A Saint is a person in Heaven who lived a virtuous life in a heroic way for the Faith and who is worthy of imitation. It is pleasing to God and gives Him glory when we honor those who excelled in love of Him. The devotions we have to Saints do not end with the Saints themselves, but rather reaches ultimately to God.
Universal Call To Holiness
The Saints are in their glory, contemplating God and stand before Him in perfect joy, peace, love, and happiness in Heaven. As different as all the Saints are, there is one thing they all have in common: they lived out their specific call of Christ, that universal call to holiness. Every Saint is a man or woman who desired a friendship with God, and who fell in love with Him, our King.
The Communion of Saints
The witness of their heroic love stories with God can inspire, and even change our own lives. Whenever I feel dry or apathetic, reading stories about the lives of the Saints and calling upon their intercession always rekindles and ignites my faith. Their witness of love, joy, and fidelity to God within their obstacles, pain, and even their own dryness inspires and uplifts my soul.
St. Giuseppe Moscati
In retrospect, during the most pivotal moments in my life I was asking the intercession of a specific Saint. Many of my memories are accompanied with the name of a Saint. As a child I remember reciting the words on a Marian prayer card at night. In high school I asked St. Bridget to be with me during a particularly painful year. During nursing school I offered my vocation as a nurse to St. Joseph. When I was single and discerning I called upon the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Throughout my pregnancy with my son, Peter Karol, I asked Pope St. John Paul the Great to protect us. And now, I have a devotion to St. Giuseppe Moscati.
Doctor of the Poor
I first discovered St. Giuseppe Moscati two years ago after watching a film about him. I was immediately drawn to his story of fidelity, courage, sacrifice, and strength.
Moscati was a brilliant Italian doctor, professor, and miracle worker. Known as the “holy physician of Naples,” St. Giuseppe Moscati saw Christ in each of his patients. He went to Mass and received Jesus in the Eucharist each day before visiting his patients. His pure love for God and neighbor culminated in the vow of chastity and poverty that he made.
Moscati lived simply in order to serve the poor without cost, and never charged a fee to priests or religious.
Miracle Worker
Miracles happened while he was alive and continue to occur after his death. Healings from cancer, accidents, and other ailments, including infertility, take place through his intercession. St. Giuseppe Moscati lived out the Beatitudes, serving Christ in the sick, poor, lonely, homeless, and suffering.
Saints Change Our Lives
Saints change history because they change lives. After watching the film and learning more about St. Giuseppe Moscati’s life I was inspired to create a medical scrub line in his honor, Moscati Scrubs. Before becoming a stay at home mother, I worked as an oncology nurse. It’s been a joy combining my passion for the Faith and the medical field. My life truly has not been the same since discovering this incredible Saint and I see his intercession in my life so clearly.
Our Friendship With Christ
There is nothing more attractive to me than a person living for Christ, when it is clear that a person truly has heaven as a goal and lives like Heaven is their goal, just as St. Giuseppe Moscati lived. Those are the people I’m drawn to and that is the person I want to be.
My goal is for Christ to shine through me so that people may see Christ and have a friendship with Christ. Our world needs that. People in the world are yearning for that!
Our world needs you; the world needs your friendship with Christ.
The world needs your friendship with Christ. #BISblog //Click to tweet
Three Challenges for the Feast of St. Giuseppe Moscati
Here are three challenges for us on this Feast of Saint Giuseppe Moscati:
Do You Want Heaven?
Ask yourself if you want Heaven. Do you want to be with God, do you want to be His Saint? Do you want the glory, joy, peace, love, and happiness for eternity?
If your answer is yes, make Heaven your goal in the way you live. Live like you want Heaven. Start praying each day, even if it’s a few seconds or saying the words, “Jesus, I want heaven, help me become a Saint.”
And if your answer is “no” or you aren’t sure if you want Heaven, please say a little prayer asking God to place that desire for Heaven in you. Because we want you in Heaven. God wants you in Heaven. He wants to spend eternity with you.
Live like you want Heaven. #BISblog //Click to tweet
Fall in Love with Christ
Begin falling in love with Christ. Let your heart be romanced by God. Falling in love with our Creator is the greatest love story. God loves us deeply and profoundly. He loves us no matter what. No sin is too big for Him. And once we fall deeply in love with Christ, we are better able to love people here on earth.
Find Heavenly Friends
Make a Saint your best friend. It could be your confirmation Saint or the Saint your parents named you after. Or if you don’t know where to begin, ask God to send you one—He will! You could even Google some of your hobbies and who the patron Saint is of that hobby. For example, if you love music, St. Cecilia is the patron Saint of music. Or pick up a book about the lives of the Saints and if you feel drawn to one, begin asking them to be with you throughout the day.
Be a Saint!
Sisters, you are beautiful. You have gifts and talents that God gave you, that He wants you to use and share with the world. You are the light of this world, a world that is often full of darkness and despair. You are God’s joy. You are His joy! You are loved by Him. You are meant for that perfect joy, peace, love, and happiness in Heaven.
Saint Giuseppe Moscati, pray for us!
The Life of St. Giuseppe Moscati #BISblog //Click to tweet
Claire Couche is a wife, etiquette instructor, blogger, homeschooling mother, and registered nurse. She is passionate about sharing content that helps her community live a beautiful and virtuous life. Using her degrees in theology and history, Claire shares about the Catholic faith often on her IG account @findingphilothea and her website, Finding Philothea. You can often find her reading a good book in a beautiful dress! Learn more about Claire and all things etiquette here.
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