Blessed Francis Palau Y Quer

Today, November 7th, on the Carmelite calendar is the feast of Blessed Francis Paulau y Quer. Born in Ayona, Lerida, on December 29th, 1811, Blessed Francis Palau y Quer entered the Carmelite Order in 1832 and was ordained priest in 1836. Civil turmoil forced him to live in exile and outside his community. On his return to Spain in 1851, he founded his "School of Virtue" - which was a model of catechetical teaching - at Barcelona. The school was suppressed and he was unjustly exiled to Ibiza (1854-1860) where he lived at El Vedra in solitude and experienced mystically the vicissitudes of the Church. While in the Balearic Islands he founded the Congregations of Carmelite Brothers and Carmelite Sisters (1860-1861). He preached popular missions and spread love of Our Lady wherever he went. He died at Tarragona on March 20th, 1872, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24th, 1980.

Central in Bl. Francis Palau y Quer's teachings is that prayer is to be the center of all we do. He writes, "God in His providence has ordained not to cure our ills or grant us grace without the intervention of prayer." In our service to one another we are to first turn to God in prayer. He goes on to say, "He (God) wishes us to help in saving each other by means of our prayer." We may have friends or family that are in need of our help or are struggling with issues or problems. One way to start helping them is praying for their intentions. God will respond according to His Holy Will.

Blessed Francis pointed out the importance of prayer in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "...it was God's good pleasure that his coming  should be preceded by the prayers of the singular Virgin who by the beauty of her virtues drew into her womb the uncreated Word of God. The Redeemer came, and by constant prayer he reconciled the world to the Father." So prayer is central in our salvation.

In speaking on the Apostles being sent to preach to all nations, Blessed Francis says, "... the result of their preaching came from prayer more than from their words." Blessed Francis hconcludes by saying, "Since God does not distribute graces to men except through prayer, because he wishes us to recognize him as the source from which all good flow; in like manner, he does not wish to save us from danger, or cure our wounds, or console us in affliction, except by means of this same exercise of prayer."

So let us follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the apostles and Bl. Francis by praying for those in our families that are in most need of our prayers.