The angelical youth, Aloysius, was
the son of a Margrave, and was born at Castiglione, in Italy, in the year
1568. As his mother, Martha, was in great danger of losing her life in
childbirth, he was baptized before he was entirely born and thus fitted for
heaven before earth had possessed him. After his mother, however, had made a
vow to devote herself with her child at Loretto to the Blessed Virgin, she
brought Aloysius happily into the world. No sooner had he begun to speak and
walk, than his noble mother instilled into him those religious sentiments with
which her whole heart was filled. He had hardly reached the age of five years,
when he was frequently found kneeling in a corner and devoutly praying. It was
at this tender age that he went to Casale, where, by the wish of his father,
Ferdinand, he was present at a large mustering of soldiers. He there
stealthily took some powder out of the pocket of a soldier, and fired off a
cannon, which very nearly cost him his life, as he might easily have been
crushed by the recoiling wheels. At that time, he learned also, from
associating with the soldiers, certain profane expressions which he repeated
without comprehending their meaning. When his tutor heard these words and
forbade him ever to use them again, they never more passed his lips. These two
faults were the greatest he ever committed, and in the innocence of his heart,
he never ceased to weep over them. At seven years of age, he turned his heart
entirely from the world and gave it to God. He called this year the period of
his conversion, and said afterwards that he then began to love God above
everything, as every human creature ought to do after having attained the use
of reason.
When eight years old, his father sent him with his younger brother,
accompanied by a tutor, to the Court of the Duke of Tuscany. The pure life he
had led in his fatheres house and which he continued to lead at Florence,
procured him the name of an innocent Angel. In this city he made his first
confession with such deep compunction that he swooned away on entering the
confessional. From Florence he went to Mantua and thence returned to
Castiglione. The celebrated St. Charles Borromeo travelling through this
latter place and becoming acquainted with St. Aloysius, admired the special
gifts with which God had graced him and prepared him for his first holy
Communion, after which he administered the same to him. How carefully the
Saint prepared himself and with how many tears of fervent piety he received
the divine food, words have no power to express. From that moment the Saint
evinced an angelic devotion and reverence towards the most holy Sacrament.
He always prepared himself during three days for its reception, and after it,
spent as many in humble thanksgiving. After a few years he was sent to the
Spanish Court at Madrid, as page to the Prince James. One day, as the Prince
was standing by an open window and the wind blew roughly in his face, he
exclaimed: "Wind, I command thee to cease incommoding me thus!"Aloysius, who
was near him, very wisely remarked: "Your royal highness may command men and
they must obey; but God, to whom the greatest monarchs of the earth are
subject, has kept the power over the elements to Himself." This wise and
Christian speech caused the youth to be highly loved and esteemed by the king.
When Aloysius had attained his 15th year, he earnestly took counsel with God
and his conscience as to his future vocation. During his sojourn at Florence
he had already resolved to retire from the world, but was as yet undecided in
what manner he would serve God. After long and fervent prayer, he conceived
great inclination towards the Society of Jesus, not only because this order
was new and in its first fervor, but also because of its offering such
opportunities to work for the salvation of souls, and even to sacrifice life
itself among the heathens in the service of God.
On the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, he received from heaven
the assurance that this inclination came from God; for, after having devoutly
received holy Communion, he thought he heard these emphatic words from the
Divine Mother: "Join the society of my Son, and make known your resolution to
your confessor."Aloysius, full of joy, informed his confessor, then his
mother, and lastly his father, of the will of heaven as to his vocation. His
mother cheerfully consented, but his father refused him and, for three years,
left nothing undone to change his son's determination. But the latter remained
firm in his resolution to obey the voice of God. Remarkable is the answer he
gave to those who endeavored, by description of temporal honors, pleasures and
wealth, to persuade him not to enter the priesthood. "What does all this
contribute to gain eternal life?" he would ask after such representations, in
order to show that in choosing and entering on a course of life, we must,
above all things, be mindful of the end and aim of our being, which is to
serve God and gain heaven. Two circumstances at length induced his father to
give his consent: one was the sight of his son scourging himself until the
blood ran, whilst he implored the Almighty to change his father's heart; the
other was the firmness with which the innocent youth, one day, addressed to
him the following words: "God calls me, I must obey Him. You, my dear father,
oppose the Most High Himself when you oppose my following my vocation."
