Our saint today Charles of Sezze was born as John Charles Marchioni on October 19, 1613 in Sezze, Italy. His family was poor, but pious and he worked has a shepherd as a child. His family encouraged his vocation to the priesthood, but Charles was a terrible student; he could hardly read or write and had no hope of entering the seminary. He was a Franciscan lay brother at age 22. He was in poor health which prevented him going to foreign missions and he had to do the menial positions as cook, porter, and gardener near Rome. (I don't think that is so bad!)
He worked among plague victims in 1656. Saint Charles wrote mystical works, and at the direction of his confessor, he wrote his autobiography entitled The Grandeurs of the Mercies of God. He had a strong devotion to the Eucharist and the Passion. Saint Charles was sought out for spiritual advice, and while Pope Clement IX was dying he asked for Charles to be at his bedside for a blessing.
"God does not command us to live in hair shirts and chains, or to chastise our flesh with scourges, but to love Him above all things and our neighbor as ourselves."
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