January 4--St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

                              

"All those who have gone to Catholic grade school raise your hands.  One, two, three, ... four hundred, ... five thousand....  Okay, so a lot of you went to Catholic grade school.  Your parents sacrificed much to send you to a Catholic grade school so that you could have a quality Catholic education.  But why is it that there are so many Catholic grade schools?"  We have today's saint and the American bishops to thank for the blessings that are Catholic parochial schools.

The third Council of Baltimore in 1886 decreed that parochial schools were absolutely necessary and that parents must send their children to those schools unless there was sufficient reason.  This was not about bishops dictating to parents how to raise their children, but rather, a means of helping insure the faith in a country that was hostile to Catholicism and was teaching Protestantism in the public schools.

But where does St. Elizabeth Ann Seton fit in?  She founded the first American women's religious order and established the first American parish (parochial) school.  She was raised Episcopalian and was married with five children when her husband died, leaving her family destitute.  While in Italy with her dying husband, she became attracted to Catholicism.  In 1805, a year after her husband died, she converted to Catholicism and started a school in Baltimore to support her family.  This became the foundation of parish schools throughout the country.  She once told her sisters, "The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it, and thirdly, to do it because it is his will."

December 14--St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"  That line from Monty Python's Flying Circus sets off comedy sketches about the ineptitude of the inquisitors.  However, our saint of the day was not beset by British comics pretending to be ruthless interrogators; St. John of the Cross actually spent nine months in a jail cell being investigated by the Spanish Inquisition.

How is it that a saint who was the co-founder, along with St. Teresa of Avila, of the Discalced Carmelites, a mystic who wrote amazing poetry and described the dark night of the soul in which it seemed that God abandoned him, was arrested and thrown into prison?  It was because of his association with St. Teresa that he helped start the reform of his religious order in Spain.  Due to his efforts and misunderstandings by his superiors he was imprisoned and eventually released.  Through his sufferings he came to realize that "the soul must empty itself of self in order to be filled with God."

What is in our souls?  Is it desire pleasure, power, or prestige?  There is nothing wrong with the good things of this earth that bring us closer to God, but we must remember Jesus' admonition:  "No one can serve two masters.  He will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon" (Mt. 6:24).  Is God at the center of our lives?  "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be" (Mt. 6:21).  Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, but the difficulties and sufferings we face may help us to realize that we are utterly dependent upon God, who is our only treasure.

November 10--St. Leo the Great, Pope

                                   

What does it take to be "Great"?  All the saints are great in holiness.  Some are greater than others with respect to their charisms, or gifts, from God.  But for a pope to be called "Great", what must he do?  Our saint of the day, Leo the Great, was called great because of his abilities to strengthen the papacy.  Leo was elected in 440, during the decline of the Roman Empire in the West.  The capital had been moved to Constantinople; the Western Roman Emperor was weak; the army couldn't defend the people from the invading barbarians; heresies were ravaging the Church.  Life was rough, to say the least.

In steps Leo, who was an amazing administrator.  He helped control the heresies of Pelagianism, which says that we don't need God's grace to choose good; Manicheism, which says that the body is evil; and Monophysitism, which says that Jesus was more God than man.  Each of these is dangerous to the faith and our understanding of the relationship we have with God.  He also stopped Attila the Hun from invading Rome and kept the barbarian Vandals from burning Rome when they invaded.

So what can we learn from this great pope?  We each have charisms that allow us to spread the Good News in our special way.  We each have our occupations, our avocations, and our relationships.  Each person develops the skills to become good at those jobs, hobbies, and relationships.  We can turn those skills into opportunities to share God's love, to serve God's people, to teach our faith in God.  Each of us is called to greatness in holiness.  We can also be "Great".

November 2--All Souls' Day

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V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let the perpetual light shine upon them.

And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

November 2 is All Souls' Day, when we offer our prayers for the souls in Purgatory.  These are the members of the Church Suffering, those who need to be purified of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.  They are headed for heaven!  They are among the saved!  They are ancestors, friends, relatives, and acquaintances.  They have a relationship with Jesus and us.  We pray for their eventual entrance into heaven.

Why is there a Purgatory?  If we love God and we are sorry for our sins, isn't that enough?  Well, if I break someone's computer and I apologize, isn't that enough?  The answer to both questions is, "No!"  I need to make reparation or restitution.  Sacramentally, that means penance.  Thus when we go to Confession, we are given a penance to help heal the harm we have done to the Church and strengthen ourselves to resist future sin.  Confession is good for the soul and for the Church.  Purgatory is also good for the soul and the Church!

