Today's Saint of the Day ✝️ shows how God’s standards of success can differ from ours.
August 7, 2024
Hello John,
The story of Saint Cajetan is truly inspiring. Despite starting his career as a lawyer and then becoming a priest engaged in the work of the Roman Curia, Saint Cajetan took a significant turn when he joined the Oratory of Divine Love in Rome. He founded a hospital for incurables and dedicated himself to serving the sick and poor, showing immense compassion and dedication to helping others.
Cajetan's establishment of a monte de pieta in Naples, which aimed to help the poor and protect them from usurers, ultimately evolved into the Bank of Naples, bringing about significant positive changes to the community.
This story serves as a powerful reminder of the impact one person's dedication and compassion can have in bringing about positive change in the world.
If you've been inspired by this story, please consider making a donation to Franciscan Media to support our mission of spreading the word of God and sharing stories of inspirational figures like Saint Cajetan with people around the world. Every contribution helps in continuing our valuable work. Donate today!
With prayers and blessings,
Fr. Dan Kroger, OFM Franciscan Media CEO and St. Anthony Messenger Publisher
Like most of us, Cajetan seemed headed for an “ordinary” life—first as a lawyer, then as a priest engaged in the work of the Roman Curia.
His life took a characteristic turn when he joined the Oratory of Divine Love in Rome, a group devoted to piety and charity, shortly after his ordination at 36. When he was 42 he founded a hospital for incurables at Venice. At Vicenza, he joined a “disreputable” religious community that consisted only of men of the lowest stations of life—and was roundly censured by his friends, who thought his action was a reflection on his family. He sought out the sick and poor of the town and served them.
The greatest need of the time was the reformation of a Church that was “sick in head and members.” Cajetan and three friends decided that the best road to reformation lay in reviving the spirit and zeal of the clergy. Together they founded a congregation known as the Theatines—from Teate [Chieti] where their first superior-bishop had his see. One of the friends later became Pope Paul IV.
They managed to escape to Venice after their house in Rome was wrecked when Emperor Charles V’s troops sacked Rome in 1527. The Theatines were outstanding among the Catholic reform movements that took shape before the Protestant Reformation. Cajetan founded a monte de pieta—“mountain or fund of piety”—in Naples, one of many charitable, nonprofit credit organizations that lent money on the security of pawned objects. The purpose was to help the poor and protect them against usurers. Cajetan’s little organization ultimately became the Bank of Naples, with great changes in policy.
Reflection
If Vatican II had been summarily stopped after its first session in 1962, many Catholics would have felt that a great blow had been dealt to the growth of the Church. Cajetan had the same feeling about the Council of Trent, held from 1545 to 1563. But as he said, God is the same in Naples as in Venice, with or without Trent or Vatican II. We open ourselves to God’s power in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, and God’s will is done. God’s standards of success differ from ours.
Discover this timeless classic from Murray Bodo, OFM
As Clare had labored over the years in doing the fine handwork that helped support the monastery, she now set herself the task of a written text. As she had always consulted the sisters on matters that touched the lives of all, she now could invite them to discern with her the precise wording of difficult passages. We can imagine the spirited conversations and debates of those chapters.
Thus, she and her sisters embroidered an enclosure of words chosen to protect their vision as surely as their outer walls. Little by little the work moved forward. As with Francis, the written record was firmly rooted in a lived experience. For that reason, Clare would not work in isolation. She would offer multiple opportunities for the sisters and her closest advisors to help her shape the final results.
Some jigsaw puzzles have more colors, more pieces, more variations in shapes. Finding the straight lines that hint at outer edges is a good way to get started.
Pray
Give me a frame, O Divine Architect. I need some lines to mark the edges of this day. I want to frame the colors and shape of my day—my very life— according to your will. Yet life poses puzzle pieces that do not seem to belong in my box. Work with me, play with me, help me fit it all together. Some day I will see the same picture that you already know. I trust your vision.
Act
Carry a puzzle piece with you today to remind you to search for a good fit no matter what the day’s experiences bring.
Today's Pause+Pray was written by Carol Ann Morrow. Learn more here!
Day Three: An Everyday Saint
Though St. Clare changed the world by her faith and her lived experience, she also faced common, daily struggles. Margaret Carney, OSF, explains...
