January 7--St. Raymond of Penyafort, Priest and Religious

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''The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.'' (Dick the Butcher in ''Henry VI,'' Part II, act IV, Scene II, Line 73) This line by an English rebel shows the respect due to lawyers in keeping justice in a society. The same respect for canon lawyers, or lawyers who interpret Church law, is also necessary.

St. Raymond of Penyafort was both a secular and a canon, or Church, lawyer. Born in 1175 in Spain, he joined the Dominicans at the age of 47 in 1222 and developed a book of case studies to help confessors guide penitents, which became a medieval classic. As a canon lawyer he also collected the decrees of the popes and councils for over 80 years. These became the basis for canon law until 1917. Not only was he a great canonist, but he was also a great preacher who converted thousands of Moors in Spain. He was the third leader of the Dominicans. He died in 1275.

St. Raymond advised people on how to engage in spiritual combat and bear suffering: “The preacher of God’s truth has told us that all who want to live righteously in Christ will suffer persecution. . . . Your purity of life, your devotion, deserve and call for a reward; because you are acceptable and pleasing to God your purity of life must be made purer still, by frequent buffetings, until you attain perfect sincerity of heart. If from time to time you feel the sword falling on you with double or treble force, this also should be seen as sheer joy and the mark of love.” Thus, suffering is a sign of God’s love and a call to love as Jesus did. When we love, we are open to suffering! St. Raymond, pray for us.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gregory_IX_approving_decretals_Raphael_Rooms.jpg

December 29--St. Thomas Beckett, Bishop and Martyr

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One of the great films of saints is about St. Thomas Becket entitled Becket, starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole from 1964. The synopsis states: “Debauched King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) installs his longtime court facilitator Thomas Becket (Richard Burton) as the Archbishop of Canterbury, assuming that his old friend will be a compliant and loyal lackey in the King's ongoing battles with the church. But Becket unexpectedly finds his true calling on the ecclesiastical side, and aligns himself against the king's selfish wishes, causing a rift and an eventual showdown not only between the two men, but also the institutions they represent.”

St. Thomas Becket was martyred by his erstwhile friend because Henry wanted his own way with the Church. St. Thomas was murdered while saying Mass at Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. But what led up to such a falling out? “He quickly began to take his new office very seriously. It is said that he lived an almost ascetic lifestyle, rising early to pray, enduring humilities like washing the feet of the poor, wearing a purposely uncomfortable hair shirt, scourging himself out of indifference to his flesh, studying the scriptures, and surrounding himself with learned churchmen. It was not long before he came into conflict with the king over the rights and authority of the church, as well as the notion of church taxation.” (Encyclopedia.com)

In other words, the worldly Thomas became saintly Thomas. We are all called to holiness. Sometimes that call means a call to metanoia, or conversion. Conversion means changing from what keeps us from God to what draws us to God. That may mean a change of life or a change of practice or a change of philosophy or a change of policy. Nonetheless, God’s call is a radical call that will brook no Henry II.

December 28--The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

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“When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

     ‘A voice was heard in Ramah,

     sobbing and loud lamentation;

     Rachel weeping for her children,

     and she would not be consoled,

     since they were no more.’” (Mt. 2:16-18)

Why do we celebrate a day dedicated to evil and violence and the massacre of innocent babies? We commemorate what Jesus came to earth to overcome. Jesus was a near-victim of such violence, foreshadowing his own innocent death, the execution of God. Jesus defeated evil with his own Paschal Mystery. There is still evil in the world and will be until Jesus comes again with the Final Judgment.

In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church proclaims the praises of these innocent children: “Clothed in white robes, they will walk with me, says the Lord, for they are worthy.” And, “These children cry out their praises to the Lord; by their death they have proclaimed what they could not preach with their infant voices.” And again, “From the mouths of children and babies at the breast you have found praise to foil your enemies.” And finally, “At the king’s command these innocent babies and little children were put to death; they died for Christ, and now in the glory of heaven as they follow him, the sinless Lamb, they sing for ever: Glory to you, O Lord.”

We can “celebrate” this event, not because of its evil, but because of its warning to us. The sixty million Innocents also sing to God for justice to be done and evil to be banished forever.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Massacre_of_the_Innocents_by_Matteo_di_Giovanni_(1482,_Sant%27Agostino,_Siena).jpg

December 17--St. Olympias, Widow

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Today’s saint, St. Olympias, is primarily known for her charity as well as her friendship with a saint who caused no end of trouble to the rulers of Constantinople.  St. Olympias lived from about 365 to 408 A.D. in either Constantinople or Antioch.  She was a relative of the emperors and after the death of her husband was even courted by Emperor Theodosius.  However, she dedicated her life to the Church and gave away her wealth to the needy and to the Church.  She also built a hospital and orphanage.  She became a friend and supporter of St. John Chrysostom, a patriarch of Constantinople who offended the empress, to the point of being exiled.  Her support was so strong that she, too, was exiled, ending her religious community and charitable works.  She died in exile in 408.