If we are not ready to see God, we need to be made ready.  If we are not purified of the punishment we deserve for our sins while we are on Earth, we need to be purified in Purgatory.  However, the Church also offers consolation for those in Purgatory, namely our efforts.  We, as members of the Church Militant, those battling against evil, can offer our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings on their behalf.  So let us pray for all the souls in Purgatory that they may be united forever with God in heaven.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Candles_placed_at_the_graves_during_the_All_Souls%27_Day_ceremony_of_Homage_and_Remembrance_at_Newark_Cemetery._Picture,_Laurence_Goff_http-www.panoramio.com-photo-113342510_-_panoramio.jpg

October 19--Sts. Isaac Jogues, John de Brébeuf, and Companions, Priests, Religious, Martyrs

                                                                                                                              

Every missionary land has what are called "proto-martyrs", the first martyrs in that land.  Today we celebrate North America's proto-martyrs.  These French Jesuits went to the Native Americans of Canada and the northern United States area in the mid-17th century.  They were missionaries to the Hurons, who were constantly being warred upon by the Iroquois.

St. Isaac Jogues was captured by the Iroquois, tortured, and forced to watch his Huron converts beaten and killed  He escaped and went back to France.  He desired to return to the missions and did so, but again was captured by a band of Mohawks, tomahawked and beheaded.

St. John de Brebeuf was the leader of the missionary group, due to his 20+ years experience in North America.  He wrote catecheisms and a dictionary in the Huron language.  He oversaw the conversion of 7,000 Hurons to Catholicism.  Eventually, he was captured by the Iroquois, tortured for four hours, and died.  The other six Jesuits suffered similar martyrdoms.  They were canonized in 1930.

Many of these men knew that their lives would end in martyrdom.  Some had vowed to stay in North America until their deaths as a sacrifice for the Native Americans.  Death as a sacrifice comes to us directly from Jesus.  He offered his life for our salvation.  The North American martyrs knew the likelihood of their deaths as martyrs and they rejoiced at participating in the sufferings of Jesus.  We can suffer a "white" martyrdom in that we offer our daily difficulties for the sake of the salvation of souls.  We can be like the North American martyrs.

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.

August 28--St. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

      

Sinner, heretic, gambler, playboy, philosopher, teacher, penitent, monk, priest, bishop, saint.  All these describe the same person, St. Augustine.  St. Augustine was the most influential person in developing and explaining Church doctrine in the first millennia after the first century.  He helped make clear the doctrines of Original Sin, the Trinity, grace, free will, Baptism, and more.  He was one of the four original Doctors of the Latin Church along with St. Ambrose, St. Gregory, and St. Jerome.

However, before he converted he was an opponent of the Catholic Church, belonging to a heretical group that said we have two wills, one good and one evil.  He had a mistress and an illegitimate son.  He was ambitious for fame and glory.  But he was also a searcher for truth.  That commitment to the truth eventually led him back to the faith of his mother, St. Monica.  All this is recorded in his great autobiography, The Confessions, which tells of his sinful youth and eventual conversion.

One of his famous lines from The Confessions is, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God."  God plants in our hearts the desire for God.  If we are faithful to that desire; if we are honestly searching for truth, we will find God already in our hearts.

August 21--St. Pius X, Pope

The first pope to be declared a saint in the 20th century was also the first pope elected in the 20th century, Pope St. Pius X.  He came from peasant stock, which was unusual among papal candidates.  He accomplished many things as pope:  he lowered the age for first reception of Communion and Penance to the age of reason; began Catholic Action, an organization for the laity to be involved in service to the community; condemned the heresy of Modernism, which asserted that dogma could evolve over time; codified canon (Church) law; encouraged frequent reception of the sacraments; and led a holy life worthy of example.

What can we hope to follow from such a saint?  Undoubtedly, his humility.  He knew who he was and was respectful of his origins from poor peasant parents.  That did not limit his abilities or his responsibilities to respond to the opportunities that God set before him.  He led the People of God to live lives of greater holiness by the frequent reception of the sacraments.  He changed the practice of receiving Communion from about the age of 13 or 14 to about seven so we could receive Jesus earlier and more often.  Attendance at daily Mass became more common.  

Humility is knowing who we are.  We are children of God and the way we grow in our identity as children of God is by coming closer to God, especially in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.  So let us humbly follow the example of Pope St. Pius X by frequently going to Confession and receiving the Eucharist.

