|
 Seraphin's parents were poor in earthly goods and obscure in the sight of men.
But the spirit of prayer which his mother instilled in the boy was an
inheritance of priceless value. The loving lessons of his mother caused
Seraphin to make the firm resolve to remain innocent and become a
saint.
He fostered tender devotion to the Blessed Mother
and occasionally visited her shrine at Loreto, not far from his home. Once, on
his way to the shrine, he found the River Potenza so high that no boatman
ventured across. In his eagerness to get to the shrine, Seraphin stepped on
the water, and it became like solid ground beneath him; he crossed the river
on his way to the shrine and back without so much as wetting the soles of his
feet.
On the death of his parents, Seraphin was subjected
to a severe trial. His brother, a bricklayer and a man of a violent temper,
took him into his employ; but no matter what the boy did, he received nothing
but harsh words and blows in return. Seraphin bore the cruel treatment with
great patience and recognized in it the way to holiness.
Desiring to consecrate himself to the service of
God, he entered a Capuchin convent when he was only 16 years old. The high
degree of perfection he had already attained was soon noticed and admired. His
brethren were edified at his humility, charity, mortification, and
self-sacrifice. Punctual in performing all the duties assigned to him, he
still found time to be of service to the other brothers.
He devoted the night to prayer. In the evening he
would visit the Blessed Sacrament and remain there for hours absorbed in
prayer and contemplation. Then he would take a short rest, after which he
would get up once more to attend the midnight office. God seemed to preserve
his bodily strength in a marvelous way.
During a famine he ate but a fourth of his own
meager meal, in order to have so much more to give to the poor. As porter of
the convent, charged with providing for the poor, he once exceeded the bounds
of obedience. For, as he had nothing more to give and there were still some
poor waiting for help, he went into the garden and gathered a supply of the
vegetables growing there. When his superior took him to task for it, the good
brother assured him that the community would in no way suffer on his account,
and that and the next morning a new growth of vegetables appeared in the
garden.
The miraculous power with which God rewarded the
charity of His servant continued to manifest itself. Countless sick were
restored to health when he made the Sign of the Cross over them.
Seraphin endeavored, nevertheless, to withdraw as
much as possible from contact with the world. While engaged in the quiet work
about the convent, his heart was busy contemplating the sufferings of Christ.
Consumed with the love of Him who shed His blood for love of us, he yearned to
go to the infidels in order to shed his blood for Christ. Since his request
was not granted, he made it a habit to pray:
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my
heart each wound renew
Of my Savior Crucified.
Inflamed with the love of God, Seraphin departed from this
life on October 12, 1604, in his 64th year. Many miracles occurred at his
grave, and Pope Clement XIII canonized him in 1767.
ON VENERATING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
1. The precious
Blood which Jesus Christ shed for us inflamed the heart of Seraphin with
glowing love for his Lord. When Jesus shed tears at the grave of Lazarus, the
bystanders said: "Behold how he loved him!" (John 11:36). But when He shed His
precious Blood for us, he proved His love for us more than He could do by
tears. One drop of His precious Blood would have sufficed to redeem us, but
"what would have satisfied justice," says St. Chrysostom, "did not satisfy His
love." He shed all His Blood, even to the last drop. He "has loved us and
washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Apoc 1:5). -- When your soul is
refreshed with the precious Blood in holy Communion, say, as St. Seraphin
frequently said: "My beloved to me and I to Him" (Cant 2:16).
2. To promote
devotion to the precious Blood, a confraternity of the precious Blood was
established in the 19th century. Much good has been achieved by it and many
members have been enrolled. The only conditions are, to have one's name
entered on the membership list and to say daily seven Glorys in honor of the
seven times our Savior shed His Blood: 1) at the Circumcision, 2) at the
Agony, 3) at the Scourging, 4) at the Crowning with thorns, 5) on the Way of
the Cross, 6) at the Crucifixion, 7) from the open Side. Pope Pius IX, in
recommending the confraternity, reminded the faithful that by way of a figure
the blood of the lamb was used in Egypt to mark the houses of the Israelites,
so that they would be spared from the wrath of God. He added: "Will not they
who devoutly venerate the Blood of our Savior, more assuredly escape the wrath
and experience the mercies of God?" -- Let us, then, devoutly venerate the
precious Blood.
3). Consider that sincere veneration of the Blood of Christ
should hearten us to abstain carefully from every sin and to bear the
sufferings of this life in a manner pleasing to God. Our souls have been
cleansed by the blood of Christ, first in baptism, and then in the sacrament
of penance. "The blood of Jesus Christ, " says St. John, "cleanses us from all
sin" (1 John 1:17). And he adds, "My little children, these things I write to
you that you may not sin." For, would that not be like treading on the Blood
of Christ? We should rather manifest our gratitude and return love for love by
patiently bearing the sufferings sent to us and by steadfastly overcoming
every temptation to sin. May St. Seraphin's intercession obtain for us a share
of his heroic love of God.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who didst inflame
the heart of St. Seraphin with the fire of Thy love, grant, we beseech Thee,
that at his intercession we may walk in his footsteps and be inflamed with the
same fire of love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
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