Worldly Preachers

INTRODUCTION

The way many 2x2's (especially workers) talk, no one ever recognized the dangers of worldly desires or selling all for the gospel until the the Truth Fellowship came along. I find it quite ironic that Nate Barker claims 2x2 origins from the Waldensians because their founder, Peter Waldo, was inspired by the actions of a Catholic saint, St. Alexis, who was the only son of a rich Roman senator. From his good Christian parents, he learned to be charitable to the poor. Alexis wanted to give up his wealth and honors but his parents had chosen a rich bride for him. Because it was their will, he married her. Yet right on his wedding day, he obtained her permission to leave her for God. Then, in disguise, he traveled to Syria in the East and lived in great poverty near a Church of Our Lady. One day, after seventeen years, a picture of our Blessed Mother spoke to tell the people that this beggar was very holy. She called him "The man of God." when he became famous, which was the last thing he wanted, he fled back to Rome. He came as a beggar to his own home. His parents did not recognize him, but they were very kind to all poor people and so they let him stay there. In a corner under the stairs, Alexis lived for seventeen years. He used to go out only to pray in church and to teach little children about God. The servants were often very mean to him, and though he could have ended all these sufferings just by telling his father who he was, he chose to say nothing. What great courage and strength of will that took! After Alexis died, his family found a note on his body which told them who he was and how he had lived his life of penance from the day of his wedding until then, for the love of God.

This ahistorical blindness is refuted easily by the examples below of Catholics throughout history who gave up all they had to preach the gospel long before the 2x2 Fellowship ever existed, as St. Anthony of Padua wrote:
"Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul."

St. Giles was an eremitic saint of the 8th century known for his sanctity. Giles, a noble Athenian by birth, gave his possessions to the poor and moved to southern France when his parents died. In France, he lived in an isolated cave, avoiding all worldliness, and serving God in solitary life.
St Gerard was a Venetian born in the early part of the eleventh century. He is most well known for serving as an apostle to a large section of Hungary, and winning many converts there. At a young age, Gerard decided to dedicate his life to God. He gave up his family name and estates and joined a monastery. While in the monastery, he applied himself to study and prayer, and soon gained a reputation for holiness.
St. Bertin was born during the beginning of the seventh century near the city of Constance, France. As a youth, Bertin received an education from the Abbey of Luxeuil, which was known for its exactness in following the Rule of St. Columban. The Rule of Columban was known throughout Europe for its strictness and austerity and this strictness and austerity called Bertin to devote himself to the religious life.
St. Guy of Anderlecht, nicknamed the "Poor Man of Anderlecht," was born near the end of the tenth century in a town near the Belgian city of Brussels. His parents were too poor to provide him with a good secular education, but they gave him a strong religious background by teaching him everything they knew.

As a young man, Guy practiced great austerity and self-denial. He helped his parents in their work and gave his earnings to the poor. For several years, Guy served as sacristan of the church at Laken. While Guy served as sacristan, he lived in the church. He spent much of the night in prayer and always did his work with a prayer on his lips. He was forced to leave the job when he ran out of money and then he set out on a walking pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. Guy spent more than seven years on this pilgrimage. He returned to Belgium stricken with sickness and died soon after returning. Guy died in 1012 and was buried in Anderlecht.
St. Pelagia was born during the sixth century but did not have the benefit of being raised as a Christian. As a young woman she began working as an actress and turned it into a profitable career. One day she was passing a Church where St. Nonnus was preaching and calling for redemption. After hearing Nonnus preach, Pelagia made a resolution to change her life and approached him at that very moment seeking instruction on how to change her life.

