Today is the feast day of a remarkable saint, St. Aloysius de Gonzaga. He was born on March 9, 1568 to a very wealthy and royal family. He was the eldest of seven children. His father, Ferrante de Gonzaga was the Marquis of Castiglione. He intended for Aloysius to succeed him and inherit his entire wealth. And since he was very young his father introduced him to guns and brought him to military training expeditions so he could one day become a soldier.
            However when Aloysius was still very young he felt a deep calling from God and at the age of seven made a vow of chastity -dedicating his life for God alone. He was very fond of prayer and started praying the Divine Office of Blessed Virgin everyday – saying it on his knees. He felt God calling him to become a Jesuit. His father did not approve.
            His father he continued to send his son to serve in court and participate with his brother Rodolpho military expeditions. And Aloysius went out of obedience to his father but secretly said his prayers and fasted. Aloysius would keep his eyes downcast and do his best to stay away from the allurements of the world around him. Once, Aloysius so dreaded a place that his father wanted him to go – a place full of violence and sin that he became very ill with a kidney infection (a blessing to Aloysius). He used that time in treatment to read more about the saints and to devote even more time to prayer. His kidney would cause him many other problems throughout his life that Aloysius bore with joy and patience.
            When he was twelve years old he met Cardinal Charles Borromeo and from him received First Holy Communion. Soon after this he started teaching catechism classes to other young boys and spent his summers visiting the Capuchin Friars and adopted a more ascetic lifestyle.
            At the age of sixteen he went to his mother to ask her help to convince his father to give his consent to he can join the Jesuit order. He felt that this is what God wanted for his life. His father became enraged at his son and asked him, “What is the greatest commandant of God?” Aloysius responded by saying, “To love God with my whole heart, my whole mind, and my whole soul; and love my neighbor as myself.” His father replied, “No, honor your father and your mother.” Aloysius responded, “I must obey my Father in heaven!” Before his father would give his consent, he got other family members and members among clergy to try to convince Aloysius he was making a mistake. This was a time of great sorrow for Aloysius. But in the end, God prevailed.
            In 1585, with his father’s blessings; Aloysius could finally give up all rights of his father’s inheritance and give them to his brother. And soon after was accepted into the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Rome. He then took his three vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity in 1587. His superiors to improve his poor health restricted his ascetic lifestyle and would not permit him to pray whenever he wanted to. This caused him much suffering since he could not understand why his superiors would want to restrict him from his only love – Jesus - but he was obedient. But the more they seem to restrict his prayer time; the more it seemed like Aloysius would go into ecstasy – even in the middle of recreation!
            His spiritual director, Robert Bellarmine, felt that Aloysius probably never committed a mortal sin. And when Aloysius was asked what was his secret to living a holy life he responded, “Me, holy? My only desire is to show great love when the little that I possess to the one who has shown great love to me.”
            In 1590 Aloysius got a visit from the Archangel Gabriel that he would die within a year and so Aloysius joyfully prepared for this event. And in 1591 a plague broke out in Rome. Aloysius volunteered to comfort the sick and suffering. Many of them called him an ‘angel of mercy.’ He was tender and kind to all of them. He himself would be infected by the plague and became bedridden. And in 1591, at the age of 23, Aloysius died with the name of Jesus upon his lips. St. Aloysius once said: “He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for His sake.”