February 28 | Blessed Villana de Botti

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories, because today, we are heading to 14th century Italy for a story that sounds like it was ripped straight out of a horror movie. Imagine you were getting ready for a huge party. You've got the best outfit, you're feeling confident. You walk over to your mirror to check your look one last time.

You look into the glass, expecting to see your own smiling face. But you don't see yourself. Instead, the reflection wavers, shifts, and suddenly, staring back at you is not a human face, but the twisted, terrifying face of a demon.

Today, we are looking at the life of Blessed Villano Bebote. Our story begins in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy, in the year 1332. The records tell us Villano was a pious girl. In fact, she was so dedicated to her faith that when she was just 13 years old, she ran away from home to join a convent. She wanted to give her whole life to God. But here is where the first plot twist happens. She was rejected. We don't know exactly why, but the convent said no.

Valana had to return home, probably embarrassed and heartbroken, and things got more complicated from there. Her family decided that if she wasn't going to be a nun, she was going to get married. They arranged a marriage for her with a man named Rosso Di Piero.

Now, put yourself in her shoes. You had a dream, you tried to chase it. You were rejected, and then you were forced into a life you didn't choose. How would you react? Vilana did not react well. The source tells us she was deeply affected by her rejection and subsequent marriage. Basically, she snapped. She did a total 180-degree turn. She decided that if she couldn't be holy, she was going to be the opposite. She became very worldly and slothful. She spent her time seeking only pleasure out of life.

She wanted the fun, the parties, and the attention. She wanted to forget that rejection. This went on for a while. Vilana was living for herself, ignoring her faith. Until that terrifying day in front of the mirror. She was getting dressed when she looked in the mirror and saw her reflection in the mirror changed to a demon. It wasn't a hallucination. It was a message. The demon wasn't there to scare her for no reason. It was illustrating to her the state of her sinful soul.

The mirror showed her what she looked like on the inside. All that anger, that laziness, that vanity, it had turned her inner self into something monstrous. This was her wake-up call, and she didn't hit the snooze button. She immediately had a conversion of heart. She didn't wait until tomorrow. She didn't say, I'll start being good after the weekend. She ran. She literally ran to the Dominican friars to seek their help. Now, you might think she abandoned her husband to go try and be a nun again, but she didn't.

She realized she had to bloom where she was planted. She joined the Third Order Dominicans. This meant she was a layperson, someone who lives in the regular world, not a convent, but she followed the spiritual rules of the Dominican Order. Her attribute in art is even the Dominican habit because of this close connection. She totally transformed her life. She focused on living her vocation to marriage well. Instead of partying and seeking pleasure, she spent her free time praying and reading scripture.

But just because she was good again didn't mean life was easy. In fact, it got weirdly difficult. Viljana started experiencing ecstasies at Mass. This means she would get so focused on God during church that she would enter a trance-like state, and because of that, people made fun of her. But she kept going, and eventually, the truth came out. Despite the nasty rumors, she became widely known as a very holy person.

Viljana died young, at the age of 30, from natural causes, but her impact was massive. When she died, her body was given to the Dominicans. Usually, a funeral happens pretty quickly. But for Villiana, they were unable to bury her for a month. Why? Because of the constant stream of mourners. So many people loved her and knew she was holy that they just kept coming to say goodbye.

She was eventually beatified, which is the step right before being named a saint, in 1824 by Pope Leo XII. Villanana's life changed when she looked in a mirror and saw the truth. She stopped obsessing over her outside appearance and started caring about her inside appearance.

Here is your challenge for today. Do a mirror check, but not for your hair. Sometime today, take five minutes of your free time, maybe time you would usually spend scrolling on a phone or watching a video. Stop, turn it off, and instead, read a single page of scripture or say a prayer. Ask yourself, if my soul had a reflection right now, what would it look like? If you don't like the answer, remember, Villanana. You can run to God and change that reflection instantly. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.