December 24--Saints Adam and Eve, First Parents

Adam and Eve with Promise of Mary

Are the two people who brought evil to humanity considered saints of the Church? Even though they are not in the official Catholic Martyrology, they are accepted as being in Heaven. But let’s first consider their place in salvation history. First, they disobeyed God and brought about Original Sin and its consequences of concupiscence, sin, suffering, and death! Second, they lost original justice and original holiness, keeping us from benefiting from these graces. However, they also are the progenitors of humanity, from whom the Son of God is descended in his human nature. And, finally, they are the first holders of the covenant that God made with humanity in order to bring about our salvation!

Genesis 3:15 states the curse of God upon the serpent who tempted our parents:

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
They will strike at your head,
while you strike at their heel.

This is the protoevangelium, the first proclamation of the Good News of God’s gift of salvation! Here God states that Original Sin is not the final word. The final Word is Jesus Christ! Thus we can proclaim, “O happy fault! O truly necessary sin of Adam, that won for us so great a Redeemer!” We have Adam and Eve in the Old Testament and the New Adam and the New Eve, Jesus and Mary, in the New Testament. Even so, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception includes this passage from Genesis as the first reading!

Even though Adam and Eve are not thought of as official saints of the Catholic Church, there has been honor given to them throughout history. As well, the Eastern Orthodox Churches honor them. We can pray to them for their intercession. Saints Adam and Eve, pray for us!

December 20–Sts. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Patriarchs

Icon of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by Legacy Icons.

We don’t normally think of Old Testament figures as saints, but they are! When Jesus was crucified and died he descended into “hell” but not the hell of the damned, rather, the abode of the dead, also known as Hades in Greek and Sheol in Hebrew. There those who awaited the Resurrection were in, what is called, the bosom of Abraham. If we remember the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31), Jesus tells of Lazarus resting with Abraham, who is clearly seen as being in a place of comfort and rest. “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell” (CCC, 633).

Thus, Abraham, our father in faith, Isaac, the son of promise, and Jacob, who is called Israel, “one who contended with God,” were delivered from the abode of the dead and are now living in Heaven. These patriarchs, along with their wives, the matriarchs Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel, brought forth a new people, the nation of Israel, who became the people of the covenant under Moses. Then a new covenant was established with David, which promised a Messiah with an everlasting kingship from his house. Further, a final covenant was promised through the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, which would bring about everlasting peace and salvation through Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In this season of Advent it’s worthwhile to remember our spiritual ancestors who prepared the way of the Lord. Let us learn from their faith, hope, and love. Let us imitate their perseverance, resilience, and fortitude. Let us go forth sharing the joy of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Saints Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel, pray for us!

December 12--Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn

With Dobbs v. Jackson in 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned. We rejoice that such a terrible decision has been overruled. However, many see the Dobbs decision as an attack on women and their “rights”. To that end there have been attempts to replace Roe with greater opportunities for abortion throughout the country. South Dakota, Florida, and Nebraska have rejected those attempts, thank God. But others have not.

This is where our Saint is so needed! Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe, is the Patroness of the Unborn. She spoke to St. Juan Diego Cuahtlatoatzin as the Mother of the unborn Son of God in 1531. We pray for her intercession so that we can foster love and acceptance for the unborn, who are not burdens or problems to be fixed, but children of God! Mary is our mother. We pray for everyone: the unborn, for life and love; the mother of the unborn, for hope and courage; for the abortionist, for repentance and conversion; for our society, for perseverance and justice.


Virgin of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome from God
the priceless gift of their child’s life.

Console parents who have lost that gift
through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.

Teach us to cherish
and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.

Guide our public officials
to defend each and every human life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.

We ask this in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen. (USCCB)

December 4--St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor

St. John Damascene, Wikimedia Commons

Is it lawful to make images of God? It would seem that it isn’t. The second commandment in Exodus says: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them” (Ex. 20:4-5a). That is it! Or is it? The making of images of God, Mary, and the saints was condemned in the 8th century by the Byzantine Emperor Leo III.

