[00:00] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We honor in the liturgy today St. Felix of Cantalice. He was a Capuchin religious. He died at the age of 72 in, I believe, 1587. And he is the first saint to be canonized from the officially to be canonized in the Capuchin order. He's the first. He was a religious brother. And some interesting

[00:37] facts about him, he was actually illiterate. He could not read. And he had a famous quote was that "Though I cannot read, I can love." Though I cannot read, I can love. And it's just to make us aware of even in any of our deficiencies we may have, or skills, lack of skill that we may have, it doesn't prevent us from loving God. It doesn't prevent us from loving God and neighbor,

[01:07] which is the most important thing of all. He was known as Brother Deo Gratias because he would greet everyone with the words, "Deo Gratias, thanks be to God." And saying that in good times and in bad times, "Deo Gratias, thanks be to God," reminding us that even when we're going through hardships and difficulties, Christ is with us, and we give thanks to God. So, he was known as Brother Deo Gratias. And another little quote that he had was, "Every day is a good day to suffer for

[01:44] Christ." Every day is a good day to suffer for Christ. And it just reflects his intimate union with Christ crucified and his union with Christ. He would walk through the streets of Rome begging for necessities for his friary and for the poor. And so, this is what he was assigned to do for 40 years as a religious. He would beg through the streets of Rome for things,

[02:18] supplies that his friary needed and for the poor. He was also a friend of St. Philip Neri. And he and him had a kind of a unique relationship. They would give each other insults, but insults in a way that was to them funny and humorous. One of the ones that I read that he said to St. Philip Neri was, "May you be burned at the stake." And St. Philip Neri would say, "May you die a violent death." And this was said in a humorous way for them, wishing, you know,

[02:55] that they were wishing each other that they would have great glory in suffering for God, suffering for God. And with this, St. Felix of Cantalice had a great love for our Blessed Mother. And he had mystical experiences in which the Blessed Virgin would put the child Jesus into his arms. Today, we can recognize in this saint, his great humility.

[03:27] He's a saint. He could not read, but yet he lived a simple life as a religious, dedicated, and faithful, serving God in his duties. And it just reminds us that it's not great deeds that God is calling us to do, but to do the little deeds we have each day with love. And this is really amplified in St. Felix. He loved God. He loved neighbor. And this really was the force behind him in his achieving great holiness and sanctity. May he remind us that it's with love and serving

[04:02] God each day that we give Him honor and glory. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.