Thought for the day – 19 January – The Memorial of Blessed Marcelo Spínola y Maestre, Cardinal-Priest (1835-1906)
Speaking of Saints and Lawyers?
A lawyer was visited by Satan who promised that if he sold his soul to him, he would be wealthy, have a beautiful wife who would never leave him and all his cases would be successes.
The lawyer said “Yeh, but what’ the catch?”
So many ‘official’ saints were Lawyers – I have been trying to work this out, what is the connection between holiness and the mind of the lawyer? Especially in the light of the general opinion we all have of lawyers, something akin to the second-hand car salesman! In other words, a bit of a lier and a cheat, at the very least, someone who shines and polishes the little bit of truth available to him. Perhaps it is just this – this ability to grab the bit of truth available and make it grow, make it shine, make it the reason why we must have that car or why the judge must release the prisoner?
So the saintly lawyers, grab the bit of truth and delve deeper and further until they find the whole truth – this must be it! And in that digging they, of course, find the ONLY truth – Jesus the Christ and His Church! Then, if they were good lawyers, that natural instinct, to delve, to dig, will continue and in that effort, sanctity is achieved.
Here are some, I could find on a quick search, who kept their eye on heaven:
Blessed Anacleto González Flores
Blessed Angelo Carletti
Blessed Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam
Blessed Antonio Franco
Blessed Augustine Novello
Blessed Bartholomew Longo
Blessed Bernardine of Fossa
Blessed Charles Steeb
Blessed Contardo Ferrini
Blessed Demosthenes Ranzi
Blessed Dermot O’Hurley
Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli
Blessed Giacomo Villa
Blessed Giuseppe Antonio Tovini
Blessed Henry of Segusio
Blessed Humbert of Romans
Blessed Jacopone da Todi
Blessed James the Almsgiver
Blessed Jean of Hainaut
Blessed John of Vercelli
Blessed John Storey
Blessed José Perpiñá Nácher
Blessed Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi
Blessed Manuel Basulto Jiménez
Blessed Marcelo Spínola y Maestre
Blessed Mark Fantucci
Blessed Nazju Falzon
Blessed Paul Burali d’Arezzo
Blessed Paul of Wallachia
Blessed Peter de Geremia
Blessed Pierre de Barellis
Blessed Pietro of Gubbio
Blessed Pope Innocent XI
Blessed William Scott
Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
Saint Amphilochius of Iconium
Saint Andrew Avellino
Saint Aprus of Toul
Saint Bernadine Realino
Saint Bertrand of Aquileia
Saint Charles Borromeo
Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen
Saint Francis de Sales
Saint Germanus of Auxerre
Saint Gregory Barbarigo
Saint Ivo of Kermartin
Saint James of the Marches
Saint Jerome
Saint John Houghton
Saint John of Avila
Saint John of Capistrano
Saint Josemaria Escriva
Saint Liphardus of Orleans
Saint Paulinus of Nola
Saint Philogonius of Antioch
Saint Raymond of Penyafort
Saint Richard of Chichester
Saint Salvius of Albi
Saint Satyrus of Milan
Saint Sylvester Gozzolini
Saint Theophilus the Lawyer
Saint Thomas a Becket
Saint Thomas More
Saint Tryphillius of Leucosia
Saint Turibius of Mogroveio
Venerable Cesare Baronio
Venerable Luis de Trelles y Nogerol
Blessed Marcelo Spínola y Maestre, pray for us that we too shine and polish the truth until we meet you in heaven as saints!
AnaStpaul 