Today we celebrate the feast of St.
Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini), who was born in
Lombardi, Italy in 1850, one of thirteen children. At eighteen, she desired to
become a nun, but poor health stood in her way. She helped her parents until
their death, and then worked on a farm with her brothers and sisters.
One day a priest asked her to teach in a girls' school
and she stayed for six years. At the request of her Bishop, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart
to care for poor children in schools and hospitals. Then at the urging of Pope
Leo XIII, she came to the United States with six nuns in 1889 to work among the
Italian immigrants.
Filled with a deep trust in God and endowed with a wonderful
administrative ability, this remarkable woman soon founded schools, hospitals,
and orphanages in this strange land and saw them flourish in the aid of Italian
immigrants and children. At the time of her death, at Chicago, Illinois on
December 22 1917, her institute numbered houses in England, France, Spain, South
America, as well as in the United States. In 1946, she became the first
American citizen (she previously became a naturalized American after her
arrival from Italy) to be canonized when she was elevated to sainthood by Pope
Pius XII. St. Frances is the patroness of immigrants.
Our gospel passage today reminds us that Mother Cabrini was
like a wise virgin who had ample supply of the oil of her "good works done for love of
God" always ready for when the Lord should return. May we
imitate her and stock up on good works done for the right reason: in gratitude
and love to God for all that he has done and continues to do for us each and
every day! Amen.
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