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Here is a summary of Bishop Daniel Dolan’s sermon on St. Andrew Avelino, focusing on the lessons of life, death, and the goodness of God’s grace:
Summary
Bishop Dolan reflects on the life of St. Andrew Avelino, presenting him as a model for both life and death. Known for his deep purity, zeal for souls, and heroic virtue, St. Andrew teaches us to take even “little sins” seriously, to pursue holiness with resolve, and to daily pray for the grace of a holy death.
A canon lawyer in 16th-century Naples, Andrew left his legal career after telling a minor lie in court and later reading the scripture, “A lying mouth kills the soul.” Realizing the danger of such a life, he entered the Theatine Order, taking the name Andrew out of love for the Cross. He became a holy confessor, miracle-worker, and Eucharistic saint. His life was marked by supernatural events, such as divine light guiding him through a storm and the miraculous bleeding of a consecrated Host recovered from a would-be desecrator.
He died peacefully after suffering a stroke at the foot of the altar while saying “I will go unto the altar of God.” His body remained incorrupt, and miracles followed his death.
Key Lessons from the Life of St. Andrew Avelino
1. Take Sin Seriously
- A small lie changed his whole life.
- He recognized even venial sins as dangers to the soul.
2. Pursue Holiness with Purpose
- Gave up worldly success to follow God more perfectly.
- Spent hours in the confessional and preaching.
3. Love the Holy Eucharist
- Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament defined his priesthood.
- Miraculous events surrounded his Eucharistic ministry.
4. Pray Daily for a Holy Death
- St. Andrew prayed constantly for the grace of a good death.
- He died as he lived: at the altar, having received the last sacraments.
Final Reflections
- St. Andrew is a patron both for life and for death:
- “Worry about the little sins, and the big sins will take care of themselves.”
- Bishop Dolan encourages us to imitate Andrew's purity, humility, and devotion, and to pray daily for ourselves and loved ones for the grace to die in God’s friendship.
- He concludes with prayers invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Andrew for the grace of a holy death, the sacramental helps, and perseverance in God’s service.
Closing Prayer Themes
- Perfect contrition and worthy sacraments at death.
- Protection against sudden or unprovided death.
- That we may stand safely before God at judgment.
Creators and Guests
Guest
Bp. Daniel Dolan
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Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Oh my God, I have a certainty to die, but I know not when, how, or where I shall die. This only I know that if I die in mortal sin, I shall be lost forever. Most blessed virgin Mary, holy mother of God, pray for me a sinner now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. You might say, my dear faithful, that the lives of the saints are a daily lesson, a kind of a school the church has us attend, not just for a certain number of years or a special occasion like Lent, but a school truly for the whole of our lives. Today's saint Andrew Avelino offers us one important lesson for life and another even more crucial lesson for death. Saint Andrew Evelino was a priest in the Diocese of Naples during the time of the Protestant revolt, the sixteenth century.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:And as a priest, received a training in law, canon law specifically, and was what's known as a canon lawyer for certain church causes that their trials were conducted and lawyers were required. As he was carrying out this duty, at the same time, was put in charge of a because of his great sanctity and also his very great purity. He was a great saint for purity from his very youth. He was put in charge of the reform of a convent, a very corrupt and worldly knot. Because of this, he earned great enmity.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:And one man in particular tried to assassinate him by slashing him three times on the face with a sword. He was miraculously healed of his wounds and did not want the man to have to be punished in any way, such as the spirit of the saint. One but this sort of gave him a sense of of the uselessness of this world and its vanity. And one day as he was a lawyer in the church court, a little lie escaped his lips. What we would call, probably inaccurately, a white lie, little lie he told.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:And that he felt bad about it, but went on with his presentation. That night in his spiritual reading, his eyes in the scriptures fell upon the phrase from the Old Testament, a lying mouth kills the soul. And he realized that being a lawyer was not for him because there was too much temptation than is now to tell little lies. So then as a result of that, he left the world and joined the newly founded Theotene Order, the Order of Clerics Regular, and took the name of Andrew because of his great love for our Lord's cross. There he was a very great preacher and very, very devoted to hearing confessions for hours on end.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:Very devoted as well to the blessed sacrament. At that time, Protestantism was making its inroads into Italy. And a certain man filled with Protestant ideas wanted to receive communion in order to desecrate the sacred hope. And as he left the communion rail, he secretly took out the sacred host, put it into his handkerchief, intending to take it home to commit these horrible sins. When he got home, his handkerchief was full of blood.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:The host has been bleeding. And he was so distraught with this that he went to the holiest priest that he knew to father Andrew and asked him what should be done. And the sacred host was preserved. And Saint Andrew said that he would do part of the tenants for the rest of his life that this man must do for having contemplated so terrible a sacrifice. Another time in the middle of the night, he was called out on a sick call on the classic dark and stormy night.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:Now back then, of course, there weren't any street lights of any kind. There was no electricity. And street lights even with gas are a fairly recent invention. So it was absolutely dark. And his companions who were with him, one of them was holding a lantern, but the lantern blew out with the wind.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:But still they noticed they could find their way. And eventually, it dawned on the the altar boys who were serving for this occasion that the light was coming from the priest. And it was enough light to be able to light their way to the streets of of New Folds during the storm. Now that is exactly what all of us are meant to be, a light in a very dark world, because of our so often receiving our Lord in the blessed sacrament. The last thing I want you to remember about today's saint is that he is a wonderful thing to know, to love, and to pray to for the very comforting grace of a good death.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:He often prayed for the grace of a good death, and it was given to him as he stood at the foot of the altar, repeating for the third time, I will go unto the altar of God. Then Andrew had a stroke. And then he was carried off to the to the rectory next door, and he was taken care of. But the doctor said that in a few hours, he would be dead. He received his last sacraments and died very piously.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:He wanted to die kneeling down, but the doctor and his superiors would not permit that. So he had to rest in the bed. After he had received all of his last sacraments, he made the most about life. And immediately after his death, miracles started to occur at his at his wake when his body was laid out in the church and his body remained incorrupt. Saint Andrew Avelini, a saint for life, worry about the little sins and the big sins will take care of themselves.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:And the saint for death, pray every day for the comforting grace of a good and a holy death for yourself and all of those for whom you love. Let us kneel and say a prayer for this intention. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, refuge of sinners, mother of those who are in their agony, leave us not in the hour of our death, but obtain for us perfect sorrow, sincere contrition, remission of our sins, a worthy reception of the most holy diatocum, the strengthening of the sacrament of extreme unction, so that we may be able to stand with safety before the throne of the just but merciful judge, even our God and redeemer of Jesus Christ. Amen. O God, our merciful father, who didst pour forth abundantly thy gifts upon Saint Andrew Avelino, the priest, making him to make progress daily in love of thee and of neighbor.
Bp. Daniel Dolan:Grant us by his intercession, not only the special graces we ask for this day, but to be free as well from every danger and to persevere in thy holy service, thus to enter into the kingdom of thy glory through Christ our Lord. Amen. Saint Andrew Avelino, pray for us. In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. Amen.