a year of prayer: 365 Rosaries

Interior, Chapel of San Vivaldo

Convent at San Vivaldo

Those who resided in the nearby town, Monteone, determined, without a doubt, that the hermit in the hollowed chestnut tree was a holy man.  They formed a procession, retrieving his holy body from the tree, and laid it to rest beneath the alter in the town church, where numerous miracles were reported.  The chestnut tree was similarly turned into a small chapel in honor of Mary, the Mother of God, and Our Blessed Mother.  In time, a Franciscan convent was built on the site  Today, the Convent at San Vivaldo is one of the most important religious places of Italy, and has been recognized as a national monument.

Today, September 1, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Fiacre (also known as Fiacre of Meaux, or Saint Fiachra, died 670), miracle worker, monastery founder, and patron saint of gardeners and cab drivers. Through a simple life of solitude, Saint Fiacre brought many to the Lord, as his hermitage became a place of pilgrimage, miraculous healings, and spiritual guidance and direction.


Fiacre was born in Ireland, and raised in a monastery surrounded by pious and contemplative monks. As was common at the time, new knowledge and learning from around the globe was deposited at monasteries, which were the seats of knowledge. Along with spices and other exotic discoveries, the monastery where Fiacre was raised was also home to many seeds and exotic plants brought from Europe and the Holy Land. Fiacre spent his days at the monastery in quiet contemplation, working in the garden, learning to find the Lord in the silence and radiance of nature.

Fiacre longed to worship and serve the Lord with his entire being, but preferred to do so in silence and isolation, lest he be distracted by others. He established a hermitage in a wooded area far from the monastery, living in a cave. His quest for peace was not to be, however, as soon many flocked to his cave, longing for prayers, food, and healing. He served all who sought him, both bodily and spiritually, and the herbs from his garden became known for miraculous cures of illnesses. Fiacre had the gift of healing by laying on his hands-- blindness, tumors, and fevers are mentioned as being cured by his touch.

Having attracted too great a following, Fiacre left his homeland and traveled to France where the Bishop of Meaux granted him land to build a new hermitage. Located near the Marne river, Fiacre build a small hut in which to live and worship. He also built an oratory in honor of the Blessed Virgin, and made a hospice for travelers which developed into the village of Saint-Fiacre in Seine-et-Marne. However, he missed his garden and requested more land from the kindly bishop. Bishop Faro told Fiacre he could have as much land as he could clear in one day. Holy legend recounts Fiacre’s first miracle in France, as upon waking the next morning, he dragged his walking staff along the ground, and in doing so, the trees toppled and bushes were uprooted. He cleared for himself a sizable garden in which to grow fruits, herbs, and vegetables. As word of his miracle spread, people again began visiting the hermit in pilgrimage, praying for food, healing, and spiritual direction. Anne of Austria, Queen of France, was a frequent pilgrim, offering her prayers outside the door, amongst the other pilgrims.

Fiacre, despite his wishes for solitude, turned no one away. Soon, a small community, later becoming a monastery, had grown up in the woods around his garden. He welcomed all, providing food, healing, and beauty through his garden—which became the center of the monastery. Under his cultivation, a fruit and vegetable garden fed the poor, an herb garden cured the sick of their maladies, and a flower garden reminded all who visited of the splendor and glory of the Lord.

Saint Fiacre died in advances years, and his monastery continued to thrive. Pilgrims still visit the shrine of Saint Fiacre, and miraculous cures of mind, body, and spirit continue to be reported. His relics at Meaux are invoked against all sorts of physical ills, including venereal disease (for which he is considered a patron). He is also a patron saint of gardeners and of cab-drivers of Paris. French cabs are called fiacres because the first establishment to let coaches on hire, in the middle of the seventeenth century, was in the Rue Saint-Martin, near the hotel Saint-Fiacre, in Paris.

Saint Fiacre’s life reminds us that our wishes are not always what the Lord has planned for us. Time and time again, Fiacre attempted to withdraw from the world and live in solitude, but every time he tried, the Lord bestowed upon him miraculous abilities to restore the faith of countless pilgrims. Saint Fiacre reminds us to look for the Lord in all we do, and to find Him in the beauty that surround us.



Year 2: Day 244 of 365
Prayer Intentions: Hearts open to the Will of God.
Requested Intentions: Mother’s health (A); Financial security, freedom from anxiety (S); For a son and cousins (L); Peace and civility (B); Successful examination results (D); Safety of family, strength, courage, wisdom (C); For the souls of a departed father and brother, finding of a suitable marriage partner (R); Successful pilgrimage, deepening of prayer life (R); Restoration of health (J); Restoration of health (S); Freedom from pride (A); For children and marriage (M); For the birth of a healthy baby (Y); For personal family intentions, for the sick, poor, hungry, and homeless (G); Financial security and peace (J); Grace, peace, and obedience to the will of God in a marriage (H); Successful and blessed marriage for sin, freedom from anxiety for husband, spiritual contentedness for family (N); Employment and health for a husband (B); Recovery and health of a mother (J); For a family to grow closer to the Church, salvation for all children (D); Successful employment (L); Successful employment (S); Renewal of faith life (A); Support for an intended marriage, health for friend and aunt (J); Mental health assistance for son (G); Freedom from illness (S); Successful employment (C); Financial assistance and employment (B); For a family’s intentions (T); Successful examination results (B); Healing of a friend with cancer, for all those who help others (B); Healing and love (L); Grace and healing (V); Healing of a heart, consecration of a marriage (M); Health of a family, intentions of apostolate (H); For repentance (J); For a family in trouble (R).

