Saint Dominic Savio Partakes Of The Bread Of Angels

March 3, 2011
Saint Dominic Savio minibook
Saint Dominic Savio loved all the Sacraments, knowing about them from an early age, and desired to participate in receiving all of them, his eyes and heart set on the priesthood. When he was barely seven, he knew his Catechism by heart and fully understood the teachings of the Church, with spiritual wisdom way beyond his age, especially the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

But in those days, particularly in small country parishes, the age for receiving First Communion was eleven or twelve. Dominic Savio had everything against him, but God. He was small for his age, and the priest hesitated to receive him. The priest consulted other priests. Then considering how well prepared Dominic was and the ardent yearning he had to partake of the Eucharist, he allowed him to receive for the first time the “Bread of Angels” and his first “sweet kiss from Jesus.”

Dominic Savio ran home to tell his mother. He begged pardon from her for anything he may have done to upset her and promised to try to live a more holy life. His mother, deeply moved by this child of hers who had visited upon her nothing by loving concern and affection, tried to hold back the tears as she assured him all was forgiven and asked him to pray that he would always be close to his Lord Whom he would be receiving.

What makes a Saint?

Dominic, like other Saints before and after him, had a passion for the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, His Lord truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. The day of his First Holy Communion, he rose early. Barely able to wait for that glorious moment when he and the Lord would become one, he went to the church and knelt on the ground, outside waiting for the doors to open. The Mass, including his first Penance, lasted five hours. Dominic never forgot that day, and when he spoke of it, years later, his eyes misted as he said, “For me it was the best day – it was a great day.”

St. John Bosco advised those about to receive First Holy Communion to take St. Dominic Savio as their Patron Saint, following the resolutions he made that day and ensued all the days of his life:

(1) I will go to penance often and receive Communion as often as my confessor allows;

(2) I will keep Feast Days holy;

(3) My friends shall be Jesus and Mary;

(4) Death but not sin.

Cardinal Salotti, defender of St. Dominic Savio’s cause said: “These resolutions are evidently the most remarkable legacy left by Dominic to the youth of today.

For more about Saint Dominic Savio go here http://www.bobandpennylord.com/St_Dominic_Savio.htm

Leave a Comment » | St Dominic | Permalink
Posted by Brother Joseph Freyaldenhoven

Saint Dominic – Watchdog for God

July 29, 2009
Saint Dominic

Saint Dominic

Feast day August 8

At 25 years old, Dominic realized his walk was not as a secular priest but as a religious. At that time, Dominic’s bishop Martin Bazan voiced a desire to bring about reform; he wanted the canons of his cathedral to live a shared life as religious, as part of a community. He and the new prior of the canons, Don Diego de Asevedo, had heard of Dominic’s piety and wisdom, and his desire to be a religious. Their hope was that he could convince these self-absorbed, strong-willed clerics into coming together and join the Canons Regular; they summoned Dominic! So after he was ordained a priest, Dominic was vested in the habit of the Canons Regular of Osma, made his profession to that Order, and for the next nine years faithfully followed the Rule of St. Augustine. One of his companions said of him, at this time,

“Now it was that he began to appear among his brethren like a bright burning torch, the first in holiness, the last in humility, spreading about him an odor of life which gave life, and a perfume like the sweetness of summer days. Day and night he was in the church praying without ceasing. God gave him the Grace to weep for sinners and for the afflicted; he bore their sorrows in an inner sanctuary of compassion which pressed on his heart, flowed out and escaped in tears. It was his custom to spend his nights in prayer and to speak to God behind closed doors.” Dominic consecrated himself, dedicating his life to the salvation of souls for Christ. He was happy! He thought this was where God had placed him, but that was to come to an end, when Don Diego, now Bishop of Osma, chose him to accompany him on a mission to Denmark, which would be the first leg of a long journey of suffering, pain and torment.

As they traveled through southern France, Dominic’s heart felt like it would bleed to death, as he encountered the enormous suffering brought about by a new threat against the Church and her children – the Albigensian Heresy. The churches were empty; the bells no longer tolled; Sunday you could see people working in the fields. There was a funereal spirit over the villages, as if God Himself was moaning over the death of His children’s souls. They were like men, women and children walking in their sleep through a dark cloud shutting out all sun.

Tired and downcast, Dominic and the bishop stopped at an inn in Toulouse, only to discover that the innkeeper was a heretic. Dominic could not go peacefully to sleep, while there was the danger that a soul could be lost. He talked to the man throughout the night, showing him the error of this heresy and the long-range effects disobedience has first on one soul and then on those he encounters. Dominic, clarifying the errors put forth by the heretics, and bringing him the true teachings of the Faith, when dawn came peeking into the dark of night, the innkeeper’s heart and soul were filled with the same light which flooded the room; he renounced the heresy and pledged to follow the true teachings of Mother Church.

Was it here that the seed to start a religious Order, dedicated to defending the Church, correcting errors and bringing the Truth to the faithful, was planted in Dominic’s heart?

For more information on Saint Dominic Click here

Leave a Comment » | St Dominic | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Brother Joseph Freyaldenhoven