Quote of the Day
"Put your heart at His feet. It is the gift He loves most."
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Today's Meditation
“The profession of faith of the robber crucified with Christ is one of the most extraordinary events recorded in history. It is difficult to imagine anything so unlikely. When this robber looked at Jesus, he saw One who was apparently a criminal, condemned by His own people and the Roman authorities, dying now on a cross, reviled and mocked by all but a few helpless friends in a little group nearby. Yet he professed his belief that Jesus was the Messiah and begged Him to remember him at the time of His glorious return in His Messianic kingdom…He could see that Jesus was not dying like a criminal. He noted His silence, patience, and goodness. He heard Him address God familiarly as His Father and ask pardon for those who had crucified HIm. All this helped to prepare him for the very special divine grace that alone could account for his sudden conversion from sinner to saint.”
—Fr. Ralph Gorman, C.P., p. 255-256
Daily Verse
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." Matthew 6:19-21
St. Anselm of Canterbury
Saint of the Day
St. Anselm (1033–1109) was born into a noble family in the Lombardy region of Italy. The example of his pious mother led him to great faith, and he sought to enter the monastery at age 15. However, the abbot refused him due to Anselm's stern father. After his mother's death Anselm left home and settled in Normandy to study under the direction of a famed monk named Lanfranc. Upon the death of his father, Anselm became a Benedictine monk at the age of 27. Due to his brilliance, Anselm became a teacher at the abbey's school and prior of the monastery. He went on to become the most learned theologian, philosopher, and mystic of his generation, the greatest since St. Augustine of Hippo. Anselm's fame led to his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury in England, succeeding Lanfranc in this office, where he went on to correct abuses against the Church at the hand of the English kings. Twice he was banished from the island while appealing to Rome for assistance, and twice he returned to Canterbury to carry on his duties until his death. His abilities as an extraordinary theologian, negotiator, and statesman greatly supported the cause of the Church. As archbishop he continued his monastic lifestyle and intellectual pursuits. He composed several philosophical and theological treatises, as well as a series of beautiful prayers and meditations, which led him to be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI in 1720. His feast day is celebrated on April 21st.