St. Paschal Baylon
St. Paschal Baylon, May 17.
It was actually St. Paschal Baylon who inspired me to sit outside locked churches in order to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. (Someone at my parish may have found out I do this because they posted a sign that the church will now remain open until 9:30 PM for visits to the Blessed Sacrament.) Legend has it the saint was at work in the fields and heard the church bells at the time of the consecration during Mass, and from there he adored the Eucharist that appeared to him miraculously.
St Paschal was a simple shepherd in the kingdom of Aragon in Spain before becoming a religious. He entered the Alcantarine Franciscans in Montfort, Spain. He was known for his intense love of the holy Eucharist and spent hours in adoration before the tabernacle. In his duties as a lay brother he remained intimately united to the silent loving action of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He was a model of simplicity, humility, and recollection.
The photo at the top is of a reliquary I have of several Franciscan saints with St. Paschal in the center. (I scanned it and it came out badly, my apologies. Go here and click on the image to see it enlarged for better, but blurry detail.)
Did you know that when a person is close to death or is asking for his intercession, sometimes, oftentimes, St. Paschal causes a knocking sound - it’s an auricular manifestation of his presence, or a warning to prepare for death. I haven’t heard anything yet. I should clarify this, the sounds emanate from either one of his images or his relics.
It is said at his funeral when he was laid out in the Church that during the consecration he sat up and gazed at the Eucharist. The truth in hagiography police dismiss it, claiming that since they did not embalm in those days, it could have simply been a natural phenomenon - many corpses have been known to make spontaneous movements. I guess it has something to do with rigor mortis. However, I like to believe even his body was adoring the Blessed Sacrament - “My body sleeps, but my spirit keeps vigil” - as the psalmist says.
St. Paschal pray for us and please remember your friend Shayne, whose birthday it is today.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Corpses do sit up sometimes, but they don’t usually have that sort of timing. I’m a badge carrying member of the truth police, but that sound more like a miracle than muscle contractions.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Jeffrey - I’m usually pretty skeptical myself, but I do think the timing was great if it was just a natural phenomenon - and very providential.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
“In his duties as a lay brother he remained intimately united to the silent loving action of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”
St. Paschal could be a role model for all of us in this regard.
BTW, belated happy birthday, Terry!
May 18th, 2008 at 3:17 am
Here is a youtube video of a lady in Africa who did more than sit up after she died. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5bSu5K4vLc&feature=related
I am sure that Christ can raise people from the dead — however, I’d like to see an investigation of this one. (I am a bit skeptical of evangelicals and the extent they will go.) What do y’all think?