SOTD :: Blessed Antonio Lucci

Today, July 27, Catholics celebrate the life of Antonio Lucci, 1682-1752. According to americancatholic.org, Lucci joined the Franciscans at the age of 16, was ordained at 23, and then proceeded to get his doctorate in theology and served as a teacher and guardian in Italy. He was elected minister provincial at 36 and a year later was appointed Professor at the Roman St. Bonaventure College. Ten years after this, Pope Benedict XIII appointed him Bishop of Bovino, calling him "an eminent theologian and a great saint." He served as Biship for 23 years, supported education and charities, and wrote a book about the Saints and Blesseds of the first 200 years of the Convenual Franciscans.

The above is basically all I could find on Lucci by way of Google. However, much more important than his history is what we can learn from Lucci. The best reason to remember a person or event on a holiday is to learn a lesson from that person or event, so what does Lucci have to teach us? Maybe that is just it: teaching. Throughout Lucci's life, he was involved with education, whether he was learning, teaching, or giving money so that others could obtain an education. I would love to follow in his example and continue to learn and grow throughout my life. It may not be the sole purpose of living, but I think it may be a part of it.

I think it is fitting that the first day of my blog (and I'm hoping to do a SOTD piece every day) should have fallen on the day chosen to celebrate Lucci, since the entire reason for this blog in the first place is to show what I have learned, about spirituality, theology, and myself.