Hence, his father consented, although with tearful eyes; and Aloysius,
returning thanks to God, resigned the marquisate to his brother, went to Rome
and requested the Father General, Claudius Aquaviva, to receive him into the
society of Jesus. He was immediately accepted, as there had already been
sufficient proofs of his vocation, and thus he entered the novitiate in the
18th year of his age. How happy he was, and how zealous from the first day to
the last, words fail to describe. The lessons of his office in the Roman
Breviary testify that, even during his novitiate, he was looked upon as a
model of virtue. He never transgressed a single rule, and there was no virtue
of a perfect religious which he did not practise. Every one particularly
admired the humility with which he performed the most menial work, his perfect
obedience and poverty, his heroic self-abnegation, his seraphic love of God,
and his tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin and the Saints. Wonderful
examples of these virtues are to be found in his circumstantial biography. We
will only add a few words upon his happy death.
When, in 1591, Rome was ravaged by a terrible pestilence, Aloysius requested
permission to nurse the sick, and having obtained it, he was indefatigable in
his kind solicitude for them. He begged bread and other necessaries for them,
made their beds, administered their medicine and food, and carried many, who,
seized by the epidemic, were lying in the street, into the hospital. In a
word, he left nothing undone that Christian charity could require in such
circumstances. At last, the disease laid its hold on him and confined him to
his bed. On the eighth day, his sickness changed into a fever, from which he
suffered for three months. All this time he spent in meditations on the
passion of Christ, in devout discourses and aspirations, and in reading pious
books. An impatient word never passed his lips. The most nauseous medicines
which they gave him he swallowed slowly, so as to mortify his taste. They
requested him to make a vow in order that the Almighty might grant the
prolongation of his life; but he answered: "It is better to be dissolved."
When they informed him of his approaching end, which had already been revealed
to him by God, he exulted with joy, and requested them to intone the Te Deum,
and exclaimed, in the words of the Psalmist: "I have rejoiced in what has been
told to me; we shall enter into the house of the Lord."
To more than one who came to see him, he exclaimed: "We go, we go exulting."
When they asked him, "Whither? "he answered: "To heaven, to heaven!" During
the last three days he almost constantly kept the crucifix pressed to his
heart, and the rosary in his hand. Sometimes, gazing upon his Saviour, he shed
tears of love and devotion. One day he desired to be laid on the other side,
but when they reminded him of the hard cross of Christ, he looked at the
Crucifix and remained quiet. Shortly before his end, he bared his head,
saying: "Christ died not with his head covered." At length, on the Octave of
Corpus Christi, he gave his innocent soul, adorned with so many virtues, into
the hands of his Creator, holding the crucifix, the rosary and a blessed
candle in his hands. The last words he uttered were the holy names of Jesus
and Mary. His happy death took place in the year 1591, in the 24th year of his
age, and in the sixth year after his entering the Society of Jesus.
Benedict XIII., who, in 1726, canonized Aloysius, calls him a model of
innocence and purity. The great Bellarmin, who was his confessor, testified
that God had graced this holy youth with especial and almost unprecedented
gifts. These were: first, that though he lived at so many courts, and having
such frequent opportunities, among people devoted only to pleasure, yet he
never stained the robe of his baptismal innocence, not only by a mortal sin,
but even by the smallest venial sin: secondly, that he remained always free
from all impure thoughts or desires: thirdly, that distractions during prayers
were almost unknown to him, for he said himself, that all his distractions,
for many months, would not equal the time it would take to say an Ave Maria.
Truly, these were great and extraordinary graces of God!
Not less eminent were his virtues. Besides those above related, the following
shone in his life like so many brilliant stars: his love to God and man, his
angelical innocence and purity, and austerity towards himself, quite unusual
for one of his years. No sooner had he commenced to know God, which was at the
age of seven, than he immediately began to love Him from the bottom of his
heart. His love constantly increased. At the mere mention of the Almighty, his
whole face was overspread with fire, and his heart began to beat as if it
would burst. He was frequently found in ecstasies during his prayer. He was
constantly united with God, and as it was feared that his fervent devotion
would weaken his health, his Superiors ordered him sometimes forcibly to
detach his thoughts from God. But this cost him more pain than it costs us to
turn ours heavenwards. Eager to obey, he sometimes cried, "O Lord, leave me!"
but it was useless--he remained united to God and God remained in him.
