November 16--St. Gertrude the Great, Virgin

There are few saints that are called “the Great”, four popes; Gregory I, Leo I, Nicholas I, and John Paul II; as well as a Dominican bishop, Albert. But today’s “the Great” was a woman, the only woman so designated in the Catholic Church. 

St. Gertrude the Great was a Benedictine nun who was a mystic and theologian. She was born in 1256 in Germany and went to the Cistercian monastery school at the age of five. She excelled in her education, especially “in literature, philosophy, song, and the refined art of miniature painting.” After time in the monastery school she entered religious life and became a nun. When she was 24 she had a crisis of faith and at the age of 25 she saw Jesus as an adolescent who said to her: “I have come to comfort you and bring you salvation.” It was after this that she dedicated her studies to Scripture, the Church Fathers, and theological writings. She died in 1301 and was elevated to sainthood through equivalent canonization in 1677.

She wrote many works, but her primary influence is as an early devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her writings on the Sacred Heart are “notable within the history of Christian devotion because of their vivid descriptions of her visions, which show a considerable elaboration on the long-standing but ill-defined veneration of Christ’s heart.”

The devotion to the Sacred Heart has a long history in the Church, promoted in its earliest form by St. Gertrude and others. It is about the absolute and complete love Jesus has for each one of us, so much so that he gave his life in sacrifice for our sins and to attain for us salvation. It is love that kept Jesus on the cross, not the nails! Thank you St. Gertrude the Great, for this insight.

October 23--St. John of Capistrano, Priest and Religious

The Liturgy of the Hours has a brief life on all the saints we celebrate. For St. John of Capistrano it says: “Saint John was born in Capistrano in the Abruzzi (Italy) in 1386. He studied law in Perugia and for a time was governor of that city. He entered the Order of Friars Minor and, after ordination to the priesthood, he led an untiring apostolic life preaching throughout Europe both to strengthen Christian life and to refute heresy. He died at Villach in Austria in 1456.” It’s pretty cut and dried, but it doesn’t tell us…the rest of the story.

The people of Europe had just recovered from the plague, which had wiped out about one-third of the population. The Western Schism occurred, in which three men claimed to be pope! The Franciscans had a heretical group within them! The Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 and were moving into central Europe. So, what was a body to do? Preach! He preached to great crowds who were either ambivalent or confused about the Church. He sparked great conversions in the people who heard him. He helped the Franciscans root out the heretical group in their midst. He then preached a crusade in central Europe to stop the Turks, leading an army into Belgrade, Hungary lifting the siege and stopping the Muslim advance into Europe.

Why is all this important for the life of St. John and for us? We are called to live our faith in the circumstances we encounter. If there is heresy, preach against it! If there is corruption, be a force for light and truth! If there is apathy, live with zeal! When there are forces of evil to face, do so with courage! And that’s the rest of the story! St. John of Capistrano, pray for us.

October 17--St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Imagine this: You are on your way to your execution, brutal at best and torturous at worst. But you write your friends to not try and stop it. Rather, you want to die as an example for others. This is what St. Ignatius of Antioch did when he was taken to the Circus Maximus in Rome. He was a second-generation Christian, having been taught by John the Apostle. As bishop of Antioch, he was a successor to Peter, who was bishop there before going to Rome. He was brought before the Emperor Trajan and refused to recant his faith, whereupon he was sentenced to death in the Circus, to be eaten by lions. In anticipation of the efforts of the Christians in Rome, he wrote: “The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.” 

St. Ignatius wrote to various communities on his way to his martyrdom. He wrote about the importance of loyalty to the bishop. In this day we are seeing the bishops in a different light. Some have sinned grievously, while others have sinned in covering up grievous sins. Our bishops are successors to the apostles, but they are also men who need God’s grace in their own lives. We do need to be loyal to them, but we also need to help them in being accountable for the responsibilities they have. The laity has a co-responsibility, along with the clergy, to bring about the Kingdom of God. Let us never renege on our own baptismal promises to reject Satan and all his evil works! St. Ignatius, pray for us.

October 9—St. John Leonardi, Priest

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, also known as CCD, was the brainchild of today’s saint. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith also owes its existence to St. John Leonardi. They are two immense programs dedicated to the growth of the faith in foreign lands as well as in our own parishes, yet their founder made sure that the religious order he founded, the Order of Clerics Regular of the Mother of God, remained a small congregation. Perhaps he knew that a religious order is not the sole responsibility of faith and missions, but rather the entire Church! 