This is where our saint comes into the story. St. John Damascene (born about AD 675, died AD 749) was a Catholic priest and monk in a monastery near Jerusalem, which had been conquered by the Muslims. Upon hearing of the prohibition of venerating images, or iconoclasm, he denounced the heresy: “Some criticize us for honoring images of our Saviour, our Lady, and other saints, let them remember that in the beginning God created us after his own image. On what grounds then do we show reverence to each other unless because we are made after God’s image?... But when God became man for our salvation, many people saw the things that he did. He lived among us, worked miracles, suffered, was crucified, roe again and was taken back to heaven. … But for the sake of those who were illiterate, the Fathers permitted the depiction of these events in images as concise memorials. Thus when we see the crucifix, we remember Christ’s saving passion. We fall down to worship not the piece of wood, but the One who is imaged, Christ crucified.”

We do not worship idols, we venerate images because they bring us to God! We, the created, adore God, the uncreated! St. John Damascene, pray for us!

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?

December 31--St. Sylvester I, Pope

 

San Silvestro by User:RicciSpeziari licensed under CC by-SA 3.0.

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).  This famous saying seems to indicate that whoever gives has the ability to remove what was given.  If that is so, then how does the Catholic Church exist, except by the allowance of the state?  It's a fair question that had to be dealt with by today's saint, Pope St. Sylvester I (AD 314-335).  Emperor Constantine I granted the Church the right to freedom of religion in the 313 Edict of Milan.  This was a great gift to the Church because now it could exist without fear of off-and-on persecution; it could preach and influence the populace so as to win disciples to Christ; and it had the backing of the emperor, who remained in power for over 30 years.

So how did St. Sylvester I deal with this strong and benevolent ruler?  We don't know!  There is not a lot of knowledge of St. Sylvester's rule, except by inference.  We know he was pope at the same time as Constantine was emperor.  We know that he approved of the decisions of the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, called by that same emperor.  We know that the emperor donated buildings, land, and privileges to the Church.  Yet, we know that the Church did not become the tool and "yes-man" of the emperor.  That means that St. Sylvester must have been wise and skilled in diplomacy.  That doesn't mean that Constantine didn't try to use the Church to further his imperial ambitions.  He did.  But the Church remained the Church and not a department of state.  St. Sylvester I can guide us in the virtue of prudence so we can bring about God's will in the face of strong, and sometimes, oppositional, forces.

December 23--St. John of Kanty, Priest and Professor

 

COLLEGIUM MAIUS W KRAKOWIE, fot. S. Woźniak (MIK, 2015) by mik Krakow under license CC BY-SA2.0

Superman's secret identity and alter-ego was Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet.  Superman got all the praise, while Clark just wrote news stories.  Well, today's saint is like both Superman and Clark Kent, but without having a secret identity or alter-ego.  

St. John of Kanty was a priest and professor of theology in Kraków, Poland in the 15th century.  He taught Sacred Scripture and was director of the theology department of the university he graduated from, which eventually became the Jagiellonian University, where St. John Paul II studied.  He would spend hours copying manuscripts on Scriptures, theology, and even physics!  He was mild-mannered in every way, thus a Clark Kent.

But he was also holy!  He was well known for his kindness, compassion, and humility, especially towards the poor and his students.  Thus, he was a model for others, a Superman, or as we call him, a SAINT!  He died on December 24, 1473, at the age of 83.  He is patron of Poland and Lithuania.

St. John of Kanty was precisely what Clark Kent/Superman was, a hero who lived an everyday, normal kind of life.  There are heroes/saints among us today; men and women who live lives of faith, hope, and charity in the events of everyday, normal life.  Who could they be?  

They could be members of your family who love, serve, and are good and kind.  They could be people we meet in the grocery store who are trying to find food to feed their families or supplies to keep their homes clean.  They could be people in the mall who are trying to find a gift as an expression of joy in knowing another child of God.  What better saint could we have this Christmas season?  St. John of Kanty, pray for us.

December 11-St. Damasus I, Pope

Alekjds, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

He was pope, but he was opposed by a faction who elected another man pope, an anti-pope, which resulted in factional violence.  He was accused of murder and adultery, but eventually cleared himself in both civil court and a Church synod.  These are not particularly auspicious events in the life of a pope!

St. Damasus I, pope from A.D. 366-384, lived in the time of the Church when it was no longer officially persecuted.  Emperor Constantine I signed the Edict of Milan in A.D. 315, which allowed freedom of religion, thus finally legalizing Christianity.  The Catholic Church then enjoyed the privileges of peace!  During his papacy, the Catholic Church was named the state religion of the Roman Empire by Emperor Theodosius I in 380.  So, it fell to St. Damasus to make sure that the Catholic Church did not fall into error, condemning numerous heresies, especially Arianism, which taught that Jesus was not God!  He also commissioned St. Jerome, his personal secretary, to write an updated translation of the Bible into Latin, called the Vulgate.  He also called the Council of Rome in 382 to codify the official canon of Sacred Scripture, which was identical to that declared as dogma at the Council of Trent in the 16th century.