A consequence of his love for the Almighty was his love towards men. This he
evinced particularly in nursing those stricken down with the pestilence, as is
above related. He often desired to preach the Gospel to the heathen, not only
to gain souls for life eternal, but also to give his life for Christ and men.
While only a boy, he already instructed his younger brothers and the servants
in the doctrines of the Christian faith, and by his pious discourses and
admonitions, persuaded many to lead a better life. Wherever he found an
opportunity, he endeavored to assist his neighbor in temporal or spiritual
matters.
But how shall I describe his innocence, his angelical purity? He hated and
avoided even the least shadow of sin; shunned, as much as possible, all
dangerous occasions, and carefully guarded himself in order to remain pure and
innocent. At a game of forfeits, he was once requested to kiss at least the
shadow of a young lady; but he was not to be persuaded, and never again took
part in similar games. Just so he acted when he was desired to dance, and was
never present at nightly entertainments or theatrical performances. Even while
he was at court, he avoided as much as possible all such vain amusements, and,
hiding himself in his room, he occupied the time in prayer and devout reading.
These edifying employments constituted his greatest enjoyment from his
tenderest youth. With what reverence and piety he worshipped the Most High,
especially when at Church, is made known by the fact, that all those who saw
him pray, attest that he looked more like an angel than a human being. His
senses; particularly his eyes, he kept under such strict control, that he
never turned them upon strangers. For nearly two years and six months he was
page to the Crown-prince at the Spanish Court, and had to appear daily before
the queen; and yet he knew her not by sight. He avoided all intercourse with
the other sex, even of his relatives and friends. He was therefore called a
human being without flesh, or an angel in the flesh. It is most certain that,
in this manner, he kept his innocence unimpaired.
His constant mortification, and the austere penances which he practised
contributed greatly to this. His whole life shows that it was his constant
care to control himself and mortify his delicate and innocent body. He fasted
three days of every week on water and bread, and at other times, he partook of
so little that it might justly be said that his whole life was a continual
fast. As at first he possessed no hair-shirt or chain to wear around his
loins, he used instead of them his spurs. When his mother requested him to
sleep no longer upon the bare floor as he was wont to do, but to use the soft
bed prepared for him, he placed pieces of wood under the bed-clothes and so
took a short rest. He scourged himself daily, not only once but several times.
When one day they showed his mother the linen which he had used to wipe off
the blood, and she begged him, with tears in her eyes, not to be so cruel to
himself, he said: "O let me atone for my sins by such slight penances."And
what sins? He meant those two faults which he committed before he was seven
years old, when he, as will be recollected, took some powder from a soldier,
and repeated a few profane words without understanding their meaning. This was
only the shadow of a sin and yet he repented of it daily through his whole
life. During his last sickness, he recited every day the Seven Penitential
Psalms, or had them read aloud to him. He was unwearied in the practice of
penances after he had entered upon a religious life, and even requested in his
last illness the permission to scourge himself, or because he was too weak to
do it himself, to be scourged by another.
Whoever considers all this and much more that is related of this Saint, will
readily understand the exclamation uttered by Saint Magdalen of Pazzi, at
Florence, when in an ecstasy she saw the glory of the Saint in heaven: "Oh!
what great glory Aloysius, the son of Ignatius, enjoys! I could never have
believed it, had not my Jesus shown it to me. There seems hardly to be in
heaven a greater glory than his. Hence I say, Aloysius is a great Saint. I
wish that I could wander through the whole world and cry that Aloysius, the
son of Ignatius, is a great Saint. He was a hidden martyr . . . . Oh! how
overwhelmingly did he love God here on earth; therefore he now enjoys the full
love of the Almighty in heaven!" The Almighty Himself, to this hour, gives
most certain proofs of the holiness and glory of the Saint, by many and great
miracles. In 1756, a book was printed at Augsburg, in which a hundred miracles
were related which had taken place, during 30 years, in Italy and Germany--;
all of which had been examined and approved by the ecclesiastical authorities.
Many books could be filled with the miracles that have been wrought throughout
Christendom by the intercession of this holy youth. Hence they act very
wisely, who, in mental or physical suffering, fly for refuge to St. Aloysius.
