"Blessed are the Meek

and Humble of Heart."
So we prayed in the sixth day of the Divine Mercy Novena.

Today we celebrate St.Claude de la Colombiere, little known for his greatness until recently. As spiritual director to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, he became the 'first' devotee of the Sacred Heart and its greatest promoter. Yet he remained a footnote to her story until 1992.

You can read about the miracle that led to his canonization here
[hat tip Catholic Culture].

I first encountered him in Alban Goodier's Saints for Sinners (made available online thanks to EWTN). A friend lent me a copy of his "Spiritual Direction" which proved indispensable when I was in the big city trying to find a job and beginning to despair. So, then, let us pray:

Despair Prayer

LORD, I am in this world
to show Your mercy to others.
Other people will glorify You
by making visible the power of Your grace
by their fidelity and constancy to You.
For my part, I will glorify You
by making known how good You are to sinners,
that Your mercy is boundless, and that no sinner-
no matter how great his offences-
should have reason to despair of pardon.
If I have grievously offended You,
My Redeemer,
let me not offend You even more
by thinking that You are not kind enough
to pardon Me.
Amen.

-Saint Claude de la Colombiere, to a young religious