September 16--St. Cyprian of Carthange, Bishop and Martyr

 

Mosaic of Saint Cyprian of Carthage from Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, CC 4.0.

Galerius Maximus: "Are you Thascius Cyprianus?"
Cyprian: "I am."
Galerius: "The most sacred Emperors have commanded you to conform to the Roman rites."
Cyprian: "I refuse."
Galerius: "Take heed for yourself."
Cyprian: "Do as you are bid; in so clear a case I may not take heed."
Galerius: "You have long lived an irreligious life, and have drawn together a number of men bound by an unlawful association, and professed yourself an open enemy to the gods and the religion of Rome; and the pious, most sacred and august Emperors ... have endeavoured in vain to bring you back to conformity with their religious observances; whereas therefore you have been apprehended as principal and ringleader in these infamous crimes, you shall be made an example to those whom you have wickedly associated with you; the authority of law shall be ratified in your blood. It is the sentence of this court that Thascius Cyprianus be executed with the sword." 

Cyprian: "Thanks be to God."

Thus, the trial and sentencing of St. Cyprian of Carthage in A.D. 258 under Emperor Valerian. He had survived the Decian persecution eight years earlier by going into hiding. However, many had criticized him for that. He explained that he needed to be pastor for his flock, whereas in the latter persecution he explained that he needed to be an example. In between, when the persecution had been relaxed, many who had lapsed from the faith in fear of martyrdom desired to return to the fold. St. Cyprian approved, but only after an appropriate public penance. He was opposed by those who wanted no penance and those who wanted no readmission! Pope St. Cornelius, whose feast day Cyprian shares, agreed with him. Reconciliation is a necessary sacrament for us as well! St. Cyprian, pray for us.

July 15--Bl. Anne-Marie Javouhey, Religious and Foundress

 

Bl. Anne-Marie Javouhey

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” We have all heard this aphorism many times in our lives. It speaks to the virtue of perseverance, which “signifies the steadfast pursuit of a goal despite facing obstacles, delays, or difficulties” and is a strength in the virtue category of courage. This is perhaps the single most important characteristic of today’s saint, Bl. Anne-Marie Javouhey.

Born in France in 1779 just before the French Revolution, she dedicated her life to care for children of all races. In 1801 she and her three natural sisters ran a school for poor children and “during the next decade she ran two day schools and an orphanage.” For many, that would be enough, but not for her. In 1812 she founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny. From these beginnings she expanded her ministry to missionary work in the French Caribbean and African colonies, including Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and French Guiana. At the request of the French government she prepared six hundred slaves for emancipation in French Guiana. “As each family was ready to be freed, Mother Javouhey arranged for them to have money, some land, and a cottage." She also faced and overcame episcopal opposition, including prohibition of reception of the sacraments for two years.

The motto she gave her sisters illustrated her entire mission: The Holy Will of God. She said, “I am in God’s hands, ready to do God’s Will as soon as it is revealed to me.” Thus she can guide us according to Jesus’ own words for us as we pray to the Father: “Thy will be done.” To do God’s will is our bread, our life, and our calling to holiness. She died in 1851 and was beatified in 1950. Bl. Anne-Marie Javouhey, pray for us!

February 8--St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin

 

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Slavery has been outlawed in the United Sates since the 13th amendment was ratified in 1865.  It was abolished in 1888 in Brazil and in 1926 by the League of Nations.  In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the article:  "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."

So what does this have to do with today's saint?  She was a slave.  Bakhita, which means "fortunate", was born about 1869 in southern Sudan, kidnapped at the age of seven, and sold several times as a slave.  In 1883 she was sold to the Italian consul in Sudan and two years later "given" to his friend from Italy.  She then became a babysitter  to the friend's daughter, joining the Church in 1890, taking the name Josephine.  When the friend wanted to take his daughter and Josephine back to Africa, Josephine refused, and the case went to court.  The Patriarch of Venice and the Canossian sisters intervened and the judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, Josephine had been free since 1885!  She joined the Canossian Sisters in 1893 and remained with them as a gatekeeper for a compound that included a kindergarten, orphanage, recreational center, and school until her death in 1947.

St. Josephine Bakhita had many owners, but only one Master.  She wrote, "Seeing the sun, the moon, and the stars, I said to myself: who could be the Master of these beautiful things?  And I felt a real desire to see hi, to know him and to pay him homage."  God is our master, but one who has set us completely free by saving us from sin through Jesus Christ.  We are blessed beyond all telling!

*https://nunspeak.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/bakhita-01.jpg

August 27: St. Monica, Holy Woman

What do you do when your child rejects the faith of the Church? Perhaps you cry. Perhaps you pray. Perhaps you appeal to your child of the goodness of the faith. Perhaps you remain faithful and continue to love your child no matter what. Perhaps you do all of these. You would be in good company. 

St. Monica’s son rejected the faith that he was raised in. He wasn’t baptized as an infant and so did not have the sacramental grace that goes with baptism. Nonetheless, St. Monica persevered through tears, prayer, appeals, and love. “She implored the local bishop for help in winning him over, and he counseled her to be patient, saying, ‘God's time will come.’ Monica persisted in importuning him, and the bishop uttered the words which have often been quoted: ‘Go now, I beg you; it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.’” When her son left home for his career, she followed him, even though he tricked her as to when he was leaving so she couldn’t go with him. Eventually she found him in his new city where she spoke to the bishop. Her son? St. Augustine. The bishop? St. Ambrose.

In America today, the largest religious group are Catholics. If organized as a group, former Catholics would be the second largest. The Catholic Church is losing her youth. We need to remember that raising our children Catholic is a responsibility we agreed to at their baptism. We also need to remember that our society is against our teachings in many ways. Our children are being seduced by a false understanding of autonomy, truth, and rights. We must follow in St. Monica’s footsteps by praying and living our faith.