Today November 3

Although today is the feast of the wonderful Saint Martin de Porres, biracial Dominican brother, a kind of New World St. Francis of Assisi and patron of racial justice, we are going to go with the OTHER, and much more misunderstood saint of the day, St. Malachy (1095 - 1148). I say "misunderstood," because the so-called "prophecies of St. Malachy" are entirely spurious. They were "found" in 1595 by Dom Arnold de Wyon, OSB, and remarkable in their "fulfillment" up to and including the popes of 1590 (including even their Italian family names), but remarkably vague for all the popes thereafter. The prophecies are a list of all the popes from Peter to the so-called "Peter the Roman," the supposed last pope. Now you know. (The "prophecies of St. Malachy" only contain the supposed list of popes and are not universal like the so-called prophecies of Nostradamus. And no, they have nothing to do with our St. Malachy.)

St. Malachy, or Mael Maedoc Ua Morgair in Gaelic, was an introverted child, a gifted student, who, not surprisingly, after the death of his parents, went to live with a hermit. But others recognized his apparent gifts and called him forth to consider being a priest. He heard the call and became a priest a full five years earlier than normal. Heck, he was a full-fledged bishop by the age of 30! He was committed to the charity of reforming a good part of Ireland, starting with his hometown of Armagh. "[He was] setting fire to brambles and thorns and laying the axe to the root of worthless trees." And there were many. The scourge of the invading Danes ravaged both the land the people's faith, so Malachy, armed with a combination of severity and sweetness, sought to clear out the rot and rebuild the remnant.

St. Malachy performed many miracles, for example, the healing of a madwoman from St. Michael's Catholic Church. He also cured a mute girl at Cruggleton, and a cripple who was rolled in to him on a cart and walked home on her own two feet. He healed a crazy boy in Ireland and a prince (Prince Henry, son of King David) in Scotland. And a well-attested miracle involved the raising of a dead woman in Bangor. She was dying, but when she saw St. Malachy, she revived a little, so they put off the Sacrament of the Sick. Not much later, when Malachy happened to be out of the room, the woman died. Malachy blamed himself and prayed, "I beseech Thee, O Lord, for I have acted foolishly. It is I who have sinned, I who have deferred. It was not she; she desired it." So, instead of anointing her with oil, he anointed her with his tears. He advised his disciples to "Watch and pray!" and they stayed up all night with the body. With morning came the miracle: the woman rose, took a deep breath, rubbed and opened her eyes. Not only was she resuscitated; she was healed. She died years later, and had the benefit of the sacraments before she died.

Malachy died in the arms of his great good friend, St. Bernard of Clairvaux on November 2, 1148. St. Bernard, who preached his funeral (and his anniversary Mass, one year later), was so moved by the witness of his friend's life, he wrote a book about him, from which much of our information comes. St. Malachy, pray for us.