St. Charles of Sezze (18 January): Franciscan Mystic, Humility, and the Call to Holiness

About this sermon

In this powerful homily, we reflect on the life of Saint Charles of Sezze (1613–1670), a humble Franciscan lay brother, mystic, and extraordinary witness to the truth that saints are not born saints — they are made through fidelity to grace. Born to simple country folk in Sezze, Italy, Saint Charles showed little academic promise, yet God formed him in the school of prayer, humility, and interior contemplation. Though unlearned by worldly standards, he was consulted by theologians, cardinals, and even Pope Clement IX, revealing how God “hides these things from the wise and reveals them to the simple.” This sermon explores: The Franciscan path to holiness The interior drama of the saints The role of Our Lady in sanctity Why every soul is called to be a saint Mystical experiences surrounding the Holy Eucharist Why humility is the foundation of true holiness Saint Charles reminds us that sanctity is not reserved for priests, scholars, or elites — but for farmers, laborers, mothers, soldiers, and ordinary souls who respond generously to God’s grace. “God does not command us to live in hairshirts and chains, but to love Him above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.” In a world growing darker, we need Marian saints, rooted in humility, prayer, and fidelity to Christ — just like Saint Charles of Sezze. 📿 “It is not possible to have even one iota of holiness without the Blessed Virgin Mary.” 00:00 Opening Prayer – Holy Names of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph 00:20 Introduction to Saint Charles of Sezze 00:54 Childhood and Formation in Prayer 02:06 Learning God Through Creation 02:48 Vow of Chastity and Love for Our Lady 03:26 Desire for Holiness and the Saints 03:28 Illness and Vow to Enter the Franciscans 03:52 Franciscan Life and Heroic Virtue 04:14 Desire for Martyrdom and Missions 04:28 Mystical Enlightenment in Rome 04:49 Consulted by Theologians, Cardinals, and the Pope 05:11 Profound Humility of Saint Charles 05:41 Eucharistic Mysticism and the Sacred Wound 06:01 Death, Beatification, and Canonization 06:17 Saints Are Made, Not Born 07:15 The Universal Call to Holiness 07:35 Frank Duff and the Call to Sanctity 08:35 Sanctity for Every State of Life 09:04 A Call to Respond to God’s Grace 09:27 The World’s Need for Marian Saints 09:57 Closing Prayer and Blessing https://mediatrixpress.com/product/the-autobiography-of-st-charles-of-sezze/?wpam_id=9 For more please visit https://www.themarianfranciscans.org/ Please sign up at this link https://lifecrusade.org/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SensusFidelium.TV - https://sensusfidelium.tv/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #SaintCharlesOfSezze #FranciscanSaint #CatholicSaints #CatholicMysticism #CallToHoliness #MarianSpirituality #LivesOfTheSaints #TraditionalCatholic #Franc

Topics

• Humility
• Holiness