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 In the year 1556, at Leonissa in the Abruzzi in the kingdom of Naples, the
devout couple John Desiderius and Frances Paulina were blessed with a son, to
whom they gave the name Euphranius at baptism. Under their faithful guidance
the little boy made such progress in piety that at a very tender age he
resolved upon certain feast days, and took the greatest pleasure in practices
of piety.
Later on, pursuing his studies at Viterbo, he
attracted the attention and admiration of everyone by his industry and
virtuous life to such a degree that a nobleman in that city offered him his
daughter in marriage together with a large dowry. But the Euphranius has
already made a nobler choice. He left school and entered the Franciscan order
among the Capuchins at Leonissa, in the year 1573, under the name of Joseph.
Here he found happiness and peace in things which an effeminate age abhors
most: mortification and penance.
His dwelling was a poor cell, so small and narrow
that he could hardly stand, sit, or lie down in it. His bed was the bare
earth, a block of wood was his pillow. He ate by preference food which the
others could not or would not eat, such as stale beans and mouldy bread. In
spite of the great strain associated with a life of preaching, he persevered
in doing such penance even after he had been entrusted with the task. With
works of penance he strove to win over those souls to God that he could not
move with words.
In the year 1587, his zeal for souls urged him to
go to Constantinople. He could not long conceal from the fanatical Turks the
good that he was doing, especially among the Christian captives on the
galleys. They seized him, pierced his right hand and right foot with sharp
hooks, and hung him up on a high gibbet, then kindled a weak fire under him in
order to roast him alive slowly. and gradually to suffocate him. He suffered
untold tortures for three days. On the fourth day he was miraculously freed by
an angel and received the command to return to Italy to preach the Gospel to
the poor. From now on he traveled untiringly through all the villages and
country towns of Umbria. He strongly denounced evils of that day, such as
frivolous dances and plays. In his associations with the people, however, he
resembled a lamb in his meekness and charity. His very bearing won for him the
affection of the people, and effected the most remarkable reconciliations
between persons who had been living in enmity for years, and between families
and communities that had been at variance with each other.
Often while at work or at prayer he would be rapt
in ecstasy. He wrought many miracles, and was vouchsafed the gift of prophesy
and of reading human hearts. He also foretold the day of his death. It was
February 4, 1612, when he entered into the joy of his Lord in the convent at
Amatrice. His body was taken to his native town of Leonissa, and reposes
there, glorified by many miracles.
Pope Clement XII beatified Joseph, and Pope
Benedict XIV canonized him in the year 1745.
ON MORTIFYING THE APPETITE
1. Consider how at a
very tender age St, Joseph of Leonissa mortified his appetite by voluntary
fasting, and later went so far as to seek his necessary nourishment by
preference only in food that was repugnant to the natural taste and might even
have injured his health, if the Divine Spirit who urged him to do it had not
protected him. Thus he proved himself a true son of St. Francis, of whom St.
Bonaventure writes: "When he was well, he seldom ate cooked foods and when he
was obliged to eat them, he would mix ashes and water with the food. He did
not only abstain from wine, but never even desired to drink water." Our
Seraphic Father did this because he had considered the words of the Apostle:
"They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh" (Gal 5:24). -- According
to their rule, Tertiaries are also required to be temperate in eating and
drinking. In this matter, have you proved yourself a true child of St.
Francis?
2. Consider how easily and in how many ways we can indulge the
appetite: by eating too much, by eating too often, by eating too greedily, by
eating too daintily. Many who guard against the first three instances, are
caught in the meshes of the last. God has ordained that our food should
naturally have a pleasing taste in order that it may be conducive to good
health, and it is no fault if we relish our food. But fondness for delicacies
serves merely to satisfy an inordinate desire for food and drink; as St.
Chrysostom says, some people seem to live in order to eat instead of eating in
order to live. -- Do you belong to this class?
3. Consider the means to
overcome the inordinate desire for eating and drinking. It is related of St.
Adelgundis that upon reflecting how difficult it is to satisfy the needs of
the body without yielding to sensual pleasure, she asked God to deprive her of
all pleasure in eating and drinking. Then St. Peter appeared to her and gave
her a piece of bread from heaven. Thereafter no earthly food could again rouse
her appetite. If we, too, partake of heavenly food, that is, if in the
frequent contemplation of the joys of heaven we gain a foretaste of their
sweetness, and if we recall that it was through eating of forbidden fruit that
heaven was closed to be reopened only when Christ drank the bitter chalice of
His Passion and the nauseous gall, then perhaps earthly food will tempt us
less than before. We will be glad daily to offer a sacrifice to God by
mortifying our appetite as did St. Joseph of Leonissa, so that we may grow in
the relish of pious practices and hereafter be made partakers of heavenly
sweetness.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, Thou rewarder of
faithful servants, who didst make of blessed Joseph an extraordinary laborer
in preaching the Gospel, mercifully grant us through his intercession that we
may never cease to serve Thee in a pleasing manner here on earth, and may
finally receive from Thee the full reward in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
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