Saints celebrated on the 10th of May
SAINT JOHN OF AVILA, PRIEST
Saint John of Avila was an apostolic preacher of Andalusia and author, born at Almodovar del Campo, a small town in the diocese of Toledo, Spain, January 6, 1500; he died at Montilla, May 10, 1569.
MOST AUSTERE PIETY
At the age of fourteen he was sent to the University of Salamanca to study law. Conceiving a distaste for jurisprudence he returned after a year to his father’s home, where he spent the next three years in the practice of most austere piety.
His wonderful sanctity impressed a Franciscan journeying through Almodovar, and at the friar’s advice he took up the study of philosophy and theology at Alcala, where he was fortunate to have as his teacher the famous Dominican De Soto.
HE SOLD THE FAMILY PROPERTY AND GAVE THE PROCEEDS TO THE POOR
His parents died while he was a student and after his ordination he celebrated his first Mass in the church where they were buried, sold the family property and gave the proceeds to the poor. He saw in the severing of natural ties a vocation to foreign missionary work and made preparation to go to Mexico in America.
HIS EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION IN CELEBRATING HOLY MASS
While awaiting, at Seville in 1527, a favourable opportunity to start for his new field of labour, his extraordinary devotion in celebrating Mass attracted the attention of Hernando de Contreras, a priest of Seville, who reported his observations to the archbishop Don Alphonso Manrique. The archbishop saw in the young missionary a powerful instrument to stir up the faith of Andalusia, and after considerable persuasion Blessed John was induced to abandon his journey to America.
HE WAS CHARGED WITH EXAGGERATING THE DANGERS OF WEALTH
His first sermon was preached on July 22, 1529, and immediately his reputation was established; crowds thronged the churches at all his sermons. His success, however, brought with it the hatred of a certain class, and while living at Seville he was charged with exaggerating the dangers of wealth and closing the gates of heaven to the rich. His innocence of the charges was speedily proved, and by special invitation of the court he was appointed to preach the sermon on the next great feast in the church of San Salvador, in Seville. His appearance was a cause of public rejoicing.
CONSTANT ILLNESS
He began his career as apostolic preacher of Andalusia at the age of thirty. After nine years in that province he returned to Seville only to depart for the wider fields of Cordova, Granada, Bolza, Montilla, and Zafra. For eighteen years before his death he was the victim of constant illness, the results of the hardships of his apostolate of forty years.
THE DISCIPLES DRAWN TO HIM BY HIS PREACHING
Among the disciples drawn to him by his preaching and saintly reputation may be named St Theresa, St John of God, Saint Francis Borgia, and Venerable Louis of Granada. The spread of the Jesuits in Spain is attributed to his friendship for that body.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint John may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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