The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-23
Morning Star and Catholic Messenger.
1aW oRLnANs, SUNDAY, JUNE 81. 1878.
MINIATURR LIVES OF THE SAINTS.
juno "a.
ST. JOHN TIE BAPTIST.

juno "a.
ST. JOHN TIE BAPTIST.
It was the Office of st. John to prepart
the way for Christ, and before he was borI
into the world he began to live for th'
Incarnate God. Even in the womb h'
knew the presence of Jesus and Of Mary
and he ieapt with joy at the glad coming
Of the Son of Man. In his youth he re
mained hidden, because He for FOR whom non
before % Chrisss public life began
q Divine impulse led Ut. Johr
into the desert there with locustl
1 for his food and hsircloth on his skin, il
silence and in prayer, he chastened his OWL
aoul. Then, as crowds broke in upon biz
es0iitude, he warned them to flee from the
wrath to come, and gave them the baptism
Of penance, while they confessed their sins
At last there stood in the crowd one whom
Sc. John did not know, till voice within
told him that it was his Lord.
With the baptism of st. John, Christ
began His peDance for the sins of His peo-
pie, and st. John saw the Holy Ghost
the Saints work was done. He had but
to point his own disciples to the Lamb, he
had but to decrease as Christ increased.
He saw all men leave him and go after
Christ. Il told you,' he said, 'that I am
not the Christ. The friend of the bride
groom rei0iceth because of the BRIDE
grooEa's voice. This my joy therefore is
fulfilled.'
st. John had been cast into the fortress
Of MachBrus by worthless tyrant whose
crimes he had rebuked, and he was to re-
main there till he was beheaded at the will
of girl who danced before this wretched
king. In this time Of despair, if st. John
disciples visited him. st. John did not
speak to them of himself, but he sent them
also to Christ, that they might see the
proofs of his mission. Then the Eternal
Truth pronounced the panegyric of the
Saint who had lived and breathed for Him
alone. amen I say to you, there hath
NOT risen among them that are born of
women q greater than John the Baptist
June a5.
B. PETER CANISIUS.
Canisius was born A. D.-l521, at Mime
guen in Germany (; and in 1543 was the
first of his countrymen to enter the So
ciesy of Jesus, some three years after its
approval by Pope Paul III. Chosen by
God to be a champion of the Faith, he was
known from his youth for his fervour and
purity, his adherence of heresys and his
obedience to his confessor. The Catholics
of Cologne sent him, at the age of twenty
ive, to Charles ", to solicit aid against
their apostate archbishop, Hermann. Cant
for fifty years he labored increasingly for
the welfare of the Church. With amazing
energy and prudence he revived the zeal of
the Catholic princes and bishops, reformed
the universities, and brought whole cities
and provinces back to the Church. He
defended the Faith in imperial diets
against worldly statesmen, and In public
against the leaders of beresy.
After assisting at the Council of Trent, he
went as Apostolic Nuncio to promote the
execution of its decrres in Germany, Bohe-
mia, Poland, and Austria and amidst
these tolls found time to compose learned
controversial works, and Catechism
which has been for centuries textbook
of Christian doctrine. He was the first
Provincial of the Society in Germany, and
numerous colleges to be bulwarks
of the Faith in Switzerland and in his
native land. He died with every mark of
sanctity at Friburg in 1897.
apostolic career, the father who lived in
the next room to his, in the Jesuit college
et Vienna, was awakened one night by
sounds coming from B. Peter's cell. On
entering he found the jealous missionary
on his knees, wringiDg his hands, his face
All inflamed, while he was crying aloud to
God for mercy on the poor Christians who
we're separated from the true Church.
These secret prayers and tears explain his
subseQuent success.
June 26
ST. ROBERT OF MOLESME.
Robert was born in Champagne of
noble family, and at the age of fifteen en-
Eered the Order of st. Benedict While
still young he was made prior and soon
after abbot of st. Michael's at Tonnerre.
Finding that the monks shrank from the
primitive rule of st. Benedict, he withdrew
20 Molesme with q few companions, and
they built themselves cabins with the
Eboughs of trees. But as they became
richer they lost their early fervour, and
Robert Withdrew again to a desert place.
The monks of Molesme then obtained an
order from the Pope that Robert should
&c Trnnld