Our saint for today, St. Veronica of Milan, was a lay-Sister, who because of poverty never learned to read or write. But her parents taught her how to pray and how to live a virtuous life. Since she nourished a strong love for Jesus, and to be of service to others, she desired to become a nun. But her ignorance was an obstacle to her cherished dream. Therefore, she used to rise at night, tried to teach herself how to read, but it was so difficult. One night, the Virgin Mary appeared to her and told her that what she was doing was not necessary. There are only three things a person ought to do: to be pure and have the purity of intention in every circumstance in life; to mind one’s own business, avoid grumbling, murmuring and judging others; to forget one’s problems and sufferings and instead pray and meditate on the life and passion of Jesus every day. Fortunately, Veronica was on the right track so she needed not to study. St. Veronica was born in Binasco, a small village in Milan, Italy on January 13, 1445. They were poor and at an early age she began helping her parents in all household chores and in the fields. While working with other families in the fields, she would avoid the frivolous jokes, songs and stories of her companions. Instead of confronting them, she just prayed for their conversion. At age 22, after three years of preparation, she was admitted to the Augustinian Order as a lay-Sister at their convent at St. Martha in Milan. Due to her lack of instruction her work was to beg for food from door to door to sustain the community of Sisters. She was very obedient to the superiors because she believed that in obeying them she was obeying God. She was gifted with seeing visions of the Virgin Mary, and scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, but they never interrupted her work. In fact, those visions increased her love for God and her generosity to work and serve others. Once, in 1494, she received from Jesus a message for Pope Alexander VI. Since the superiors believed in the holiness of her life, and the authenticity of her visions, she was allowed to go to Rome to deliver the message. After three years in doing that simple and humble work of begging she got an illness which was not very serious. She was able to keep it to herself and continued to do her religious duties. But she suffered yet never complained. In such a condition, she was heard saying: “I must work while I can, while I have time.” Sr. Veronica sought always to be the last in the community. She wanted to do the hardest job and the humblest work of all. And she was happy to offer them all to Jesus. After a few more years, she contracted a more serious disease which she endured for six month and then she died in 1497, on the 30thyear of her religious profession on the day she herself had predicted, at the age of fifty-two. Miracles were attributed to her. Pope Leo X permitted her veneration in her monastery and Pope Clement X extended it to the entire Church. In 1749, her name was included by Pope Benedict XIV among the martyrs of the Church, indicating that her life was a silent martyrdom. Her feast day is January 13, although in the Augustinian Order, it is celebrated January 28. She is the patron of Binasco, Milan, Italy. “St. Veronica please pray that we may learn to be pure, prayerful, humble and obedient so that one day we may be your co-citizen in Heaven.”
