On
June 2, 1835 Guiseppe Melchiorre Sarto saw the light of earth at
Riesi, in the Province of Treviso, in Venice, Italy; on August 20, 1914, he saw
the light of heaven; and on May 29, 1954, he who had become to 259th
pope was canonized St. Pius X. Two of the most outstanding accomplishments of
this saintly Pope were the inauguration of the liturgical renewal and
restoration of frequent communion from childhood. He also waged an unwavering
war against the heresy and evils of Modernism (the predecessor to our own
overarching pandemic of godless secularism), gave great impetus to biblical
studies, and brought about the codification of Canon Law. His overriding
concern was to renew all things in Christ.
Above all, his holiness shone
forth conspicuously. From St. Pius X we learn again that “the folly of the
Cross,” simplicity of life, and humility of heart are still the highest wisdom
and the indispensable conditions of a perfect Christian life, for they are the
very source of all apostolic fruitfulness. His last will and testament bears
the striking sentence: “I was born poor. I have lived in poverty, and I wish to
die poor,” and so he did deeply engulfed in the poverty of the great Beatitudes
of the Sermon on the Mount!
Jesus certainly handpicked
Pius X to feed the lambs of his flock
with a shepherd’s care, and as Paul did among the Thessalonians, so did
Pius not only share the Gospel with others, but he also gave his life with
apostolic zeal. May the Church today remain open to liturgical renewal and
sensible further penetration of the Gospel message of her Lord and Master,
Jesus Christ; and may she fight bravely the great war of the ever-present
cancerous evil infecting society that is called “secularism.”
Forever
I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
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