December 30--Bl. Eugenia Ravasco, Religious and Foundress

Bl. Eugenia Ravasco by Unknown Artist licensed under public domain.

Bl. Eugenia Ravasco was one of the 1,344 people beatified by St. John Paul II. He wanted to show that holiness is possible for all of us. This was true for Bl. Eugenia. She had a difficult childhood due to the death of her mother at age 3 and her father at age 10. She was then raised by an aunt, and later an uncle, who died when she was 16, leading her to run the household of 12 children! She discerned a vocation to religious life, which upset the plans to have her married to nobility.

“As time went on, Eugenia felt that God was calling her to found a religious order that would form ‘honest citizens in society and saints in Heaven’. Other young women had also joined her in this effort. On 6 December 1868, when she was 23 years old, she founded the religious congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Canon (later Archbishop) Magnasco had prepared her carefully and she continued, together with the sisters, to teach catechism and to open schools.”

“Thus schools, catechism teaching, associations and oratories arose. Mother Ravasco's educational project was to educate young people and train them in a solid, industrious, open Christian life, so that they could be ‘honest citizens in the midst of society and saints in heaven’; she wanted to educate them in the faith and in reading the facts from a historical-salvific perspective, proposing holiness to them as a life goal.”

Holiness needs to be our life goal! We need to grow in holiness so we can live God’s plan for us. That plan involves loving, serving, and worshiping God and loving and serving each other, and especially those who need our love the most! Bl. Eugenia, pray for us!

December 22--"Bl." Jacopone da Todi, Religious

Bl. Jacopone da Todi by Paolo Uccello licensed under public domain.

There are quotation marks around this “blessed” because he has never been beatified by the Church. However, there have been efforts to bring his cause to the Church by the Franciscans. So who was this “blessed” man? Jacopo dei Benedetti was a lawyer from a minor noble family in Italy during the 13th century. He was married and when his wife was killed in an accident he discovered she was wearing clothing as penance for his sins. He was so mortified that he quit law, gave away his possessions and became a Third Order Franciscan. He acted the fool as a way of sharing his spiritual vision, and was nicknamed Jacopone, or “Crazy Jim”. He once wore a saddle and crawled on all fours. Another time, he appeared at his brother’s wedding tarred and feathered.

But wait, there’s more. He eventually was accepted into the Franciscan Order, despite his previous antics. Instead, his poetry showed the depth of his spirituality. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, his writings became a fount for penance. Jacopone became connected to the Spiritual Franciscans, who were suppressed by the pope. Jacopone wrote satirical verses against those who opposed the Spirituals, including the pope. He was eventually captured, imprisoned, and excommunicated. He accepted prison as penance for his sins, during which time he wrote Stabat Mater:


“At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last:


“Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has pass'd.


“Oh, how sad and sore distress'd
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole-begotten One!”

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
~Amen~
• 
  

December 10--Our Lady of Loreto

The Miracle of the Holy House of Loreto by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo licensed under public domain.

Our Lady of Loreto actually refers to the house in which Mary was born and lived! Tradition holds that it is where she experienced the Annunciation and where the Holy Family dwelled. Veneration of the Sancta Casa, or Holy House, in Nazareth is ancient. However, Loreto is located near the Adriatic Sea northeast of Rome. How, may we ask, did the Holy House get from Nazareth to Italy? This is where the story gets interesting!

According to one story angels carried the house from Galilee to Italy. However, some theorize that this actually refers to a medieval family called the Angelos, which is translated as “angels”. This makes sense in that it appears in Loreto in the late 13th century, around the time of the last of the Crusades. So why is there a feast celebrating a house and why is it called Our Lady of Loreto?

The house is important because it connects with Mary and the Incarnation of Christ. In 1995, St. John Paul II stated in a homily: “The threads of the history of the whole of humankind are tied anew in that house. It is the Shrine of the House of Nazareth, to which the Church that is in Italy is tied by providence, that the latter rediscovers a quickening reminder of the mystery of the Incarnation, thanks to which each man is called to the dignity of the Son of God.”

In 2019, Pope Francis directed this optional memorial to be celebrated and Cardinal Sarah wrote in the declaration: “This celebration will help all people, especially families, youth and religious to imitate the virtues of that perfect disciple of the Gospel, the Virgin Mother, who, in conceiving the Head of the Church also accepted us as her own.” Our Lady of Loreto, pray for us.

December 3--St. Francis Xavier, Priest and Religious

Portrait of St. Francis Xavier by Unknown Artist licensed under public domain.

He was the most famous missionary since St. Paul! He traveled to India, Malaysia, the Maluku Islands, Japan, and China. He converted about 30,000 souls. He evangelized in native languages, adapted to native cultures, and promoted native clergy. He co-founded the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, and was named “Patron of Catholic Missions” by Pope Pius XI. That is quite a résumé for today’s saint, St. Francis Xavier!

Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “St. Francis Xavier … saw as his own mission ‘opening new ways of access’ to the Gospel ‘in the immense Continent of Asia’. His apostolate in the Orient lasted barely 10 years, but in the four and half centuries that the Society of Jesus has existed it has proven wonderfully fruitful, for his example inspired a multitude of missionary vocations among young Jesuits and he remains a reference point for the continuation of missionary activity in the great countries of the Asian Continent.”

Jesus commissioned the Apostles and, through them, us as well: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt. 28:19-20). We do not have to go to India or Japan or China. We just need to go to our families or neighbors or colleagues or friends. They need to see and hear in us that we have something great to share: Jesus loves us and them. The Church welcomes us all into her midst. We just need to repent of our sins and live as the saints Jesus calls us to be. What greater missionary effort is there than to love our neighbors?

