Saint Louis Bertrand. "Today's saint, a 16th-century Spanish Dominican who was a missionary in Central and South America and the Caribbean, was quite a transformer. He's often shown holding a crucifix …More
Saint Louis Bertrand.
"Today's saint, a 16th-century Spanish Dominican who was a missionary in Central and South America and the Caribbean, was quite a transformer. He's often shown holding a crucifix, but if you look closely you'll see that this crucifix has the handle and trigger of a gun! It was said that when he was preaching in Spain against the corruption of the conquistadors and their sinful enslavement of the Latin American peoples, someone tried to kill him. A gun was pointed at him, but St Louis prayed and it transformed into a crucifix! St Louis is also often shown holding a chalice with a snake in it, a symbol of poison. For several attempts were made on his life during his missionary journeys in Latin America and those opposed to his preaching of the Gospel tried to poision him but to no avail. The poison was transformed through his prayers into something sweet and harmless... St Louis Bertrand was renowned for having converted some 15,000 through his preaching and persistent prayer. But his greatest work of transforming hearts must surely be his 30 years as Master of Dominican novices in his province! Through his prayerful example and patience and perseverance, he transformed novices into Friar Preachers – into men of faith. Loose cannons or guns, so to speak, had to be transformed into crucifixes, images of our loving Saviour. And so, on his feast day, we pray for our Dominican novices, for their Novice Masters, and ask for his intercession, that God's grace may transform our hearts, turning the poison in them into sweet love for him." – from a Homily I preached a few years ago on this day, 9th October. Stained glass window from Aquinas College in Nashville, TN.
Source: Lawrence OP on Flickr
"Today's saint, a 16th-century Spanish Dominican who was a missionary in Central and South America and the Caribbean, was quite a transformer. He's often shown holding a crucifix, but if you look closely you'll see that this crucifix has the handle and trigger of a gun! It was said that when he was preaching in Spain against the corruption of the conquistadors and their sinful enslavement of the Latin American peoples, someone tried to kill him. A gun was pointed at him, but St Louis prayed and it transformed into a crucifix! St Louis is also often shown holding a chalice with a snake in it, a symbol of poison. For several attempts were made on his life during his missionary journeys in Latin America and those opposed to his preaching of the Gospel tried to poision him but to no avail. The poison was transformed through his prayers into something sweet and harmless... St Louis Bertrand was renowned for having converted some 15,000 through his preaching and persistent prayer. But his greatest work of transforming hearts must surely be his 30 years as Master of Dominican novices in his province! Through his prayerful example and patience and perseverance, he transformed novices into Friar Preachers – into men of faith. Loose cannons or guns, so to speak, had to be transformed into crucifixes, images of our loving Saviour. And so, on his feast day, we pray for our Dominican novices, for their Novice Masters, and ask for his intercession, that God's grace may transform our hearts, turning the poison in them into sweet love for him." – from a Homily I preached a few years ago on this day, 9th October. Stained glass window from Aquinas College in Nashville, TN.
Source: Lawrence OP on Flickr