August 11--St. Clare of Assisi, Virgin

According to some, the Catholic Church oppresses women.  Their arguments are based on the principles of the world: power, autonomy, absolute equality, etc.  In their minds, if the Church does not support women's "reproductive rights" or women priests or the ability to choose which gender one wishes to be and so forth, the Church is thus against women.

However, that flies in the face of all the Church has done for women throughout the last two millennia and as embodied by today's saint, St. Clare of Assisi.  St. Clare was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi and founder of the Second Order, the Poor Clares.  She also completely accepted the gift of poverty as Francis had. She set up a convent in Assisi with a Rule that she wrote, allowing them to be free from property, surviving by means of the alms given to them by the Franciscan brothers.  This was completely different from every other women's religious order and it was due to her courage and perseverance.

Women have been at the heart of the Church going back to the Virgin Mary and continuing with the first person to whom the risen Jesus revealed himself, Mary Magdalene, to great martyrs like Sts. Perpetua and Felicity to great teachers of the Church like St. Macrina and St. Hildegard, to great leaders and founders of convents and religious orders like St. Bridget, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Clare, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, to great doctors of the Church like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Liseux, to mothers like St. Gianna Beretta Molla, who gave her life instead of taking her baby's.  Mary is our mother and the Mother of the Church.  Women have influenced us throughout our lives.  Let us follow St. Clare's courageous example and leadership to help us live lives of holiness and virtue.

August 4--St. John Vianney, Priest

                                  

How does one become a priest?  First there needs to be a desire and ability to serve others.  Then there's the sense that God is calling that man to serve as a priest.  There also has to be discernment and evaluation by those who are responsible for the training and education of the candidate.  Finally the bishop, with help from the Vocations Director and the seminary rector, decides to accept and ordain the person to serve as a priest or to recommend a different path of service.  No man has a right to become a priest.

What about St. John Vianney?  Well, he had the desire and ability to serve and a strong sense of vocation, but he was not able to do well in his studies for the priesthood.  He had great difficulty listening to lectures in Latin.  But he persevered and was eventually ordained.  His zeal for the Lord also led him to become a great confessor, sitting in the confessional 11-16 hours a day reconciling God's people.  Thus, he was named patron saint of priests.

What does it mean to be a priest?  It means responding to God's call to serve in a special way; through ministering the sacraments, through preaching the Good News, and through leading God's people by a life of service.  We are called to love and serve the world in our daily lives, but priests are called to love and serve the People of God.  God has not stopped calling men to be priests; we just need to listen more carefully.  All of us are responsible for fostering priestly vocations through our prayers and our encouragement.

July 29--St. Martha, Friend of Jesus

   
Many times we think of St. Martha as a "busybody" saint, trying to get Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her with the responsibilities of hospitality.  But we must not forget that she is also the woman who expressed complete faith in Jesus:  "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world" (Jn. 11:27).  It was after this confession of faith that Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the the dead.  She and her sister and brother were friends of Jesus.  When he came to Jerusalem, he stayed with them.  That can be taken as a sign of trust.

Maybe we have a "Martha" in our families.  Perhaps she is the grandmother or the aunt or mother or sister who goes around the house with an apron on and a washcloth in her hand, constantly finding things to clean and chores to do.  Maybe she is always making sure that guests, both invited and pop-ins, are welcomed and cared for.  Maybe she is also the person who strongly influences our faith by her constant prayer with the Morning Offering glued to the medicine cabinet mirror.  Maybe she has her rosary with her, praying at moments of rest.  Maybe she has a print of the crucifixion of Jesus above her bed a or a picture of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane in the living room or a picture of the Last Supper in the dining room.

Martha is the patron saint of housewives, waiters, and waitresses.  These are the people who serve us and make sure that the necessities and niceties of hospitality are observed.  She is also very much the patron saint of those who love us and care for our everyday physical and spiritual needs.  They may not have the name of Martha, but they embrace her legacy.  May we be "Marthas" to others.

July 25--St. James, Apostle

                            

Ambition is defined as strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.  It is a good thing to have, depending on what we are ambitious for.  St. James was ambitious, but not always for the Kingdom of God.  His mother, St. Salome, once asked for the seats of honor for him and his brother, St. John, on the right and left of Jesus in the kingdom.  This was an ambition for worldly glory that Jesus rejected for himself and his followers.  Jesus' response was to remind them that glory in the Kingdom of God meant drinking of the cup that he drank from.  The glory of God is about love and sacrifice and service.  