November 7--St. Diego of Alcalá, Religious

San Diego de Alcalá by Francisco de Zurbarán licensed under PDM 1.0 DEED.

There are 21 Franciscan missions in California stretching from San Diego to Sonoma, 650 miles north. The first nine were founded by St. Junipero Serra, the first being San Diego de Alcalá, named for today’s saint. St. Diego, also known as St. Didacus, was born about 1400 in the Kingdom of Seville in Spain. He wanted to become a hermit as a child and later applied to the Observant branch of the Franciscans. He became a lay brother, that is, he was not ordained. As a friar he would do various trades as well as preach to the people in the surrounding villages. He was then sent to the Canary Islands as part of a missionary group. He became the head of the Franciscan community on one of the islands, which was unusual for a lay brother. He was filled with zeal and holiness and defended the indigenous people against the colonizers, which led to his return to Spain. He visited Rome in 1450 and served the sick during an epidemic. He returned to Alcalá, Spain, where he spent the rest of his life praying and remaining in solitude. He died on November 12, 1463 and was canonized by Pope Sixtus V in 1588, the first lay brother of the Franciscans to be so honored.

St. Diego sounds like your ordinary run-of-the-mill brother, preaching, praying, serving the poor and sick. He would probably approve of that description. But that is precisely the point of discipleship–prayer, worship, and service–the corporal and spiritual works of mercy! We are all called to be missionary disciples by our Baptism and Confirmation, sharing the love and joy of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are called to holiness in our daily lives by being ambassadors of Christ. St. Diego, pray for us!  Amen!

October 9--St. John Henry Newman, Priest

John Henry Newman, by Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Bt (died 1896), licensed under Public Domain.

“God has created me to do him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission; I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I have a part in a great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.”

St. John Henry Newman was a late-comer to Catholicism. Born in 1801, he became an Anglican priest in 1825 and leader of the Oxford Movement, which tried to move the Church of England closer to Catholicism. Eventually, he saw that he could not be an Anglican and converted to Catholicism in 1845 and ordained a Catholic priest in 1847. He wrote extensively in theology, apologetics, education, and more. He is known today for his teachings on the development of doctrine, which were taken up in Vatican II in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei verbum: ″[T]he understanding of the things and words handed down grows, through the contemplation and study of believers, [...] [which] tends continually towards the fullness of divine truth” (8). He was created cardinal in 1879 without becoming a bishop and died in 1890. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2019.

St. John Henry Newman was a brilliant, humble, and holy man. Saints like him are models for us, so that we may “keep His commandments and serve Him in [our] calling.”

October 6--Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, Virgin and Foundress

 

A painting of Canadian nun Eulalie Durocher, also known by her religious name Marie-Rose Durocher. It replicates an earlier painting by Théophile Hamel licensed under Public Domain.

Pope St. John Paul II beatified today’s saint in 1982, stating: “Marie Rose Durocher acted with simplicity, prudence, humility, and serenity. She refused to be halted by her personal problems of health or the initial difficulties of her newborn work. Her secret lay in prayer and self-forgetfulness, which, according to her bishop, reached the point of real sanctity.” There you have it ladies and gentlemen, the secret to becoming a saint! For Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher died at the age of 38 in Quebec, Canada after living a full, if not healthy or easy, life.

At the age of 18 she tried to enter the convent, but her poor health prevented her from completing her education. Then her mother died and she took over her duties. Then she moved to her brother’s rectory as a housekeeper and secretary. It was there that she noted the lack of Catholic education for the children. In 1841 she heard that the bishop was arranging for an order of teaching sisters to come to Canada and tried to join. However, the plan fell through and instead the bishop asked her to start a teaching order. She agreed and in 1843, with two other women, founded the order of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. By 1849 demand for her girls’ schools had grown so much that she needed four convents and 30 teachers to educate 448 students! In some provinces her order was teaching boys as well. However, she faced conflict and poor health, which led to her death in 1849.

“Simplicity, prudence, humility, and serenity.” As they consecrated Bl. Marie-Rose, these virtues can help us become holy: simplicity instead of worldliness; prudence instead of rashness; humility instead of pride; and serenity instead of anxiety. Bl. Marie-Rose Durocher, pray for us!

September 26--Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs

The Martyrdom of Saints Cosmas and Damian by Fra Angelico licensed under Public Domain.

What if your doctor did not charge you for services rendered because the doctor was Christian? Would that cause you to pay a little more attention to the beliefs? Sts. Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers and physicians who did not charge for their services. By their charity many were attracted to Christianity. They were arrested and martyred during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the third century, who had conducted the most systematic and oppressive persecution of the Roman era. Reports of their martyrdoms spread quickly and they were venerated in both the East and West. They are included in the Roman canon of the Mass: “In communion with those whose memory we venerate, especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, † and blessed Joseph, her Spouse, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs, … Cosmas and Damian and all your Saints; we ask that through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be defended by your protecting help.”

So what can we learn from them? Do we offer our services for free? That does occur in many fields including the legal, financial, and medical professions. The term used for this is pro bono, short for pro bono publico, “for the public good.” That is one thing to gain, but Sts. Cosmas and Damian did not practice medicine for free just for the public good. They offered their services because they were disciples of Christ. We are called to be disciples of Christ in our homes, in our parishes, in our workplaces, and in our communities. Are people attracted to Christianity because of who we are and what we do as disciples? If so, we have won souls to Jesus. If not, why not, pray tell? Sts. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.

