Pope Alexander VIII. canonized in 1690, with all the usual ceremonies, St. John of Facundo, to whom the Roman Martyrology gives the testimonial that he was a light of the Church by his faith, holiness of life and the many miracles he performed. He was born in the Kingdom of Leon, in Spain, in a small village called St. Facundo or Sahagun. His parents for many years had no issue; but after long prayers were at last blessed with John; hence they bestowed particular care in giving him a Christian education. He studied the liberal sciences in the monastery of St. Benedict, which was not far from his native place. In the course of time he came of the Court of the pious Bishop of Burgos, who, esteeming him highly on account of his virtues, ordained him priest. During his sojourn there he frequently visited a miraculous image of the crucified Saviour, which is preserved in the Church of the Augustinian Monks. One day he was there witness of the cure of a paralysed man, who, in gratitude for the benefit derived, and also to consecrate himself entirely to the service of God, joined the religious in whose Church the miracle had taken place. This event determined St. John to give himself also entirely to the service of the Almighty. Hence he left the court of the bishop and went to Salamanca, not only for the purpose of perfecting himself in theology, but also to lead a more perfect life.

After having made in both the desired progress, God called him by an interior voice to the office of preaching. John obeyed the call of God, and made a beginning in Salamanca, a city which was at that period in a most pitiful condition. Two young men of the nobility had, in a quarrel, killed two other noblemen. The mother of the two murdered youths, clad in the garb of a soldier, went with a few of her domestics after the assassins, who had immediately fled from the city. She found them in Portugal, and there killed them both; upon which a terrible feud broke out between the two families and all their respective connections. Some of the nobility took part with one of the families, some with the other. Drawing the other citizens into their quarrel, the whole city was soon divided into two parties. Both sides took up arms, and some of either were frequently wounded or killed. John was chosen by God to make peace between them. He often ventured into the midst of the combatants: spoke sometimes with kind, sometimes with severe words, and rested not until he had restored peace. Many prayers and penances he had offered to the Almighty for this end, had preached emphatically in behalf of it, and several times had endangered his life, until he had accomplished his design.

After this he fell sick, and suffered greatly; and when the physician found it necessary that he should submit to a most painful and dangerous operation, he vowed that should the operation be successfully performed and his health be restored, he would enter a religious order. All went as he desired, and he hesitated not to enter, in pursuance of his vow, the order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine. How zealous he must have been during his novitiate may be concluded from the fact that he was soon after elected as Master of the Novices, and in the course of time he became Prior. He never left off preaching, for'which God had not only bestowed upon him a peculiar talent: but also worked through him some very extraordinary conversions. Although the holy preacher was much persecuted on account of the impartiality with which he condemned vice, without respect of persons, he relaxed not in doing his duty. To a certain Duke who reproved his frankness with anger and menaces, he replied: "Your Grace must know that a preacher must have such a disposition that he should tell the truth even if it cost him his life." Several times were ruffians hired to waylay the Saint and to maltreat him, but God ordained that on the approach of their victim they could not move hand or foot until they had acknowledged their fault and begged his pardon.

This divine assistance, as well as the great success of his sermons, St. John obtained by his frequent and fervent prayers, to which he gave the greater part of the night; by his austerity in fasting and other work of penance, and by the great care he took to keep his conscience free from all stains of sin. Therefore he confessed almost daily, and when this was blamed, he said: "I am not sure of a day or an hour in which I may not be called to appear before the judgment-seat of God and give a rigorous account of my conduct. I often see that some die suddenly, while others lose their senses in sickness; hence, I endeavor to be always prepared. I confess frequently because I sin frequently." Thus spoke the humble servant of God, who never burdened his conscience with a mortal sin. To say holy Mass he prepared himself during whole hours, and scarcely ever said it without shedding many tears. He had often the grace to see visibly, while standing before the Altar, our Blessed Lord, the Virgin Mother and other Saints, and to receive from them the most beneficial instructions.

The Almighty bestowed upon him, besides other graces, the gift of prophecy and of reading the thoughts of the heart. At St. Lazare, on the opposite side of the bridge, a great feast was given during the winter season. The holy man feared that in consequence of the old quarrel related above, one side or other might provoke a new feud by angry words or reproaches. He therefore, had a pulpit erected near the bridge, and from it exhorted all to love and harmony ending with the words: " I announce to you this beforehand: that he who dares to draw his sword will pay for the deed with his life. Keep therefore peace, that none of you, on this day, may become a prey to Hell." Notwithstanding this exhortation, one youth dared to quarrel with another and drew his sword against him. He had, however, instantly to experience the truth of the Saint's prediction; for he was killed on the spot. A woman wished to kiss the Saint's hand, but he, withdrawing it, said: "I will not permit my hand to be touched by one who carries the devil in her heart." The woman asked what he meant by these words; when he answered: "I know that you have determined to take your daughter's life, because she has become a mother without being wedded." These words clearly proved that God had bestowed upon him the gift of reading hearts. Many other similar events and many miracles might be told of this Saint, but space is wanting for us to relate them all, and we will only add a few words of his happy end.

St. John had converted, by the force of his sermons, a young man who, for a long time, had lived in criminal intimacy with an unchaste woman. The latter menaced the Saint that, before the year should end he would dearly pay for what he had done; and, in fact, she, in some manner, administered poison to him, which slowly wasted his strength. The Saint was more concerned about the sin that had been committed, than about his own suffering. He prepared himself, with great fervor for death, by receiving extreme unction, and joyfully resigned his soul into the hands of the Almighty, in the year 1479, just at the moment when the bells were rung for the Angelus. Soon after his death his countenance shone with such wonderful beauty and divine radiance, that all who beheld it were touched with veneration for the holy man. This, however, still increased when, by invoking his faithful servant, God wrought many miracles at his tomb. The first of these was, that a woman, named Beatrix, who for 23 years had had a paralyzed hand by touching the tomb of the Saint, recovered the entire use of it. Soon after, a dumb man received speech by invoking the aid of St. John, and a child crushed to death was restored to life with the use of all its limbs.

