“There is no more evident sign that anyone is a saint and of the number of the elect, than to see him leading a good life and at the same time a prey to desolation, suffering, and trials. 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.”-Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
Mangaluru : For the FIRST time in the history of St Aloysius Institutions, that the Feast of Jesuit Saint was celebrated by the Institution Jesuits in a Sombre and Simple Mass at St Aloysius College Chapel, Mangaluru on Sunday, 21 June, due to the restrictions of Covid-19 virus pandemic. The mass was concelebrated by Fr Dionysius Vaz SJ – Rector of st Aloysius Institutions, Fr Praveen Martis SJ-Principal of St Aloysius College (Autonomous) Mangaluru; Fr Fr Vinod Paul SJ- Finance Officer, St Aloysius PUC; and Fr Pradeep Crasta SJ- Pre-Noviciate-in-charge.
Who was St. Aloysius Gonzaga? He is an Italian Jesuit saint of the 16th century. Aloysius is the Latin form of Gonzaga’s given name, Luigi. In English, the equivalent form would be Louis. Aloysius Gonzaga was born at Castiglione near Mantua, Italy, in 1568 to a celebrated family of wealth and prestige. As the first born son of his father, Ferrante, and his mother, Marta, he was in line to inherit his father’s title of Marquis. He grew up amid the violence and brutality of the Renaissance Italy and witnessed the murder of two of his brothers. In 1576, Aloysius’ parents sent him to attend the court of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco de’Medici, in Florence. Later, accompanied by his parents, he traveled to Spain to join the court of Philip II in Madrid.
In Spain, Aloysius decided he wanted to join the newly founded religious order, The Society of Jesus. His father resisted his decision and there followed a struggle of wills that continued after his return to Castiglione in 1584. But Aloysius eventually prevailed. Renouncing his right to the title of Marquis and to the vast wealth he was destined to inherit, he entered the Society of Jesus in Rome on November 25, 1585. During his early studies in Rome, he would regularly go out into the streets of the city to care for victims of the plague. He himself contracted the disease as a result of his efforts for the suffering and died on June 21, 1591, at the age of twenty-three, six years short of his ordination as a Jesuit priest.
Even before his time as a Jesuit, Aloysius was known for his love of prayer and fasting. As a Jesuit at the Roman College, he continued to devote his time to prayer and practices of austerity. Pope Benedict XIII canonized Aloysius in 1726, and three years later declared him to be the patron of youth in the Catholic Church, an honor later confirmed by Pope Pius XI in 1926. The things that Aloysius did were done because of his belief in the reality and dynamics of the love of God. Aloysius Gonzaga loved God by loving others, especially the sick! We are called to love God by loving others as well – all those who need God’s comfort and care and assurance. That was a brief profile on Aloysius Gonzaga.
And to carry on His legacy and his teachings, locally paying a respectful tribute to the Great Saint, the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga on His 452nd Birthday was celebrated with a festive mass at the St Aloysius Chapel, with love to their Patron. In his homily, Fr Praveen Martis SJ said, “Today we celebrate the feast of a “favored son of the Jesuit Order” – Aloysius Gonzaga. Born in a rich family, He was instructed in the faith by his pious mother, and early on manifested an inclination to religious life. After delivering his share of the ancestral dominion to his brother he entered the Society of Jesus. He sought perfection by way of austere penances. While serving the sick during the plague, he himself contracted the disease and died in 1591 at the age of 23.”
