June 3
Mariana de Jesus
Franciscan tertiary
(1618-1645) In Quito - then part of the viceroyalty of Peru - Mariana de Jesús Paredes y Flores was born, to parents who descended from noble Spanish families, but who had already died when the girl was only six years old.
Biography
She was handed over to the care of her older sister, Jerónima; She and her husband raised the girl along with their own children. She was always an extremely pious girl, and although at first she wanted to go to a convent, her stepparents allowed her a life of solitude and penance in their own house under the direction of a Jesuit as confessor. She led an extremely penitent life, with prolonged vigils and fasts, but Mariana did not completely withdraw from the world, but rather helped as a catechist and in works of charity. He visited beggars, prisoners and the sick and gave spiritual advice to countless people who became aware of his holy life. He offered his life for his brothers in his country that had been terribly flogged by an earthquake. A few weeks later he fell ill and died in great pain at the age of just 26 years. Popular piety gave her the name “Azucena de Quito” and the Supreme Pontiff Pius XII wanted to honor her, Ecuador and all of Latin America by declaring her a saint in 1950.
Practical advice
As an offering to the Lord, invite someone to pray with you for a specific intention and offer that effort for someone who needs help.