May 20th - Bernardine of Siena

How do you operate under pressure?
If we look at the time period that Bernardine operated in then we can truly say that Jesus and the Spirit sustain the Church in truth and charity through its saints. I am always in awe of the Lord's power to keep things together despite all our best efforts to create chaos through selfishness, greed, lust for power, and a general disregard for the needs of others.
And yet Bernadine was not disillusioned by the hypocrisy around him, as many young people can be and use that excuse for inaction, he set himself to service of the sick instead and then set about to preach to others and reform the Franciscans. He shows us that despite what goes on in the world around us and that no matter what our age we can serve the Lord in fidelity and charity.

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There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand.
This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the foster-father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: “Good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord.”
What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honorably introduced into the world. Holy Church in its entirety is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.


-- From a sermon on St. Joseph