September 17--Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin, Abbess, and Doctor of the Church

St. Hildegard, photograph by Bobo Kubrak, licensed under CC0 1.0.

What would a “Renaissance woman” be? Perhaps a woman who was a writer, composer, philosopher, scholar, scientist, healer, consultant to popes and emperors, mystic, visionary, and saint! Perhaps, St. Hildegard of Bingen! She lived from 1098-1179 in Germany. She was placed in the convent at the age of seven after it was discovered that she experienced visions, which were known only to a few. After the abbess died she was unanimously elected the new abbess at the age of 38. “Hildegard's works include three great volumes of visionary theology; a variety of musical compositions for use in the liturgy, as well as the musical morality play Ordo Virtutum; one of the largest bodies of letters (nearly 400) to survive from the Middle Ages, addressed to correspondents ranging from popes to emperors to abbots and abbesses, and including records of many of the sermons she preached in the 1160s and 1170s; two volumes of material on natural medicine and cures; an invented language called the Lingua ignota (‘unknown language’); and various minor works, including a gospel commentary and two works of hagiography.” Finally, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed her a saint and Doctor of the Church in 2012, one of 37. “He called Hildegard ‘perennially relevant’ and ‘an authentic teacher of theology and a profound scholar of natural science and music.’”

St. Hildegard was a “Renaissance woman” and an amazing person in all regards! God raises special people to bring his message to the world. In the Church he sends saints, like St. Hildegard. She wrote, in the voice of God: “I am the breeze that nurtures all things green. I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits. I am the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life.” St. Hildegard, pray for us!

September 15–St. Catherine of Genoa, Holy Woman

Saint Catherine of Genoa painted by artists Inna and Denys Savchenko. Church of St. Catherine, Genoa, Italy. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

What makes a saint a saint? Saints are saints because of their lives and the circumstances they face and the choices they make; and thus, the holiness derived from living their lives and giving their lives to God in love, worship, and service. St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) was a noblewoman who, although attempting to enter a convent at a young age, agreed to marry a man from a rival political family to help bring about peace. However, her husband cheated on her and wasted their money to the point of bankruptcy. She suffered terribly due to this arrangement. Then, in 1473, she experienced the overwhelming love of God in her life, which revealed to her her own sinfulness. She stopped focusing on what she could not do and dedicated her life to what she could do: love, worship, and serve the poor. Her efforts had an impact on her husband Julian, who reformed his ways, and together they served the sick at the Pammatone Hospital in Genoa, the largest charity hospital in Europe. Catherine eventually became manager and treasurer of the hospital and Julian, who had become a Franciscan tertiary, became its religious director.

“After her change of heart, Catherine wrote: ‘Since I began to love, love has never forsaken me. It has ever grown to its own fullness within my innermost heart.’” Each of us has our own worries, difficulties, frustrations, and sufferings which afflict us. That is not what makes us saints! We become saints by how we respond to these trials with the love of Jesus. We each need to be converted each day to Jesus so he may transform us into saints. She also wrote: “We should not wish for anything but what comes to us from moment to moment exercising ourselves nonetheless for good.”

September 4--St. Rose of Viterbo, Virgin

 

The Communion of Saint Rose of Viterbo, by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante

This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.

Which comes first, freedom of speech or freedom of religion? In the United States Constitution, both are enjoined in the First Amendment, with freedom of religion taking first place and freedom of speech taking second. But Pope St. John Paul II wrote in his World Peace Day Message of 1988: “Religious freedom, an essential requirement of the dignity of every person, is a cornerstone of the structure of human rights, and for this reason an irreplaceable factor in the good of individuals and of the whole of society, as well as of the personal fulfillment of each individual. It follows that the freedom of individuals and communities to profess and practice their religion is an essential element for peaceful human coexistence. […] The civil and social right to religious freedom, inasmuch as it touches the most intimate sphere of the spirit, is a point of reference for the other fundamental rights and in some way becomes a measure of them.”

Why is this important for today’s saint? Because St. Rose of Viterbo spoke up to support the rights of religion in her day. She was born in Viterbo, Italy about 1234 and when she was seven preached against the local government when the excommunicated German emperor Frederick II, who was at war with the pope, was accepted by the people in opposition to the pope! St. Rose preached against this so heartily she and her parents were banished. She told her parents that God rewards those who are persecuted for justice’s sake. Later she prophesied the emperor was dying and all would be well. He died shortly after that. She advised: “Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening but sweet and precious.” She died in 1252, at 17.

August 7--St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs

Livre Fresques italiennes de la Renaissance, 1470-1510, de Steffi Röttgen et Antonio Quattrone. Paris : Citadelles & Mazenod, 1997. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.

From the time of St. Peter to the legalization of Christianity by Emperor Constantine I in A.D. 313, 27 of the 31 popes were martyred! That is a rate of 87%. Talk about “most dangerous jobs!” And these were not ordinary executions by today’s standards. The popes were crucified, beheaded, tied to an anchor and tossed into the sea, worked to death, and killed by the sword, to name a few of the methods. And yet these men were willing to be successors to Peter to maintain the leadership of the Church.

