Born in Spain in 1540, his parents, Martin and Elizabeth, named him Paschal because he was born on The Pentecost. 

When he was a baby he constantly stared at The Blessed Sacrament when his mother held him in Church and, when as a young boy, he went missing for a significant period of time, his frightened parents found Paschal climbing the steps to The Church so he could visit The Blessed Sacrament. 

His parents were poor and Paschal grew up working as a shepherd from the age of seven. While in the field he always paused when he heard the bells of The Church toll during the mass as the Eucharist was being elevated. 

With a great thirst for learning, Paschal taught himself to read by always carrying a book and begging those he met to teach him the alphabet. 

He became a voracious reader, constantly reading religious texts. 

In 1564 he joined the Franciscans as a Brother and was offered the chance to become a priest, but did not feel called. 

He confined himself to menial tasks as an exercise in humility and spent as much time as he could praying before The Blessed Sacrament. 

In 1576 Paschal was sent to France to defend the Eucharist against the heresies of a preacher there, but he was not well received, driven out, and nearly killed. 

However Paschal became a beloved figure during his life. Many sought his counsel and wisdom and, after his death, many miracles were attributed to him. 

St. Paschal of Baylon, please pray for us.