He was the last of three brothers in a family of rich farmers from Flanders. When his father passed away, he left school to help his mother, and realized he enjoyed selling things. He was very social and won over people. After his mother’s death, he began to think about the meaning of his life. He discovered his vocation as a Franciscan and was sent to the Holy Land. There he used his social skills to bring together Christians to collaborate in the Church. He constructed a church in Bethlehem and revitalized the tradition of the Stations of the Cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Later he went to Canada where his joy and generosity made him popular and loved. He was also a great writer; he composed a number of biographies of saints that reflected the joy he had for the presence of Jesus in his heart. Blessed Frederick Jansoone died in 1916.

Are you a joyful person? How do you use your talents?