In this troubled world where it seems that there are very few heroes left, except the imaginary ones, it is nice to come across a real, beautifully valiant spirit.

I was reading The Knights of Columbus magazine Columbia and came across an article on the life of  Blessed Laszlo. So I looked him up and discovered a hero.  A man who, from an early age, felt drawn to helping the poor, who became a doctor and stayed true to his dream and assisted the poor even after inheriting a title, a castle, and all the good fortune of such an honor. He married, had a large family, and raised his children in the faith, teaching them the value of concrete acts of charity. This was a man who could have gloried in his good luck but rather gloried in God.  He is remembered as “the doctor of the poor.” Not a bad way to be remembered. I doubt God forgot his kindness.

There are heroes in our midst, but they may not be saving the world. They may be saving a life, someone’s sanity, or mending a broken heart. They may be holding a limp hand, encouraging a discouraged heart, staying faithful to a vow, or working behind the scenes without notice.  But in their honest endeavors, the heart of a valiant spirit beats in tune with God’s mighty rhythm. Their work is not their own. Their lives reflect the best humanity has to offer the universe for the present and in the future.

They are The Blessed.