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BIOGRAPHY

He was from Lombardy, Italy. After two doctorates, he began studying theology and working among the youth. He sought the restoration of the clergy and founded a trio of religious communities with the aim of spiritual renewal in the Church. He died prematurely at the age of 37. The barbarities he founded quickly spread, and in 1625, they also reached Bohemia.

BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION

LOMBARD DOCTOR OF SOULS

He was born in 1502 in Carmona, Italy, to a patrician family. He was gifted, having studied medicine in Padua, and already held two doctorates by the age of 22. At first, he worked as a doctor and was zealous as a Christian layman and leader of the spiritual community of friends who met with him because of God’s word. At the age of 26, he finally decided on a spiritual path and received priestly ordination.

At that time, young clergy longed more for prestige than for the salvation of souls, and believers were said to have been neglected for 40 years in their pursuit of salvation. Antonius Zaccaria longed to be a priest, guided by the Heart of Jesus.

After two years of priesthood, in 1530, he decided to found a congregation in which the Gospel would be lived after the example of the first Christians. First, it was the order of “religious clerics of St. Paul”, even though their community was called “Barnabité” because of the settlement at St. Barnabas. Religious were spiritual administrators acting as folk missionaries. Antonius wrote them the rules and led them to humility and self-denial.

The second congregation founded by him with the help of Countess Guastella was the “Angel Sisters of St. Paul’ called Angelica. Their angelic mission was to help girls at risk get back on the right track. He then founded the Third Order, which aimed to instill the evangelical spirit in families, and wished that spouses not only follow but also directly live the life of Christ in the world.

Antonius Zaccaria gave impetus to 40-hour adorations, frequent Communion, folk missions, and Friday bells to commemorate the death of our Savior. He handed over the organization to collaborators and devoted himself to prayer and spiritual guidance. He preached zealously, conducted interviews, visited hospitals, and showed great love for people everywhere. Furthermore, he died at the age of 37 in his birthplace. His remains were taken to Milan.

Pope Leo XIII. was 3. 1st 1890 beatified and 27th. 5. 1897 canonized.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

According to Antonin Zaccario, the basis facilitating the path to perfection was keeping the commandments, adding that without it the effort was in vain. With this in mind, I will strive to live with Christ in the world.

God, You have called St. Anthony Zaccario to serve Your church by preaching and example, and to show us how to live according to the Gospel; help us, at his intercession, to be faithful to Your call and to follow the path that Christ showed us. We ask this through Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, for he lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit throughout the ages of ages.

BIOGRAPHY

She came from the Spanish royal family. At the age of 12, she was married to King Dionysius of Portugal, with whom she had two children and by whose side she experienced a lot of suffering, not only because of his infidelity. She excelled in patience, love, and the ability to forgive and reconcile. She lived by loving the poor through many acts of mercy and resolving disputes in the community. It was a refuge for the public during the terrible plague. After her husband’s death, she became a tertiary, continued to be a charity, and finally died at the age of 65 as a sister of St. Clare’s.

BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION

PEACE ANGEL

She was born in Spain around 1270-1271 as the daughter of the later Aragonese king, Peter III, and his wife, Princess Constance of Sicily. At the baptism, she received the name of her deceased aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. In Spanish, she is called Isabela. Her birth is said to have contributed to Peter’s reconciliation with his father, James I. Elizabeth stayed with him until his death, around the age of five or six. Then she returned to her parents, and they provided her with education by good teachers. She had three brothers: Alfonso, who succeeded his father, Jakub, and Ferdinand, and a sister named Yolanda. Even in her childhood, Elizabeth was characterized by extraordinary piety and a strong interest in charity.

Before the age of 12, she married the young Portuguese king Dionysius, who had ruled since. 1279. She is said to have married him in 1282. She considered royalty and wealth to be entrusted hryvnias and tried to use them for acts of Christian mercy. She became the mother of the poor, the comforter of the suffering, the nurse of the lonely sick, and the protector of the persecuted. She helped impoverished families and orphans. Later, she set up a house for women who had gone astray and a foundling home for abandoned infants.

