Saint Raymond of Penyafort

Saint Raymond of Penyafort, patron saint of Canon lawyers, was born in Spain in 1175 in a noble family. He lived to be a century old, and the glory of his holiness and deeds have influenced the faithful over the centuries. His main goal was to share the Gospel with his fellow believers. He was also recognized as a talented canonist, teacher, writer, organizer, lawyer, preacher, and confessor.

His devotion to the Blessed Mother was deep from a tender age, and throughout his life, he was known for his humility and closeness to God. He was a professor of Canon Law at Bologna for around five years when he heeded the Lord's call to join the Dominican Order. He practiced penance and was kind to the poor and suffering, winning many sinners to God. During his time in Barcelona, he assisted King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco in establishing the Order of Our Lady of Ransom, devoted to saving the Christians captured by the Moors.

For the Dominican Order, he wrote a manual of canon law for confessors, "Summa de casibus poenitentiae", one of the most widely used books of its kind during the later Middle Ages. Despite his other accomplishments, Raymond's preoccupation was the salvation of souls. He preached, heard confessions regularly, and taught the faithful to conquer sin in themselves. 

In 1230, Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome and commissioned him to codify the papal statutes and rulings on points of canon law. This compilation by Raymond was so well organized that it was frequently cited until the canon law revision of 1917. Raymond remained the Pope's personal confessor and close adviser for many years till he returned to Spain in 1236. In 1238. he was elected the third master general of the Dominican Order. Within the two years that he held this position, he revised the constitutions of the Order and traveled on foot to the monasteries under his care.

The remainder of his life was devoted to several papal commissions and missionary interests, and he spent his final years praising God and preaching the Gospel. He also established language schools, especially Arabic and Hebrew studies, to aid in evangelizing non-Christians. It was at his request that St. Thomas Aquinas wrote "Summa contra gentiles." St. Raymond of Penyafort's pilgrimage of faith ended on January 6, 1275, and Pope Clement VIII canonized him in 1601. 

St. Raymond of Penyafort, pray for us to be filled with the virtues of outstanding mercy and compassion for sinners.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.