“The things that Aloysius did were done because of his belief in the reality and dynamics of the love of God: especially as it expressed in the new law of loving that Jesus demonstrated and then commanded us to do! If you want to truly experience my presence and the presence of my father, if you truly want to know what being a human being among other human beings is all about – then LOVE ONE ANOTHER, as I have loved you. This same thing Jesus proclaims in his answer to the scholar of the Jewish Law who was testing him: he tells him that the greatest commandment is to love God first, with all you’ve got; then to love others as you love yourself to prove that love! Everything is based on this, Jesus assures us!” added Fr Praveen
Fr Praveen further said, ” Aloysius Gonzaga loved God by loving others, especially the sick! We are called to love God by loving others as well – all those who need God’s comfort and care and assurance. If we do this in a particularly single-minded way we can even develop our own experience of perfection to a greater degree than what might be ordinary, and we will know a greater fullness of joy in God’s presence and delights at his right hand! Love one another as I have loved you! Even Pope Francis has advised the youth to take courage and serve the needy. So students, remember that we could make our life more beautiful by caring and helping others. Aloysius Gonzaga is truly a inspiration for you all, so follow his teachings. When you get out of this prestigious institution, earn and make money, follow in the footsteps of St Aloysius Gonzaga, to share some of your wealth with others who are in need and the destitute. You will be truly blessed”.
During the entire mass, hymns were sung beautifully by the St Aloysius PUC staff members comprising of Ms Jennifer Pinto (Choir leader), Ms Wilma Fernandes, Ms Oshin D’silva, Ms Meghana Saldanha, and Sanjeeth Rodrigues, and the choir/mass arrangements were handled by Fr Sujay Daniel, transferred from Bengaluru, and now Campus Minister of St Aloysius PUC. Before the mass concluded, the Rector Fr.Dionysius Vaz S.J in his valuable message said to be sensitive and compassionate to each other and mother nature. He asked the students to shine and kindle the world in their journey of life. “Wish you a very happy feast of our patron, St Aloysius Gonzaga. He is the model and inspiration for our youth especially during the time of this pandemic, Covid-19. He too faced a pandemic, the Plague, during his time in Rome and responded to it like a warrior” he said.
“St Aloysius Gonzaga shows us the way forward to face this pandemic by JOURNEYING INWARDS in contemplation and JOURNEYING OUTWARDS in compassion. He contemplated the suffering Jesus Christ and then reached out to the plague victims in compassion. Finally, he gave up his life for this cause.
Covid-19 has forced us to be creative, open, flexible, courageous, risk taking and forward looking. It also challenges us to look at the “bigger questions” of life like meaning, purpose, choices of life, priorities in life, etc. I hope our students ask these bigger questions and seek for answers in their lives. To the parents and staff members, I invite you to JOURNEY WITH your children by accompanying them and mentoring them, thus making them men and women for and with others ” added Rector Fr Vaz..
In conclusion, following in the footsteps of St Aloysius Gonzaga, we need to give when we are able to give! According to Mathew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, ….”, we should know that giving is something done voluntarily. Giving should not be done under compulsion, coercion, duress, or conviction. There are some exceptions, of course. When you do give, you are to give what you have chosen in your heart. Those who take pity on those less fortunate than us are true neighbors and caregivers..
There are many reasons to give – we give in order to help fellow citizens in need, help the poor and less fortunate, people with disabilities, and even help family members in distress. All you have shall some day be given – therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors. No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. We should never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up. The place to improve the world and society is first in one’s own heart, head and hands. The joy of being able to bless and give someone you love and care, and to make them smile, is priceless. The satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the lives of others cannot be overstated.
Knowing that you have helped make someone Else’s life a little brighter and better is a special feeling, and one that will last with you for a long time. And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy. So if you are looking for a way to enhance your act of sharing and giving experience, try giving back now. Let’s give to the less fortunate, ashrams, non-profit organizations, needy families and children, and others a feeling of hope, and make a difference in their lives. Let’s us all follow in the teachings and footsteps of St Aloysius Gonzaga. Happy Feast to all Aloysians! As a alumni of this prestigious college, I end this report with a prayer-
“Father, you graced St Aloysius with an overwhelming love of your Son and so made him an effective instrument of your love for those who have least. Touch us, we pray, with that some love and help us speak of that of love to others, with words, yes, but with our lives, still more. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. St Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us”