In 1902, Alfredo Cremonesi was born in Italy as the first of seven children. His father was a grocer, and his mother instilled a deep faith in all the children. Despite a lifetime of frail health, he followed God’s call to missionary work, joining the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions at the age of 20. He was ordained two years later and became a missionary to Burma, never returning to Italy. He spent 23 years living in mountain villages and was imprisoned by Japanese occupation forces during World War II. In 1948 when most missionaries left during Burma’s civil war, he stayed behind… and was martyred by government forces.
CHALLENGE
Blessed Alfredo Cremonesi had a deep devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux and also to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Also, he would spend an hour every night in Eucharistic adoration. Your challenge for today is to buy or borrow a book on either St. Thérèse of Lisieux or the Sacred Heart of Jesus and make time to read it in Eucharistic adoration.
In France in 1572, Jane Frances Frémyot was born to the president of the local parliament. Her mother died when Jane was only 18 months old, and her devout father ensured Jane was well-raised and educated. When she was 21 he arranged for her to be married to the Baron de Chantal, a son of one of his friends. Jane had four children before the Baron was killed in a hunting accident, and widowed at 28, she moved in with her father-in-law to secure her children’s inheritance. Under the spiritual direction of St. Francis de Sales she founded the Congregation of the Visitation, an order for women whose health or age prevented them from joining other orders. Jane was deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and grew her order to 86 houses before her death at age 69.
CHALLENGE
St. Jane de Chantal faced many adversities in her life, but she found ways to turn adversity into fruits for God. Adversity comes in many forms. What matters isn’t the adversity you face, but how you face it. What adversity is a part of your life? Bring it to your spiritual director, and figure out how you can turn your adversity into fruits for God.
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