Today, May 17, is the memorial of Saint Paschal Baylon.
Patron saint of Eucharistic congresses and Eucharistic associations.
Born in 1540, the child Paschal already had a very strong devotion to the Eucharist. For 17 years of his young life, he worked as a shepherd. His shepherd-friends were edified by his prayerful, humble ways. Whatever amount Paschal would earn, he would still set aside a portion for the poor people he would meet along the way.
He became a Franciscan friar of the Alcantarine Reform, and served his community as a cook, gardener, doorkeeper, and official beggar. He was an inspiring presence among his brothers.
He was blessed with mystical experiences such as ecstatic visions. He spent his nights adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. People, rich or poor, would seek him for spiritual advice.
While on an official assignment to France, Paschal defended the Real Presence against the blasphemies of a Calvinist preacher. He escaped sure death when a Huguenot mob threw stones at him.
He died from an illness in 1592 at age 52. He was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1618. He was canonized in 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII.