3/21 - St Nicholas of Flue

0:00Welcome to the Saint of the Day podcast, a service of good Catholic in the Catholic company. Join us each day as we share the story of a unique saint in three minutes or less. Today's saint is Saint Nicholas of Flew. Saint Nicholas of Flew, who lived from 1417 to 1487, was born in Switzerland, a devout child of Pius' parents. At the age of 21, he joined the army and fought in local battles. In his mid-20s, at the advice of his parents, he married eight similarly Pius woman and had five sons and five daughters. He served the public by holding various civil offices and was esteemed by all for his moral integrity. After 25 years of marriage, upon discerning a special call from God, and with the consent of his wife, he went to live in a nearby valley as a hermit. He built a dwelling out of branches and left it only for daily mass. He wore a tunic and kept his head and feet bare, spending his days in prayer at penance on behalf of the local people. With permission from the parish priest, he abstained totally from food and drink, without any

1:00negative effect on his health, which was confirmed by the church as a miracle. He lived in this manner for 20 years and became known as a visionary and a prophet. Distinguished persons from all over Europe came to him for counsel. The civil authorities built him a cell and chapel and assigned him a chaplain. The saint intervened as an arbiter when a civil war was imminent, resulting in the enduring union of the French and German-speaking parts of Switzerland. His hermitage became a place of pilgrimage after his death. Saint Nicholas of Flue is the patron saint of Switzerland. His feast date is March 21st. Say a prayer for the people of Switzerland. Saint Nicholas of Flue pray for us. Thank you for tuning in. This is a Good Catholic Podcast. If you like what you heard, check us out at GoodCatholic.com and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.