Aloysius (Luigi) Gonzaga was born at his family's castle in northern Italy. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga. He was the oldest son of the Ferrante Gonzaga (1544–1586), Marquis of Castiglione, and Marta Tana di Santena, daughter of a baron.
His father assumed that he would become a soldier, as the family was constantly involved in the frequent minor wars in the area. His military training started at an early age, but he also received an education in languages and other subjects. In 1576, at age 8, he was sent to Florence with his younger brother Ridolfo, to serve at the court of Grand Duke Francesco de Medici and to receive further education. While there, he fell ill and he took the opportunity to read about the saints and to spend much of his time in prayer. He is said to have taken a private vow of chastity at the age of 9. In November 1579, the brothers were sent to the Duke of Mantua. Aloysius was shocked by the violent and frivolous life-style he encountered there.
In 1584, he returned to Castiglione. There, he met the saint, Charles Borromeo, who was a cardinal at that time. He received the first Holy Communion from him on July 22 1580. After reading a book about Jesuit missionaries in India, he felt strongly that he wanted to become a missionary himself. He started practicing by giving catechism classes to young boys in Castiglione in the summers, and by repeatedly visiting the religious orders in Casale Monferato, where the family spent the winter. He also practised the renunciation of worldly and carnal pleasures to strengthen his spiritual life.
The family went to Spain in 1581, to assist Empress Mary of Austria. Aloysius and his brother Ridolfo became pages for the Don Diego, Prince of Asturias. He then started thinking in earnest about joining a religious order. He had considered joining the Franciscan Capuchins, but he had a Jesuit confessor, St. Robert Bellarmine, so decided to join that order. His mother agreed to his request to join the Jesuits, but his father was furious. In July 1584, one and a half years after the Prince's death, the family returned to Italy. Aloysius still wanted to become a priest and several members of his family worked hard to persuade him to change his mind. When they realized that there was no way to make him give up his plan, they tried to persuade him to become a secular priest, and to arrange for him to become a bishop. If he became a Jesuit he would renounce any right to income from property or status in society. His family was afraid of this, but their attempts to persuade him not to join the Jesuits failed; Aloysius was not interested in higher office and still wanted to become a missionary.
In November 1585, Aloysius gave up all rights of inheritance, and this was confirmed by the emperor. He went to Rome and, because of his noble birth, gained an audience with the pope. Following a brief stay at the Rome home of his cousin, Cardinal Scipione Gonzaga on November 25 1585 he was accepted into the Jesuit Roman novitiate. He was asked to moderate his asceticism somewhat, as it disrupted his relationship with the other novices; they found it difficult to speak with him when he isolated himself. He also practiced mortification and acts of penance like sleeping on the floor, whipping his body with a stick, eating little and refusing recreation.
His health continued to cause problems. In addition to the kidney disease, he also suffered from a skin disease, chronic headaches and insomnia. He was sent to Milan for studies, but after some time he was sent back to Rome because of his health. On November 25, 1587, he took the three religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In February and March 1588, he received the lower ordinations, and started studying theology to prepare for priesthood. In 1589, he was called to Mantua to mediate between his brother Ridolfo and the Duke of Mantua. He returned to Rome in May 1590. Later that year, he had a vision in which the Archangel Gabriel told him that he would die within a year.
In 1591, a plague broke out in Rome. The Jesuits opened a hospital for the stricken, and Aloysius volunteered to work there. As it turned out, a man on his ward was infected, and on March 3, 1591 (six days before his 23rd birthday) Aloysius showed the first symptoms of being infected. It seemed certain that he would die in a short time, and he was given the last sacraments. To everyone's surprise, he recovered, but his health was left worse than ever. While he was ill, he spoke several times with his confessor, St. Robert Bellarmine. Aloysius had another vision, and told his confessor that he would die on the Octave of the feast of Corpus Christi. On that day, which fell on June 21, he seemed very well in the morning, but insisted that he would die before the day was over. Cardinal Bellarmine gave him the sacraments, and recited the prayers for the dying.
Purity was his notable virtue; he never looked even upon his mother's face and never looked at his queen so that he could only recognize the queen by her voice. He died just before midnight on June 21, 1591.
The life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga inspires us that in the midst of this world corrupted of good values, we can still win the revolution. As we see, the world advertises purity and chastity as passe virtues. People who are chaste and pious are labeled as old-fashioned. Sadly, sometimes even the youth in the church and in religious organizations are not exempted. But, as St. Paul exhorts us: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2) We should not conform to the world's ways. We must make a change and we must be exemplary. Maybe, as youth leaders and workers, we are not effective in our evangelization and in recruiting new members to our group is because they do not see real Christianity in us. They see externals like praying, processions and recollections but we are still worldly in the way we think, speak and act. That is why the life of St.Aloysius invites us to be holy and pleasing to God. We cannot be totally like him but we can imitate his example of penance and turning away from temptations. St. Aloysuis is not a superhuman. He is also weak and only strong through God's grace at work in him. He also experiences temptations and urges to sin but he can conquer them through his total dedication to Christ.
It is better if we have a spiritual director like St. Aloysius. One of the reasons why he excelled in spiritual life is through the advice of St. Charles Borromeo and St. Robert Bellarmine. We must confess often. We must also take time to read the bible, Christian books and magazines and blogs. We must take time to study and learn God's word and Christ's teaching. Sometimes, we even read worldly books, magazines and blogs that create in us evil ways of thinking. It is true that it is difficult to be holy if we think in our own perspective but we can be strong through Christ alone. Since greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4)
I can say that like an ordinary youth, I also failed a lot of times, but I always pray to St. Aloysius who is also my personal patron saint to inspire me to be like him. True, we cannot imitate his innocence but we can have a life of penance. We must be sorry for our sins and allow God to give us a chance. And it doesn't matter to God even if we fail so many times. He is always there to strengthen us and help us to stand once again and sin no more.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us!
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