St. John Leonardi was born in Tuscany, Italy in 1541. After studying to be a pharmacist he became a priest dedicating himself to teaching others about the faith. He founded his religious order in 1574. In 1603 he cofounded the seminary of the Propagation of the Faith for training of missionary priests. He also helped reform some other congregations. He died in Rome in 1609 from the plague while ministering to his brothers.

Obviously, St. John Leonardi had great energy and passion to do God’s work. But he also had the grace of God, without which no one can accomplish any good. All our good rests in God’s gracious love. He gives us the graces and virtues we need to accomplish his saving work in the world. He depends on us to love others in his name. That is why we strive to grow in holiness and perfection. Our lives need to be focused on his saving mission. Our relatives, our friends, our colleagues, and our fellow citizens need the grace that he has given to us for their benefit. Let us remember St. John Leonardi’s efforts and redouble our own, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

September 30--St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

There may be no saint more cantankerous and objectionable than St. Jerome! He had such a bad temper that whenever someone opposed him he would tear that person down with fire and brimstone. He even went after saints, such as St. Augustine, accusing him of using his position as bishop to get what he wanted, as opposed to accepting St. Jerome’s scholarly insights and skills. And that was St. Jerome’s strength and Achilles’ heel. He was a brilliant scholar! He translated the Bible from the original languages, which he studied, into Latin. It was the most comprehensive effort attempted up to that time. This version is called the Vulgate, and in the Council of Trent, a new and corrected edition was declared the authentic text to be used in the Church. St. Jerome was also the secretary to the pope at one time. He also became a monk and lived in a cave in Bethlehem, where he died.

How do we reconcile his temper with being a saint? Because he was also remorseful about any errors and sins he committed. He loved Jesus and gave his life to counseling others and living an ascetic life. He is worthy of the honor of sainthood and is the patron of librarians and scholars.

We all have vices tying in with one or more of the seven capital sins: Pride, Envy, Avarice, Sloth, Wrath, Lust, and Gluttony. How do we respond to these temptations when they beset us? Do we give in to them or do we turn to God and ask for his grace to overcome them; for it is the grace of God that saves us and preserves us from our sins and failings. Humility, kindness, patience, diligence, charity, temperance, and chastity are the virtues we need to pray for. St. Jerome, pray for us.

September 27--St. Vincent de Paul, Priest

Today’s saint was actually something of a slacker when he first became a priest. He was in it for a Church office in order to earn money for his family, who were peasants. He could then retire early and return home. But it wasn’t to happen. St. Vincent de Paul became a good priest. With his desire to help the poor and guide them with good priests he founded the Congregation of the Mission, or Vincentians. Further he guided some women to help the poor. He cofounded the Daughters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac. Instead of living in a convent, they lived in houses and “gave their lives to visiting the sick in the homes, ministering in hospitals, caring for prisoners, orphans, the mentally ill, and the homeless of Paris.” They were the first missionary order of sisters. St. Vincent de Paul also collected money to provide relief in time of war. He was named the patron saint of charitable societies by Pope Leo XIII.

St. Vincent de Paul gives his name to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul founded by Bl. Frédéric Ozanam. “The Society numbers about 800,000 members in some 140 countries worldwide.” The number in the United States is over 97,000. They run thrift shops, housing assistance, disaster relief, visits to homes, prisons, and hospitals, food pantries, and more.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” These are the corporal works of mercy, which Jesus defined as the key to salvation in Mt. 25:31-46. We are grateful for the work of the Societies of St. Vincent de Paul for their ministry. God bless you.

September 19--St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

If you like weird stories, here is a doozy! St. Januarius’s blood liquifies up to 18 times each year for the past 600 years! Keep in mind that St. Januarius has been dead since A.D. 305, when he was martyred under the Great Persecution of the emperor Diocletian, the last and worst persecution in the age of the martyrs. His blood has been kept in a reliquary and routinely liquifies on certain days, including his feast day of September 19. When Pope Francis visited Naples in 2015 the blood liquified, the first time that has happened in the presence of a pope in over 150 years. According to Neapolitans, when St. Januarius’s blood does not liquify on the usual days it is a sign of trouble to come. So why is liquification unusual? The fact of St. Januarius’s blood changing form is scientifically inexplicable, PERIOD! 

St. Januarius was a bishop and martyr, which makes him amazing enough! However, because of the constant liquification of his blood, or lack thereof, he is in the news quite a bit. We may not really know about him, except for this amazing miracle. What does this mean for us today? Perhaps it is to remind us of another miracle concerning blood.

