The Church gives us a Saint for all seasons and for every walk of life – even for entrepreneurs and the well-to-do who’ve been blessed with great riches.
We’re celebrating the feast of St. Francis Borgia today, on the Old Rite calendar that is. (You knows how it goes with the Novus Ordo.)
He’s not exactly everyone’s most recognizable St. Francis, so who was he?
For starters, he was rich, and you’d have to be if you were a nobleman in the King of Spain’s court in the early 16th Century. (Eat that, Moxy Fruvous.)
St. Francis was also married and had eight kids (which should offer hope to anyone reading this who has their own big family), and received Holy Communion on a regular basis.
Seems like his life was pretty much set, right? Well, God had slightly different plans.
Francis joined the Society of Jesus (back in the good ol’ days of the order) after his wife died, where he met St. Ignatius Loyola and became involved with work across Europe and South America.
He was beatified in Madrid on November 23, 1624 by Pope Gregory XV, and is the Patron Saint of???
You’ll never guess it …
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Earthquakes.
The key take away is this …
His nobility and wealth didn’t make him saintly, but his response to God’s will, whether it was his in his devotion to the Church or his sacrifices in service to our Lord.
St. Francis didn’t live for himself or let his status and riches define who he was – he lived for Christ.
St. Francis Borgia, pray for us.
Stay holy my friend.