Practical Consideration
I. The life of St. Aloysius contains very
much that will serve as a lesson and model: and it is my wish that you should
yourself select some point in which especially to imitate him. Take, for
example, his love of prayer and pious reading: his reverence and recollection
during prayer: his devotion to Jesus and Mary: his careful preparation for
holy Communion: his constancy in what he felt to be his vocation: his horror
of the smallest sin: his deep repentance for trifling faults: his unceasing
self-immolation. The special feature of the life of this Saint is the unusual
union of innocence with the spirit of austerity and penance. Never did this
Saint tarnish his innocence by a mortal sin, nay, not even by a wilful venial
sin; and yet his penances were such as the greatest sinner upon earth would
not surpass. What have you to say to this? Does it not bring the blush of
shame to your cheek, when you consider how often and how grievously you have
sinned, without ever thinking of doing penance? Do you not feel impelled to
follow the example of this holy penitent? At least to some degree yield to
this impulse, and set to work immediately. To this end, beg the intercession
of St. Aloysius; for, he himself has said, that if we desire to obtain some
virtue from God, we should ask the intercession of those Saints who were
distinguished for the practice of that virtue.
II. So much in general of the example of this Saint. I will now offer two
distinct points for your especial consideration.
1. St. Aloysius was no friend of games and dances, of theatrical performances,
of unnecessary association with the opposite sex, and of all amusements
generally. And why? Because he was a friend of purity, and most earnestly
desired to gain salvation. Hence he desired to flee from everything which
seemed to be in the least dangerous to him. If in our day, any one were to act
in this manner, he would be laughed at as scrupulous, or considered a silly
person, who was out of place on this earth. But I am very certain that if the
world possessed more of these scrupulous and silly persons, heaven would one
day be more populous and hell would have fewer unhappy victims. Such
scrupulous persons may be out of place here on earth, but they will surely be
in their right place in heaven.
Those, however, who, on account of very different conduct, are--according to
the judgment of the worldlings--very suitable for this world, will probably be
just as suitable for hell, and not at all fit for heaven. If you love purity
and earnestly desire to save your soul, avoid even the smallest shadow of sin.
Abstain from all those worldly amusements which you have reason to judge may
lead you to commit sin. The game of forfeits, which in itself is no sinful
game, and which may be played without the least wrong, is, in our days,
scarcely ever played without seriously offending God. Knowing this, how can
you play it without committing sin? Aloysius knew not at first the danger, but
being once aware of it, nothing could induce him to play again. Why do you not
make the same resolution? Let others laugh at you on account of it: it will do
you as little harm as it did St. Aloysius. But it will contribute much to your
salvation if you do not allow it to disturb you.
2. After they had represented to him the honors, pleasures and riches of this
world, St. Aloysius said: "How does it all assist us to gain life
everlasting?" Remember these words always. Do nothing that may prevent you
from obtaining eternal life, but cling eagerly to everything that may assist
you to gain it. In all your affairs, all your actions, let it be your first
consideration to see whether or not they are leading you to heaven; after
this, judge what you may do and what you must avoid. In this manner, you will
constantly keep the end and aim of your life before you, which is needful to
every one who would go to heaven; for, whoever thinks of it seldom, is in
great danger of never arriving there. And what will avail temporal honor,
pleasure and enjoyment, if we are eternally unhappy at last? What would it
benefit Saint Aloysius now to have had all the enjoyment they represented to
him, if he had not earnestly aspired to gain the end and aim of his creation,
eternal life? "For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and
suffer the loss of his own soul?"(Matt, xxvi.)
St. Aloysius Gonzaga: Meditation on his life
1st. Represent to yourself the Saint, supremely happy,
on his death-bed.
2nd. Pray for grace to imitate his generosity, that you
may participate in his joy.
The Generosity with which St. Aloysius strove to attain Perfection
Consideration: When we read of the
heroic acts of the saints, we say to ourselves, perhaps unconsciously, This is
not surprising; they were saints, and I am not one: as if all saints had been
sanctified from their birth, and as if they had not attained holiness by
generous and heroic victories over themselves. We find traces of these
victories in every page of the life of St. Aloysius. We read therein that, in
order to curb the wanderings of his imagination, he persevered in prayer for
many hours together, until he acquired the power of spending one without
distraction; that, to quell his inclination to anger, he watched so carefully
over himself that he at length succeeded in mastering the first movements of
irritation; that, in order to conquer every feeling of vanity and self-love,
he took the resolution of appearing at a court festival in Mantua, in such
mean attire as to draw upon himself the ridicule of the entire assemblage. And
what efforts did he not make to preserve his soul from the least stain of sin!