In her private life, she had a particular order, especially when it came to spiritual activities. She also prayed, attended church, and regularly attended Holy Mass. In her daily schedule, she made a point to remember those who needed her help. More than once, the sick recovered under her touch. E.g., to a woman full of ugly sores, they all suddenly disappeared. On Mandy Thursday, she washed the legs of the beggars and kissed the leg of a sick woman, and she immediately recovered. She was also detained by her husband when she had alms set up in her apron, and he asked her what she was carrying. The queen replied with a smile: “Rose”, thinking that she liked God as a symbol of love. The husband immediately checked the contents of the apron because there was no time for roses, but they were suddenly actually in it, her biographies state.

King Dionysius is said to have been originally good and only later became reckless. He was often unfaithful to his wife, kept two concubines in the yard, and with them had illegitimate children, whom his good wife took in. Alone, she was immensely grieving and crying over her husband’s sins, but she did not complain to people about him. She treated him kindly and forgave him for his infidelity and unkind behavior. She often prayed for him and fasted to convert him.

With him, she had a son, Alfonso, to whom the succession belonged, and a daughter, Constance, who married Ferdinand IV, King of Castile.

Biographies about Elizabeth report an incident involving her squire, whom she commissioned to distribute the alms she had given him to the poor. Another of the king’s servants noticed the queen’s private conversations and accused the squire that Elizabeth was unfaithful to him. The king plotted death for Elizabeth’s squire by burning him in lime. He is said to have ordered the lime keeper to throw the man, who would come in the morning asking if the king’s order had already been carried out, into the furnace. In the morning, the king sent the squire to the limestone with this question, but he stopped at the church for a short prayer. Holy Mass was about to begin, and they needed a minister, so the squire let himself be persuaded. The impatient king wanted to be sure and sent that accuser to find out how his order had been carried out. He was able to arrive before the squire, and no sooner had he uttered whether the king’s order had already been carried out than he found himself in the furnace. The Squire then received a positive answer and returned unscathed. The king later became convinced of his wife’s innocence and behaved better from then on. He saw God’s judgment in the incident.

In later years, the Queen made multiple reconciliation efforts in disputes that shook the Portuguese kingdom.

In the last years of King Dionysius, the queen clung to her son Alfonso, and the aging king was more inclined to one of his illegitimate sons, Sancho. From this arose the suspicion that, against the laws and law of the land, the king wanted to hand over the throne to Sancho. Alfonso, who married Beatrice, began to rule with her in Coimbra. Dionysius’ advisors incited the king to limit his son’s power, and his son was in turn exhorted by his friends to rebel against his father, so that he could deprive him of his succession.

Elizabeth tried to ask both of them for the gift of conciliation, but the situation escalated, and the king decided to raise an army against his son, Alfonso. He then marched with him to the city of Sintra to capture him. Elizabeth sent messengers to her son with a warning to flee. The king found out and terminated his wife’s position on the advice of bad advisors, stripping her of all pensions. She carried it patiently, but not her friends. They grumbled with remorse against the king that he was at war with his son and had banished his wife. It led, perhaps, to him at least accepting her back.

The father’s enmity with his son was again exacerbated by the siege of his father’s army at Coimbra. Elizabeth visited her husband and son in their encampment, but only a four-day truce was reached. She prayed, wept, and begged for them to stop the war, which she finally succeeded in doing. Before long, the discord over the Ranches was repeated, and the queen reconciled the two armies with great effort at Lisbon and prevented a bloody clash a second time. Father and son broke up. Dionysius fell seriously ill not long after, and the queen proved her noble and good heart not only by taking care of his physical needs, but also by reconciling with her son, who came to beg her father at her request.

The king died repentant. 1325. The words of Scripture have proven themselves to be true: “an unbelieving man is sanctified by marriage with a believing woman” (1 Corinthians 7:14). Elizabeth still made a barefoot penitential pilgrimage to Compo stela to the tomb of the apostle James, but perhaps already in tertiary robes. There, as a notum, she presented the bishop with her crown and royal jewels.

