Salesian Literature

Chapter 16:  Honouring the Saints and praying to them

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God sends us inspirations very often through his Angels.  So, we must also send him our longing for him frequently through them.  The faithful departed who are in Heaven with the Angels, and, as our Lord says, are equal to and like the Angels (Lk. 20:36), do similar work.  They bring us inspirations and they express by their holy prayers our longing for God.  Dear Philothea, let us unite our hearts to the heavenly spirits and to be the blessed in Heaven.  The young nightingales learn to sing while with the older ones.  In our holy sharing with the Saints, we shall learn better to pray as well as to sing the praise of God.  “I will sing praise”, David said, “in the sight of the Angels” (Ps. 137:1).

 

With a special love, give honour, reverence and respect to the holy and glorious Virgin Mary.  As the Mother of Jesus, our Brother, she is truly our mother.  Let us therefore turn to her for help.  We are her little children, so let us with complete confidence throw ourselves in her arms.  At every moment, in every circumstance, let us call to this loving mother.  Let us ask earnestly for her motherly love.  With our hearts full of a true filial love for her, let us strive to imitate her virtues.

 

Enjoy the friendship of the Angels.  Often be aware of their invisible presence in your life.  Show a special love and respect for the Guardian Angel of the diocese where you are, for the Guardian Angels of the persons with whom you live, and particularly for your own.  Pray to them often, praise them constantly.  Make use of their help and assistance in all your affairs, both spiritual and temporal, so they may work to realise your intentions.

 

The great Peter Favre[1] was the first priest, the first preacher, the first professor of theology of the holy Company of Jesus.  He was also the first companion of Blessed[2] Ignatius, its founder.  One day, he was passing through this diocese, in which he was born, coming form Germany where he had done great work for the glory of our Lord.  He mentioned that, while travelling among heretics, he had received a thousand blessings because he had prayed to the Guardian Angel of each parish on coming to it.  He was aware of their evident help, since they had protected him from being ambushed by heretics.  Also, they had prepared many to welcome the doctrine of salvation by making them gentle and docile.  He spoke about this with such great earnestness, that a lady, then young, who had heard it from him repeated it with so much feeling, just four years ago, that is, more than sixty years later[3].  Last year, I was happy to consecrate an altar in the little village of Villaret, amid our very rugged mountains, in the place where by God’s will this saintly man was born.

 

Make a choice of few special Saints, whose lives you can best appreciate and imitate.  Have a special confidence in their intercession.  The Saint whose name you bear has already been assigned to you at your Baptism.

 

 

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[1]  He was a native of Savoy (1506-1546), now a Blessed

[2]  St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was canonized only in 1622.

[3]  She was the mother of one of St. Francis’ great friends, Fr. Peter Critain.

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