayed for because I don’t have enough faith. If I had prayed more faithfully, God would have given me what I asked for and everything would have turned out better.” Or, “I can’t hear God, I can’t be sure of what he’s telling me, because my faith is weak, and that’s why my life is not going as smoothly as it should.”
No, our hearing might be weak or our ability to trust what the Lord is saying or doing might not be as strong as it should be, but faith is not measured by how easily our problems are solved. Faith is measured, as Jesus points out in today’s Gospel reading, by our perseverance.
A few years ago, God demonstrated this lesson for me through a lizard. While I was driving to the office, a little lizard climbed to the passenger-side window, clinging for his life. It probably had come from my yard, but now it was going off to a place it had never been before. As we traveled the highway, the wind could easily have blown it loose from its grip and it would have fallen to the road and been squished by traffic. “Hang on, little lizard,” I told it, remembering that God has said the same thing (more or less) to me many times.
Its head and its tail began succumbing to the force of the wind, but the lizard persisted in gripping the glass with its suction-cup toes. “Don’t try to find a way out of this mess!” I told it, knowing that giving up just one toe-hold of suction could spell disaster.
What are you willing to endure for the sake of the kingdom of God? Can you endure a little longer and persevere by relying on the strength of Jesus when you don’t feel strong enough to stick with the journey?
God has given me good news to report to you: The lizard made it safely to our destination, which has now become its new home. God also wants you to know that you, too, will arrive safely wherever he is taking you, if you just hang on.
He is taking you on a mission — his mission. How much persecution are you willing to put up with because of your faith? Are you willing to risk losing your job when you’re asked to do something unethical? How much grief from your family are you willing to tolerate (without retaliating) when they criticize you for going to Mass during a family gathering? How in love with Jesus in the Eucharist are you when tempted to leave the Church because priests or other Church leaders are not the Christ-like servants you want them to be?
If we let hardships, injustices, and persecutions cause us to lose our grips, we’ve given our lives over to the control of the worldly winds that blow. A strong faith is a determination to be holy and to continue the mission of Christ regardless of the reactions of others and the circumstances around us. Determination gives us the stamina and courage to put our faith into action regardless of the obstacles.
A strong faith lasts beyond reason, beyond common sense, beyond comfort, beyond worldly wisdom, beyond the natural instinct to seek vengeance for injustices or to quit. And this is the kind of faith that provides us with peace even while we’re still waiting for our prayers to make a difference.
If your faith isn’t this strong, turn to the Holy Spirit and make him your closest ally and support. Ask for supernatural perseverance. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 12:9). Since the Spirit of God dwells within us, we have all the faith that Jesus has. Now, that’s a mighty strong suction on our determined little toes! – Read the source: http://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2017-11-29
Reflection 7 – St. Francesco Antonio Fasani (1681-1742 A.D.)
Born in Lucera (southeast Italy), Francesco entered the Conventual Franciscans in 1695. After his ordination 10 years later, he taught philosophy to younger friars, served as guardian of his friary and later became provincial. When his term of office ended, Francesco became master of novices and finally pastor in his hometown.
In his various ministries, he was loving, devout and penitential. He was a sought-after confessor and preacher. One witness at the canonical hearings regarding Francesco’s holiness testified, “In his preaching he spoke in a familiar way, filled as he was with the love of God and neighbor; fired by the Spirit, he made use of the words and deed of Holy Scripture, stirring his listeners and moving them to do penance.” Francesco showed himself a loyal friend of the poor, never hesitating to seek from benefactors what was needed.
At his death in Lucera, children ran through the streets and cried out, “The saint is dead! The saint is dead!” Francesco was canonized in 1986.
Comment:
Eventually we become what we choose. If we choose stinginess, we become stingy. If we choose compassion, we become compassionate. The holiness of Francesco Antonio Fasani resulted from his many small decisions to cooperate with God’s grace.