In Lisbon, she built the first shrine of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in the history of the Church.

In Coimbra, she decided to enter the monastery of the Order of St. Clary, whose construction she had only just completed. However, she was persuaded to continue living in a world where she was greatly needed. Elizabeth settled in the abode attached to the monastery, lived the life of a tertiary, and did a great deal of good. She used widows’ pensions to build temples, hospitals, almshouses, and, where necessary, bridges.

She proved herself again as a conciliator when her son Alfonso IV was going to war with her daughter’s husband, King Ferdinand of Castile. Sick of the flu, she set out to prevent war. In the city of Extreme on the Castilian border, she managed to secure peace, but in her fever, she recognized her impending end. It is said that she still made a religious vow then, and finally died in the hands of her son and daughter-in-law, invoking the heavenly Mother. She was called the “Angel of peace” and honored as a saint from the moment of her death.

She was buried in Coimbra, and her grave became a destination for pilgrimages and a place of extraordinary graces. In 1516, the canonization process began. Leo X then allowed her to be venerated in Coimbra. In 1612, her grave was opened, and the body was found intact, with no signs of any decay. The ceremonial canonization took place on the 25th. 2.1625 by Pope Urban VIII, who tightened the canonization procedure.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

I will learn to forgive Elizabeth and show love, even with the necessary sacrifices. When examining my conscience, I will think about what God expects of me.

God, You gave Your servant Elizabeth of Portugal the knowledge of the right Christian life, enabling her to triumph over evil with love and reconcile opposing sides. We ask You: teach us to know Your will, and give us the strength, so that we, like her, may live an exemplary life. Through Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, for He lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit throughout all the ages of ages. 

Go all over the world and proclaim the Gospel …

Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles. He is best known for what happened after Jesus’ resurrection, for not believing the testimony of the other apostles, and for wanting to see and touch the wounds of the Risen One himself. Because of this, he is often referred to as „infidel Thomas“. However, today’s Gospel reveals more than just his doubt. It shows us a path of faith that is true, human, and inspiring. 

Thomas didn’t want to believe blindly. He was seeking certainty, truth, and wanted to see for himself. And it is in this sincere search that he is very close to us. Maybe we would behave the same in his place. But what is essential is that he eventually met Jesus. And not only did he believe, but he confessed one of the deepest sentences of the entire Bible: „My Lord and my God!“ (John 20,28)

Christ does not reproach Thomas for his doubt, but leads him to faith. And then he utters words that concern each of us: „Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed“. This sentence is an invitation to mature faith —a faith born from listening, trust, and openness to God’s word. A faith that may meet with doubts but will never stop there. 

Dear brothers and sisters, today’s holiday falls on the first Thursday of the month – the day we pray for new priestly and religious vocations. It is highly symbolic because St. Thomas can serve as a role model for those on the path of vocation. Every true calling begins with an encounter with Jesus Christ. Not with an idea or rules, but with a living Lord. And it was this meeting that also transformed Thomas – from a person who doubted to an apostle who, according to tradition, brought the Gospel to India, and was willing to lay down his life for Christ. 

In the first reading, we heard the words of St. Paul: „You are like a building that has apostles and prophets as its foundations, and its cornerstone is Christ“. The Church stands on the testimony of the apostles, and St. Thomas is one of those who testified to us that Christ the Lord has risen from the dead, and that he has the power to transform the life of man. 

Today, let us pray especially that even in our time, young people will rise up who will hear God’s voice and answer it. So that they are not afraid to admit their doubts, but at the same time are willing to seek, know, and follow Christ with heart and life. And let us also pray for ourselves that we too confess every day as St. Thomas: „My Lord and My God“. 

 After the layer of childhood comes the layer of youth, then the layers of family life, work, and social life, until we reach the layer of the senior, and we expect what will happen next. Miners can drill deep into the ground. The cosmonaut must pass through several layers before reaching orbit. One realizes that living means passing through the layers to the future.