There is a miracle that occurs every day throughout the world in every Catholic church: the transubstantiation of the bread and wine offered at the sacrifice of the Mass into the Body and Blood of Jesus. This miracle is seen and experienced by faithful. It is more amazing than the liquification of St. Januarius’s blood. We get to receive Jesus—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—every time we receive the Eucharist. We honor St. Januarius for his witness and his miracle, but we worship our Lord, Jesus Christ for his great love and sacrifice for our salvation.

September 10--Servants of God Pedro de Corpa and Companions, Priests, Religious, and Martyrs

Georgia has martyrs for the faith and for marriage. These martyrs were killed over 420 years ago in the missions of the Spanish Franciscans to the natives of Georgia. The five martyrs had been missionaries to the region for a few years and had been accepted by the natives, converting many, including the leader and the presupposed successor of one village. However, Juanillo, the nephew of the leader, was opposed by the missionaries. He was rebuked for marital infidelity, even though he was baptized. This offended Juanillo, who then planned and carried out the martyrdom of the five priests. The reasons for the killings, by one who had participated in it, was that they were “troublemaker[s], had forbidden the natives to have dealings with spirits, and had said that they should not have more than one wife.” All of the martyrs had been clubbed to death by Christian natives. The cause for their canonization was opened in 1984, with the positio, or the document/s used to promote the cause, presented in 1993.

We are called to share our faith by being disciples. Sometimes that means we are called to evangelize those who have already been baptized. We may also suffer at the hands of our fellow Catholics and Christians who support marital infidelity of various kinds, including divorce, adultery, fornication, same-sex, so-called, marriage, contraception, abortion, and so forth, in the name of “tolerance” or “diversity” or “legality” or “rights” or “happiness”. We may not be bludgeoned to death but shamed into silence and acquiescence. Keep in mind, silence implies acceptance. Be not afraid of the truth and joy and beauty of marital love. Jesus wasn’t, and neither were the Georgia martyrs.

September 2—The Martyrs of September

“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” was the motto of the French Revolution. It sounds fine, till one remembers that it only applied to those who agreed with the revolutionaries. For those who disagreed, especially men and women in the service of the Catholic Church, there was no freedom, no fairness, and no brotherhood. In 1790, the revolutionary government required clerics to take an oath that denied the pope authority over the French Catholic Church. Many did, but those who refused were punished quite violently. That was the case with the Martyrs of September.

In 1792 those clerics, as well as men and women religious, who refused to take the oath were rounded up and imprisoned in closed-down convents and monasteries in Paris. In September “Vigilance Committees” were set up and mobs were sent to the prisons. Once there, they pulled out the inmates and brutally murdered them. September 2 and 3 saw the martyrdoms of 191 bishops, priests, religious men, women, and laity. By the end of 1792 the number of clergy martyred was 1500. They were beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

Facing death with love is heroic, but that does not mean martyrs want to die. We all have a natural love for life, even for those who are willing to die for their faith. But when we are called to stand up for what is right, good, true, loving, and beautiful, then death, and even torture, may be a necessary witness before others. Are we able to stand up for what is right, what is good, what is true, what is loving, and what is beautiful in witness to the name of Christ and his bride, the Church? There is no scandal when we show our love for Jesus and his Church.

August 22--The Queenship of Mary

The fifth Glorious Mystery celebrates Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. We may wonder why this is so, since in contemporary kingdoms a queen is the consort of the king. However, in ancient Israel the queen was not the consort of the king, but rather his mother! The Hebrew word was Gebirah, “Queen Mother” or “Great Lady”. The queen mother played an important role in establishing her son on the throne, such as Bathsheba did for Solomon. However, Mary did not seek the throne for Jesus. She serves Jesus and points to Jesus as the true king.

The Gebirah also influenced the kingdom because of her status as queen mother. In Israel, the queen mother would sometimes rule in the place of her son. Our Queen Mother, Mary, never rules in place of Jesus, but he does follow her wishes, as he did at the wedding feast at Cana, when Mary commanded the servants to, “Do whatever he tells you.” (Jn. 2:5) The queen mother also interceded on behalf of the subjects of the kingdom. She was their advocate. Mary, THE Queen Mother, is our advocate as well, interceding on our behalf. We pray in the Hail Mary: “Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.” 