St. Damasus was quite a busy man, with controversies, successes, and setbacks.  How does his life reflect on today's situation?  One, popes are not universally liked.  Two, popes are not always appreciated for what they do and sometimes opposed.  Three, popes are given to us by God to do the hard work of shepherding Jesus' flock, which can be quite difficult.  Four, popes deserve our respect and prayers regardless of their popularity or ability to persuade us of God's ways for us.  May God give us holy men to shepherd us.

December 7--St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

 

St. Ambrose of Milan by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

He initially refused the position of bishop, faced down an emperor, comforted a mother in her sorrows, and baptized the greatest philosopher of the first millennium.  Who is he?  None other than St. Ambrose of Milan, who became one of the first Doctors of the Church.  When the position of bishop opened in Milan in A.D. 374 he was serving as governor of the province.  He was not a baptized Christian, but the people acclaimed him bishop anyway, whereupon he ran away to hide.  Once, the emperor heard about the election, he affirmed it and Ambrose accepted, being baptize and ordained within the week.

However, once he became bishop, he invested his whole life into serving the people, correcting the heresy of Arianism, teaching orthodox theology in great homilies, and guiding the liturgy of Milan, which is called the Ambrosian Rite and still used today.  He confronted Emperor Theodosius in 390 after the emperor allowed/ordered the massacre of citizens of Thessalonica.  St. Ambrose required the emperor to do penance before he could receive the Eucharist.  Theodosius did so.  According to legend, he also comforted St. Monica when she came to him in tears:  "The child of those tears shall never perish."  That child was St. Augustine, who came to Milan to listen to St. Ambrose's sermons.  They gave him the intellectual grounding he needed to convert to Christianity, with St. Ambrose baptizing him.

St. Ambrose responded to God's call by giving his life over to God.  We, too, are called to give our lives to God.  We are called live our lives as disciples of Jesus:  loving, witnessing, serving, praying, worshiping, and working to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth in our families, jobs, and associations.  We are called to the greatness of holiness!

December 26--St. Stephen, Deacon and First Martyr

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On the first day of Christmas, we receive the gift of the birth of Jesus, the source of all salvation. On the second day of Christmas, we have the feast of the first martyr, St. Stephen. What we know of St. Stephen comes to us directly from the Acts of the Apostles. He was chosen as one of the seven deacons, who then served the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. But there is more to the story of St. Stephen.

He came to the attention of the Sanhedrin. He then explained the history of Israel to them and told them how Jesus fulfilled all that had been prophesied. “When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and when he said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:54-60). 

The feast of St. Stephen is immediately after Christmas to show us what discipleship truly means, the sacrifice of oneself in love of God for others, namely, martyrdom. May every day remind us of our call to discipleship. St. Stephen, pray for us.

* https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/St_stephen.jpg  Jacopo & Domenico Tintoretto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
 

December 23--St. John of Kanty, Priest

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It’s Christmas! Let’s celebrate! Wait, we have two days left and today’s a saint’s feast day! But why is there a feast day right before Christmas? Let’s look at the saint and find out. Our saint is St. John of Kanty, also known as St. John Cantius, a priest, philosopher, physicist, and theologian. He was born in 1390 in Kanty, Poland, became a priest and then a professor of theology at his alma mater at what would later be called the Jagiellonian University, where St. John Paul II graduated. As a physicist, he helped develop a theory of falling objects. He made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Rome. He died on December 24, 1473 at the age of 83. This doesn’t speak a whole lot to sainthood! 

But wait, there’s more. Sainthood is based on holiness, not on achievement! St. John Cantius became “well known in the city for his generosity and compassion toward the poor, especially needy students at the university. He subsisted on what was strictly necessary to sustain his life, giving alms regularly to the poor.” His first biographer pointed out his extreme humility and charity by citing his motto: “Beware disturbing: it’s not sweetly pleasing,/Beware speaking ill: for taking back words is burdensome.” He became a popular saint in Poland, which was transferred to America by Polish immigrants. 

So, what we have here is a man who lived his life, did his work, ministered to others, and followed Jesus in the way Jesus called him. Thus, what we have here is a disciple of Christ, a saint! Humility and charity could be our watchwords to becoming “hidden” saints, those who are not necessarily famous, but are holy in all we think, say, and do. He’s a perfect saint for two days before Christmas! Have a blessed Christmas!