Religious holiday  of: Visiting the Virgin Mary in Ain Karem is an opportunity to look into some layers of her life and derive timeless wisdom from them. For example, in Mary’s layer of youth we find a willingness to fulfill God’s law, his will, which is expressed by the words: „ Behold the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word“ (Lk 1, 38). When she learned that Elizabeth, her relative, had conceived a son in her old age, she did not hesitate to visit and rushed to the Judean city in the mountainous region (compare Lk 1, 36-39). In the family life layer, we see Mary in Nazareth shopping, washing, cleaning, cooking, sewing, and doing everything to support the child’s growth. She also experienced a layer of pain and misunderstanding, because she saw what they were doing to her son – they were nailing him to the cross.

It was painful, Maria. Later, we see her with the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection, and that is already a layer of joy. Even after two thousand years, we remember the glorified layer of Mary’s life, because God did not let her body remain on earth and decay; He glorified the alley with body and soul in heaven, as John Damascene writes about it (650-749).  There is something familiar to all layers. It was like that in Maria’s life as well. It is openness to God’s wisdom, which, with its presence, can illuminate every layer of life and inspire service. The fruit of this cooperation is Mary’s joy: „ My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior“ (Lk 1,46-47). What does that mean?

We are talking about the Magnificat in Latin. Magnificat means to make big. In her approach to God, Mary makes it clear that she considers him great, powerful, important, and generous. Not everyone considers God necessary, incredible, or powerful. Mary’s mind is different: Magnificat means, ‘God, you are great, powerful, and glorious.’ She felt in herself how big things he had done to her.  Every person glorifies God to the extent that they accept him. As much as he knows how to do Magnificat, he gives God the right place in his life. Day after day, decisions must be made: Who do I consider God? Is it essential or not? Will I go to church or not? Shall I keep the commandments, or shall I make a dispensation? Will I be human or cruel? Do I have a sense of service and dedication? The experience of the current layer of life depends on it. We cannot remain oblivious, because through God’s kindness, the correct orientation towards the future develops in our lives.

Paul aptly wrote in the Letter to the Ephesians: „God prepared heaven for us in Christos“ (Ef 2, 6). Therefore, it is worth doing everything to make the Magnificat a part of yourself. The magnitude of mercy is illustrated by the following example: A mother and a teenage son made an appointment in front of a shopping center. They were supposed to go see the new cell phones for Mom together. But Mom was a quarter of an hour late. When she arrived, the gloomy son growled: „ I’ve been waiting for you here for fifteen minutes!“ Mom hugged him, apologized, looked him in the eye with love, and said with a smile: „ My boy, I’ve been waiting for you for nine wonderful months.“

Of course, she should have been accurate, and come on time. However, life presents situations in which we sometimes wait for others, and at other times, they wait for us. A boy will be an adult only when he figures out for himself: What is fifteen minutes against nine months? Only then does the Magnificat gush out of his heart. May we manage to experience gratitude towards God for the gift of existence and for the future that shines through the individual layers of life.

The Christian is called to be courageous in our own weakness. Many times we must admit that we are weak, and therefore we must flee without nostalgia for sin, without looking back. There are four possible attitudes in conflictual, difficult situations. The first is the approach of “hesitation” of Lot. He was determined to leave the city before it was destroyed, but he did so hesitantly, slowly. The angel tells him to flee, but there is in him the inability to detach himself from evil and sin. We too want to go, we are determined, but there is something that pulls us back. Like Lot, who begins to negotiate with the angel.

It is difficult to distance ourselves from a sinful situation. It is difficult! Even in temptation it is equally difficult! But the voice of God tells us: flee! Here you cannot struggle, because fire and brimstone will kill you. Escape! St. Therese of the Child Jesus teaches us that sometimes in some temptations the only solution is to flee and we should not be ashamed to flee; to recognize that we are weak and must flee. Our people, in their simple wisdom, say somewhat ironically: A soldier who flees from a battle does not escape another. Flee so that you may advance on the path of Jesus Christ.

