Peter Nolasco was born at Recaud near Carcassonne in France of noble parents. His distinguishing virtue was the love of his neighbour which seemed to be presaged by this incident that when he was a baby in his cradle, a swarm of bees one day lighted upon him and formed a honeycomb on his right hand. He lost his parents early in life. The Albigensian heresy was at that time making way in France: Peter, out of the hatred he had for that sect, withdrew into Spain after having sold his estates. This gave him an opportunity of fulfilling a vow at our Lady’s of Mount Serrat which he had made some time previous. After this he went to Barcelona, and having there spent all his money in ransoming the Christian captives from the slavery of their enemies, he was often heard saying that he would willingly sell himself to redeem others, or become a slave in the stead of any captive. God showed him, by the following event, how meritorious in his sight was this desire. He was one night praying for the Christian captives and deliberating with himself how be might obtain their deliverance, when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and told him that he would render himself most dear to her Son and herself if he would institute, in her honour, an Order of Religious men, who should devote themselves to the ransoming Captives from the infidels. He delayed not to follow the heavenly suggestion and instituted the Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives, in which he was aided by Saint Raymund of Pennafort and James I, King of Aragon, both of whom had on that same night received the like intimation from the Mother of God.
The Religious of this Order take a fourth vow, namely, to offer themselves as slaves to the Moors if they can in no other way obtain the ransom of the Christians. Having taken a vow of virginity, Peter spent his whole life in the most perfect purity. He excelled in every virtue, especially in patience, humility and abstinence. He foretold future events by the gift of prophecy with which God had favoured him. Thus, when king James was laying siege to Valencia, then in the possession of the Moors, he received assurance from the Saint that he would be blessed with victory. He was frequently consoled with the sight of his Angel Guardian and the Virgin-Mother of God. At length, being worn out with old age he received an intimation of his approaching death. When he was seized with his last sickness he received the holy Sacraments and exhorted his Religious brethren to love the captives. After which, he began most devoutly to recite the Psalm, “I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart,” and at these words: “He has sent Redemption to His people,” he breathed forth his soul into the hands of his Creator at Christmas midnight in 1256.
Dom Prosper Gueranger:
The Ransomer of Captives, Peter Nolasco, is thus brought before us by the Calendar a few days after having given us the Feast of his master, Raymund of Pennafort. Both of them offer to the Divine Redeemer the thousands of Christians they ransomed from slavery. It is an appropriate homage, for it was the result of the charity which first began in Bethlehem in the heart of the infant Jesus and was afterwards so fervently practised by these two Saints.
Peter was born in France but made Spain his adopted country because it offered him such grand opportunities for zeal and self-sacrifice. In imitation of our Redeemer, he devoted himself to the ransom of his brethren. He made himself a prisoner to procure them their liberty and remained in exile that they might once more enjoy the happiness of home. His devotedness was blessed by God. He founded a new Religious Order in the Church composed of generous hearted men who for 600 years prayed, toiled and spent their lives, in obtaining the blessing of liberty to countless captives who would else have led their whole lives in chains, exposed to the imminent danger of losing their faith.
Glory to the Blessed Mother of God, who raised up these Redeemers of Captives! Glory to the Catholic Church, whose children they were! But above all, glory be to our Emmanuel who, on His entrance into this world, thus spoke to his Eternal Father: “Sacrifice and oblation you wouldst not, neither are they pleasing to you; but a body you have fitted unto me. Then, said I, behold I come” (Psalm xxxix. 7, 8: cited by Saint Paul, Hebrews x. 5 and following) that is, “Behold, I come to offer myself as a Sacrifice.” The Divine Infant has infused this same spirit of love for mankind (for whom he so mercifully became the Ransom) into the hearts of such men as the Saint of today: they saw what God had done for man and they felt it a necessity to go and sacrifice themselves for the redemption of their suffering fellow creatures.
Our Lord rewarded Saint Peter Nolasco by calling him to Heaven at that very hour in which, 1200 years before, He Himself had been born in Bethlehem. It was on Christmas Night that the Redeemer of Captives was united to Jesus, the Redeemer of Mankind. Peter’s last hymn on Earth was the 110th Psalm, and as his faltering voice uttered the words “He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever,” his soul took its flight to Heaven. The Church, in fixing a day for the Feast of our Saint, could not of course take the anniversary of his death which belongs so exclusively to her Jesus, but it was just that he who had been honoured with being born to Heaven at the very hour which God had chosen for the birth of His Son upon the Earth should receive the tribute of our festive commemoration on one of the forty days of Christmas.
*****
You, O Jesus, came to cast fire upon the Earth and your desire is that it be kindled in the hearts of men. Your desire was accomplished in Peter Nolasco and the children of his Order. Thus do you permit men to co-operate with you in the designs of your sweet mercy and, by thus restoring harmony between man and his Creator, you have once more given to the Earth the blessing of fraternal love between man and man. Sweet infant Jesus, we cannot love you without loving all mankind and you who are our Ransom and our Victim will that we, also, be ready to lay down our lives for one another.
You, O Peter, were the Apostle and the model of this fraternal charity, and our God rewarded you by calling you to Himself on the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. That sweet Mystery which so often encouraged you in your holy labours has now been revealed to you in all its glory. Your eyes now behold that Jesus as the great King, the Son of the Eternal Father, before whom the very Angels tremble. Mary is no longer the poor humble Mother leaning over the crib where lies her Son. She now delights your gaze with her queenly beauty, seated as she is on a throne nearest to that of the divine Majesty. You are at home amid all this glory, for Heaven was made for souls that love as yours did. Heaven is the land of love, and love so filled your heart even when on Earth that it was the principle of your whole life.
Pray for us that we may have a clearer knowledge of this love of God and our neighbour which makes us like God. It is written that “he that abides in charity, abides in God, and God in him” (1 John, iv. 16). Intercede for us that the Mystery of Charity, which we are now celebrating, may transform us into Him who is the one object of all our love during this season of grace. May we love our fellow-creatures as ourselves, bear with them, excuse their weaknesses and serve them. May our good example encourage them and our words edify them. May we comfort them and win them to the service of God by our kindness and our charities.
Pray for France, which is your country, and for Spain, where you instituted your grand Order. Protect the precious remnants of that Order by whose means you worked such miracles of charity. Console all prisoners and captives. Obtain for all men that holy liberty of Children of God, of which the Apostle speaks (Romans viii. 21) and which consists in obedience to the law of God. When this liberty is in man’s soul he never can be a slave, but when the inner man is enslaved, the outward man never can be free. Oh pray that the fetters of false doctrines and passions may be broken, and then the world will enjoy that true liberty which would soon put an end to tyranny and make tyrants impossible.
