Who or what are you most devoted to?

For Blessed Osanna of Mantua, the answer was always at the tip of her tongue: God. 

From a young age, Osanna’s life was marked by deeply religious experiences. At just six years old, she reported seeing angels, and pledged her life to the service of God. When she was fourteen years old, her father had arranged a marriage for her. She knew she was called to devote herself only to God, so she secretly traveled to a Dominican convent and received the religious habit of Dominican nuns. She had become a Third Order Dominican nun—a lay sister.

When Osanna returned home in nun’s clothing, she had some explaining to do. She told her father that she had made a vow prohibiting her from marriage. Her father had no choice but to accept this new reality. Osanna would have only one spouse, and that was God. 

Osanna’s devotion to God meant not just loving him, but loving those around her as well. She put off making her final vows as a nun for 37 years so that she could care for her siblings after her parents passed away. She used her family's wealth to support the poor and sick, served as a spiritual guide to many, and courageously spoke against moral decay in society.

As an outward reflection of her devotion to God, Osanna also experienced miracles on her spiritual journey. Legend has it that she miraculously learned to read and write after seeing the words "Jesus" and "Mary" on a piece of paper. At the age of thirty, she received the stigmata, bearing the wounds of Jesus on her head, side, and feet. 

Anyone who knew Blessed Osanna of Mantua would know she was devoted to God beyond anything else. Who or what would an outside observer deduce you are devoted to? 

The virtue of devotion consists of loyal, loving, consistent, and enthusiastic desire to please God in all things. It is a specifically religious act, chosen deliberately and freely, and directed toward God. 

Too many people misplace their devotion. Be careful not to misplace yours. To give something that belongs to God to anyone or anything else is a grave disorder.

So, who or what are you most devoted to?



Patron Saint of: School girls

Feast Day: June 20

Beatified: November 24, 1694

Beatified By: Pope Innocent XII