Quote:
During his homily at the canonization of Francesco, Pope John Paul II reflected on John 21:15 in which Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus more than the other apostles and then tells Peter, “Feed my lambs.” The pope observed that in the final analysis human holiness is decided by love. “He [Francesco] made the love taught us by Christ the fundamental characteristic of his existence, the basic criterion of his thought and activity, the supreme summit of his aspirations” (L’Osservatore Romano, vol. 16, number 3, 1986).
Read the source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1212
SAINT OF THE DAY
Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God’s invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. Click here to receive Saint of the Day in your email.
| SAINT FRANCIS ANTHONY FASANI, O.F.M. CONV. | |
|---|---|
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| BORN | Giovanniello Fasani 6 August 1681 Lucera, Foggia, Kingdom of Naples |
| DIED | 29 November 1742 Lucera, Foggia, Kingdom of Naples |
| VENERATED IN | Roman Catholic Church (Franciscan Order) |
| BEATIFIED | 15 April 1951 by Pope Pius XII |
| CANONIZED | 13 April 1986 by Pope John Paul II |
| FEAST | 27 November |
Francis Anthony Fasani, O.F.M. Conv. (August 6, 1681 – November 29, 1742) was an Italian friar of the Order ofConventual Friars Minor who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church.
He was a friend of another Conventual friar, the Blessed Antonio Lucci.
Contents
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Early life[edit]
He was born Giovanniello Fasani on August 6, 1681, in Lucera, in the Province of Foggia, then part of the Kingdom of Naples. He was the son of Giuseppe Fasani and Isabella della Monaca.[1] He began his studies at the Conventual friaryin his town and there entered the Order, taking the religious names of Saints Francis and Anthony. Fasani professedhis religious vows in 1696.
Religious Life[edit]
Once having professed his vows, Fasani began theological studies in Agnone and continued them in the General Study Centre at Assisi, close to the tomb of St. Francis. It was there that Fasani was ordained to the priesthood in 1705. He stayed in Assisi and completed his theological studies there in 1707.[1]
From 1707 until his death in 1742, Fasani spent the rest of life in residence in his hometown of Lucera and endeared himself to the faithful of that town and all of Daunia and Molise. In 1709, he received the degree of Doctor of Theologyand, from that time on, Fasani became known to all as “Padre Maestro” (“Father Master”), a title which is still attributed to him today in Lucera. Fasani also fulfilled many duties in the Franciscan Order, being a respected teacher ofscholastic philosophy and was entrusted with the position of Master of novices and the junior professed friars. He was later appointed to serve as the guardian of the community of friars and the pastor of the town. He came to be elected Minister Provincial of his provincein the Order.[2] As a worthy ministry of “the one who uninterruptedly exercises his priestly mission for us in the Liturgy through the Spirit” (PO, 5), Fr. Fasani dedicated himself with zeal-especially the administration of the sacrament of Penance and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. “He heard the confession of every type of person,” asserted a witness, “with the greatest patience and kindness on his face”. He was charitable and welcoming to all, giving as his reason the hope of being able one day to say to the Lord: “I was indulgent, I don’t deny it; but it was You who taught me to be so.”
Fasani was known for having a deep life of prayer and was considered to be a mystic, becoming greatly in demand as a confessor and preacher. He constantly preached popular parish missions, gave retreats and led Lenten devotions and novenas – either in his own town or wherever he was requested.[1] It was reported by his contemporaries that he would levitate while at prayer. At the same time, he was a steadfast friend of the poor, constantly seeking out the financial support necessary for efforts to meet their needs.[3]
Fasani died in Lucera and was buried in the parish church there. Upon the news of his death, children could be heard running through the streets shouting, “The saint is dead! The saint is dead!”[3]
Veneration[edit]
The proceedings to open the cause for his canonization began several years after his death. Testimony to his holy given was given by many people of region. Among them was his old friend, Lucci, who by then was a bishop in the region. Progress did not take place, however, until the 20th century, when he was beatified in 1951, and subsequently canonized in 1986.[1] His feast day is celebrated by the Franciscan Order on 27 November.
References[edit]
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