Family Faith Reflections from Chris

Have you ever had a great teacher? I mean, really great? Continuing with our series of saints from different parts of the world, I’d like you to meet St. Alphonsa, the first
female saint from India. She was a teacher who gave all she had to her students — in more ways than one!
 
Anna Muttathupadathu was born in Kerala, India. Her mother died when she was very young, so she was raised by a foster mother who treated her very harshly. As a child Anna developed eczema, which made her skin sore and blotchy. Later, she fell into a fire and burned her feet so badly that her feet never fully healed.
 
Although she faced these challenges, Anna had one thing going for her. Her family was wealthy! When she was old enough, lots of men wanted to marry her just for her money. Anna felt like the only man who had ever really loved her was Jesus, so she left her family and joined a Franciscan convent. The sisters there accepted her, and gave her a new name: Sister Alphonsa, which means “she is ready.” She began teaching in the local elementary school, and the students loved her for her cheery
personality and joy.

Little did they know that Sister Alphonsa was very sick. She had trouble with her lungs (pneumonia) and her stomach. After an injury, she even suffered bouts of
amnesia during which she couldn’t even remember who she was. She grew weaker and weaker, and finally died when she was only 35 years old.
 
Her students were so sad! They had lost their favorite teacher. But something happened they never expected. One of the students became ill, and no doctor could help her. It looked certain that the little girl was going to die. She wished that her favorite teacher could be there to help, so she said a prayer to Sister Alphonsa. Right away, she was healed! Still today the girls at that school pray to Alphonsa when they get sick, and some of them have been blessed with miracles of healing. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI  named her a patron saint of the sick.
 
Saint Alphonsa’s love for Jesus was so great that she was blessed with eternal life. Her love for her students was so great that she continued to send them blessings from Heaven!
 
Have you ever had a teacher like that?