21st June – Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
All evangelical perfection is attained by the continual exercise of prayer. (And) He who is not a man of prayer will never attain to a great act of holiness, nor will he ever triumph over himself - Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was born in Italy in 1568 and he belonged to a family of the Holy Empire. His father desired that his son follow a military career, but the future saint preferred to give up nobility that he might dedicate himself exclusively to God. He joined the newly formed Society of Jesus as a novice, then went to Rome where he began his studies in theology. During this period, Rome was experiencing a great typhus epidemic that claimed the lives of many people. Compassionate to the suffering of the people, the young Jesuit decided to remain there and minister to the sick; he eventually contracted the disease and died on June 21, 1591, at the age of 23. (Gaudium Press)