The angel then tells Lot to “not look back”, to flee and look forward. This is advice on how to overcome the nostalgia of sin. Let us think of the people of God in the desert. They had everything, the promise, everything. Yet they “longed for the onions in Egypt”, and because of this nostalgia they “forgot that they had eaten onions from the table of slavery”. They had a nostalgic “desire to return, to return”. And the angel’s advice is wise: Don’t look back! Just go. We cannot act like Lot’s wife, we must get rid of all nostalgia, because there is also the temptation of curiosity.

Fleeing from sin without nostalgia. Curiosity does not help, it harms! But how can it be done in this sinful world? But what will happen with this sin? I would like to know… No, no! Curiosity will harm you! Run away and do not look back! We are weak, all of us, and we must defend ourselves. The third situation is on a ship: it is fear. When the sea became rough, the ship was covered with waves. ‘Save us, Lord, we are lost!’ – they say. Fear! This is also a temptation of the devil: to be afraid to move forward on the Lord’s path.

There is a temptation that says that it is “better to stay here”, where I have security. “But this is the Egypt of slavery! I am afraid to step forward. I am afraid of where the Lord will lead me. But fear is “not a good counselor”. Jesus said so many times: ‘Do not be afraid.’ Fear will not help us. The fourth attitude is the grace of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus calmed the stormy sea, the disciples in the boat were overcome by fear. We must be strong in our weakness and flee from sin without nostalgia.

The Christian is called to be courageous in our own weakness. Many times we must recognize that we are weak, and therefore we must flee without nostalgia for sin, without looking back. There are four possible attitudes in conflicting, difficult situations. The first is the attitude of “hesitation” of Lot. He was determined to leave the city before it was destroyed, but he did so hesitantly, slowly. The angel tells him to flee, but he is unable to detach himself from evil and sin. We too want to go, we are determined, but there is something that pulls us back. Just like Lot, who begins to negotiate with the angel.

It is difficult to distance ourselves from a sinful situation. It is difficult! In temptation it is equally difficult! But the voice of God tells us: escape! Here you cannot struggle, because the fire and the brimstone will kill you. Escape! St. Therese of the Child Jesus teaches us that sometimes in some temptations the only solution is to flee and we should not be ashamed to flee; to recognize that we are weak and must flee. Our people, in their simple wisdom, say somewhat ironically: A soldier who flees from a battle does not escape another. Flee so that you may advance on the path of Jesus Christ.

The angel then tells Lot to “not look back”, to flee and look ahead. This is advice on how to overcome the nostalgia of sin. Let us think of the people of God in the desert. They had everything, the promise, everything. Yet “they longed for the onions in Egypt”, and because of this nostalgia “they forgot that they ate onions from the table of slavery”. They had a nostalgic “desire to return, to return”. And the angel’s advice is wise: Don’t look back! Just go. We cannot act like Lot’s wife, we must get rid of all nostalgia, because there is also the temptation of curiosity.

Fleeing from sin without nostalgia. Curiosity does not help, it harms! But how can it be done in this sinful world? But what will happen with this sin? I would like to know… No, no! Curiosity will harm you! Run away and don’t look back! We are weak, all of us, and we must defend ourselves. The third situation is on the ship: it is fear. When the sea became rough, the ship was covered with waves. ‘Save us, Lord, we are lost!’ – they say. Fear! This is also the temptation of the devil: to be afraid to move forward on the Lord’s path.

There is a temptation that says, “It is better to stay here,” where I have security. “But this is the Egypt of slavery! I am afraid to step forward. I am afraid of where the Lord will lead me. But fear is “not a good counselor.” Jesus said so many times, “Do not be afraid.” Fear will not help us. The fourth attitude is the grace of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus calmed the stormy sea, the disciples in the boat were overcome by the spirit. We must be strong in weakness and flee from sin without nostalgia.