St. James was able to drink of the cup of love, sacrifice, and service.  He became the first apostle to be martyred, killed by King Herod.  He belonged to the inner circle of Jesus' followers with St. Peter and St. John, witnessing the Transfiguration and being called to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane.  As an apostle he was sent forth to preach.  According to legend, St. James traveled to Spain and proclaimed the Gospel.  The shrine at Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain is the site of relics thought to be his.  It has been the site of a pilgrimage for about 1,000 years.  Every year over a hundred thousand pilgrims travel there.

As we can see, ambition for God, for love, and its necessary elements of sacrifice and service, is worthy of our efforts.  We are called to be zealous in our faith, share the Good News of salvation by our lives, our deeds, and our words, as St. James did.

July 14--St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

Is there a Native American saint?  Yes, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, also known as Lily of the Mohawks or Flower of the Algonquins, is the only Native American to be canonized.  She was born of a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother in 1656.  She was orphaned at the age of four and eventually converted to Christianity at 19 under the influence of the Jesuits who were missionaries in French Canada.  She also took a vow of virginity, which was extremely unusual.

She underwent other hardships as well.  Because she did not work on Sundays, she was not permitted to eat.  She was in danger in her village because she was Christian.  She left it and walked 200 miles to a Christian Native American village near Montreal.  She also survived smallpox, but with half her sight and severe disfigurement.  However, she accepted her crosses and spent long hours in prayer, charity, and penance.

Do we accept our crosses in our ordinary lives?  Let us listen to St. Kateri and follow her example:  "I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus.  He must be my only love.  The state of helpless poverty that may befall me if I do not marry does not frighten me.  All I need is a little food and a few pieces of clothing.  With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is necessary and what is left over I'll give to my relatives and to the poor.  If I should become sick and unable to work, then I shall be like the Lord on the cross.  He will have mercy on me and help me, I am sure."

July 9--St. Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

    

Christianity has had a speckled history in China.  It was first introduced in the seventh century and then reintroduced in the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries.  The Church has not expanded into China very well for a number of reasons, including being associated with Western colonial powers in the last centuries.  There have been times of growth and acceptance as well as setbacks and times of persecution.  Over 120 Chinese Catholic martyrs died between 1648 and 1930.  Most of them were born in China and were children, parents, catechists, or laborer ranging in age from nine to 72.  They were beatified at different times, but St. John Paul the Great canonized them together in 2000.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong was originally a soldier who escorted a bishop to his martyrdom.  St. Augustine was moved by his patience and eventually was baptized and ordained a priest.  He was then arrested, tortured, and also martyred within months of his conversion.

"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity."  This saying from Tertullilan, an early Christian apologist, is true for the Church today and in China.  The Catholic Church in China has about 12 million members.  However, it is still in a state of flux.  There are two Catholic Churches, one the official Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association sponsored by the Chinese government, and the other, an "underground" Catholic Church. There have been some efforts to work together and try to regularize the situation but they are not complete.  We pray for the intercesssion of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and the Chinese martyrs to help Catholicism to grow in China.

July 1—St. Junipero Serra, Priest and Missionary

San Juan Capistrano, San Diego de Alcala, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Santa Clara. These are a few of the California missions founded by St. Junipero Serra.  Many of the cities of California started out as missions founded by Serra and the Franciscans as they conducted the last great spiritual conquest of Mexico starting with San Diego in 1769 and ending with the 21st mission in 1823.  

St. Junipero Serra founded the first nine as he trod north and south on the California coast baptizing over 6,000 natives and confirming 5,000.  St. Junipero Serra joined the Franciscan order and for the first years of his ministry he was a college professor in Spain.  He then went to Mexico to become a missionary.  He ministered in central Mexico and Baja California for 18 years, becoming president of the missions in Baja.  He began the "upper" California missions when he was 56 years old and continued for another 15 years. He not only worked among the natives, but also protected them from military leaders who were intent on subjugating the California coast in response to a Russian threat of invasion from Alaska.  His efforts resulted in a "Bill of Rights" for the Native Americans. 

Beatified and canonized saints are those whose lives demonstrate heroic virtue.  St. Junipero Serra showed his love and dedication to God by his love and dedication to the people he served.  He battled with military leaders; he risked death from the natives; he prayed, often throughout the night.  We are called to be saints by loving God through the people we are with daily.  Sometimes that involves heroic virtue as well!

