Book Description

St. Leonard was born in the year 1676, at Port Maurice, a little town of Genoa, and received, at baptism, the name of Paul Jerome. His father, who was a strict and fervent Catholic, had the happiness of giving three sons to the Seraphic Order, and an only daughter to a convent. St. Leonard, in after life, often thanked God for having given him such a good father. At the age of twelve or thirteen he was sent to study at the Roman College, then conducted by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus. He made rapid progress in his studies; and gave such unmistakable proofs of his talents and piety that he was called the St. Aloysius of the College. In his twenty second year, whilst studying for the medical profession, he was led to the Seraphic Order by the humble and mortified demeanour of two Franciscan Religious of the Convent of St. Bonaventure at Rome. He received the habit in this convent on the 2nd October 1697. During his Noviciate he was most exact in all the observances of the Religious life. He was then accustomed to say: "If now whilst we are young, we wilfully neglect little things, when we are old, and have greater liberty, we will neglect things of greater importance." After his ordination he constantly wore a cross with seven sharp points on his breast; and he went to confession twice a day, "in order," as he says, to celebrate Holy Mass with the greatest possible purity of heart." He performed all the actions of the day as a preparation for this most Holy Sacrifice. When accused of celebrating too slowly he said: " Do you not know that it is my only consolation? O, if we had a lively faith we would never leave the altar." In his last illness, he was advised by the Brother Infirmarian to omit his daily Mass, but he answered: "O, my dear Brother, one Mass is worth all the treasures of the world." No wonder, then, he speaks with words of'fire when treating of "this most solemn and divine act of Christian religion." We are certain no one can read his words, without feeling his heart burning with love for Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrifice: May all those who use this little Book be imbued with the spirit of St. Leonard, and thus secure for themselves the blessings he so often promises to those who attend daily Mass with devotion: "a holy life, a happy death,. and the eternal joys of heaven."