St. John endeavored, with all his power, to reconcile minds that were hostile and embittered against each other, and to produce a lasting love and harmony between them. With many he was so fortunate as to succeed, although not without endangering his own life. If an opportunity offers itself to you to appease angry minds, to quiet or prevent contention and strife, to restore love and unity between others, hasten to follow the example of St. John. Oh! how much evil this holy man prevented by his sacred endeavors, and how many souls he thus saved from temporal as well as eternal destruction! You also will prevent many offences against the majesty of God, if you, as already remarked, follow the example of St. John. Should you, however, take for your model those who give occasion for strife and contention, who preserve or even increase enmity and discord, be assured that you make yourself accountable for all those sins which result from so doing. And what punishment have you one day to expect on account of it? The Holy Ghost says of a man who seeks or occasions strife and contentions: "A cruel angel shall be sent against him" (Proverbs xvii.). This signifies that the devil will have particular power over him. Take heed that this may not prove true as regards yourself.

St. John saw that many died suddenly, others lost their senses in their sickness, so that neither could confess before their end. Hence, he confessed frequently, so that he might be always prepared to die. Oh! what a praiseworthy and beneficial solicitude! Have you ever heard of sudden deaths, as St. John had? I make no doubt that you have; why then do you not, like him, seek by frequent confession to place yourself in such a state as to be always ready to die? May not a sudden death take you into eternity laden with all your sins? May you not be deprived of your reason by fever in your sickness, and thus die without confession? Solicitous Christians confess at least once every month, if they have an opportunity. In this manner they are more quickly cleansed from sin, and more easily keep their conscience free. Whoever confesses seldom, is like a room which is seldom swept and becomes daily more disorderly. The conscience of a person who seldom confesses, is daily burdened with more sin. If he has not confessed for a long time, he has lived long in his sin, and whoever has lived long in his sin, has every reason to fear that he will die in it. But can there be a more unhappy death than to die laden with sin? "Whoever wishes not to die in sin, should not live in sin:" says St. Augustine; and I add: whoever wishes not to die in sin, should commit none; or, when he has committed it, not postpone confessing it. If he confesses frequently, he will not so easily commit sin, and will be always ready to die. Whoever is always prepared to die, has just reason to hope that his end will be happy. "Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching," says our Lord Jesus Christ. (St Luke xii.)

O Blessed Saint, well hast thou earned the privilege of appearing in the heavens of holy Church, during these weeks that are radiant with Pentecostal light. Long ago did Isaias thus portray the loveliness of earth, on the morrow of the coming down of the Paraclete: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring good tidings, and that preach peace: of them that preach salvation that say to Sion: Thy God shall reign! (Is. lii. 7)" What the prophet thus admired, was the sight of the Apostles' taking possession of the world, in God's name; but in what did thine own mission differ from theirs thus enthusiastically pictured by the inspired pencil? The same Holy Ghost animated thy ways and theirs; the same Pacific King beheld His sceptre by thy hand, made yet more steadfast in its sway over a noble nation of His vast empire. Peace, the one object of all thy labours here below, is now thine eternal recompense in heaven where thou reignest with Him. Thou dost now experience the truth of thy Master's word, when He said of such as resemble thee by working to establish peace, at least within the territory of their own hearts: Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God (St. Matth. v. 9.)! Yea, rest then, dear Saint, in thy Father's inheritance, into which thou hast entered; rest thee, in the beatific repose of the Holy Trinity that inundates thy soul, and may we here, afar off in this chilly earth below, feel something of that genial peacefulness.

Vouchsafe to lavish upon thine own land of Spain, the same succour which, in thy life time was so precious unto her. No longer does she hold that preeminence in Christendom, which became hers, just after thy glorious death. Would that thou couldst now persuade her, that never can her greatness be recovered, by lending an ear to the deceptive whisperings of false liberty. But that which could in bygone days render her so strong and powerful, can do so again, if she draw down upon her the benedictions of Him by whom alone kings reign (Prov. viii. 16). Devotedness to Christ, that was her glory; devotedness to truth, that was her treasure! Revealed truth is alone, that whereby men enter into true liberty:--Truth will make you free (St. John, viii. 32). Truth alone is able to bind in unity indissoluble, the many minds and wills that make up a nation: powerful is that bond, for it secures strength to a country beyond her frontiers, and peace to her within. Apostle of peace, remind thine own people, and teach the same to all,--that absolute fidelity to the Church's doctrines is the sole ground whereon Christians may seek and find concord. Amen

O most merciful Lord Jesus, by Thine agony and sweat of Blood, by Thy precious death, deliver us, we beseech Thee, from a sudden and unprovided death. O most kind Lord Jesus, by Thy most sharp and ignominious scourging and crowning with thorns, by Thy holy Cross and bitter Passion, by Thy loving-kindness, we humbly pray that Thou wouldst not suffer us to die unprovided with Thy holy Sacraments. O dearly beloved Lord Jesus, by all Thy labors and sorrows, by Thy Precious Blood and sacred wounds, by those Thy last words on the Cross: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" and those others: "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit," we most earnestly beseech Thee to deliver us from a sudden death. Grant us, we pray, room for repentance; grant us a happy passing in Thy grace, that so we may be able to love Thee, praise Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen.

(Indulgence of 500 days: plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, when this prayer has been devoutly said every day for a month. [641])






Consecration of a Family to the Mother of God
(by St. Alphonsus)








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