Today’s saints were no different! Pope St. Sixtus II was pope from 257-258, being martyred on August 6, less than a year after his election. His companions were deacons of the Church. The most famous deacon at this time, St. Lawrence, was martyred four days later and has his own feast day. Pope St. Sixtus was arrested while saying Mass in the cemetery of St. Callistus under the persecution of the Emperor Valerian and executed. The following epitaph was placed on his tomb by Pope St. Damasus I:

“At the time when the sword pierced the bowels of the Mother, I, buried here, taught as Pastor the Word of God; when suddenly the soldiers rushed in and dragged me from the chair. The faithful offered their necks to the sword, but as soon as the Pastor saw the ones who wished to rob him of the palm (of martyrdom) he was the first to offer himself and his own head, not tolerating that the (pagan) frenzy should harm the others. Christ, who gives recompense, made manifest the Pastor's merit, preserving unharmed the flock.” We owe much to our shepherds. They are willing to undergo suffering for the sake of their sheep. Let us pray for our popes!

August 5--St. Mary Major, Basilica

 

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore licensed under (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Catholic Church honors four church buildings in the liturgical calendar due to their roles as ancient churches in Rome: St. John Lateran, the mother church of the Catholic Church; St. Peter’s, which is above the burial site of St. Peter; St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, which is above the burial site of St. Paul; and St. Mary Major, to honor Mary as the Mother of God. These four churches were the original major basilicas of the Catholic Church. “Basilica” is a title given to a church by the pope to have special privileges due to its history or importance. The reason St. Mary Major has a feast is because it was built immediately after the Council of Ephesus in 431, which declared that Mary was not just the mother of Jesus, or the mother of the Messiah, but the Mother of God. It is the oldest church in the West dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We can see that the understanding of Mary’s role in the Church goes back centuries, even to before the dedication of St. Mary Major. Mary’s role as Mother of God is foundational for God’s divine plan of salvation. We celebrate Mary, the Mother of God; the Annunciation, Mary’s fiat to being the Mother of God; the Immaculate Conception, God’s gift of freedom from Original Sin from the time of her existence; the Assumption of Mary body and soul into Heaven; the Most Holy Name of Mary; the Birth of Mary; the Queenship of Mary; Our Lady of Sorrows; Our Lady of the Rosary; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Our Lady of Lourdes; Our Lady of Fatima; and more! Why? Because she is the Mother of God! She is our Mother! She intercedes for us! She loves us! Thank God for Mary!

July 27–St. Titus Brandsma, Priest, Religious, and Martyr

Sculpture Titus Brandsma by Gerard Mathot, Pieter Bondamplein, Nijmegen, the Netherlands licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

We need martyrs! “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians” according to Tertullian and also to St. John Paul II. The twentieth century was filled with martyrs in Mexico, Spain, Nazi-occupied Europe, Communist-controlled countries, and anti-Catholic dictatorships and governments. This has spilled into the twenty-first century as well. “Martyrs are revered with particular devotion by the People of God who see in them a living portrayal of Christ's Passion.”

Today’s saint was a “witness” (the meaning of the word martyr) to Jesus’ Passion in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Born in 1881, St. Titus Brandsma grew up on a dairy farm and entered the Carmelite order in 1898. He was ordained a priest in 1905, received his doctorate, helped found the Catholic University of Nijmegen, and taught philosophy and history of mysticism there. He also became a journalist, which led to his arrest by the Nazis in 1942. He was hand-delivering a letter from the Dutch bishops to editors of Catholic newspaper editors to prohibit publishing official Nazi documents and was arrested and sent to Dachau where he was killed by an injection of carbolic acid. “In 1985, Pope St. John Paul II declared Titus Blessed, saying that he “‘answered hate with love.’"

We need martyrs to show that Jesus’ sacrifice of love is lived out in the lives and deaths of his faithful ones! We need martyrs to bolster the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ! We need martyrs to convert the hearts of those who oppose, harass, torture, persecute, arrest, unjustly convict, and unjustly imprison and kill! We need martyrs to proclaim the truths of faith, hope, and love in Christ Jesus! We need martyrs to be “a life-giving sap of unity for the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.” St. Titus Brandsma, pray for us.

July 16--Bl. Guadalupe Ortiz, Holy Woman and Member of Opus Dei

 

https://catholicreadings.org/catholic-quotes/blessed-guadalupe-ortiz-de-landazuri-fernandez-de-heredia-saint-of-the-day-july-16/

Is there a conflict between science and religion? Many who believe science can answer every question (scientism) say yes and “that science alone can give us complete and reliable knowledge of reality.” Those who believe religion can give us truths say no because, as Pope St. John Paul II says: “Truth cannot contradict truth.” Truth can be found in both science and religion! Today’s saint is a witness to that truth!

Bl. Guadalupe Ortiz was both a scientist and a member of Opus Dei, a personal prelature composed of priests and laity who “spread the Christian message that every person is called to holiness and that every honest work can be sanctified.” She was born in Spain in 1916 and became a teacher in 1939. She met St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, who admitted her to the movement. She then moved to Mexico to share the message of Opus Dei and began her doctorate. She also helped found a school for girls and a mobile medical clinic for the poor. She then moved to Rome to help St. Josemaría and at the same time worked on a research project, for which she received an award, and completed her doctorate. She died in 1975 after years of heart problems and was declared Blessed in 2019.

Pope Francis wrote for her beatification: “With the joy that came from knowing she was a daughter of God, as she had learned from Saint Josemaría himself, Guadalupe Ortiz placed her many human and spiritual qualities at the service of others, helping in a particular way other women and families in need of education and development. She did all this not with a proselytizing attitude but simply through her prayer and witness.” Science and religion are both true as Bl. Guadalupe Ortiz demonstrated!