St. John Chrysostom wrote these words to Olympias:  “I cannot cease to call you blessed.  You have borne your sorrows with patience and dignity.  You have managed delicate affairs with prudence and wisdom.  You have thrown a veil over the malice of your persecutors with charity.  Thus you have won a glory and reward that in the future will make all your sufferings seem light and passing in the presence of eternal joy.”

Friendship is a great gift and also a responsibility.  When we have a friend, we are called to support and care for that friend to bring the friend to Jesus, our ultimate friend.  We encourage our friends in Christ so that they may develop in holiness and love.  Many saints had friends with other saints, such as Sts. Olympias and John Chrysostom.  We need to look for and develop saintly friendships so we, too, may be brought to Jesus in Heaven with our friend.  St. Olympias, pray for us.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Olympia.JPG

November 18--St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, Religious and Missionary

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“Go West, middle-aged woman.” That is where today’s saint, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, went to fulfill her calling in America, teaching among the pioneers and Native Americans of the American frontier of Missouri and Kansas.

Born in 1769, St. Rose started out as a nun in a French convent in the late 18th century. During the French Revolution, her convent closed, and she took it upon herself to care for the poor and sick, opened a school for street children, and helped priests. After that she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart, where she became a superior and a supervisor of the novitiate. But she still longed to go to America to work among the Native Americans. She finally got the chance when she was 49. She and four other sisters sailed to New Orleans and up the Mississippi to St. Louis, where she started the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi in St. Charles, Missouri. She also founded the first Catholic Native American school. At the age of 72, retired and in poor health, she went to a new mission in Sugar Creek, Kansas, about 50 miles south of Kansas City and worked among the Potawatomi. She could not teach, but prayed while others taught. She was named “Woman-Who-Prays-Always.” She died in 1852 at the age of 83 and canonized in 1988.

What does it take to be a pioneer? It doesn’t mean “Go West” in location, but rather “Go West” in love; go to those who need the most help, the poor, the outcast, the young, the hurting, the homeless. Expect hardship and suffering, but do so to offer it up in love for the grace of God to be showered on those whom we serve, as well as ourselves.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DuchesneRSCJ.jpg

December 8--The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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First and foremost: The Immaculate Conception is about the conception of MARY, NOT JESUS. We celebrate her birthday on September 8, nine months later. The conception of Jesus is celebrated on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and declared God’s will for her that she become the Mother of God. The virgin birth of Jesus is then celebrated nine months later on December 25!

So, now that we have that straight, what is the Immaculate Conception? The Immaculate Conception is the dogma, as defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854, that Mary was conceived in her mother’s womb without the stain of Original Sin. She is immaculate, or pure! She had the fullness of God’s sanctifying grace in her life from the moment of the beginning of her existence. How do we know this? From God’s Revelation. In Luke’s Gospel, the Angel Gabriel declared to Mary: “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” (Lk. 1:28) This also comes to us as: “Hail (Mary) full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” Sound familiar? It is the beginning of the “Hail Mary”. It continues: “Blessed art thou among women,” which is from the greeting Elizabeth gave to Mary in Luke 1:41. Further: "And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Mary always points to Jesus!

Does this mean that Mary did not need salvation from Jesus Christ? No! Her fullness of grace was given to her by God in anticipation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But why was she given this gift and not the rest of us? Because she is the Mother of God! She was given this special gift in anticipation of her fiat, or yes, to God’s request that she become the Mother of God.  A side note:  She is the patroness of the United States of America!  And so, we pray: Immaculate Mary, pray for us.
*By Bartolomé Esteban Murillo - [2], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3118612

November 12--St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

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In 1995, Pope St. John Paul II declared: “The Church must breathe with her two lungs!” (Ut Unum Sint, 54) What he meant was that the Church was only breathing with one lung, namely the Western Church. He declared that we needed the Eastern Church as well. The Catholic Church has been separated from her Eastern Orthodox sister churches since 1054. However, since then, there have been efforts at union. One prominent event toward union was the Union of Brest in 1596. Seven Orthodox bishops in Lithuania/Poland/Ukraine came into full communion with the pope, while still retaining their Eastern Rites.