Pelagia dispersed all the wealth she had accumulated and donated her money to the poor. After doing this, she was baptized and set out to devote the rest of her life to God. She prayed continually, practiced austere penances, and took the religious veil. After dedicating herself to God, she shut herself into a grotto on Mount Olivet where she spent the rest of her life devoted to the Lord.
St. Ida of Herzfeld lived during the ninth century and was the daughter of an important Count in the court of Charlemagne. Her social status gained her an education in the court. While many of her peers used their education to build political careers, Ida focused her attention on prayer and living a life pleasing to the Lord. As a young woman, Ida was married to a lord named Egbert and was provided with a large marriage portion by Charlemagne as a gift to her father. Unfortunately, the marriage was short lived. Egbert died and Ida was left a widow. She did not seek remarriage; Ida spent her time assisting the poor and lived an austere life. She founded several monasteries.
St. Cyprian was born in Northern Africa and grew up in a wealthy non- Christian household. He was converted to the Faith by the example of his friends and began to strive to live a life pleasing to God and a life forsaking the decadence of his upbringing.
St. Francis of Assisi was born in the Italian town of Assisi around the year 1182. Francis' family was financially stable and Francis was educated so he would be able to help his father when he was old enough. As Francis grew up, he enjoyed many worldly pleasures, but he was balanced with a great generosity and love of God's people. Francis' life was completely changed one day when he met a leper and saw the great needs of this man. Francis gave the leper all the possessions he had with him. He began to give more and more of his time and possessions to the poor. As Francis began to move his life more and more to the service of God, his father began to become angry with him. This built up until one day Francis' father gave him the choice to give up his new life for God or to give up his life as a merchant. Francis gave up the life of a merchant and renounced all his rights to his inheritance.
St. Joseph Calasanz was born in Aragon in 1556 and was trained in canon law and theology before being ordained a priest. St. Joseph was aware of a great need of the poor, the need for education. Unable to gain support for his idea to educate the poor from existing institutes, he set out with several companions to begin a new one. He offered free education to the poor and received such overwhelming response that he was continuously seeking larger facilities. He had papal support and the institute grew until it was recognized as a community in 1621. The Clerks Regular of Religious Schools, Piarists or Scolopi, lived soon chose Joseph as superior and continued to offer free education to the poor.

For a time the order was suppressed but was restored to the status of a religious community after the death of Joseph. St. Joseph is the patron of all Christian schools dedicated to assisting the poor.
St. Leonard was a French nobleman and held a high place in the court of King Clovis I. He was converted to Christianity by St. Remigius. Soon after his conversion, Leonard decided to retire from the world. He laid aside all his worldly goods and became a disciple of St. Remigius. Leonard learned charity, simplicity, zeal and modesty from Remigius and worked to perfect those virtues in his own life.
St. Thomas of Villanova was born in 1488 to a middle class family living in a small town outside of Villanova. From his earliest years, his parents taught him to give all goods not needed for subsistence to the poor, rather than storing them up. As bishop, one of the acts of generosity that he did was to donate his possessions to provide funds to build a hospital for the poor.
St. John of God was born in Portugal in 1495 of a devout and charitable Christian family. St. John's family was poor, so when it was time for John to set out on his own, he decided to leave his parents and join the military. John spent a considerable part of his life in the army, but in the process he fell away from the faith of his birth. Around the age of 40, John's troop was disbanded and he was forced to seek other employment.

John managed to get a job as a shepherd at a rich woman's farm. Slowly, as John became accustomed to life outside of the military, he began to realize the depth of his sinfulness and began to repent. After receiving some excellent spiritual direction, John began to direct his energies toward the service of others. John established a house devoted to the service of the sick and began to work one on one with the poor of the area. St. John raised money for his charitable work by door to door begging.

