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APRIL 20 - ST. AGNES OF MONTEPULCIANO

This saint was born at Gracchiano-Vecchio, Tuscany in Italy to wealthy parents. When she was only six she began pleading with her parents to let her live at the nearby convent. Finally, when she was nine years old, she was allowed to join the convent at Montepulciano.

Agnes was very happy with the sisters. They lived in quiet prayer and worked hard. Even though she was young, Agnes understood why the sisters lived and prayed so well. They wanted to be very close to Jesus.

As the years passed, St. Agnes received her training as a novice. She was such a good nun that the other sisters were pleased to have her. Agnes prayed with all her heart. She set a very good example of holiness and some young women came to join them. Agnes and the sisters belonged to the Order of Preachers, called Dominicans.

When she was about forty years old, Agnes was made superior or “prioress” of the convent. She tried to be fair and honest with each sister. She kept reminding herself that everything she did was for Jesus. She believed that Jesus was really in charge of the convent. He was taking care of them.

Mother Agnes performed hard penances by sleeping on the ground with a stone for a pillow and living on just bread and water. She was kind and gentle even when she didn’t feel like it. God filled Agnes with joy and gifted her with many spiritual favors. He even let her hold the Christ Child in her arms.

Agnes was sick a lot of the time, but she was patient even when she was very ill. She never complained or felt sorry for herself. Instead, she offered everything to God. The sisters were very sad when she was dying. “If you loved me, you would be glad,” Agnes said. “I am going to enter the glory of Jesus.”

St. Agnes died in 1317 at the age of forty-nine. Her tomb became a place of pilgrimage where people came to pray to this holy woman and to seek her help. Among the pilgrims was the famous St. Catherine of Siena. St. Agnes’ body is incorrupt to this day.

APRIL 22 - ST. SOTER AND ST. CAIUS

St. Soter was born at Fondi, Latium in Italy and his father was a Greek. He was the twelfth pope and bishop of Rome at the time of the Roman emperors. He was a real father to all Christians and did much to help the poor. He took special care of those who had been punished and sent to work in dangerous mines because they would not give up their faith in Jesus.

These brave Christians were kept hungry all the time and not allowed much rest. Other Christians were chained in prisons. Good Pope Soter did everything he possibly could to comfort and help them.

St. Soter also helped Christians who were far away from Rome. This holy pope was a great preacher. All the Christians loved to listen to him explain the Catholic faith. He spoke with such love. People who listed to him were filled with the courage to die for Jesus rather than worship false gods.

St. Soter himself gave his life for Jesus and died a martyr in the year 174, ten years after he was made pope. At his tomb are written the words “Saint Soter, master of charity, pray for us!”

St. Caius was pope about one hundred years later. He, too, lived in times of great trouble for Christians. This pope did all he could to prepare people to keep the faith at any sacrifice.

To help his people better, he lived eight years in underground rooms, called catacombs. These were cemeteries where the Christians often met in secret to pray and receive the sacraments. This was their hiding place from the cruel pagan soldiers. The Christians knew they would be killed if they were caught.

St. Caius was pope for twelve years. Then he, too, was martyred. He died in the year 296.

APRIL 21 - ST. ANSELM

Anselm was born at Aosta, Piedmont in Italy to wealthy parents. He could see the Alpine Mountains from his home. As a child he was taught how to be holy and study well. When he was fifteen, Anselm tried to join a monastery in Italy but his father would not let him.

Then Anselm became sick. Soon after he got better, his mother died. He was still young and rich and clever and began to think only of having good times. He had forgotten God. But soon Anselm became bored and wanted something better, something more important.

He argued with his father and ran away to France. There he visited the holy Abbot Lanfranc of the famous monastery of Bec. Anselm became Lanfranc’s very close friend and the abbot brought him to God. Then at the age of twenty-seven, Anselm decided to become a Benedictine monk.

Anselm was a warm-hearted man who loved his brother monks dearly. Even those who first disliked him soon became his friends. When he was forty-five years old he was made the abbot of Bec.

He finally had to leave Bec to become archbishop of Canterbury in England, but he told the monks that they would always live in his heart. The people of England loved and respected Anselm. But King William II treated him badly.

Anselm had to leave the country and flee into exile in 1097 and again in 1103. King William even refused to let Anselm go to Rome to see the pope for advice. But Anselm went anyway. He stayed with the pope until the king died. Then he went back to his parish in England.

Even though he had many duties that kept him very busy, St. Anselm always found time to write important books of philosophy and theology. He also wrote down the many wonderful instructions he had given the monks about God.

They were very happy about that. He used to say: “Would you like to know the secret of being happy in the monastery? Forget the world and be happy to forget it. The monastery is a real heaven on earth for those who live only for Jesus.”

St. Anselm died on April 21, 1109. He was declared a great teacher or Doctor of the Church.

APRIL 23 - ST. GEORGE

St. George was a favorite soldier in the army of Diocletian, a pagan emperor who did not believe in God. Diocletian was a bitter enemy of the Christians and put to death every Christian he could find.

When George became a Christian, he went to the emperor and scolded him for being so cruel and gave up his position in the Roman army. He first sold everything he had and gave the money to the poor. Then, free to follow Jesus and bearing the shield of faith, he became a loyal soldier for Christ.

St. George paid a very high price for his bravery. He was cruelly tortured and beheaded at Lydda in Palestine. So boldly daring and cheerful was St. George in declaring his faith that people were filled with courage when they heard about it.

Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to save a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God’s holy truth. St. George kills the dragon because he won the battle against the devil.

The story goes like this … A dragon lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, but had died. The monster ate two sheep a day and when he had eaten all the sheep, lots were drawn in local villages, and young women were given as food for the dragon instead of sheep.

Into this country came Saint George. Hearing the story on a day when a princess was to be eaten, he made the sign of the cross, rode to battle and killed the dragon with a single blow of his lance.

George then preached a wonderful sermon, and many of the people in that kingdom became Christians. The grateful king gave George a large reward but George distributed it to the poor and rode away.

Because of his gracious behavior (protecting women, fighting evil, strong faith, strength, bravery, and generosity to the poor), devotion to Saint George became popular in the Europe and he was named the patron of England. His feast day was as popular and important as Christmas.

Many songs and poems were written about this martyr who gave his life for Jesus. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him.

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