By image/photo was taken by Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons user Ludwig Schneider.I would appreciate being notified if you use my work outside Wikimedia.Do not copy this image illegally by ignoring the terms of the license below, as it is not in the public domain. If you would like special permission to use, license, or purchase the image please contact me to negotiate terms.When reusing, please credit me as: Ludwig Schneider / Wikimedia. - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11934694

December 13—St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

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If you are a fan of C. S. Lewis, you may remember one of the main characters in his classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lucy Pevensie. It was Lucy who brought the other Pevensie children to the magical land of Narnia and met its ruler, Aslan, the lion, who is an allegorical figure for Christ. She was the first to believe in Aslan and sometimes saw him when the rest didn’t. The name Lucy is from the Latin word, “lux”, meaning light. It is also the name of today’s saint. 

St. Lucy was one of the virgin martyrs mentioned in the Church’s Eucharistic canon. She was born about 283 and died during the worst persecution of Christians in the early Church under the Emperor Diocletian in 304. After her father’s death, her mother arranged for a marriage with a young man from a wealthy pagan family. However, St. Lucy had consecrated her virginity to God. Her dowry was distributed to the poor, but her betrothed objected and denounced her to the Governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Lucy was ordered to sacrifice to the emperor’s image. Upon refusal, she was sentenced to be defiled in a brothel. When guards came to take her away, she was unmovable. She was then killed by a sword to her throat. According to some legends her eyes were gouged out, leading to her patronage of the blind. 

So how does this relate to Lucy Pevensie? Both could SEE what others could not, Jesus, who said of himself: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). Both followed Jesus, one in a magical land, the other to the land of eternal life. St. Lucy, pray for us.

*https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Santalucia.jpg

December 9—St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, Holy Man

 

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“On 9 December 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is now Mexico City. She asked him to go to the Bishop and to request in her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac, where she promised to pour out her grace upon those who invoked her. The Bishop, who did not believe Juan Diego, asked for a sign to prove that the apparition was true. On 12 December, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac. Here, the Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill and to pick the flowers that he would find in bloom. He obeyed, and although it was winter time, he found roses flowering. He gathered the flowers and took them to Our Lady who carefully placed them in his mantle and told him to take them to the Bishop as "proof". When he opened his mantle, the flowers fell on the ground and there remained impressed, in place of the flowers, an image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac.” (vatican.va) 

Pope St. John Paul II, when he canonized St. Juan Diego in 2002, said: “Happy Juan Diego, true and faithful man! We entrust to you our lay brothers and sisters so that, feeling the call to holiness, they may imbue every area of social life with the spirit of the Gospel. Bless families, strengthen spouses in their marriage, sustain the efforts of parents to give their children a Christian upbringing. Look with favor upon the pain of those who are suffering in body or in spirit, on those afflicted by poverty, loneliness, marginalization or ignorance. May all people, civic leaders and ordinary citizens, always act in accordance with the demands of justice and with respect for the dignity of each person, so that in this way peace may be reinforced.” (vatican.va)

Miguel Cabrera, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/MIguel_Cabrera_-_Fiel_retrato_do_vener%C3%A1vel_Juan_Diego.jpg This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.

December 25--The Nativity of Our Lord

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Critics of Christianity sometimes like to point out that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, or Christmas was instituted by the Emperor Constantine, or the Christians were just using a pagan holiday called Saturnalia to lure pagans into worshiping Christ. Given that the Jewish concept of birthdays was not we have, there are reasons to think it is reasonable to use December 25. The feast of the Annunciation is March 25, which is nine months before Christmas and also held by the ancient Church as the date of Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection. The first recorded Christmas celebration was in AD 336, during the reign of Constantine. And even though Saturnalia was not the basis of Christmas, Christians did take pagan holidays and Christianize them to help convert the people through their culture.

But all that, interesting as it may be, is not the point. The point is that God became man. The incarnation began at the Annunciation, but the birth of Jesus is the birth of the new era of reconciliation between God and humanity. To quote John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:1, 14). We are the recipients of the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ, who, through his Paschal Mystery brought about our salvation. What can we do to respond to such a great gift? We can say thank you. We can give others the gift of our love. We can praise God with joy and offer mercy and grace to our neighbors. We can say “Merry Christmas”!

*https://pixy.org/529082/

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