To such lengths did he carry this vigilance that he avoided even looking at
any woman, and subjected himself to continued fasts, rigorous disciplines, and
prolonged vigils. And lastly, how severe was the struggle which he maintained,
during two years, to gain permission to resign his principality and enter
religion!
Application: These examples will suffice to prove that the sanctity of
Aloysius was not natural or innate; that it was acquired by the most strenuous
efforts; and that we may likewise become saints by pursuing the same method.
Affections: Beg of St. Aloysius to obtain for you that you may put in
practice all the means of sanctification within your reach.
Resolutions: In all difficulties, endeavor, like St Aloysius, to gain
courage by saying to yourself, "What proportion does all this bear to the
rewards of eternity?"
Reward of the Efforts of St. Aloysius
to Attain Perfection
Consideration: In return for
these generous efforts, St. Aloysius received from God a sublime gift of
prayer, together with the gift of tears, that of perfect chastity, and many
other signal favors. Among these was one in particular, which we should
earnestly desire to share with him, namely, his holy death, preceded by peace,
joy, and admirable confidence, as is testified by a letter written by him
eight days before his decease to his pious mother. "If charity," he says,
"should cause us to weep with those who mourn, and to rejoice with those who
are joyful, your consolation should be very great, my dearest mother, on
account of the grace which the Lord grants you in my person, leading me, as He
does, to true happiness. God, in His Divine Mercy, calls me to heaven, to that
sovereign felicity which I have so negligently sought to obtain. He promises
to reward the few tears that I have shed."
We find the same sentiments expressed throughout the remainder of the letter,
as well as in his latest conversations with his religious brethren and
superiors, who expressed their conviction that they witnessed the death of a
saint. It pleased God to make known the sanctity of His servant by numerous
and striking miracles. He was solemnly beatified fourteen years after his
death, and during the lifetime of his mother.
Application: Let us live the life of the saints, that we may
participate in their glory.
Colloquy with St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who, in the space of a few years, gained
an extraordinary degree of merit through the practice of sanctifying even his
most trivial actions by great purity of intention, the fruit of his intimate
union with God. Let us pray to Him, and beg, through His intercession, the
grace to imitate His virtues.
Homily of St.
John Chrysostom on Virginity
(From the Roman Breviary on the Feast
of St. Aloysius Gonzaga June 21st)
Virginity
is good: this I also confess. Indeed, it is even better than marriage: and in
this I agree with you: and if you please, I will add to that, that it is as
much more excellent than marriage, as heaven is high above earth, and as the
Angels are nobler than men. And if anything may yet be added, it is even more
than that. For, if the Angels neither marry nor are given in marriage, neither
are they composed of flesh and blood. And what is more, they do not linger
upon earth, neither are they liable to the disturbances of desire or lust.
They do not need food or drink and they are not such as to be allured by a
sweet sound, a moving song, or a beautiful form; in a word, no enticements of
this kind lay hold of them.
But the human race, although by nature it is lower than these blessed spirits,
tries with all its might and zeal to follow them. In what manner? Angels do
not marry; but neither does a virgin. They stand ever before God, and serve
him; a virgin does the same. But if virgins, as long as they are weighed down
by the burden of the body, cannot ascend to heaven like the Angels, yet they
make it their one great consolation to be holy in soul and body, so as to
receive in their heart the King of heaven. Do you not see the excellence of
virginity? And how it makes those who are clothed in flesh and still dwell
upon earth, equal to incorporeal spirits?
For I ask, in what respect did those true lovers of virginity, Elias, Eliseus
and John, differ from the Angels? In nothing, except that they had mortal
bodies. For the rest, if one searches carefully, these men will be found to be
in no way less endowed than those blessed spirits: and it must redound to
their great honor that, from a lower state they appear the same as the Angels.
For, if they, dwellers upon earth and having a mortal nature, could attain by
such striving and struggling to that virtue, consider how great must have been
their courage, and with what a splendid rule of life they must have been
endowed!
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