Saint of the Day: St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church
In 1602, St. Lawrence became the master general of his order. He worked, preached and wrote to spread the Good News. He went on important peace missions to Munich, Germany, and Madrid, Spain. The rulers of those places listened to him and the missions were successful. But St. Lawrence became very ill. He had been tired out by the hard traveling and the strain of his tasks. He died on his birthday, July 22, in 1619. He was proclaimed a saint by Pope Leo XIII in 1881. He was honored as "apostolic doctor" by Pope John XXIII in 1959.
St. Lawrence was the first Capuchin to be honored as a Doctor of the Church. St. Lawrence, like his spiritual father St. Francis of Assisi, had an ardent devotion to the Immaculate Mother of God. He was the first to write on all aspects of theology that concern the Blessed Virgin.
In the practice of the religious virtues St. Lorenzo equals the greatest saints. He had the gift of contemplation and often fell into ecstasy when he celebrated Holy Mass. He had a great devotion was to the Rosary and the Office of the Blessed Virgin.
His written works included some controversial pieces against the Lutherans and a commentary on Genesis, but his main contributions are in the nine volumes of his sermons.
"God is love, and all his operations proceed from love."
~ St. Lawrence of Brindisi
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