Born to an Italian family of sharecroppers in a tiny village in 1881, Angelo Roncalli’s path toward a religious life began early. He entered the seminary at the age of 11 and he joined the Secular Franciscans at 15. Ordained a priest at 22, he was assigned as a bishop’s secretary and also taught at a seminary. Fr. Angelo served as a medic and chaplain in World War I, was ordained a bishop in 1925, and during World War II he helped save many Jewish lives by securing visas that allowed them to leave Europe. Five years after being made a cardinal he was elected pope and took the name John XXIII. In his five years as Vicar of Christ, he worked for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis, called for the Second Vatican Council, and wrote eight encyclicals.
CHALLENGE
St. Pope John XXIII was humble and disdained the limelight, and he was always quick with a joke about himself, especially his short height and big ears. Too often we take ourselves too seriously, which leads to being easily offended when someone “pushes that button”. Today make a list of your “hot buttons” and then write a self-deprecating joke about each one.
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