Today, March 27, we celebrate the feast of Saint John of Egypt (also known as Saint John of Lycopolis, 304-394), hermit and clairvoyant. The holy and austere life of Saint John was recorded and admired by Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine, Saint Cassia, and Saint Palladius. Through his creation of solitude in his life, Saint John found peace and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit in his contemplation, prayer, and sacrifice.

Saint John was born in Lycopolis, (modern-day Assiut) Egypt, and worked as a carpenter with his father until he was twenty-five years of age. At that time, he experienced a profound call from the Lord, which led him to seek solitude in the desert, becoming a hermit. He desired nothing more than to be alone with God, leaving the world for good, and spending his life in prayer and sacrifice for God.

John found a teacher-- an elderly, seasoned hermit—with whom he studied and lived for ten years until the master’s death. From him, he learned holiness and dedication, and shook off the chains of temper and impatience that had weighed him down as a child and young adult. His master tested him with many unreasonable commands, ordering him to roll hard rocks, tend dead trees, and other equally difficult pursuits. John distinguished himself through perfect obedience, for he executed all commands with the simplicity of a child. Saint John called this man his "spiritual father," and following his death, he wandered for five years, living in various monasteries, observing how monks pray and live.

During his time in monastery, John was visited by the monk, Palladius, who John accurately predicted would become bishop one day. The future Saint Palladius laughed, replying that he was only in charge of a kitchen, but Saint John smiled and said, “You will have, in that future office, many labors and afflictions to endure. If you want to avoid them, remain in your solitude, for as long as you stay there, no one can consecrate you a bishop!” Following his falling ill, Palladius was indeed sent into the city to recuperate, and eventually appointed bishop. He then endured significant suffering and persecution, and while in hiding, remembered the words of Saint John of Egypt!

Following sixteen years of training, Saint John withdrew from contact with others, finding himself a cave at the top of a steep cliff, and spending his days thinking only of the Lord. He divided his cave into three parts: a living room, a work room, and a chapel. Once inside, he walled himself off from people, and only interacted with others through a tiny window. Many came to seek his preaching and counsel, including Emperor Theodosius I. Local residents brought him the food and other necessities required to live. Eventually, the stream of pilgrims grew so great, that some remained in the area, building a hospice, and becoming his disciples. They took care of the hospice so that more people could come to benefit from the wisdom of this hermit.

Saint John’s life is remembered for many miracles. He had the gift of reading souls and prophesy. Saint John frequently predicted future events, including two military victories for the emperor. He cured many of the ill by anointing them with blessed oil. On one occasion, when a deacon visited him with six other persons, Saint John recognized him as a cleric, though the young man had kept it a secret until then, and denied it. Saint John kissed his hand after identifying him as a deacon before all present, saying, “One must never lie, even under the pretext of doing good. Beware of disavowing the grace God has given you; for falsehood comes not from God, but from an evil source, as Our Savior teaches us.” Saint John warned in particular against vanity as well, saying: “Vanity is such a great and dangerous sin that it can make souls fall from the very heights of perfection; and that is why I exhort you to avoid it more than any other.”

According to Saint Augustine, devils continually assailed Saint John, but he never ceased his prayer. Even when he became famous, he remained humble and did not lead an easy life. He never ate before sunset. When he did eat, his food was dried fruit and vegetables. He never ate meat or cooked or warm food. Saint John knew that his life of self-sacrifice would help him stay close to God.

The last three days of his life, Saint John gave wholly to God, forsaking food and drink, and kneeling in constant prayer On the third he was found on his knees as in prayer, but his soul was already with the Lord.

Saint John of Egypt carved out a life of solitude and prayer for himself. In that solitude, not only did he come to understand himself better—his interior holiness and weaknesses—he came to understand the Lord, draw closer to Him, and serve Him on earth. Saint John turned from the world in a dramatic manner, giving up all that he had to live in solitude with the Lord. While it may not be possible or practical for us to do the same today, how might our spiritual lives benefit and grow from finding some time each day to spent in solitude with the Lord? How can we set aside time for prayer, contemplation, and study of the Scriptures-- like Saint John of Egypt—and in the process, grow closer to our Living God?


Year 2: Day 85 of 365
Prayer Intentions: Quiet contemplation of the mysteries of the Lord.
Requested Intentions: Health for a soon to be delivered baby (T); Financial security (L); Healing of tooth pain (A); Health of expectant mother and child (R); Purification of the souls in Purgatory (A); Guidance in studies (J); Healing and security for a displaced family (C); Healing of high blood pressure; Recovery of brother following surgery (A); For a sister in trouble, that she may make better decisions in the light of Christ (M); Health of expectant mother and child (R); Attainment of funds for surgery (J); Freedom from financial difficulties (E); For employment and college acceptance (E); Recovery and healing of a friend (C); For successful outcome to surgery (C); Healing for brother (M); Successful employment (C); For the victims of the Japanese tsunami/earthquake (J); Healing (E); For a son struggling with depression (B); Successful conception (M); Freedom from social anxiety; confidence in the Lord (J); Improved success in employment and studies (D); Freedom from illness (T); For a wife’s employment (E); Healing of a husband’s knee (M); Freedom from sickness (R); Healing (C); Restoration of marriage (F); Freedom from medical difficulties, employment, successful relationship (D); Healing of a father following stroke (S).