People expect us to behave in a certain way. Proportionate to our position, education. They want something different from the priest, something different from the mother, and something different from the teacher. A person learns to play various tasks. A person behaves differently at work, differently at home, and again differently at a party. However, our role is not the same. We often put on a mask. When they came to John the Baptist, they asked him. Are you the Messiah? John said. I am not the Messiah. I am not the one you think I am. The problem is that while John knew who he was, we do not. We consider ourselves to be different from what we are. I am a secret that came from God’s hand. Only  God knows the innermost self. A person is truly alone with themselves only when they are in the presence of God. We have to be what God created us to be. When we meet God, we meet ourselves. Many people, when someone criticizes them, say. I am already like that; you have to come to terms with it. On the contrary, that is not me. What I am in my essence cannot bother anyone. A person is beautiful when they are in God. As long as a person delves into their depth, it may happen that they will live their whole life in a religious illusion. He will have the feeling that he is living with God, while in fact, he will be living only with himself. He will feel that he hears the  Word of God, and yet only one’s desire will be heard. Knowing yourself is faithful Grace. And we must ask for this  Grace. In the Gospel, we see that many people changed their lives when they met Christ. Christ transforms people. Let’s remember Mary Magdalene and Zacchaeus; they became different people. We become ourselves if we truly encounter Christ. Then all the masks we put on will disappear. To learn to live with myself and with God, I need silence.

People often prefer to escape silence because they are uncomfortable with themselves. Silence is the first step to knowing yourself. A Trappist said. It is difficult for a modern person to be alone.  When he has time and opportunity, he turns on the radio or TV. Many people, when they start to pray to you. You have dozens of thoughts, wishes, and desires. But that’s all superficial. You need to learn to pray in silence.  And in that silence, we will discover what we are. A true Encounter with God can free us from our importance, worry, and overload. Teaches us true joy and contentment. Who desires nothing cannot grow. Pharisees have blocked themselves in their desires. Therefore, they could not grow spiritually. The desire for  God is the foundation of spiritual life.  Those who lack this desire cannot live spiritually.

He will go after the lost one until he finds her.

On this feast of Jesus’ Sacred Heart, there is no explicit language about the heart in any text, but it is about an extraordinary form of love that we associate with the thought of the heart. The Gospel shows this in all its paradox. After all, the shepherd takes care of his whole flock evenly, so how are we to understand that he leaves ninety-nine in the wasteland (actually in the desert) and only cares about the one who wandered away? As can be seen, here the risk is not considered, counted, or thought of if the majority remains unprotected; it only looks at the danger that threatens one, as if it only matters to him. There is no thinking about what the hopes for success are.

God is not indifferent to whether a few people are lost, although most of humanity is saved. The human heart, which here becomes a vessel of divine love, does not think like this; a loved and irreplaceable person is vital to him. As a rule, believers who celebrate the feast of Jesus’ Sacred Heart have no idea how much God loves each individual; so many saints expressed the idea that Christ would die on the cross even then, if only one single person needed redemption. This idea seems a little heated to us, but it draws its legitimacy from this parable of Jesus. And not only worrying about one sheep, the joy of finding it again is described. One can say with certainty that each of the ninety-nine is loved equally by the Good Shepherd: after all, they are all sinners for whom Jesus dies on the cross, not an anonymous mass, but unique persons.

Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

The second reading underlines what has just been said. What is given as lost in the parable is actually what has fled from God, is far from him, and is hostile to him. The love of the Good Shepherd does not rest on any mutuality; it is love that, through its perfect surrender, strives to arouse this mutuality. The sheep, which is saved and carried on the shoulders of the shepherd, begins to judge how dear it is to the shepherd and what it owes him. However, this parable was not intended to evoke this reciprocity; the love of Jesus is present in all circumstances. The reading also does not speak of love that is already committed and corresponds to God, but only of the certainty that we are already hidden in God’s love and have achieved “reconciliation”. Whether this certainty obliges us to respond to this love or instead that this response of love is spontaneously created in us will be able to be judged by everyone who realizes what has been said.

I will look for the lost.

The Old Testament text of the first reading repositions the love of Jesus’ heart at the heart of God. God wants to “seek out his flock himself”, bring them back “from all the places where they scattered in foggy and cloudy time”. Here we are shown that the human heart of Jesus, to whom we attribute this unique personal love, it is not a prototype – as if God’s love acquired this quality only during the incarnation – it is rather a more comprehensible expression of the incomprehensible love that the eternal God has had for his creatures forever.