Saintly Saturday - St. Jerome Emiliani
St. Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice, Italy in 1481. As a
soldier, he was appointed commander of a fortress in Venice. When that fortress
fell during a battle, Jerome was taken prisoner, chained, treated like an
animal, & forgotten in an underground dungeon. It was during this time when
he repented for his sins & in prayer, gave his life to the Virgin Mary.
Miraculously he escaped from his prison & went directly to a local church.
There, he placed his chains at the foot of a statue of Mary to fulfill his vow
of repentance, & began his life anew.
Jerome went on to become a priest. He travelled Northern
Italy, founding hospitals, orphanages, & places of refuge for women,
children, & other outcasts of society. Alessandro Besuzio & Agostino
Bariso, two fellow priests, joined his efforts which lead to Jerome founding
the Order of Somascha, dedicated to the education & care of orphans & other
youth. Jerome put his work & care for others first, eventually succumbing to
a disease he picked up tending the sick. He died in 1537.
St. Jerome’s feast day falls on February 8. He was canonized
in 1767 & is the patron saint of orphans & children who have been abandoned.
I leave you with this quote from mycatholic.life:
“His life hinged on one pivot. It is a lesson. Emotional,
physical, or psychological suffering, when conquered or controlled, can be a
prelude to intense gratitude and generosity. No one walks down the street more
free than a former hostage. No one enjoys a warm, comfortable bed like someone
who once slept on asphalt. No one gulps a breath of fresh morning air quite
like someone who has just heard from the doctor that the cancer is gone. Saint
Jerome never lost the wonder and gratitude that filled his heart at the moment
of his liberation. All was new. All was young. The world was his. And he would
place all his power and energy in God’s service because he was a survivor.”
May we, too, never lose the wonder & gratitude from our
liberation from whatever has held us back. May we survivors place our power
& energy into serving our wonderful God!
St. Jerome, Pray for Us!
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