Today is the feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807 - 1870 AD). Though he was a founder of the missionary order known as the "Claretians" and patron of Cuba (and staunch advocate of native civil rights, which put him in grave danger of his life), he was a man afflicted with great spiritual dryness (it looks like depression, but it's not) to the point that at times ALL he could pray was verbal prayer! But he hung in there, and he was rewarded . . . perhaps the people around him even more than he! He effected many miraculous cures, gently prophesied the future for people, and helped many penitents and priests.
He wanted to be a Carthusian (but that didn't work out); he got a good Jesuit education; and, he loved books! I love him for starting a library and devoting himself to spreading good literature throughout his native country, Spain. He even started a science lab, a music school and a museum of natural history! Meanwhile, he never forgot to pray. He felt God was near, even when he had no emotional or spiritual consolation from Him.
He was ahead of his time in condemning the atrocious behavior of Spanish adventurers in the New World, specifically Cuba, to which he was assigned and which he observed firsthand -- but got nowhere with his complaints to the authorities in Spain. (I tend to think the stealing, oppression and rape must have been pretty bad, with so very many and different saints all going against their own in denouncing it.)
But he gave up the battle and retired from the bishopric, instead devoting himself to preaching and publishing in his native Spain. He preached over 10,000 sermons and published 200 books! You go, Anthony Mary! He died while traveling to Rome. St. Anthony Mary, pray for us.
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