Why is this important for our saint? He became an archbishop in one of these dioceses after 1596. St. Josaphat was born in 1580 to Ruthenian Orthodox Catholic parents. After the Union of Brest he became a monk in 1604 in the Ruthenian Rite. His zeal for his faith led him to write catechisms and apologetics, defenses of the Church. He defended the rights of the Eastern Rite Churches, but some opposed him on the grounds that he was trying to “go Latin” and not be faithful to the Eastern traditions.

In 1623, an Orthodox priest insulted St. Josaphat and tried to force his way into the archbishop’s residence. St. Josaphat had him removed, but he had assembled a mob, which then attacked St. Josaphat, shooting him and hitting him in the head with a battle axe, killing him. He was canonized in 1867 as a martyr.

The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches have the same sacraments, the same faith, and the same love of God. However, the difference between the two is the role of the pope. Pope St. John Paul II wrote about the need for unification. May the prayers of St. Josaphat bring us into communion with each other.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Josaphat_Zbarazh.jpg

November 3--St. Martin de Porres, Religious

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Humility is the hallmark of holiness. Such is true for today’s saint. St. Martin de Porres was born of a Spanish conquistador and a freed slave woman in 1579. He became a lay brother in Lima, Peru. He was trained as a physician, but he also had the gift of healing. His monastery became a place of healing for the poor of Peru.

But where does humility come in? St. Martin did not want anyone to know of his gift of healing, so he would use an herb or some other device to hide his gift. However, he was found out by the Archbishop of Mexico, who was passing through Lima. The archbishop was in great pain and suffering from a fever. He knew of St. Martin’s healing ability and sent for him. The Dominican superior sent him immediately to the archbishop before St. Martin could gather his healing materials. When he arrived at the archbishop’s residence, the archbishop ordered him to reach out his hand. St. Martin did not want to, but the archbishop required obedience of St. Martin. He stretched out his hand and put it on the archbishop’s chest, taking away his pain. The archbishop required him to leave his hand on his chest and his fever and illness disappeared. St. Martin was embarrassed at this and retreated to the monastery.

As Pope St. John XXIII remarked of him at his canonization in 1962: "He tried with all his might to redeem the guilty; lovingly he comforted the sick; he provided food, clothing and medicine for the poor; he helped, as best he could, farm labourers and Negroes, as well as mulattoes, who were looked upon at that time as akin to slaves: thus he deserved to be called by the name the people gave him: 'Martin of Charity.'"

*https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjJ0NmAhr7lAhUTJjQIHVcRAhEQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fpaullew%2F7149072617&psig=AOvVaw3MKis4MmM1tshCNVM3t6ce&ust=1572320906588295

October 30--St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, Religious

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Can a doorkeeper become a saint? In other words, can someone who spends his life receiving visitors, running errands, delivering messages, giving advice to the troubled, searching for others at the door of a college become a saint? Yes! St. Alphonsus Rodriguez did just that for 46 years! It seems an unlikely way to become a saint, but it was the way that God called him and the way he responded.

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez was born in Spain in 1532, left school at 14 when his father died to help his mother run the family business. He married at 26 but became a widower at 31 with one surviving child. His mother and child also died soon thereafter, and he sold the business. His life seemed to be one of failure and misery, but there was more to await him. He decided to enter the Jesuits at the age of 39, but they refused him because of his lack of education. One year later, after some remedial education in Latin, he was accepted as a lay brother, never to become a priest. He was assigned to be porter, or doorkeeper, at a Jesuit college on Majorca, where he served the rest of his life until he died in 1617 at the age of 85.  He was canonized in 1888.

A porter is a humble position, one also held by Bl. Solanus Casey of Detroit. However, it allows the person to be present to others at all times of day and in all cases of need. St. Alphonsus was a full-time minister to everyone he met. Every person he greeted was Jesus Christ! He became a spiritual advisor to the Jesuit students, including St. Peter Claver. When not at the door, he was in prayer. Humility is key to holiness, and so we pray:  St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, pray for us.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Francisco_de_Zurbar%C3%A1n_069.jpg

October 20--St. Paul of the Cross, Priest

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Passionate—showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief. Passion—strong and barely controllable emotion. The Passion—the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. Passionist—member of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ founded by St. Paul of the Cross with special emphasis on and devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ. Our saint today is the founder of a religious congregation dedicated completely to preaching missions and the contemplative life; in other words, a combining of the best aspects of the Jesuits and the Trappist monks.

