Born in Greece to a wealthy family of nobles in the early 7th Century, Giles gained a reputation as a miracle worker. Desiring a quiet life of penance, he left Greece for France in 683 where he lived in a cave that had a thicket of thorn bushes at its mouth. One day a king and his hunting party chased a deer into the thicket. Someone shot an arrow into the thicket hoping to hit the deer, but it hit Giles’ leg instead. The king sent doctors to treat him, and once word of the holy hermit spread, he was once again sought after for his guidance and miracles. The king built a monastery for Guiles, who served as its first abbot. He established his own monastic rule, and the monastery became a pilgrimage site, especially for the handicapped and the poor.
CHALLENGE
Despite the care of the king’s doctors, St. Giles was permanently crippled by the arrow. Many parishes today are unwelcoming to people with physical disabilities. Today, contact your parish and see how you can help make it more accessible to people with physical disabilities. If there’s not a disability ministry at your parish, start one.
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