Soon, many people began to realize the goodness of John and the holiness of his work and donated generously to him with both money and provisions. John's goodness and holiness also attracted followers and the group became the foundation of a religious order. After ten years of intense work, John began to weaken and become ill. After several more years of reduced work, John died in 1550 at the age of 55. He is the patron of hospitals, the sick, nurses and booksellers.
St. Laurence was born of a noble family in Venice around the year 1380. He lost his father at as an infant and was raised by his mother. As Laurence grew up, he continually aimed for heaven by living an austere life of penance and mortification. Laurence continually worked to make his soul more docile to God's will, in an effort to do this he joined the Congregation of St. George in Alga at the age of 19. In this order, which was known for its austerity, Laurence was a model for the other monks. He has wide renown for his holiness and was asked by his superiors several times to lessen the physical and spiritual rigors he exercised. As part of this mendicant order, it was one of Laurence's responsibilities to beg for food and alms. When doing this, he sought out the least giving people in order to bear the humiliation and ridicule of these people and battle his own pride. When the saint experienced verbal and physical punishment, he bore it silently that this penance could glorify God.
St. Thomas of Villanova was born in 1488 to a middle class family living in a small town outside of Villanova. From his earliest years, his parents taught him to give all goods not needed for subsistence to the poor, rather than storing them up. This became deeply engrained in Thomas and would become one of the dominant motivating factors of his later life. When Thomas was old enough, he attended school in the nearby town of Villanova. Everyday, he tried to find new ways to assist the poor, often giving them his own food for the day. His parents encouraged his generosity, and gave him what he needed to assist the poor.
St. Peter Claver was born in Spain in the year 1581 and joined the Jesuit order as a young man and was ordained to the priesthood in 1615. In 1610, Peter left his homeland of Spain to become a missionary in the Americas, he never returned home. St. Peter arrived in the Americas at the port of Cartagena in what is now Columbia. At this time Cartagena was one of the major centers of slave trade in the New World. When Peter Claver landed, he was struck by the plight of the slaves and decided to devote the rest of his life to them, calling himself "the slave of the slaves forever."

Peter decided to help the slaves in any way he could. Peter first ministered to their physical needs, then he ministered to their spiritual needs. When a new ship of slaves came into harbor, Peter would board it, go into the hold, and help the slaves. He started by giving them food, including bread and fruit, and drink, administered medicine to those who needed it, and offering brandy and tobacco to those who wanted it. Once physical needs were attended to, he began serving the slaves spiritually. Through interpreters, he instructed them in the faith, teaching about human dignity and God's saving love, he would then baptize the saves into the Catholic faith. In this way, he helped more than 300,000 souls.

After the slaves left the ships and were sold, he still worked to help them. He visited the plantations to continue teaching and to help physical needs, and he served as a thorn in the conscience of people dealing with the slave trade reminding them of their moral duties to fellow humans.
St. Elizabeth was daughter of the Hungarian king born around the year 1207. She was raised in the court, and at the age of 14, she married Louis of Thuringia. The marriage bore three children in the six years of marriage before Louis was called to the Crusades. Louis was killed in the Crusades, and Elizabeth was left alone. Instead of turning into herself and despairing at her life, Elizabeth developed a great love and charity for the poor. She wore simple clothing and led a life of prayer, charity, and sacrifice. Elizabeth's relatives thought she was squandering the wealth of her husband and she was thrown out of the palace. Elizabeth continued her simple life of charity, even when she was reinstated in the palace when her husband's allies returned from the Crusades.
St. Guy of Anderlecht, nicknamed the "Poor Man of Anderlecht," was born near the end of the tenth century in a town near the Belgian city of Brussels. His parents were too poor to provide him with a good secular education, but they gave him a strong religious background by teaching him everything they knew. As a young man, Guy practiced great austerity and self-denial. He helped his parents in their work and gave his earnings to the poor. For several years, Guy served as sacristan of the church at Laken. While Guy served as sacristan, he lived in the church. He spent much of the night in prayer and always did his work with a prayer on his lips. He was forced to leave the job when he ran out of money and then he set out on a walking pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. Guy spent more than seven years on this pilgrimage. He returned to Belgium stricken with sickness and died soon after returning.
Solomon Le Clerq was born in 1745 and was baptized with the name Nicholas. Nicholas was the son of a wealthy French wine merchant but did not aspire to take his father's place in the family business. While he was still a youth, Nicholas discerned that he was called to be a religious and in 1767 he took his opportunity to follow this call. In March 1767, Nicholas entered the novitiate of the Brothers of Christian Schools and took the name Solomon. Brother Solomon quickly applied himself to his studies and was recognized by the other brothers for his piety and deep prayer life. Brother Solomon spent several years teaching as a Christian Brother. During this time he was sent to teach at various schools throughout France and personally witnessed much of the political turmoil that was tearing apart the country.
St. Norbert was born in the region of Cleves around the year 1080. As a young man he lived a worldly life, and he continued to do this when he received ordination to the subdeaconate. Norbert served as a subdeacon at the church in Xanten for several years before realizing his failings and reforming his life. Norbert gave all his possessions to the poor, and took a two year penitential retreat before seeking ordination to the priesthood.
St. Anthony of Padua is quoted as saying, "Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul."