St. Paul of the Cross was born in 1694 in Italy of parents of modest means. At the age of 26 he had a vision of Our Lady appearing to him in a black habit with a white insignia in the shape of a heart bearing Jesus’ name and a cross. This became emblematic of his dedication to the Passion of Jesus. With his brother John Baptist, he founded the Passionists. He spent his life preaching parish missions, praying, writing letters, and leading a life of austerity, as if in perpetual retreat, which is what his houses were called. He had the ability to heal, prophesy, and read consciences. He wanted people to have a greater awareness of the meaning and the value of Passion of Christ for each person and for the world. He died in Rome in 1775 and was canonized in 1867.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, released in 2004, is about the last hours of Jesus Christ. It is a two-hour bloody, torturous, excruciating meditation upon what we proclaim, the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. Simply, Jesus suffered and died for us. We should not ever forget the sacrifice and mercy of God for us. St. Paul of the Cross, pray for us.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_de_la_croix.jpg

October 16--St. Hedwig, Religious

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For many people today, the name Hedwig summons images of a snowy owl from the Harry Potter movies. However, the name Hedwig has a more sacred connection, St. Hedwig. She was born in Bavaria around 1174, married Henry, Duke of Silesia and together they had seven children. They lived in Silesia, which is part of present-day Poland and founded religious houses and hospitals. She took an active role in serving the poor. She was a peacemaker in a time of war. She attempted to reconcile her sons so they would not fight. She succeeded in keeping her husband and another duke from going to war. Henry died in 1238, over 50 years after their marriage. St. Hedwig then moved into the convent she helped found, although she did not take religious vows so that she could share her property with the poor. She died in 1243 and was canonized in 1267.

St. Hedwig was wealthy by virtue of being a duchess. However, she was not attached to her wealth, giving to the poor, being a benefactor to religious communities as well as to her country. Most of us have more than what we need and far more than what our recent ancestors had to live on. How well do we share our wealth? Are we attached to the “things” we have? Bl. Charles de Foucald wrote: “If God allows some people to pile up riches instead of making themselves poor as Jesus did, it is so that they may use what he has entrusted to them as loyal servants, in accordance with the Master’s will, to do spiritual and temporal good to others.” Our riches need to be shared so that we may bring about good as a matter of charity and of justice. St. Hedwig, pray for us.

* https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MOs810_WG_2_2018_(Wloclawek_Lake)_(Saint_Hedwig_church_in_Stara_Bia%C5%82a)_(6).jpg

October 1--St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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She died at the age of 24 of tuberculosis.  Her main work is The Story of a Soul, written at the behest of her superiors in order to share her life with others.  She became the patron saint of missionaries even though she lived her entire adult life in a cloistered convent in France.  Her “little way” of simplicity and practicality illuminates how each person can become a saint:  “I see that it is enough to recognize one's nothingness and to abandon oneself, like a child, into God's arms.”

St. Thérèse of Liseiux was born in 1873 to Zélie and Louis Martin, who have been since the only married couple canonized together by Pope Francis in 2015.  She was the sister of four surviving daughters, all of whom became nuns.  She asked Pope Leo XIII permission to enter the convent at 15.  He directed that she follow her superiors’ directions.  However, she was allowed to enter the Carmelite convent at Lisieux the following spring, when she was 15.  She spent nine years in the convent before she died.

Although her life in the convent was a hidden life, she desired nothing more than to be holy, to be a saint.  She served in the convent through prayer and obedience, offering herself and her suffering for others, especially priests.  She is called the Little Flower.  She wrote:  “I will scatter flowers, perfuming the Divine Throne, and I’ll sweetly sing my hymn of love.  These flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least of actions for love.”  St. Thérèse knew she could not do great or heroic acts, so she dedicated herself to doing little acts of love, everything for love.  So should we all!  St. Thérèse, pray for us.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Teresa-de-Lisieux.jpg#file

February 28--Bl. Daniel Brottier, Priest

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To look at today's saint, one might imagine him to be a mall Santa Claus, with his white hair and long bushy beard.  But the two medals pinned to his chest, the Croix de guerre and the Légion d'honneur, indicate something else, his service as a chaplain for the French during World War I.  Bl. Daniel started his ministry as a priest teaching in a school.  However, he wanted to serve beyond the classroom and joined the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, who sent him to a mission in Senegal in West Africa.  When World War I broke out he returned and served as a chaplain in the trenches on the front.  During 52 months of service he never suffered a single wound, which he attributed to the intervention of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.  After the war he took over an orphanage outside of Paris.  

