January 18: Saint Charles of Sezze

“God does not command us to live in hair shirts and chains, or to chastise our flesh with scourges, but to love Him above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.”


Today, January 18, we celebrate the feast of Saint Charles of Sezze (San Carlo de Sezze, 1613-1670), a man remembered for holiness, simplicity, service, and humility. His devotion to the Lord, and love of the Eucharist, was such that he was graced with a mystical wound on his heart. Throughout his life, Saint Charles demonstrated the virtues of charity and self-giving love to all he encountered.

Born John Charles Marchioni, the future saint belonged to a pious, but poor family, in rural Sezze, Italy. As a child—like many of the region—John worked as a shepherd, and spent long hours in the fields with the family sheep. Due to his work, he had little time for education, and was barely able to read and write. In the fields, the love of the Lord, the Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin grew deeper within him, and he felt certain that he was destined to become a priest. While his family encouraged his call to vocation, John’s poor academic abilities precluded the seminary as a viable option. Instead, he entered the Franciscan Order as a lay brother, joining a community in Naziano, and working in the most menial of positions. He served his brothers as cook, porter, and gardener, and never complained. While Charles wished to participate and assist in foreign missions, his poor health prevented this as well. Instead, he embraced his role at the monastery, serving with simplicity, humility, and love for all he encountered.

In his autobiography, Charles tells us, "Our Lord put in my heart a determination to become a lay brother with a great desire to be poor and to beg alms for his love." Following this determination, Charles became well known for his holiness and charity. He was frequently sought out for spiritual advice and counsel. Even the dying Pope Clement IX called Charles, the simple lay brother, to his bedside for a blessing. Charles also became known for his generosity and charitable nature. His superior, worried that his constant charity would deplete the monastery’s stores, forbade Charles to continue with his generosity to all travelers. Instead, he was ordered to only provide food to visiting friars. Ever obedient, Charles followed the rule strictly, but immediately noticed that alms to the friary decreased at the same time. After some time, he was able to convince his superior that the decrease in charity was related to the decrease in generosity of the community. As he was allowed to provide food generously to all, so, too, did the alms increase!

In 1656, Italy was struck with the plague, and Charles worked tirelessly among the victims. He traveled amongst the sickest of the sick, providing prayer, medical care, food, and assistance. He performed numerous miracles of healing and multiplication of foods to serve all in need. This, like all his works, were completed with sincerity and humility.

Charles’ devotion to the Passion and Eucharist—devotion that had begun in the fields of his youth—continued to grow each day. He was rewarded by the Lord, in recognition of his devotion and extraordinary faith—with the mystical experience of the stigmata. One morning, while Charles was participating in Mass, a bright ray of light emanated from the Sacred Host as it was elevated, and struck Charles in the heart. The experience left him deeply wounded, yet filled with incredible joy. One of his brothers described him in the following manner: "It was between two extremes, that is between pain and sweet bliss, and it seemed as if the spirit wanted to leave the body. I would have sustained whatever great torment or any hardship because of the sweetness.”

Sick the majority of his life, Charles died in the convent of Saint Francis in Ripa, Italy. The wound that had resulted form his miraculous encounter with the Holy Eucharist changed into the form of a cross following his death. His body remains incorrupt.

Saint Charles wrote several mystical works during his lifetime—despite having limited education—including his autobiography entitled “The Grandeurs of the Mercies of God.” Of this work, Father Serverino Gori wrote, “The autobiography of Charles stands as a very strong refutation of the opinion, quite common among religious people, that saints are born saints, that they are privileged right from their first appearance on this earth. This is not so. Saints become saints in the usual way, due to the generous fidelity of their correspondence to divine grace. They had to fight just as we do, and more so, against their passions, the world and the devil.”

Saint Charles of Sezze followed where the Lord led him. When he was unable to become a priest, he entered the Franciscans as a lay brother. When he was unable to go on foreign missions, he embraced the most menial of tasks with charity, obedience, and humility. Saint Charles, in his quiet and simple way, is the perfect example of the love of Our Lord, shining forth to the world, through those who adore Him.

Lord our God, You are the shield and glorious reward of those who walk blamelessly in Your sight. keep us steadfast in Your holy service so that aided by the wise teaching and intercession of Brother Charles of Sezze, we may with hearts open to You run the way of perfect charity.



Year 2: Day 18 of 365
Prayer Intentions: True devotion to the Lord.
Requested Intentions: Freedom from persecution (A); For a friend struggling with medical problems and surgery (L); Financial blessings (D); For the success of a project (T); Improved financial stability (A); Improved relationship with business partner (A); For employment (N); Reconciliation of a workplace relationship (R); Healing of son, cousin, and friend (L); Healing of a husband from cancer, end to medical problems (T); Freedom from persecution (E); Successful employment (R); Reconciliation of a marriage (M); Successful marriage, employment, healing (J); For a family struggling with a difficult situation (M); For family intentions (I); Reconciliation of a marriage (S); For blessings upon a family (R); Permanent employment (N); Successful employment (M); Healing of a father following stroke (S).