St. Hedwig was noblewoman born near the end of the twelfth century. She married Henry the Duke of Silesia at the age of twelve. After this marriage produced six children, Hedwig and Henry both vowed to live as brother and sister. In addition to her motherly duties, Hedwig used the influence of her position and her wealth to build monasteries, and hospitals in her husband's realm. After her husband died, Hedwig retired to the Cistercian convent at Trebnitz where she spent the rest of her life. She died in 1243 and was buried in that town.
St. Frances of Rome was born into a noble Roman family in the year 1384. After the plague swept through Rome and left one of Frances' children dead, she began to turn again to charitable work. Frances gave up all her wealth to the sick and poor and began to go door to door raising money to aid the sick and poor.
St. Cosmas and St. Damian: lived at the end of the third century in what is modern day Syria. These two men were martyred during the Diocletian persecutions, and there is a church built on the site of their burial. The intercession of these saintly brothers has been included during the Eucharistic Prayer since the sixth century. Traditions rising up around these two saints say that they were physicians that loved the poor so much that they did not charge for their services. This was seen as so extraordinary, that in the East they are venerated as the "moneyless ones". This fact was also so extraordinary that they drew the attention of the political forces in the area. This helped them serve the poor better, but it also marked them for death when persecution broke out.
Blessed Thomas Tsugi was born of a noble Japanese family around the year 1571. Thomas received an education from the Jesuits at Arima and joined the order in 1587. After completing his training, Thomas traveled around Japan and became well known for his eloquent, persuasive preaching. After a short while of preaching, Thomas was arrested and exiled to Macao because of his religious beliefs. After arriving in Macao, Thomas immediately began to seek means to return to Japan to spread the Word of God. Thomas eventually returned in disguise and again took up the work of spreading the Good News. Thomas was soon captured and imprisoned again, but this time he was sentenced to death for his faith. Thomas was taken to the city of Nagasaki and burned at the stake on a hill outside the city. In the moments before his death Thomas was heard to proclaim, "Praise the Lord of All Nations."
St. Felix was born in Nola, a Roman colony near Naples during the third century. His father had risen to a high rank in the Roman army and gave his family the pleasures of wealth and property. After his death, all his possessions were left to Felix and his younger brother. Seeking only union with God, and holiness, Felix donated his share of the inheritance to the poor while his brother squandered it on a materialistic lifestyle.

St. William was born near the middle of the twelfth century and was a son in a noble family. His family's wealth allowed William to receive an education and he was taught by Peter the Archdeacon of Soissons. In addition to his regular education, Peter also helped William develop his Faith and deepen his prayer life. William saw the value of an austere lifestyle and tried to always turn to God and spiritual matters rather than matters of the world.

St. Fructuosus was a Visigoth prince born in seventh century Spain. At an early age, he realized that he wished to consecrate his life to god through the religious life and retreat from worldly court life. After the death of his parents, Fructuosus was given the opportunity to fulfill this desire. He sold all his possessions and used the proceeds to help the poor and build several monasteries. After dispensing his fortune, Fructuosus took the monastic habit and retired to the wilderness as a hermit.

