Many are familiar with St. Aloysius Gonzaga as the patron saint of all youth. This is connected to his early death, dying at the age of 23.
One of the primary turning points for St. Aloysius' faith was his reception of Holy Communion when he was 12 years old.
He was guided and mentored by St. Charles Borromeo, who helped prepare him for the reception of the Eucharist and who ultimately gave him his first Holy Communion.
It marked a monumental shift in St. Aloysius' life, as he was drawn even closer to Jesus after that day, fostering a deep prayer life that would remain until he died.
St. Aloysius and the Eucharist
According to author Edward Thompson in his book The Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Aloysius would break out into tears shortly after his reception of Holy Communion whenever he attended Mass:
[E]very morning when present at the Adorable Sacrifice [his mother] observed that he burst into tears at the consecration and that they continued to flow to the close of the Mass and wet the stones of the floor where he knelt.
This represented the great love of Jesus that he held within his heart, recognizing the beauty of his presence in the Holy Eucharist.
Furthermore, he took seriously the days when he would be able to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion. He would prepare for that day, spending extra time in prayer, as Thompson explains:
On the days which preceded, all his thoughts were fixed on the Adorable Sacrament, all his words referred to It; to his approaching reception all his prayers and meditations were directed; and so frequent were these that the household were in the habit of saying that he seemed to desire to hold conversation with the walls, for he was constantly discovered in the corner of some apartment on his knees.
This zeal for the Eucharist would remain with him for the rest of his short life and prepared him for his growing attraction to the religious life.
He kept a pure heart during his adolescent years, guarding it from any temptations, being fortified by his reception of Holy Communion.
Much of his religious fervor later on can be traced back to his deep and abiding devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