July 10--Bl. Faustino Villanueva y Villanueva, Priest and Martyr

http://newsaints.faithweb.com/martyrs/Guatemala.htm

What does it mean to be a martyr? Pope Francis has beatified many martyrs, including those killed during the civil war in Guatemala from 1954-1996. Why were they martyred? The Vatican biography for their beatification states: “From 1980, a systematic persecution against the Church began, overwhelming priests, religious and lay people under the pretext that they were ‘enemies of the state’. … The ten martyrs [of Quiché] … were killed in Guatemala between 1980 and 1991 … for being committed to and protecting the dignity of the poor.”

The following is from a Spanish newspaper article: “Faustino Villanueva was born on February 15, 1931 in Yesa, where his parents were also from. He entered the apostolic school of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, in Valladolid, as a child. He professed in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1956. He went as a volunteer to the mission of Quiché (Guatemala) in 1959, where he remained until his martyrdom, which occurred in the parish office on July 10, 1980, after twenty-one years of fruitful missionary service to the poorest. A month before he died, he wrote to his mother, reiterating his desire to remain in the mission despite the prevailing violence: ‘We cannot leave the people abandoned.’ He died machine-gunned by two young hitmen in the parish office of Joyabaj (El Quiché) on July 10, 1980.

“Those who knew him affirm that ‘he was simply good, evangelical in his non-existent flirtations with power and prestige; so charmingly familiar and unfussy; so clearly biased in favor of the marginalized indigenous, of the favorite downtrodden peasants of the Gospel; of the voiceless.... However, this evangelical Faustino Villanueva was shot mercilessly. And not by mistake. He had long been on a sinister death row list. Guilty of siding with the poor and marginalized.’”

July 4--Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, Holy Man and Third Order Dominican

https://www.usccb.org/topics/youth-and-young-adult-ministries/blessed-pier-giorgio-frassati

Jesus taught the Beatitudes at the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:3-12). Pope St. John Paul II (the Great) called Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati “Man of the Eight Beatitudes.” Frassati lived from 1901-1925 in Turin, Italy. He dedicated himself to helping those in need and would say: "Charity is not enough; we need social reform.”

In his Beatification homily, Pope John Paul stated: “Today’s celebration invites all of us to receive the message which Pier Giorgio Frassati is sending to the men and women of our day, but especially to you young people, who want to make a concrete contribution to the spiritual renewal of our world, which sometimes seems to be falling apart and wasting away because of a lack of ideals. By his example he proclaims that a life lived in Christ’s Spirit, the Spirit of the Beatitudes, is ‘blessed’, and that only the person who becomes a ‘man or woman of the Beatitudes’ can succeed in communicating love and peace to others. He repeats that it is really worth giving up everything to serve the Lord. He testifies that holiness is possible for everyone, and that only the revolution of charity can enkindle the hope of a better future in the hearts of people.”

He inspires us to pray the Prayer for the Courage to be Great:

"Heavenly Father,
Give me the courage to strive for the highest goals,
to flee every temptation to be mediocre.
Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did,
and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness.
Free me from the fear of failure.
I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You.
Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio's intercession,
by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen."

June 25--St. Prosper of Aquitaine, Holy Man and Theologian

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aquit%C3%A1niai_Szent_Prosper.jpg

Can we do good without the grace of God? Or is God’s grace required for us to do any good? This was the heart of the question behind semi-Pelagianism in the fifth century. St. Augustine taught that we can only do good if God gives us grace. St. John Cassian and St. Vincent of Lerins taught that we have free will which allows us to choose good without God’s grace. Augustine’s position led to the problem of double predestination, which taught that God’s grace is irresistible! Cassian’s and Vincent’s position led to the problem of doing good without God! Both issues have significant problems and neither was completely accepted by the Church.

Here is where our saint comes in. Prosper of Aquitaine was a layman from Aquitaine in southwestern France. He was familiar with the arguments of Cassian and Vincent and was able to summarize them to Augustine. This allowed Augustine to respond. After Augustine’s death Prosper interpreted Augustine’s work so that the extremes in his teaching could be avoided, keeping BOTH the necessity of God’s grace in doing good works AND the necessity of humans in freely using the gift of God’s grace to do the good God gives us the grace to do.

The Catholic Church often responds to controversial issues not with an “either/or” response, but with a “BOTH/AND” response. The “BOTH/AND” is nuanced and complete. We are for BOTH the mother AND the unborn child. We are BOTH pro-life AND pro-justice and peace. We are for BOTH the freedom of choice AND the truth of the good. We are BOTH body AND soul. Jesus is BOTH God AND man. We are BOTH saved AND praying for final perseverance. We are BOTH citizens of Heaven AND residents of Earth. St. Prosper, pray for us!

June 23--St. Joseph Cafasso, Priest

Enrico Reffo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the corporal works of mercy is “visit the imprisoned.” Many of us don’t get that chance very often, if at all. Today’s saint not only had that chance, he made it one of his primary ministries. St. Joseph Cafasso lived from 1811-1860 in Turin, Italy. Ordained in 1833 he became a popular lecturer in moral theology, helping people to avoid scrupulosity and the error of believing venial sins are as bad as mortal sins. He was popular as a confessor. He also became a friend and advisor to St. John Bosco.

But it was through his work with prisoners condemned to death that showed his effectiveness in converting sinners. He accompanied sixty condemned men to their executions, considering these men as “hanged saints”. He was called “Priest of the Gallows” for his ministry. One story tells of how he led forty-five hardened criminals to confession by confronting the biggest and strongest by grabbing his beard. If the prisoner had wished he could have easily overcome the small and frail priest disabled by curvature of the spine. Instead, he allowed himself to be led by the saint, by the beard, to a corner where Fr. Cafasso prepared him for and heard his confession. The huge man was so overcome that, “He told [his fellow prisoners] he had never been so happy in his life. And his experience persuaded them all to go to confession.”