Bl. Daniel was a brave man who faced the hardships of war with the love of service.  He saw in the faces of his charges the face of Jesus.  He was no mall Santa Claus, but he was a man of faith and bravery and determination.  These are qualities that we can bring to our service.  He once said:  "My secret is this: help yourself and heaven will help you. ... I have no other secret.  If the good God worked miracles [at the orphanage], through Thérèse's intercession, I think I can say in all justice that we did everything, humanly speaking, to be deserving, and that they were the divine reward of our work, prayers and trust in providence."  This is the "secret" of being a Christian.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Brottier_1920.jpg

September 22--St. Thomas of Villanova, Bishop

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“If you want God to hear your prayers, hear the voice of the poor. If you wish God to anticipate your wants, provide those of the indigent without waiting for them to ask you. Especially anticipate the needs of those who are ashamed to beg. To make them ask for alms is to make them buy it.”

Catholic social justice teaching emphasizes, as one of its major themes, the preferential option for the poor. Although we may think of Catholic social teaching as a modern development, it goes back to the Scriptures and the saints, such as today’s saint, St. Thomas of Villanova, who is quoted above.

St. Thomas was an Augustinian friar nominated Archbishop of Valencia, Spain in 1544. When he finally accepted the position under obedience, he donated the four thousand gold pieces given to him by the religious of the cathedral to furnish his residence to a local hospital in need of renovation. He wore the habit he received as a novice 28 years earlier. He mended it himself. He not only advocated direct action to serve the poor, he also worked at solving the structural foundations for poverty: “Charity is not just giving, rather removing the need of those who receive charity and liberating them from it when possible.” St. Thomas of Villanova died on September 8, 1555.

Jesus told us in the Parable of the Last Judgment, Mt. 25:31-46, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and imprisoned, shelter the homeless, and bury the dead. The Corporal Works of Mercy are a distinguishing characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. But so is providing employment, education, advocacy, and justice. The Corporal Works of Mercy take care of immediate needs. We must also ameliorate the causes of poverty.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_von_Villanova_17Jh.jpg

September 16--St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr

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What would happen today if someone threatened to kill or harm us if we were Christian? There are modern martyrs in the Church. But what if we denied our faith? In the third century, when St. Cornelius was pope, persecution was an off and on problem for the Church. It happened sporadically, but intensely. When the persecution subsided, those Christians who had denied their faith to avoid martyrdom wanted to be readmitted to the Church. The question facing St. Cornelius was whether, and how, to readmit lapsed Christians.

One option was to deny the lapsed Christians any forgiveness and readmission to the Church. This was supported at various times and by various Church leaders leading to schisms and heresies. The other option was to use the Sacrament of Penance as a means of readmitting the sinners back into the Church. Pope St. Cornelius advocated this approach. Pope St. Cornelius was opposed by Novatian, who became an anti-pope. Novatian was condemned, but his schism spread to other places in the empire. The Synod of Rome in 251 affirmed the pope’s decision and the lapsed Christians were welcomed back according to the “medicines of repentance.” Pope St. Cornelius died a martyr during exile by the emperor in A.D. 253.

The Church teaches us in the Catechism: “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful….” Let us use the “medicines of repentance” to bring us closer to God!

*https://wellcomecollection.org/works/fa53bzw9

September 11--St. John Gabriel Perboyre, Priest and Martyr

St. John Gabriel Perboyre, born in France in 1802, joined the Congregation of the Missions with a great desire to be a missionary. He was ordained in 1826 but was prevented from going to foreign missions due to his excellence at teaching in the seminary. However, in 1835 he was finally sent to China. In China he rescued street children and taught catechumens. But China was an unstable country and the Opium Wars ignited persecutions of foreigners. In 1839 St. John Gabriel was betrayed by a catechumen and then subjected to a year of trials and tortures. He was accused of teaching a false religion, charged to reveal other Christians, made to kneel on rusty iron chains, hung by his thumbs and hair, beaten by bamboo canes, and accused of immoral relations with a Chinese girl. He was sentenced to death by strangulation while on a cross and died a martyr on September 11, 1840.

St. John Gabriel faced persecution in two ways. France was an anti-clerical country after the French Revolution. China was anti-Christian because it associated Christianity with Western culture. Both societies brought him closer to Jesus by their opposition to Jesus and his Church. We are living in a society that is moving in the direction of being anti-Catholic due to Church teaching in which we follow Jesus in matters of marriage, sexuality, and the dignity of the human person at all stages of life. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee ridiculed an effort by the current administration regarding human rights because he believed it would “give preference to discriminatory ideologies.” This is the new label facing the Catholic Church. We are at the start of an era of persecution. We may not be killed, but we will be vilified, yet another kind of martyrdom.