By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
Life is forever changing. There are new beginnings to experience, and times to embrace the past. We must allow God to transform our hearts in every season of life!
Honoring the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, I created a list of 10 saints with information about their lives for our parish grade school students at Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi. A different saint will be highlighted each month from August to May. During morning announcements, a prayer and information about the saint will be read, and throughout the day, the life of the saint will be remembered.
I chose Franciscan saints and a Benedictine who was a great mystic like Francis. I compiled the list in chronological order beginning with St. Francis of Assisi in the 12th century and ending with St. Carlo Acutis, a 21st century saint. There is hope in the legacy of the saints, because they suffered in the midst of the same concerns we face today.
St.s Francis and Clare of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bonaventure, St. Gertrude the Great — The 12th and 13th centuries saw the rise of empires, widespread crusades and the signing of the Magna Carta, a legal document that promised to protect church rights and make everyone, including the king, subject to the law. When King John declared himself a papal vassal, Pope Innocent III canceled the Magna Carta and threatened to excommunicate those who observed its terms. Communication relied on oral tradition, town criers and handwritten notes on parchment paper delivered by organized messengers. Popes were powerful figures, and the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 solidified Church law.
St. Bernardino of Siena — The 14th and 15th centuries were marked by pandemics where the Black Plague wiped out 30-60 percent of the population in Europe. There were geopolitical shifts and the birth of modern ideas during the Renaissance Period. The invention of Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press provided easier access to information.
St. Francis de Sales, St. Joseph Cupertino — The 17th century bridged the medieval and modern worlds with global and scientific exploration. The Global Age of Discovery and Trade chartered powerful monopolies. This century ushered in the founding of American colonies.
St. Padre Pio — The 20th century was characterized by two world wars, rapid industrialization and ideological battles. The Russian Revolution of 1917 established the Soviet Union, the rise of Communism, and an earthly appearance from the Blessed Mother in Fatima. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, an atomic bomb was dropped, the United Nations was created, a man landed on the moon, and in 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. By 1991, there was no Soviet Union. The World Wide Web became a new form of communication.
St. Carlo Acutis — The 21st century — our current challenges, — the attack on Sept. 11, the economic recession in 2008, the introduction of iPhones, Covid 19 and artificial intelligence, to name a few. Carlo Acutis, the millennium saint, designed a digital website to share the Eucharistic Miracles of the World. Look what God can do!
I am reminded every day that God is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving, and his mercy endures forever. In defending the faith, some saints were martyred. Where are the guardians of truth today? Share truth with a joyful heart … all glory to God! Amen!
Zoe Cannon lives in Morgantown, Indiana, and is a member of Sts. Francis and Clare Parish in Greenwood, Indiana.