We may not be priests and we may not be in prison ministry, but we can pray for those who are. The United States has the sixth highest incarceration rate in the world with 531 per 100,000 people in jail or prison. More than likely we may know of someone who has been or is currently incarcerated. We can pray for them as well!

Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost--Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

https://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/prayer-immaculate-heart-mary/

Prayer to Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially those so deep in our heart.

We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever.
Amen.

This prayer, found at the Discerning Hearts website, reminds us of the love God has for us; he gives us a mother so loving and pure, that we can go to him through her.  Mary leads us to Jesus, who shows us the Father.  Mary was with Jesus throughout his life.  She prompted his first miracle, the changing of water to wine at Cana for the benefit of the couple.  She was at his feet when he was crucified, suffering as only a mother can for a beloved son.  She was in the Upper Room with the disciples at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them.  She was the first and best disciple of Christ.  

She is our mother and she wants us to know and love her beloved Son that he may make us beloved sons and daughters of the Father, his true friends and holy disciples, and worthy temples of the Holy Spirit.  We ask for her intercession, especially through her Immaculate Heart, so we may be drawn up in love for God and for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

First Sunday after Pentecost--Trinity Sunday

Photo of Prayer Card of the Holy Trinity licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pentecost signals the end of the Easter Season. But there are more solemnities that occur throughout Ordinary Time; the first of these is Trinity Sunday. The Trinity is the most fundamental dogma of the Church because it is about God. The Church in the fourth-seventh centuries dealt with the Arian Heresy, which stated that Jesus was not the same substance as the Father, in other words, Jesus was not God. This resulted in much tribulation in the Church. St. Jerome once wrote: “The whole world groaned, and was astonished to find itself Arian.” The Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 and the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381 brought forth the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, which is recited at every Sunday Mass. This contained the key word, homoousios, which is translated into English as “consubstantial.” God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three persons in one God, a “triunity.”

The great defender of orthodoxy, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, taught: “We acknowledge the Trinity, holy and perfect, to consist of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  In this Trinity there is no intrusion of any alien element or of anything outside, nor is the Trinity a blend of creative and created being. It is a wholly creative and energizing reality, self-consistent and undivided in its active power, for the Father makes all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit, and in this way the unity of the holy Trinity is preserved.”

At every Mass we have the great doxology before the Great Amen: “Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours almighty Father, forever and ever Amen.” We are united in our faith in God, who created us and saves us.

 

April 16--Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy. Painting in Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Vilnius byEugeniusz Kazimirowski licensed under CC0.

"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy Mercy. Amen." (Fatima Prayer)

This message of mercy was also given to St. Faustina Kowalska by Jesus himself on the night of Sunday, February 22, 1931: "Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: 'Jesus, I trust in You' (in Polish: 'Jezu, ufam Tobie'). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish" (Notebook I, Items 47 and 48).

Pope St. John Paul II promoted this devotion and, on the canonization of St. Faustina in 2000, promulgated the celebration of the Sunday of the Divine Mercy to be celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter. On Divine Mercy Sunday in 2001 Pope St. John Paul stated: "Jesus said to St. Faustina one day: 'Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy'. Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity."

We are blessed to have this devotion to turn us to God's Divine Mercy. He wants us to turn from our sins and, like a loving father, throw his arms around us to shelter us in his forgiving love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). Pope Francis declared an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016 to emphasize God's merciful love. We are also called to be merciful: "Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful" (Lk. 6:36).

April 9, 2023--Easter Sunday

 

https://www.wallpaperflare.com/easter-easter-sunday-cross-holiday-christian-text-communication-wallpaper-gebom

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!

Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!

Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!

Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!

Unto Christ, our heavenly king, Alleluia!

Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!

Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!

Our salvation have procured; Alleluia!

Now above the sky he's king, Alleluia!

Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!

Praise eternal as his love; Alleluia!

Praise him, all you heavenly host, Alleluia!

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!

This is the day we have been waiting for, the day of our salvation verified! Jesus rose from the grave! He conquered death! He lives again, no more to die! Jesus invites us to live with him forever! All we have to do is accept the invitation! His proclamation of salvation is simple: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15).

After he fully suffered for us and sacrificed his life for our sake, he rose from the dead. If we are waiting for a sign from God, THIS IS IT! This means that our lives have meaning within the context of God's everlasting love for us. We are now called to live each day anew as the dawn of our salvation. We are now called to live as Jesus taught us. We are now called to see Jesus in our neighbor, our colleague, our family, our brother who is begging on the corner, our sister who is raising her children without their father, our son who is in prison, our daughter who is on the street. We are now called to love AS JESUS LOVED US.

April 4--St. Benedict the African, Religious

St. Benedict of Palermo attributed to Juan Pascual de Mena, photograph by Maia C licensed under 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

St. Benedict the African, also known as Benedetto Manasseri, was born in Messina, Sicily, Italy in 1526 to slaves brought from Africa who converted to Catholicism.  He was freed and worked as a shepherd and farmer.  At the age of 21 he was publicly insulted due to his skin color and he did not respond in kind.  Because of this, he was invited to join a group of hermits living the Rule of St. Francis of Assisi.  He served as a cook for the community and at age 28 became leader of the group.  At age 38 Pope Pius VI disbanded hermit groups and encouraged the members to join the Order of St. Francis.  St. Benedict became a lay brother to a group in Palermo, Sicily.  He started there as a cook and then became Master of Novices and Guardian of the Community even though he never became a priest.  He taught the Scriptures and had healing abilities, which attracted visitors to the monastery.  After his time as leader, he went back to being cook.  He died in 1589.

