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A reading from the Letter of Saint James 5: 13-15:
“Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.”
The Word of the Lord.
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(The above reading was selectively chosen for today’s Feast, the Feast of Saint André Bessette.)
Often when we think about the Saints, we honor their courage; their willingness to suffer; or the extraordinary lengths they’ve gone to in order to spread the Gospel.
Think of people Saint Paul, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Today’s feast, honoring Saint André Bessette, challenges that notion of “greatness” a bit. We might place André in the category of the “little” Saints, those who did nothing extraordinary in the eyes of the world … but are extraordinary in the eyes of the Church.
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André was orphaned at age 12. He grew up in very poor health with almost no formal education.
But by the age of 25, he discovered his purpose: God was calling him to religious life. After initially being rejected, André was admitted into the Society of Holy Cross Priests.
He was never ordained a priest; rather, he became a religious brother, who spent his days as a doorman at Notre Dame College in Montreal. Aside from opening doors and greeting visitors, André prayed for those who were ill.
Miraculously, thousands were been healed through his intercession. He credited the healings to Saint Joseph, whom André always held a deep devotion to.
After saving up $200 by giving haircuts for 5 cents each (that’s 4,000 haircuts!), André opened a shrine to Saint Joseph on October 19, 1904. It became so popular that a basilica was later erected in its place, which you can still visit today!
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Brother André died at the age of 91 on January 6, 1937. During the week that his body lay in state, an estimated 1 million people braved the Canadian cold to pay their respects.
His intercession is still sought by many today.
If you are in need of any particular healing, take the time to say the prayer of intercession to Saint André below:
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Prayer to Saint André for Healing
Saint André,
I come to you in prayer for healing.
(state your intention)
You were no stranger to illness.
Plagued by stomach problems,
you knew suffering on a daily basis,
but you never lost faith in God.
Thousands of people have sought your healing touch
as I do today.
Pray that I might be restored to health
in body, soul and mind.
With St. Joseph as my loving Protector,
strengthen my faith and give me peace
that I might accept God’s will for me
no matter what the outcome.
Amen.
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Image credits: (1) Sam the Christian, Medium (2) The Catholic Register (3) holycrosscongregation.org