August 9--St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Virgin and Martyr

Atheism has a hold on many in modern society on the grounds that immaterial things, like ideas and God, don’t exist; only material things, like bodies and matter, do. Atheism and materialism have many converts, including many scientists. They don’t seem to be able to deal with a reality that they can’t measure or perceive with their senses. Today’s saint, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, born as Edith Stein, was one such atheist, as well as philosopher.

She was born in 1891 to a Jewish family in Germany. She became an atheist at age 14 and later a philosopher. However, her search for truth, and reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, led her to convert to Catholicism. She taught in the universities in Germany until her Jewish heritage required her to step down. She became a Discalced Carmelite in 1933 and was sent to Holland in 1938 to escape Nazi oppression. Arrested in 1942 after the Dutch bishops condemned the Nazis, she was sent to Auschwitz where she was martyred along with her sister.

As a philosopher, she developed a proof for the existence of God based on the existence of human beings and our egos, which are dependent on the existence of a higher being, who is not dependent on any other being for existing. God is! We are because God is. But St. Teresa Benedicta did not die for a philosophical abstraction. Some claim that it is only because of her Jewish heritage that she was killed. However, her martyrdom was directly connected to the Dutch bishops’ condemnation of the immorality of the Nazis and thus, she is a true martyr. She died because she believed in a loving God who died for us. Atheism cannot comprehend such a love!

July 30--St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Pope Francis has placed the mercy of God as key to understanding God’s love in our lives. This was also true of today’s saint, Peter Chrysologus, who lived from A.D. 406-450 and was bishop of Ravenna, Italy. St. Peter was appointed bishop of the emperor’s administrative center in Italy when he was 27-years-old, probably at the emperor’s request.

He earned the title, “Chrysologus”, which means “golden-worded” because of his effective preaching and practical sermons. He is even called the “Doctor of Homilies” because of his simple, yet theologically profound words. He once said, “Ordinary language is dear to simple souls and sweet to the learned.”

He also spoke about how mercy is one of the three things through which faith stands firm, along with prayer and fasting: “When mercy dries up, fasting suffers drought, for mercy is to fasting what rain is to the earth. The one who fasts may prepare his heart, cleanse his flesh, pull out his vices and sow virtues. But if he does not sprinkle his plants with streams of mercy, he does not gather his harvest. O faster, when your mercy fasts, your field fasts too.”

“Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you” (Ps. 33:22). This could be the motto of St. Peter Chrysologus, or even of Pope Francis. Jesus told us in the parable of the unforgiving servant: “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” (Mt. 18:33). He told the Pharisees: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” He is also telling that to us! Pope Francis called an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy for 2015-2016. That may be over, but the purpose of the Jubilee Year is not. We are all called to holiness and a supreme expression of holiness is mercy!

July 21--St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church

We are familiar with many Doctors of the Church, men and women who have outstanding holiness, depth of doctrinal insight, and an extensive body of writings that help us to know and understand our faith. We know Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Catherine of Siena. There are 36 altogether. But today’s saint is one of the lesser known doctors, St. Lawrence of Brindisi. He was born in Italy in 1559, joined the Capuchin Franciscans in 1575, and died in 1619. He was a linguist, diplomat, miracle-worker, healer, superior of the Capuchins, preacher, theologian, scholar, writer, crusader, and of course, saint.

Each of these functions is worth a book in itself. He was so good at Hebrew that he was tasked to preach to the Jews in Rome, who thought he was a convert from Judaism, he was so well-versed in Hebrew, the Old Testament, and in the Aramaic commentaries. As a diplomat he was asked to reconcile Christian princes with one another and their subjects. He healed people of illnesses and even levitated during Mass. He was chosen to be superior of the Capuchins when he was only 31. He preached in Lutheran Germany and won thousands back to Catholicism. He wrote that God would have become man even if there was no Original Sin, because God is love and he highest expression of God’s love is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He held up a crucifix and led Christian soldiers against the Muslim armies who were attempting to invade Europe at the Battle of Shuhlweissenburg in Hungary in 1601. Through it all he maintained holiness and love of Jesus.

We are not called to do what St. Lawrence did, but we are called to live out our faith. We are all called to be holy by the grace of God.

July 19--St. Macrina the Younger, Virgin

The eldest in a family oftentimes has the responsibility of assisting the parents in raising the younger siblings and, even though parents are the first teachers of all their children, a first-born can be quite influential. Such is true with today’s saint, Macrina the Younger, born about A.D. 327. Named for her grandmother, also a saint, Macrina was the eldest of St. Basil and St. Emmelia’s ten children. Her brothers were St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Peter of Sebaste.

St. Macrina was prominent in helping her brothers become the saints they were. She was taught by her mother in the ways of Scripture and helped form her siblings. She helped St. Basil realize the importance of Scripture and persuaded him to be a monk. She also became a nun.  St. Gregory found her to be eloquent regarding death and future life.

In his biography of her, he wrote her words: “O Lord, you have freed us from the fear of death. You have made the end of life here the beginning of a true life for us. For a time, you give rest to our bodies in sleep and you awaken us again with the trumpet. The dust from which you fashioned us with your hands you give back to the earth for safe-keeping. And you will recall it, transforming with immortality and grace our mortal and graceless remains. …

“You who have power on earth to forgive sins, forgive me so that I may be refreshed. May I be found before you once I have put off my body, having no fault in the form of my soul. May my soul be received into your hands, blameless and spotless, as an offering before you.”

Would that we always follow our elder siblings in the faith! St. Macrina, pray for us.