Do everything by prayer and supplication...

One thing that is certain is that we have a God who is rich in mercy. He loves us and gives us everything that we need to grow through the graces He supplies in the Holy Mysteries of His holy Church and through the gifts and blessings He sends our way.

One saint who knew this throughout his life was Saint Fredonius, who became the Bishop of Lucca. What is interesting about his life is that he was born in Ireland and later came to Italy. All that we can say with certainty is that he received a Christian monastic education. As often happens, those educated in a monastic setting come to realise that God is calling them to embrace monasticism.

Eventually, he moved to Italy, seeking a place where he could practise his monastic vocation in peace and solitude. He went first to Rome and then to Lucca in Tuscany. Here he was formed in the solitude of prayer and fasting. But, as often happens with such holy men and women, his reputation for holiness spread. It was not long before the episcopal see of Lucca became vacant and the people called upon him to become their next bishop.

Being a man who trusted in the will of God, this was not a call that he could ignore. So he took up the yoke of the Lord and began to lead his flock.

One day, Lucca was threatened by a flood from the River Serchio. The river had already flooded the surrounding agricultural lands, destroying much-needed crops. The people tried to redirect the river by digging channels, but this failed. In desperation, they turned to the saint, asking him to pray that disaster might be averted.

The saint walked towards the river carrying a small rake and began to pray beside it. After a while, he got up and commanded the water to follow him. The river abandoned its old channel and followed the holy bishop.

Here is the account of the miracle written by Saint Gregory the Great:

But I must not forget to tell you what I heard of the reverent man Venantius, Bishop of Lucca, some two days ago: who said that there was, nigh unto him, a man of rare virtue called Frigidianus, Bishop of Lucca, who wrought a strange miracle, which, as he saith, all the inhabitants of that place do speak of, and it was this.Hard by the walls of the city, there runneth a river called Sechio, which divers times doth so swell and overflow the banks, that it drowneth many acres of ground, and spoileth much corn and fruit.The inhabitants, enforced by necessity, seeing that this did often happen, went about by all means possible to turn the stream another way: but when they had bestowed much labour, yet could they not cause it to leave the old channel.Whereupon the man of God, Frigidianus, made a little rake, and came to the river, where all alone he bestowed some time in prayer; and then he commanded the river to follow him, and going before, he drew his rake over such places as he thought good, and the whole river, forsaking the old channel, did follow him, and kept possession of that which the holy man by that sign of his rake had appointed: and so never afterward did it hurt any more either corn or other things planted for the maintenance of men.

What this miracle teaches us is that, through sincere prayer, we are given everything that we need to overcome the difficulties of life, even when they seem insurmountable. What now feels impossible will not always be so. Have faith like the good saint and trust that we have a God who loves mankind and who will intervene when His children call upon Him, especially when it is for their spiritual good.

Moreover, like the saint, we are to trust in God’s ways, for His ways are not the ways of the world. He gives His people the gifts of life and love; a life that can only be fulfilled by living in communion with Him through prayer and the worthy reception of the Holy Mysteries of His Church, especially the Holy Eucharist.

Therefore, this week, lift all your earthly cares to the Lord in prayer, asking that He may guide you and help you to respond to them in a Christian way through a life lived in faith, hope, charity and, most importantly, love. Finally, never forget to thank God for all that He has given you, for gratitude is the sign of a Christian heart.