June 24--The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

We celebrate only three birthdays in the liturgical year, Jesus' on December 25, Mary's on September 8 and today, St. John the Baptist's.  It is understandable why we celebrate Jesus' and Mary's births, but why St. John the Baptist's?  St. John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus, son of Elizabeth and Zechariah.  His birth was similar to amazing births in the Old Testament, namely to women who were considered barren: Sarah, the mother of Isaac, Rebekah, the mother of Jacob, Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, the mother of Samson and, Hannah, the mother of Samuel.  John the Baptist was also to be set apart for a special calling by God which was similar to Samson and Samuel.  Further, John was prophesied to be the messenger sent before God, like Elijah.

In other words, we celebrate his birth because it points us to Jesus.  Even the date of the birth points to Jesus.  We celebrate his birth on June 24th, six months before Jesus' birth and after the summer solstice when the days start getting shorter.  This symbolically demonstrates John's own role once the Messiah has come:  "He must increase; I must decrease" (Jn. 3:30).

All of us are called to point to Jesus.  The proclamation of the Gospel is not about us or our abilities.  It is not about our holiness.  It is not about our service.  It is about Jesus.  John's humility is in knowing his role and fulfilling it:  "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said" (Jn. 1:23).  We have our roles as well.  We are called to fulfill them.

June 21—St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

                              

How can a young man living in Italy during the Renaissance, becoming a page in the court of Philip II of Spain be the patron saint of youth?  St. Aloysius Gonzaga is the patron saint of youth because he lived a holy life in the face of great temptations.  His father, a noble, wanted him to become a military hero, but at a young age he became attracted to a spiritual life. He eventually decided to join the Jesuits, even though many tried to persuade him to continue with a "normal" life as a nobleman.  He died at the age of 23 when he contracted the plague helping others.

Our "normal" lives today are not of nobility, but we do have lives of relative ease compared to the rest of the world and also history.  We have plenty of food, a car or two, cell phones, computers, multiple TVs, education, a house, and more.  We have a lot more! How do we resist the temptations of our age?  Those temptations are about ignoring those who we would rather not see, resisting service to others, complacency regarding important issues of our times, and more.

Youth tend to see hypocrisy in those who would give in to those temptations.  Youth tend to be idealistic and desire to find a better way of life for everyone. How can we foster their idealism and help them to bring about the kingdom of God on earth?  We can follow the example of the Jesuits, who teach about cura personalis, or care for the entire person.  We can also follow St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a youth who lived and died in service to others.

June 13--St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

                       

“Tony, Tony, come on down. Something’s lost and can’t be found.” Grandmothers hand on this prayer for when we lose something. The “Tony” of this little prayer refers to St. Anthony of Padua, who is the patron saint of lost items. The reason for the prayer is because he prayed for the return of a Book of Psalms that was stolen from him. In the 13th century, books were very expensive due to the cost of reproducing them, which was by hand. The book was eventually returned to him.

St. Anthony is known for more than just this prayer. He was a Franciscan friar who became a powerful preacher and was even called the Evangelical Doctor. He was the first Franciscan to teach other Franciscans, with the permission of St. Francis of Assisi, and was renowned for his knowledge of Scripture and theology.

St. Anthony is also portrayed holding the child Jesus. There is a legend that Jesus appeared to St. Anthony in the form of a child. However, the image can also be a reminder that St. Anthony is a true follower of St. Francis, who loved Jesus so much to originate the first Christmas crèche. Another reason for the image is that St. Anthony presents the Incarnate Word of God, Jesus, to the whole world through his powerful preaching.

Losing objects is unfortunate and can even be devastating. But even more devastating is the loss of heaven. As the novena to St. Anthony says, “Let me rather lose all things than lose God, my supreme good. Let me never suffer the loss of my greatest treasure, eternal life with God. Amen.”

June 7--Bl. Franz Jaegerstaetter, Martyr

World War II gave the Church many martyrs, among them St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (also known as St. Edith Stein), and today's saint, Bl. Franz Jaegerstaetter, an Austrian farmer who refused to fight on behalf of Germany.  Bl. Jaegerstaetter opposed the Anchluss, or annexation, of Austria by Germany.  He was drafted, trained, and then received deferments three times.  However, when he was drafted in 1943 he refused to take a loyalty oath to Hitler, was imprisoned for six months and was then beheaded and cremated on August 9.  His ashes were reburied in 1946 and he was beatified in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.

