St Benedict Joseph Labre

[Monica4316]

I was thinking about St Benedict Joseph Labre and his vocation… he seemed to have a very unique vocation. It’s somehow similar to the Eastern Saints who were “fools-for-Christ”, - there are Western Saints like this too but maybe without a particular title.

He gave away everything and lived poorly, kind of a consecrated person in the world, and he went to different churches and adored Our Lord there.

I’m wondering if there are modern Saints who have had a similar vocation? I’m sure it’s something rare but it seems like there’s a lot of simplicity and humility in it. Thank you!

 

[amsjj]

Perhaps they are living among us now. Sometimes I wonder who will be canonized from our own time?

 

[ChadS]

I think many saints live lives of quiet obscurity. They do God’s work here on earth but may only be recognized by a few people at the time. Many may appear to us to be slightly eccentric. St. Benedict Labre tried to enter several different orders during his life, but something always stood in his way of living that particular order’s charism. Instead he essentially lived the life of a homeless beggar praying in churches.

I did read a story once that he was taken into the home of St. John Vianney’s father for a few nights. If I remember it correctly Benedict made an impact on the young John.

ChadS