St. Francis of Paola (1416 – 1507) was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Order of Minims. Francis set a Rule for his followers emphasizing penance, charity, and humility, and added one more to the three vows – fasting and abstinence from meat. He is the patron of boatmen, mariners, and naval officers.

Reflection: The Evil, though defeated by Truth, does not want to accept its defeat. Rather it tries to suppress the Truth by a series of lies and even through bribery. It is precisely because of such a tough fight between truth and evil that the Apostles of Truth became still more reassured to preach the truth, suffer for it, and even giving their life. It was not merely a historical fact that they were called to bear witness. It was really the upholding of life of truth, as against the life of falsehood that indicated the fact of resurrection. That is why they could really be witnesses of the one who is ‘exalted at the right hand of God and who has poured out the promises of the Spirit. The effects of the Spirit’s outpouring were so real that the people saw them for themselves and clearly heard them too. If we are also sincerely striving for a life of resurrection, then we too will surely be given a special outpouring of the Spirit from the Father Almighty.