Mary is acknowledged as Queen of Heaven and Earth because of her role as Mother of God. She was the first disciple of Jesus. She leads us to him. Jesus honors her as his mother and gave her to us to be our mother: “Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’” (Jn. 19:27) Just as John took Mary into his home, we need to take Mary into our homes, so she may bring us to her son, the King. Mary, our Queen, pray for us.

August 15--Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Praise be to God for our Blessed Mother Mary, who, because of her role as Mother of God, first disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, was assumed body and soul into heaven at the end of her life!

This dogma was defined on November 1, 1950 by the Venerable Pope Pius XII: “By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”

As evil came into the world through the sin of Eve, salvation came into the world through the obedience of the New Eve, Mary. It was through Mary’s cooperation that God effected salvation. She proclaimed the grace of salvation when she visited her cousin Elizabeth:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their throne but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Lk 1:46-55)

August 6--Transfiguration of the Lord

Jesus told his disciples who he is: The Son of God, God incarnate, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. But he also gave them a taste of his glory in a way that could strengthen them after the shock of the Passion and Crucifixion, namely through his Transfiguration! They went to a mountaintop, where Jesus was transformed with dazzling white clothes, Elijah and Moses talking with him. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, two of the main sections of the Old Testament. Then Peter asked to make three tents for them. Tents, or booths, are traditionally built by Jews to remember their time during the Exodus. Thus, they celebrate the Feast of Booths in the fall.

But wait, there’s more! A cloud overshadowed them! This was the presence of the Holy Spirit, just as in the Old Testament, the cloud covered the meeting tent when God was present. They were in the presence of God. And yet, there is still more! A voice comes from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Wow! No wonder Peter, James, and John were stunned. But Jesus told them, in effect: “Don’t tell anyone about this until after the Resurrection.” Then they were confused by that!

There is enough in that one moment to keep them, and us, meditating on the mysteries of God’s way. The Transfiguration is the fourth of the Luminous, or Mysteries of Light. They shed light on Jesus in much the same way as Jesus shed the light of his glory on his disciples and us. He shows us that his Passion leads to his Resurrection. When we suffer, we participate in the Passion of our Lord, and thus we will also participate in his Resurrection. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

July 30--Bl. Solanus Casey, Religious

“It seems to me that were we only to correspond to God’s graces, continually being showered down on every one of us, we would be able to pass from being great sinners one day to be great saints the next.” These are the words of today’s saint, Bl. Solanus Casey. Bl. Solanus was born in Wisconsin in 1870 to Irish immigrant parents. He had many different jobs before he heard his calling: lumberjack, hospital orderly, guard in the Minnesota state prison, and street car operator. However, once he heard his call he tried to become a diocesan priest, but his academic limitations kept him from that. Instead, he was able to join the Capuchin Franciscans and become a “simplex” priest, or one who was not allowed to preach publicly or hear confessions.

Even with these limitations on his priesthood, he became known for his inspirational talks, which he was allowed to give, as well as his services for the sick. In Detroit he served as porter, a receptionist and doorkeeper, for his order. He died in 1957 and was beatified in 2017.

Limitations can hinder us, or they can free us. If we focus on our limitations as hindrances, then we get caught up in what we can’t do. We can descend into self-pity, “Oh woe is me. I can’t….” However, if we, like Bl. Solanus Casey, embrace our limitations, we can focus on what we can do. Bl. Solanus Case was “just” a porter, not a teacher, not an administrator, not a theologian. He embraced his limitations, which allowed him to serve in the unique way to which God was calling him. We are all called to serve God in our unique way, sometimes helped by our limitations.

July 23--St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious

Europe has six patrons, three men and three women. Today’s saint is one of them. St. Bridget of Sweden was born in 1303 and had a vision of the crucified Jesus at an early age, which guided her throughout her life. She married at 14 and had eight children; her daughter Catherine is a saint. When her husband died after 28 years of marriage she became a Third Order Franciscan. Later, she founded a religious order for men and women, the Order of the Most Holy Savior, called the Bridgettines. She traveled to Rome in 1349 seeking approval of her order from the pope, who was in Avignon, France. It wasn’t until 1370 when the pope moved back to Rome that her order was approved. During that time, she remained in Rome praying, prophesying, and writing about her mystical experiences. She died in 1373 and was canonized in 1391. 

The Order of the Most Holy Savior was reestablished, due to its dissolution during the Reformation, in 1911 by St. Elizabeth Hesselblad, who was born in Sweden. The charisms of the order include living the lives of the crucified Jesus and the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the cross as well as having special concern for the reunification of all Christians in ecumenism.

