I cannot I must
not I will not!!
These are the words of a young priest, when confronted
by an evil government to deny his loyalty to his Pope,
and give it to a dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte. His
reward for his refusal to give in to this despot and his
demands was four years in prison, in four of the worst
prisons in Italy. And each year when he was asked to
change his mind and pledge his loyalty to Napoleon, his
response was always the same, I cannot I must not I
will not!!
Family, we just finished a program on a little known
Saint here in the United States, but one who is so
powerful, we know we can all relate to his heroism in
these special days were living in. His name is Gaspar
del Bufalo, and he is Roman by birth. He was ordained a
priest at age 22 in 1808, and two years later, in 1810,
the French demanded he pledge his allegiance to
Napoleon.
He lasted in these terrible prisons longer than his
fellow priests, who, little by little, gave in to the
tyrant, and were freed. When he refused for the last
time in 1813, he was sentenced to go to a prison in
Corsica, where he would certainly not return alive. But
before those orders could be carried out, Napoleon came
up against his greatest enemy, and one to whom he gave
no importance at all, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He was
defeated, and in January 1814, while Gaspar was being
repatriated back to Rome, Napoleon was on his way into
exile.
In the fall of that same year, 1814, St. Gaspar founded
a religious community, Missionaries of the Precious
Blood, which has spread all over the world. He survived
that horrendous four years, and the Lord blessed him for
it.
We find ourselves in a similar set of circumstances in
the world today. Despotic forces are threatening to take
over the world. Will an oath of loyalty be required of
us? To give in is to betray all that we believe in. Not
to give in is to welcome suffering for the sake of the
Blood of Jesus. But if we hang in there, as did our St.
Gaspar del Bufalo, the Lord will bless us also. When
we're asked to compromise our beliefs, will we take up
the battle cry of St. Gaspar del Bufalo;
I CANNOT I MUST
NOT I WILL NOT!!? Pray on it.
For more informatin about Saint Gaspar del Bufalo click this link
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New!
Minibook St. Gaspar del Bufalo - $5.00 
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