October 18--St. Luke, Evangelist

                                     

Of the four evangelists, Luke was the only Gentile, or non-Jew.  He was a convert and disciple of St. Paul.  He even accompanied St. Paul on his missionary journeys.  He was a doctor and, according to legend, a painter.  He also gave us some of the clearest insights to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus as a youth.

We know of the Annunciation from Luke, as well as the conception of John the Baptist, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the visit of the shepherds, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Finding in the Temple; all from Luke.  He also gave us the great songs of the New Testament that are prayed every day in the Liturgy of the Hours:  the Canticle of Zachariah in Morning Prayer, the Magnificat of Mary in Evening Prayer, and the Canticle of Simeon in Night Prayer.

The Gospel of Luke has great value as literature, but even greater value as the Word of the Lord.  With Mary we can sing, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my savior."

October 11--St. John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli), Pope

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"Habemus papam."  "We have a pope!"  We also have a saint!  St. John XXIII was canonized saint along with St. John Paul II on April 27, 2014.  St. John XXIII was an unlikely candidate for pope.  He was almost 78 years old when elected.  Many believe that he was elected to be a care-taker pope, to serve and not make waves until the next pope could be elected.  But he surprised everyone when he called for an ecumenical council, which became Vatican II.  About his decision to call the council, he said, "I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in."

He was called "Good Pope John", a term of endearment for a loving man.  He visited the imprisoned in Regina Coeli prison and told the prisoners, "You could not come to me, so I came to you."  He had a warmth and wit that the Church had not seen before in such a high office.  When asked how many people worked in the Vatican, he said, "About half of them."  He also quipped, "Anyone can become a pope, look at me!"  Concerning his role as pope, he once remarked, "It often happens that I wake up at night and begin to think about the serious problems afflicting the world and I tell myself, I must talk to the pope about it.  Then the next day when I wake up I remember that I am the pope."

Humor is often an unappreciated virtue.  God gave us  the ability to laugh and to joke and to make fun of the foibles of life.  St. Teresa of Avila once said, "From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, Lord deliver us."  Yes, there is much sadness and travail in the world, but there is much to rejoice in.  God is good.  He gave us the portly and holy, happy man, Pope St. John XXIII.
*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pope_John_XXIII_-_Time_Magazine_Cover_-_January_4,_1963.jpg

September 29--Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

          

"Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plain."  What's with the Christmas carol in September?  Today's feast is for three "non-humans", the archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  Technically, they are not saints, in that they are not human, but we call them saints in honor of their holiness and because they are the only angels mentioned by name in the Bible.  Michael is mentioned in the Books of Daniel and Revelation, Gabriel in the Book of Daniel and the Gospel of Luke, and Raphael in the Book of Tobit.  Michael is the leader of God's armies to victory over evil; Gabriel announces God's will to Mary; and Raphael guides Tobias in order to heal his father Tobit.

The word angel means "messenger".  All the angels are messengers of God to share God's will with us.  According to St. Paul, there are nine choirs, or levels, of angels, each with their own function.  The veneration of the angels goes back to the Eastern Church starting with Michael in the fourth century.  Along with other other patronages, Michael is the patron of police officers, Gabriel of communication workers, and Raphael of travelers.

When we think of angels, do we think of cute, winged, creatures who fly about and are delicate and look like they can easily be broken?  Angels are God's creatures who represent God, so they are not cutesy, delicate, or able to be broken.  The name Michael means "Who is like God"?  It is a challenge and a call to worship God.  The name Gabriel means "God is my strength".  It is a call to depend on God to protect and guide us.  The name Raphael means "God heals".  It is a charge to let us be healed of all our sins by God.  Perhaps we should change the lyrics of the Christmas carol to "Angels we have heard on high, boldly, strongly, calling us" to repent and believe in the Good news of his loving salvation.

September 21--St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

                        

"TAX COLLECTOR!"  The word itself sounds like an insult.  Jesus even used the word as an insult when he spoke of the process of correcting a brother who sins:  "If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector" (Mt. 18:17).  And yet Jesus chose Matthew, a TAX COLLECTOR, to be an apostle.  Surely, someone could have warned him that choosing a TAX COLLECTOR would not be good for his public image.  But Jesus did not choose Matthew for image.  He chose him because Matthew fit into his plan of salvation for the world.