There were Catholics in Germany and Austria who served in the German army.  Bl. Jaegerstaetter's own pastor and bishop also encouraged him to serve if drafted.  He refused, telling his attorney:  “I can only act on my own conscience. I do not judge anyone. I can only judge myself.  I have considered my family. I have prayed and put myself and my family in God’s hands. I know that, if I do what I think God wants me to do, he will take care of my family.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church guides us with regards to conscience:  "Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths" (1776).  "When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking" (1777).  We are all called to form and follow our consciences just as Bl. Franz Jaegerstaetter did and let God guide us and give us his grace to do his will.

May 15—St. Isidore the Farmer, Holy Man

What does it mean to be a farmer? It means constant chores, days out in the fields, weeding rows of beans, detasseling corn, caring for animals, watching the sky for rain, haying during the summer’s heat, harvesting past sundown, worrying about prices, and more. But it also means satisfaction for feeding the hungry.

Today’s saint is the patron of farmers.  St. Isidore was a day laborer who would go to Mass first thing in the morning and then head out to the fields, still completing his required chores.  He was married to St. Maria de la Cabeza and together they showed “commitment to family, love for the land, service to the poor and a deep spirituality.”  Their love and piety was simple, yet profound.  They were not theologians nor clergy nor members of a religious order.  St. Isidore was a worker.  St. Maria served in the home.  They lived their daily lives in much the same way as the Holy Family, although their one child died in infancy.

Farmers and workers need to live their faith in their farming and working and family life.  We need to live our faith in our jobs and family life.  We have a myriad of chores, but each can be done with the joy of service.  We have a plethora of problems, but with the grace of God, each can be resolved.  We have relationships that deserve our love and time.  This is what St. Isidore and St. Maria did.  They worked; they lived; they loved.  It is a simple formula, but it fulfills Jesus’ prayer:  “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.”

May 10—St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, Priest

“Unclean, unclean.”  These words were shouted by those in the Bible who had the disease of leprosy, what is now called Hansen’s Disease.  It is mentioned in the Bible 68 times, 15 in the New Testament and was often thought of as curse from God for sin.  It is a highly infectious disease that affects the nervous system and causes disfigurement.  One of the amazing effects of Hansen’s Disease is that the infected cannot feel pain, leading to lack of awareness of harm caused to the body.

St. Damien of Molokai dedicated his life to serving the leper colony on Molokai in the 19^th century.  The lepers of Molokai were shunned by the rest of society.  St. Damien did what he could to return their sense of God-given dignity by his service.  He persuaded another saint, St. Marianne Cope to bring her sisters to help minister to them.  He buried many of his people, digging their graves himself.  Eventually, he contracted Hansen’s Disease and had to stay as a member of his beloved community.  He also died, and was buried on Molokai, where part of his body remains to this day.

When Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI canonized St. Damien he remarked:  “He invites us to open our eyes to the forms of leprosy that disfigure the humanity of our brethren and still today call for the charity of our presence as servants, beyond that of our generosity."  Who among us is disfigured and shunned?  Is it the homeless, those with mental diseases or syndromes, the unborn, the poor, the marginalized?  We need to hear the unheard cry of “Unclean, unclean” and minister to them.

April 23—St. George, Martyr

So, there’s this dragon outside a city, and there’s a pretty maiden who’s going to be eaten by it, and then there’s this soldier on a horse who kills it in the name of God, and he’s St. George, right?  Wrong!  The legend comes to us from the crusaders who told it in the manner of a medieval romance.  Nonetheless, there are elements of truth, even in legends.  What we know of St. George is that he was a martyr during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted the Church severely in about the late 3^rd century.  It was a requirement by Diocletian that all Christian soldiers either renounce their faith or be executed.  St. George accepted execution.  But what about the dragon?  The dragon is a common symbol for Satan.  Therefore, we can see that St. George defeated Satan through his faith, suffering, and death.

St. George is the patron saint of soldiers.  Many people wonder how a Christian can be a soldier, one who takes the lives of others.  A soldier may take life, but only in defense of life.  It is a common principle of the Just War Theory, started by St. Augustine and expanded upon by St. Thomas Aquinas, that defense of life may involve the taking of another life, but only as a last resort and not intended in itself.  This means that soldiers may enter into war with other combatants, but not with non-combatants, such as civilians or prisoners of war.  War is never a desired activity, but it may be necessary in the manner of defense.  Soldiers defend.  We offer our prayers for the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for our defense and for others.