St. Agostina Livia Pietrantoni was born in Italy on this date in 1864, and died on November 13, 1894. She held a variety of jobs, including hauling materials for road construction, until she was accepted by the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret 
shortly before her twenty-second birthday.
After her final vows, Agostina was assigned to work at a hospital that had already removed any signs of religiosity and driven out the Capuchin fathers. It was in that environment that she encountered a patient who repeatedly threatened her and ultimately stabbed her to death. Agostina prayed for forgiveness for this man as she died.
St. Agostina said: “We will lie down for such a long time after death that it is worthwhile to keep standing while we are alive.”
Sometimes, people don’t want our help. While we don’t need to put ourselves in situations as dangerous as St. Agostina’s, consider how you can let the comments of those you are ministering to physically, emotionally, or spiritually bounce off you.
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