Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597) –Image: Catholic Online
(Franciscan Media) The energetic life of Peter Canisius, should demolish any stereotypes we may have of the life of a Saint as dull or routine.
Peter Canisius lived his 76 years at a pace which must be considered heroic, even in our time of rapid changes. A man blessed with many talents, Canisius is an excellent example of the scriptural man who developed his talents for the sake of the Lord’s work.
Canisius was one of the most important figures in the Catholic Reformation in Germany, his was such a key role that he has often been called the ‘Second Apostle of Germany’ in that his life parallels the earlier work of Saint Boniface (672-754)
Although Canisius once accused himself of idleness as a youth, he could not have been idle for to long, for at the age of 19 he received his Masters degree from the University of Cologne, soon afterwards he met Peter Faber, the first disciple of the Ignatius Loyola, who influenced Canisius so much that he joined the recently formed Society of Jesus.
At this early age, Canisius had already taken up a practice he continued throughout his life–a process of study, reflection, prayer and writing. After his ordination in 1546 he became widely known for his editions of the writings of Saint Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) and St Leo the Great (400-461)
Besides this reflective literary bent, Canisius had a zeal for the apostolate, he could often be found visiting the sick or prisoners, even when his assigned duties in other areas were more than enough to keep most people fully occupied.
Saint Peter Canisius strengthened the Catholic faith in German and Austria, Switzerland and other parts of Central Europe–During the mid 1500s, Canisius journeys took him to Prague where he founded the Jesuit school along with another in Bavaria and later a third in Munich. The year of 1555 in particular was a landmark for Canisius, Saint Ignatius promoted him to a leadership position within the order which he held until 1569–he published the first and the longest version of his Catholic catechism, this work and its two shorter adaptations , went through hundreds of printings and remained in use for centuries.
Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 Saint Peter Canisius was declared Doctor of the Church–In a famous saying, the Jesuit Priest revealed the secret behind the accomplishments of his energetic and fruitful life: “If you have to much to do, with God’s help you will find time to do it all.”
Related: More here about Saint Peter Canisius, visit, Catholic Online