Matthew wrote his Gospel for a community of Gentile and Jewish Christians.  He wanted to show how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament.  Jesus was the new lawgiver greater than Moses; he was the new king greater than David.  He fulfilled the covenant promised to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through Abraham when the Magi from different lands brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh after Jesus' birth

Apostle, evangelist, and yes, former tax collector.  Matthew does not focus on his own deficiencies, but rather on the grace of God.  Matthew gives us the version of the Our Father with which we are most familiar.  It reminds us to "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."  That means forgiving our enemies, our friends, our family, and even ourselves.  Matthew took the insult of tax collector and turned it into an opportunity for grace offered by Jesus.

September 18--St. Joseph of Cupertino, Priest and Religious

                               

"If God wanted us to fly, He would have given us wings."  Actually, God allows some saints to levitate!  St. Joseph of Cupertino levitated, or rose up from the ground, 70 times according to the canonization investigation.  He would levitate in ecstasy when he prayed, sometimes to the top of the altar or over the dinner table or into a tree.  St. Joseph's levitations were a source of confusion and consternation for his Franciscan brothers.  He was even brought before the Inquisition.  He was then confined to different monasteries and away from the brothers for the rest of his life.

St. Joseph's holiness did not reside in his amazing ability to fly, but rather in his humility; to accept with love the trials he was subjected to by the Church he loved.  He could see the presence of God in everything.  He would laugh at his difficulties.  He remained in his cell as required and continued his prayers.

What is the key to holiness?  It certainly is not mystic ecstasy resulting in levitation.  That would mean only the few like St. Joseph of Cupertino are holy.  No, we are ALL called to holiness.  Lumen gentium, a document from Vatican II, states:  "Thus it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of charity; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society.  In order that the faithful may reach this perfection, they must use their strength accordingly, as they have received it, as a gift from Christ."  St. Joseph used his gifts accordingly.  So must we.

September 12--Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

                                        

"What's in a name.  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...."  At least that is what Shakespeare wrote.  But is he correct?  Is Jesus just another name?  It means, "God saves."  What about Yahweh?  It means, "I am who I am."  These are not just any names.  They are the names of God.  Mary's name is also revered by Christians.  The feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been a part of the Roman calendar since 1684.  It was suppressed in the 1969 reform of the Roman calendar, but reestablished in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II, who was extremely devoted to the Blessed Mother.

The name Mary comes from the Hebrew word "Miryam", meaning "bitter".  Moses' sister was also named Miriam.  She is called a prophet.  The Song of Miriam is a part of the victory song after passing through the Red Sea (Ex.  15:21).  The Aramaic form of the word was "Maryam", which was eventually transformed into Greek "Mariam" or "Maria".  The origin of Mary's name does not give any indication as to her importance.  Rather, her name is important because she is the Mother of God!

Names indicate who we are.  They express our identity.  We are known by our names.  They show our relationships to oner another.  So, Mary is our Mother, the Mother of the Church, the Mother of God.  We give her name honor above every other name, save for God's.  Shakespeare was a brilliant poet, but an even greater poet wrote:  "A good name is more desirable than great riches, and high esteem, than gold and riches."  He happened to be inspired to write that line by God in Proverbs 22:1.

September 5--St. Teresa of Kolkatta (Calcutta), Religious

               

Just about everyone loves Mother Teresa.  She gave her life to serving the poorest of the poor of God in India.  She would go into the streets and find people who were dying, bring them to her a home for the dying, care for them, bathe them, and bury them.  She would beg people for food, clothing, buildings, whatever it took to help the poor.  She began the Missionaries of Charity religious order, which includes sisters, brothers, and priests.  She went all over the world speaking on behalf of the poor and speaking out against the evil of our age, abortion:  “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” 

Blessed Teresa had difficulties as well.  She lived a "dark night of the soul."  God allowed her to be deprived of the consolation of the sense of God's presence in her life.  She was happy, not because she "felt" happy, but because she knew that God loved her, regardless of her feelings.  She knew real joy in service to God through her dedication to those who were loved by no one else except God and her.

We have difficulties in our lives when we don't "feel" happy.  Suffering is a part of life.  God did not promise to remove suffering from our lives once we committed ourselves to him.  Rather God promises us the joy of everlasting love.  Feelings are fleeting and they change.  Joy is an understanding and acceptance of the presence of God in our lives.  That is the true happiness that Mother Teresa knew, even though she did not feel it.  This can be our true happiness as well.