If the homeless have a patron saint, would St. Benedict Joseph Labre. From childhood he was attracted to the misery dominate your body so that the soul is free to fly over to God. And at twelve years as head placed a table and sleeping from 16 until his death always slept on the hard ground. Both people came to call him "the saint who sleeps on the floor."
In this world we are all pilgrims in the valley of tears always walk the safe path of religion, in Faith, Hope, Charity, Humility, Prayer, Patience and Christian mortification, to reach our homeland of Paradise. " This was a top favorite of St. Benedict Joseph Labre, which correspond perfectly to the witness. He lived 35 years, and 13 were spent as a "pilgrim" on the streets and roads. It is rightly called "the vagabond of God" or even "the gypsy of Christ, not the best expressions of "holy of lice" and also was told.
Born in Bologna, France, in 1748. The eldest of the fifteen children of a wealthy bookseller. His parents put him to study with an uncle priest, Father James, who gave it all to the poor, whom people called "a new San Vicente."
Benedict Joseph felt an enormous penchant for reading the Scriptures and read lives of saints and religious books. Both his uncle had to remind him occasionally that it should also devote adequate time to study other subjects. Another of his inclination was to the retired life of the world toward a life of prayer and meditation, away from dealing with others.
His uncle He died of plague victims meet, and then Benedict Joseph was proposed entering a convent where life was totally devoted to prayer, silence and penance. Traveling on foot hundreds of miles, often through the snow, visited several monasteries Carthusian and Trappist (monks in perpetual silence) but in every convent was told that the minimum age for entry was 24 years, and as he was only 20 years, could not be admitted. To end in a convent made an exception and admitted, But then came the scruples disease (imagine it's a sin what is not) and I started terrible anguish, the same Superior had to advise him to withdraw because his temperament was not confined to live in a convent. Benito humbly lowered his head and said: "Let the holy will of God" , and walked thoughtfully. Since José Benito begins a life uncommon. Attain holiness has to be a perpetual beggar, a pilgrim wandering from shrine in the sanctuary. Benito is proposed to dedicate many years of his life to visit the most famous shrines of Europe, on foot, barefoot, begging, dressed as a beggar and dedicated only to pray, meditate and do penance.
walked barefoot (even in the snow, rocks or mud) with a very old and faded dress, full of patches. With poor carrying backpack where only the Imitation of Christ and a Prayer to read the Psalms and other prayers, practiced the advice of Jesus: "Do not bring sack with supplies, no money, nor two tunics" (Mark 6.8 .)
was proposed as a wandering monk, a vagabond of God, a being so forgotten their spiritual body to live than others on them. To always be as a wandering pilgrim. On his patched shirt wearing a scapular and a crucifix. The first three nights he was in Rome (after traveling hundreds and hundreds of miles from France, on foot, begging) were spent in a hospice in poor, but then I thought that was too much luxury for him and thereafter always sleep in the open or in a doorway or under a bridge, or the shelter of a ladder, or where the night surprised him.
Never accept a bed or a bed. The most accepted was a bag to lie in it. I wanted to resemble Jesus did not have a stone to lay his head. His philosophy was that of the birds of heaven, which God feeds and live not worried about tomorrow, because Father God knows what we need. Ordinary people saw him felt contempt for him and proud to have disgusted him, but very spiritual people felt toward him a deep admiration. Like a Carthusian monk, the roads did not talk to anyone unless you feel inspired to tell someone a spiritual word. When I gave a handout (which he never asked anyone) gave thanks and looking for another poor to give to him. He went through all those roads of Europe sanctuary sanctuary, from Spain to France, Germany, Italy, etc., Absorbed, and dedicated to contemplation and talk to God. When it came to a sanctuary spent whole days praying there before the holy image. When praying before the Blessed Sacrament or a crucifix before you spend hours and sometimes unwittingly rose several feet into the air.
A priest was asked what made him to be able to endure such a life said: "My brain is made of fire to love God. My heart is made of flesh in order to have charity towards our neighbor. My will is bronze to treat myself hard. "
Another recommended him not to sleep on the floor replied "I think God wants me to serve in this way. The poor sleep in the place where the night comes ... those who have to get used to poverty need not too comfortable bed to sleep ... well in this way of life feels easier to communicate with the good God. "
The people he showed great contempt and he wanted nothing so much as being neglected and taken for nothing. But I never managed to dismiss the other as he despised himself. A man gave one day a charity and Benedict Joseph was quick to give away to another poorer than him. He had given the charity thought it was a contempt and slapped him. Benito hit was left without saying a word. In a sanctuary mistook him for a thief and dragged him to the temple square. He is not defended. In Gascony, came to care for a wounded and people said it was he who had robbed and beat him. Did not say a word. Who imitated Jesus seven times the Gospel says that silent, while mistreated. was so thin and worn out to sleep curled in a corner, people mistook him for a sleeping dog and kicked him to go away.
And the more he humbled himself, God cared more lifting. His father confessor who at first doubted him, he became convinced more and more that it was a true saint and was collecting data for his biography. Don Jorge Zittli a convert, was a day that Benedict Joseph approached a woman crying because her son was dying and said "stop mourn wife, your child is already good" , and by placing his hand on the child's head, he was instantly healed. Since 1777
favorite devotion will attend "Forty Hours" this beautiful devotion that involves exposing the Holy Host (ie the body of Christ), and engage the customers for 40 hours to render, in turn, pious worship. Wherever in Rome had 40 hours in a temple, there was Benedict Joseph three days to worship the Blessed Sacrament. While people called him "the saint of the forty hours."
Daffini Father Benito saw in the temple of the Holy Apostles, surrounded by a glow, while worshiping the Holy Host. Poeti Mary saw him full of glare and rising above the ground while worshiping the Lord in the Eucharist. Pompei's father, Chaplain of St. Mary Major saw the heart of our holy flames were worshiped as the Holy Host. Recent years
spent whole days praying in temples and at night he would sleep in the ruins of the Colosseum.
Weakness forced him in his last days to accept being received in a homeless shelter in Rome, and his obedience and piety drew attention to managers. Benito was always the last to go to get a portion of soup, and often gave another who was hungrier than him. early Lent of 1783 took a violent cold and Holy Wednesday while praying in a temple fainted. Many came to his aid and a butcher took him home to tend. We applied the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Thursday - April 16 - the night went to eternity. That morning while church bells of Rome rang at the ceremony Holy Thursday, his soul flew to hear the chimes of glory in the kingdom of heaven.
Just hearing the news of his death, many children began to scream through the streets, "the saint is dead! Saint is dead!" And a huge crowd came to venerate his remains and began an impressive string of miracles with his relics.
Exactly one hundred years after his death in 1883, was declared a saint by the Pope. Several volumes of documents in Rome check their great holiness.
Prayer
This good man who turned himself what Jesus said "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces much fruit" . Want to know God as he mortified in this life to reign forever in eternity.
Sources: Divine Illumination
Catholic Saints Angel Corbalán
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