On my traditional Catholic calendar I saw that tomorrow's saint was Anthony Mary Zaccaria, a saint I knew nothing about. Since I like to learn about the more obscure saints, I thought I'd look him up. Although I haven't explored it at length yet, I stumbled on wonderful site dedicated to him. (I have sent you to the "preface" section. There is also a novena, a thirteen-part "spiritual theme" section, a ten-part "life of" section [actually 12 if you count the preface and intro], a "daily lesson in holiness" section for everyday devotions, pictures, and more.) This saint is especially relevant since our Holy Father declared the Year of St. Paul, and St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria founded religious and lay societies dedicated to St. Paul. The website and book put online were both put together by Fr. Robert B. Kosek, CRSP, PhD. It is a treasure. Do check it out.


About the saint: After having finished medical school at the young age of 22, he became a priest and founded the Congregation of the Regular Clerks of St. Paul, sanctioned by Pope Clement VII in 1533. Their rule bound them to "regenerate and revive the love of the Divine worship, and a truly Christian way of life by frequent preaching and the faithful administration of the sacraments." He also founded an order of nuns called the Angelicals of St. Paul and also the Laity of St. Paul. The saint also helped reform certain nuns, helping bring their congregations into a stricter and more rigorous religious life. "Not everyone in Milan was pleased with the zeal of this new spiritual family. Its members were threatened. They were accused of Pelagianism" and other heresies.* The saint responded thusly:

Here we are, fools for the sake of Christ, who can boast about our sufferings, because those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones God has chosen to show up those who are everything. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who endured the cross, disregarding its shamefulness and we shall prove that we are servants of God by great fortitude in times of suffering, prepared for honor or disgrace, taken for impostors while we are genuine.*

Notably, heresies were running rampant in northern Italy at this point in time, including the Lutherans. St. Anthony and his fellow missionaries sought to correct these heresies, preaching often. He predicted his own death and his body was incorrupt. (I'm not sure if it still is.) To read more about his life, go to the newadvent entry, the site dedicated to him (see above), or the Barnabite Fathers' own bio (possibly the best).

*From the Barnabite's website


...no matter how excellent a quality knowledge is, it, too, is of very small advantage, as Solomon can prove to you by his own story. For, notwithstanding his great public and world wide reputation for having superior knowledge, he is believed by some to have ended up at the bottom of hell. Even if this were not true, he cannot be cleared of the fact that, despite all his great wisdom, he committed countless and grave sins of lust and of idolatry. Indeed, the servant who knows his master's will and does not do it, will be punished more severely, as Christ says (Luke 12:47). (From the saint's fourth sermon)

Since we have chosen such a great apostle Paul as our guide and father and claim to follow him, we should try to put his teaching and example into practice in our lives. (St. Anthony to the Barnabites)

You have decided to give yourselves to Christ and I desire that you do not fall victims to lukewarmness, but rather that you grow more and more fervant. (Letter to Mr. Bernardo Omodei and Madonna Laura)