Saint John Gualbert

St. John Gualbert, who came from the Visdomini family of Florence, Italy, believed it was his duty to avenge the murder of a close relative, as was typical in his time. When on Good Friday of the year 1013, he happened to meet his relative's assassin and was about to strike him with his sword, the latter threw himself at his feet and, with arms outstretched cross-like, begged for forgiveness and commended his soul to God. John thereupon forgave and embraced him, and when, a little later, he stopped to implore God's pardon for his own sins in the Benedictine Church of San Miniato, Jesus on the Crucifix is said to have bowed his head to him in approval of his act of mercy. John then dedicated himself to prayer and penance as a member of the Benedictine Order. John's exemplary virtue and austerity were widely recognized, and when his abbot passed away, he was unanimously selected to succeed him. However, despite the honor, he refused to accept the position.

Four years later, together with a group of stricter monks, John went to Camaldoli and there he lived for 21 years until, in 1038, he founded at Vallombrosa a new monastery for those who, like himself, wished to lead a life of extraordinary austerity and penance. Here, the law of silence was perpetual, the enclosure and poverty the strictest, and the monks were contemplatives who performed no manual labor contrary to the usual Benedictine rule. The manual labor was performed by lay brothers known as "conversi". These men were illiterate and had either renounced the world or reformed their notorious lives in their later years. John introduced the concept of lay brothers, which was quickly adopted by other Orders and became significant in later centuries. St. John Gualbert died on 12 July 1073. After the founder's death, the Vallombrosan Congregation experienced rapid growth. Its most significant achievement was its strong opposition to simony and concubinage, which were prevalent among the clergy at the time.

St. John Gualbert, intercede for us to obtain the grace to dedicate our lives to serving our Lord.

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Most High Servant,

Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed  and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)