The motto of the Bridgettines is Amor meus crucifixus est, “My love has been crucified.” Jesus is our love and he was crucified for our sins, so that we may achieve salvation. St. Bridget lived these words in her life. We are also called to reflect upon, pray, and live these words. We are blessed by the words, lives, and examples of the saints, the cloud of witnesses praying for us. St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.

July 18--St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest

The man was a scoundrel, a mercenary, a gambler, an insubordinate, a vagabond, a quarreler, and a laggard. And yet the desire for something greater, which was distorted and exemplified through these failings, allowed God to transform the man to become St. Camillus de Lellis. St. Camillus was all these in his childhood and youth. From the age of 17 till 24 he fought, gambled, tried to repent, fought, and gambled again. In 1574, at age 24, he tried to repent yet a third time, seeking admission to a Franciscan monastery. He learned to work, discipline himself, and stop gambling. However, he had an open sore on his leg that plagued him for years and prevented his acceptance. So, he went to a hospital for the poor in Rome and volunteered there yet a second time after failing before. He worked there for five years, eventually becoming superintendent of the nurses.

The desire for greatness that skewed his youth through self-centeredness spurred his efforts to other-centeredness to the point of sainthood. He saw the wretchedness of the poor of Rome, their sicknesses, their addictions, and their helplessness. He sought them out and nursed them. He founded a group of men who would devote themselves to nursing the poor. But he saw they needed more. He knew that he could help their spiritual lives by becoming a priest and gathering his followers into a religious order. They served those with the plague, the dying, and the destitute. St. Camillus saw Jesus in those he served and loved.

St. Camillus de Lellis was not a particularly good person as a youth, but he persevered, through the grace of God. We pray for those who have made bad choices in their lives. We pray for their conversion. St. Camillus de Lellis, pray for them.

August 1--St. Alphonsus Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Many people may remember a TV lawyer show called "Perry Mason" starring Raymond Burr. Every week Perry was called upon to defend someone who "obviously" committed the murder. By the end of the show Mason not only managed to clear his client of the charges, he also figured out who the murderer was. In ten seasons he lost only two cases. Today's saint lost only one case in his entire legal career, but it was enough to help him realize that God was calling him to the priesthood and to a life of care of souls rather than property.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri was important in the Church for many things. He founded the Redemptorist order in the 18th century, which was dedicated to serving peasants in rural areas. But he is also known for his guidance on moral matters. As a former lawyer and priest who heard confessions, he walked the fine line between being lenient and strict. He wanted people to both understand that sin is always an evil thing, but also that we are forgiven for our sins when we repent. He wrote extensively on the topic, which is why he is a Doctor of the Church and patron of moral theologians.

Some say that morality is whatever our consciences choose is right. Our consciences don't choose right or wrong, they discover the truth of the morality of an action. Plus, we have to form our consciences to help us know the truth. That means we must listen and follow those who guide us on moral truth, namely the Church's Magisterium, or teaching authority. St. Alphonsus knew this and guided his charges appropriately.

July 13--St. Henry, Holy Man

A few kings have made it into the calendar of saints, including St. Louis IX of France, St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia, and St. Stephen of Hungary. Among them we have today’s saint, St. Henry II of Bavaria, who was Holy Roman Emperor from 1014-1024. As emperor, St. Henry was responsible for maintaining the unity, peace, and stability of the empire. To that extent, he was involved in many military expeditions throughout central Europe and Italy. He established closer ties with the Church and employed clergy as checks to the secular nobility.

He stressed service to the Church, promoted monastic reform, missionary activity, and made many charitable foundations for the poor. He also supported clerical celibacy. At one point he tried to become a monk, but was denied permission by the abbot, being told that his role in life was to be emperor. He succeeded in persuading the pope to include the word “filioque” in the Nicene Creed, which means that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both God the Father and God the Son.

St. Henry seems to be a contradiction regarding sainthood. Although he was devout and supported the Church, he also was a man of his times, engaging in wars and putting down rebellions that attacked his power as king and emperor. This seems to be a contradiction, but it is more about what sainthood really means. It means being holy in the state of life one is in. St. Henry was ambitious. He was political. These are not inherently evil. He used the power of his office to bring about peace and justice to the best of his ability, even when he was wrong. To be a saint means being a disciple of Christ, whether one is a king or a ditch-digger, a queen or a seamstress.