Hi,
Saint of the Day January 18, 2003
St. Charles of Sezze
Charles thought that God was calling him to be a
missionary in India, but he never got there. God had
something better for this 17th-century successor to
Brother Juniper.
Born in Sezze, southeast of Rome, Charles was inspired
by the lives of Salvator Horta and Paschal Baylon to
become a Franciscan; he did that in 1635. Charles
tells us in his autobiography, "Our Lord put in my
heart a determination to become a lay brother with a
great desire to be poor and to beg alms for his love."
Charles served as cook, porter, sacristan, gardener
and beggar at various friaries in Italy. In some ways,
he was "an accident waiting to happen." He once
started a huge fire in the kitchen when the oil in
which he was frying onions burst into flames.
One story shows how thoroughly Charles adopted the
spirit of St. Francis. The superior ordered Charles —
then porter — to give food only to traveling friars
who came to the door. Charles obeyed this direction;
simultaneously the alms to the friars decreased.
Charles convinced the superior the two facts were
related. When the friars resumed giving goods to all
who asked at the door, alms to the friars increased
also.
At the direction of his confessor Charles wrote his
autobiography, The Grandeurs of the Mercies of God. He
also wrote several other spiritual books. He made good
use of his various spiritual directors throughout the
years; they helped him discern which of Charles’ ideas
or ambitions were from God. Charles himself was sought
out for spiritual advice. The dying Pope Clement IX
called Charles to his bedside for a blessing.
Charles had a firm sense of God’s providence. Father
Severino Gori has said, "By word and example he
recalled in all the need of pursuing only that which
is eternal" (Leonard Perotti, St. Charles of Sezze: An
Autobiography, page 215).
He died at San Francesco a Ripa in Rome and was buried
there. Pope John XXIII canonized him in 1959.
love + prayers,
Joseachayan / Jeddah / Saudi Arabia
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