St Veronica Giuliani was an abbess who was practical and received the stigmata due to her devotion to the passion of Christ.
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter
ENLIGHTENMENT PRAYER
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
My God, I firmly believe that Thou art everywhere present and seest all things...cleanse my heart from all vain, wicked, and distracting thoughts. Enlighten my understanding, and inflame my will, that I may pray with reverence, attention, and devotion.
BIOGRAPHY
Veronica was born Orsola Giuliani in Urbino on 27 December 1660. Her parents were Francesco and Benedetta Giuliani. She was the youngest of seven sisters, three of whom embraced the monastic life.
It is told that at the age of three years Veronica supposedly began to show great compassion for the poor. She would set apart a portion of her food for them, and even part with her clothes when she met a poor child scantily clad. Veronica’s mother died when she was seven years of age.
When Giuliani came of age, her father believed she should marry, and so he desired her to take part in the social activities of the young people. But she pleaded so earnestly with her father that, after much resistance, he finally permitted her to choose her own state in life.
In 1677, at the age of 17, Veronica was received into the monastery of the Capuchin Poor Clares in Umbria, Italy, taking the name of Veronica in memory of the Passion. At the conclusion of the ceremony of her reception, the bishop said to the abbess: "I commend this new daughter to your special care, for she will one day be a great saint."
For fifty years, Veronica lived in the Capuchin convent. With gritty determination tempered by humility, she led her sisters as novice mistress for thirty-four years and as abbess for eleven. In 1716, she was elected abbess. As a practical woman, she improved her sisters’ comfort by enlarging the convent rooms and having water piped inside.
One day, the marks of the crown of thorns miraculously appeared on her forehead in 1694 and the five wounds on her body in 1697. She was humiliated by the stigmata itself and by her bishop’s rigorous testing of her experience. He removed her from ordinary community life and put her under constant observation. When he determined that the phenomena were authentic, he allowed her to return to normal convent life and continue her service to her sisters.
REFLECTION
St Veronica Giuliani was an abbess who was practical and received the stigmata due to her devotion to the passion of Christ.
Reflect on this saint’s life for a while
What does her life mean to you?
Sit quietly and consider this:
How can you live holier based on this saint’s life?
THANKSGIVING PRAYER
Almighty and eternal God, I adore Thee, and I thank Thee for all the benefits which Thou, in Thy infinite goodness and mercy, hast conferred upon me.
RESOLUTION
Based on this reflection, I resolve to avoid all sin.
However, I should especially resolve to avoid one particular deadly sin:
(Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Pride, Sloth)
RESOLUTION & MIDDAY PRAYER
My God, I offer Thee these resolutions; unless Thou deignest to bless them, I can not be faithful to them. And Lord Jesus Christ, at midday You mounted the cross for our salvation. Give us Your light, which will bring us to eternal life. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thank You and God Bless ☦️