"Benedict is remembered for his patience and understanding when confronted with racial prejudice and taunts. He was declared a patron saint of African Americans,along with the Dominican lay brother, [St.] Martin de Porres. In the United States, at least seven historically Black Catholic parishes bear his name, including" St. Benedict the Moor Church in Omaha, Nebraska.

Injustice needs to be confronted in all its manifestations.  This is especially true for America with its history of slavery, racism, and lynchings!  However, St. Benedict showed heroism, as did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by not responding to insult with violence.  He turned the other cheek, not as a victim, but as a witness to the love of Jesus.  St. Benedict, pray for us.

March 30--St. John Climacus, Abbot

 

Novogrod school - scan from "Muzeum Rosyjskie w Leningradzie", Arkady, Warszawa 1986, ISBN 83-213-3348-6

Today's saint is so named because of his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which in Greek is
Climacus. Using the symbol of Jacob's ladder, he writes of how to grow in holiness by asceticism, or physical self-denial. He has thirty rungs, or steps, in his ladder on helping monks grow in holiness with such titles as "On that clamorous mistress, the stomach," and "On detachment," and "On holy and blessed prayer, the mother of virtues, and on the attitude of mind and body in prayer." It became popular and is read by Eastern Catholics, especially during Great Lent.

St. John Climacus was born in the 6th century and died in March of 649 at Mt. Sinai. He was from Palestine and became a monk, living a life of solitude and prayer. At age seventy he was elected abbot of the monastery at Mt. Sinai and died about four years later. According to him, the goal of life as a monk was to reach a state of "passive disinterestedness in earthly life so as to anticipate the wonders of heaven."

He writes in "On Detachment": "The man who really loves the Lord, who has made a real effort to find the coming Kingdom, who has really begun to be troubled by his sins, who is really mindful of eternal torment and judgment, who really lives in fear of his own departure, will not love, care or worry about money, or possessions, or parents, or worldly glory, or friends, or brothers, or anything at all on earth. But having shaken off all ties with earthly things ... he will follow Christ without anxiety or hesitation, always looking heavenward and expecting help from there...." With St. John's prayers and God's grace we can also ascend to God as we prepare for Easter!

March 20--St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, Bishop, Missionary, and Monk

Cuthbert discovers piece of timber - Life of St. Cuthbert (late 12th C), f.45v - BL Yates Thompson MS 26.jpg licensed under CC0 1.0.

The title for today's saint says it all: Bishop, Missionary, and Monk. St. Cuthbert was an Anglo-Saxon in the 7th century, shortly after the re-Christianization of Britain by St. Augustine of Canterbury. He lived in Northumbria, which was a kingdom in the north of England before England became a state. He became a monk, but also roamed the countryside and spent time among the people, ministering to them, preaching, working miracles, and carrying out missionary journeys. He was noted for his holiness, care, asceticism, and generosity to the poor. He was also famous for his gift of healing, so much so, he was named "Wonder Worker of Britain". He eventually retired to be a hermit, but was elected bishop, although he died in 687, two years after his election.

As a bishop, missionary priest, and monk, St. Cuthbert lived the major vocations of the Church at his time. He brought people to God, prayed for them, and guided them as their shepherd. Bishops have great responsibility to their flocks because they need to be faithful and true teachers of the faith of the Church; they need to be priests and dispensers of the sacraments, which give us opportunities to grow in holiness; and they need to be servants to the position they hold, properly overseeing the goods of the community entrusted to them. Missionaries have the great task of bringing God to new people, who don't know Jesus or his community of love. They face the difficulties of calling people to repentance and conversion. Monks have the joy of leading lives of prayerful contemplation of God, offering their prayers for the sake of the salvation of souls and reparation for sins. Let us join St. Cuthbert in bringing our brothers and sisters back to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

March 10--St. John Ogilvie, Martyr, Priest, and Religious

St. John Ogilvie by Lawrence OP licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Is a person a martyr if charged with treason? Jesus was crucified on a political charge, as was today's saint. St. John Ogilvie was the eldest son of a Calvinist Scottish landowner. He was born in 1580 and educated as a Calvinist. He was then sent to the continent and educated by various Catholic groups including the Benedictines and Jesuits. He became Catholic in 1597, a Jesuit two years later, and a priest in 1610. He requested to be sent to Scotland as a missionary, which was illegal. He received permission and went there in 1613. He preached and celebrated Mass in private homes, but in 1614 was betrayed, arrested, and tried. He was tried for refusing to pledge allegiance to King James. After his conviction he was hanged and drawn. He was canonized in 1976.

So, back to the first question. The answer is yes. A person is declared a martyr in the Church if killed due to odium fidei, or hatred of the faith. St. John Ogilvie was killed because it was illegal to practice Catholicism in Scotland. Jesus was arrested and brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, under the charge of treason: "Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Jesus said, 'You say so.'" (Mt. 27:11) In both cases, a political charge was used to complete a religious act, martyrdom and crucifixion.

Will the practice of Catholicism in America be declared in opposition to the state? Will our faith be considered subversive if we oppose the popular will? Will it be a prohibited political act to oppose physician-assisted suicide, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, or physical mutilation for the sake of self-identity? If so, be prepared for martyrdom and new saints. St. John Ogilvie, pray for us.

February 26--St. Alexander of Alexandria, Bishop

 

Alexander of Alexandria, saint patriarch (313-326) by Dedek Crescens Lajos licensed under (CC BY-SA 3.0)

How do bad ideas get started?  They could be misinterpretations or innovations or contradictions or attempted reforms.  But they have to come from somewhere!  One of the most divisive ideas in Church history was the idea that Jesus was NOT God, but merely a creature of God.  This was the Arian heresy of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries; four hundred years of error that greatly afflicted the Church.