St. Dominic was born in Castile, Spain in the year 1170. He studied theology at Palencia and was made canon of the church of Osma. He worked effective against the Albigensian heresy through good example and preaching. The Albigensians believed that all things of the flesh were evil, therefore they did not believe in the Incarnation of Christ. The Albigensians lived austere, spartan lives. Because of this sparse existence, they resisted the preachers who came to convert them. The preachers lived rich existence and only served to solidify the Albigensians' beliefs.

Dominic set out to convert the Albigensians but he realized that unless there was a change in the lifestyle of the preachers no one would be converted. Dominic and his companions banded together to form a religious community called the Order of Preachers. The Dominican Order took on a simple lifestyle, living what they preached in community devoted to contemplation, study and preaching. In this way, Dominic was instrumental in helping convert the Albigensians. St. Dominic died in 1221. He is the patron of astronomers. A popular story that exists about St. Dominic says that after receiving a vision of a man dressed as a beggar who, like Dominic, would do great things for the Faith. When Dominic met the beggar the next day, he embraced him and said, "You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us." The beggar was St. Francis of Assisi and this meeting is commemorated twice a year on the feast days of these two men by the religious communities they founded.

St. Lawrence was a deacon in Rome around the middle of the second century. He was martyred four days after Pope Sixtus II and his companions during the persecution of Christians by Valerian. One of the legends holds that days before he died Lawrence distributed all the riches of the Church to the poor. When Lawrence was arrested the Roman prefect wished to confiscate the riches and demanded an inventory of the riches from Lawrence. In response, Lawrence gathered the poor of the city and brought them before the prefect saying that they were the treasure of the church. Lawrence was burned to death on the gridiron and was buried in the field of Verabi near the Via Tiburtina where a cathedral was later built.

St. Clare was born at Assisi in 1193....more women came to join Clare in living a simple, poor, austere life in complete seclusion from the world. These sisters followed the Rule given to them by Francis as a Second Order. When Clare was 21, Francis obliged her under obedience to accept the office of abbess, which she held to her death. When the order first started the sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, slept on the ground and kept almost complete silence. This rule was later made more moderate and a greater emphasis was placed on gospel poverty. This mendicant order possessed no property and lived on daily contributions.

Bl. Jeanne Jugan was born in a small fishing village in Brittany, France in the year 1792. From the time Jeanne was a toddler, her mother had the sole responsibility of raising the family because her father was lost at sea. Despite deep anti-religious attitudes prevailing throughout the country, Jeanne's mother worked to bring up and educate all her children in the Faith. At the age of sixteen, Jeanne managed to acquire a job as a maid at the estate of a kind-hearted Christian woman. Jeanne was often asked to help when the woman visited the sick and poor of the area. The example of this woman and Jeanne's own deepening relationship with God prompted her to dedicate the rest of her life to God in a special way.

At the age of twenty-five, Jeanne gave away many of her material possessions and set out to serve the poor in the town of Saint Servan. Jeanne spent the next six years supporting herself by working in a hospital and devoting every spare moment to the care of the sick and poor. After six years of this exhausting labor, Jeanne was too fatigued to continue her rigorous work. Jeanne left the hospital and took a job as a domestic laborer.

At the age of forty-five, Jeanne began to work as a spinner to make support herself and donated any excess money she made to the poor. Jeanne had been doing this for almost two years when she decided to strike off on her own to devote every aspect of her life to the poor. Jeanne began to collect money door to door and began to take special attention in caring for poor widows of the area. Eventually, Jeanne began to attract followers and the Little Sisters of the Poor were established under her direction. Jeanne spent the rest of her life caring for the poor and elderly and directing her community to do the same.

The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. -Pope St. Gregory the Great


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