Our saint, St. Alexander of Alexandria, was the man who, at the very beginning, tried to stop Arius from spreading his heresy.  First, he tried to persuade Arius, then tried to correct him, and then called a synod to condemn him.  Arius took refuge with other bishops who agreed with him, which led to schism.  St. Alexander wrote letters explaining orthodox teaching and countering Arius's errors.  It finally got to the point where the emperor, Constantine I, intervened and recommended the calling of a general council at Nicea in 325.  St. Alexander, along with his deacon, St. Athanasius, was the leader of those who stood up for the faith of the Church.  The Council of Nicea gave us the Nicene Creed and the dogmatic declaration that Jesus is "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made."

So, how do bad ideas get started?  By focusing on only one aspect of a truth and ignoring the fullness of the truth.  Arius wanted to focus on the oneness of God, which is true.  But he ignored how God is also three persons.  We have the same problem today when Catholics want to speak of inclusion of all.  Inclusion can be a good thing if those we include accept the true faith!  If not, we cannot.

Ash Wednesday--The Beginning of Lent

"Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return." We get ashes on our foreheads, in our eyes, and on our clothes! Furthermore, we don't wash it off all day! Sounds kind of creepy! So why do we do it? Ashes are an ancient symbol of mourning and repentance. In the Bible, we hear it used, along with sackcloth, which is like burlap, as a means of appealing to God for forgiveness.

In the Book of Jonah, Jonah reluctantly preaches to the Ninevites, his hated enemy: "'Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,' the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes" (Jon. 3:4-6).

Thus, it became the custom to use sackcloth and ashes as an outward sign of inward repentance. For us today it is a sacramental, which calls us to remember our sins that we may repent and be reconciled to God. We are also called to remember that we are mortal, that this world is not the end-all and be-all of our existence. Our lives on earth are meant to cultivate friendship with God that we may return to him at our deaths.

The gospel on Ash Wednesday calls us to a deeper relationship by pointing out that we need to go beyond the wearing of ashes: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father" (Mt. 6:1). This means we need to wear ashes ON OUR HEARTS as well! Thus, another formula for receiving ashes is, "Repent and believe in the gospel."

February 15--St. Claude la Colombière, S.J., Priest and Religious

Saint Claude La Colombière priant le Sacré-Cœur de Jésus by Octave 444 licensed under CC by-SA4.0

"Death by a thousand paper cuts!"  Today's saint was familiar with how we can be cut to ribbons by the little things.  St. Claude la Colombière was a Jesuit priest from France in the 17th century.  At the time, the Catholic Church was fighting Jansenism, which taught that we did not have free will.  This is patently false because God gives us free will as a part of our human nature.  We can freely choose what God wants:  "God's free initiative demands man's free response" (CCC, 2002).  So therefore, we can freely overcome the cuts and little things that annoy us by responding to God's grace.

He wrote:  "All our life is sown with tiny thorns that produce in our hearts a thousand involuntary movements of hatred, envy, fear, impatience, a thousand little fleeting disappointments, a thousand slight worries, a thousand disturbances that momentarily alter our peace of soul.  For example, a word escapes that should not have been spoken.  Or someone utters another that offends us.  A child inconveniences you.  A bore stops you.  You don't like the weather.  Our work is not going according to plan.  A piece of furniture is broken.  A dress is torn.  I know that these are not occasions for practicing very heroic virtue.  But they would definitely be enough to acquire it if we really wished to."

How often do we lose our temper over little things?  St. Claude teaches that these little things are great opportunities.  It takes time to develop the virtues of patience and humility.  God provides us with time.  He allows us to endure the little cuts to bring us closer to him.  "Far from allowing us to be depressed at the sight of our faults, it strengthens us in the idea of the infinite goodness of our Creator."

January 30--St. Balthild, Holy Woman

St. Balthild in Chronicle of St. Denis, British Library public domain

Two grave sins that have plagued America are slavery/racism and abortion/infanticide.  But these sins are not unique to America or to our time.  Nonetheless, Christianity has sought to eliminate both these plagues on humanity.  Today's saint is one who dedicated her power to do so!

St. Balthild (or Bathildis) was a slave herself, an Anglo-Saxon from Britain sold to a court official of the the Frankish king, Clovis II, in the seventh century.  Clovis was impressed by her intelligence and skills and married her.  She beame famous for her service to others and her donations.  Two abbeys were founded due to her gifts.  She bore Clovis three sons, all of whom succeeded him as kings.  When Clovis died, she became queen regent and guided the affairs of state.  Here is where her faith became critical in helping her people come closer to God.

According to her biography:  "She ... ordained that yet another evil custom should cease, namely, that many people determined to kill their children rather than nurture them, for they feared to incur the public [taxes] that were heaped upon them by custom...."  Furthermore, "she prohibited the sale of captive Christian folk to outsiders and gave orders through all the lands that no one was to sell captive Christians within the borders of the Frankish realm.  What is more, she ordered that many captives should be ransomed, paying the price herself."

Some might say, "Not enough!"  But the point is she did what she could do!  Do we?  Do we continue to promote life for the unborn?  Do we work to eliminate racism in our society?  These are NOT contradictory efforts!  God has given us dignity by virtue of creating us in his image and likeness.  That dignity belongs to all of us, no matter what our status, location, abilities, or development!  St. Balthild, pray for us!