July 16--St. Bartholomew of Braga, O.P., Bishop

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Today's saint was canonized by Pope Francis in 2019, 429 years after his death. This is much longer than the average 181 years. It was also an equipollent canonization, which means that the normal requirement for two miracles can be dispensed if the pope declares that the saint has been venerated continuously since ancient times.

So what makes St. Bartholomew of Braga worthy of such an unusual declaration? He was born in Portugal in 1514, entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 1527, and was ordained a priest, teaching theology for his order. He was ordained bishop of Braga in 1559 and attended sessions in the Council of Trent from 1561-1563. He contributed 268 suggestions, collaborated with St. Charles of Borromeo regarding the duties and virtues of priests, and “exercised great influence in the discussions, particularly those with regard to the decrees on the reform of ecclesiastical life.” After the Council he returned to Braga to implement the decrees. He resigned in 1582 and retired to a convent until his death in 1590. All in all, he was a good, holy bishop. He is patron saint of catechists, teachers of the faith.

For example, he wrote about prayer: “We ought continually to raise our hearts to God, … and expose them to the rays of His light, so that our prayer should kindle a fire in our souls, from whence a heat may come forth which will spread over all our actions. We must strive to procure this peace by every possible effort, and ask it of God with many sighs, so that amidst this crowd of affairs and continual distractions, our minds may remain always quiet and calm, and preserve their liberty and vigour.” Words of a true teacher and shepherd of his people! St. Bartholomew, pray for us!

February 18–Blessed Fra Angelico, Religious

San Marco Altarpiece by Fra Angelico in the public domain.

The Italian Renaissance produced some amazing artists, including Raphael, da Vinci, and Michelangelo. The Italian Renaissance also produced some amazing saints, including St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Benedict the African, and St. Angela Merici. However, there is only one figure of the Italian Renaissance who is both an amazing artist and a saint, Blessed Fra Angelico. Born Guido di Pietro about 1395 near Florence, Italy, Brother John of Fiesole, also known as Fra Angelico, which means Angelic Brother, joined the Dominican order in 1423 and received training as an illuminator. He became famous for his art and painted frescoes, altarpieces, and other sacred artwork in Florence and Rome.

Pope St. John Paul II beatified him in 1982, and later declared him patron of Catholic artists: “Angelico was reported to say ‘He who does Christ's work must stay with Christ always’. This motto earned him the epithet ‘Blessed Angelico’, because of the perfect integrity of his life and the almost divine beauty of the images he painted, to a superlative extent those of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

“The English writer and critic William Michael Rossetti wrote…: ‘From various accounts of Fra Angelico's life, it is possible to gain some sense of why he was deserving of canonization. He led the devout and ascetic life of a Dominican friar, and never rose above that rank; he followed the dictates of the order in caring for the poor; he was always good-humored. All of his many paintings were of divine subjects, and it seems that he never altered or retouched them, perhaps from a religious conviction that, because his paintings were divinely inspired, they should retain their original form. He was wont to say that he who illustrates the acts of Christ should be with Christ.’” Praise God for beauty, art, and holiness!

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

*

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

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

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

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

November 3--St. Martin de Porres, Religious

*

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

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

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

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

November 15--St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Religious

It is rare when a pupil outshines the teacher, but that is the case with today’s saint. However, St. Albert the Great was the teacher and his pupil was St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Albert was a German Dominican. The Dominicans were great preachers and great scholars and St. Albert was among the greatest. He founded the University of Cologne in German, was made bishop of Regensburg, taught in universities, wrote prolifically (His collected works number thirty-eight volumes!), and had an encyclopedic knowledge on numerous topics, including the natural sciences. When he was canonized he was named the patron saint of natural scientists.

There is much fuss and commotion now-a-days about the supposed incompatibility of science and faith. Some say that science can explain everything. Some say that faith doesn’t need science. Both statements are wrong. The natural sciences are human efforts to discover the truths of the universe, which was made by God. Faith does not tell us the details of how the universe works, it tells us that God has a plan for us and that the created universe is a part of that plan. Science is a gift from God that helps us work out the amazing wonder of the universe. Physics, chemistry, biology, geology, botany, and more are awe-inspiring disciplines both in themselves and what they can tell us of the awe-inspiring creation of God!

St. Albert the Great knew the complementarity of science and faith. He wrote, “The aim of natural philosophy (science) is not simply to accept the statements of others, but to investigate the causes that are at work in nature.” He knew that the ultimate cause of nature was God. His great student, St. Thomas developed that in his understanding of God as the “uncaused cause” of all that is.

August 8--St. Dominic, Religious

We may meet people on the street begging for food or money or anything that can be given. They may be veterans, homeless, families, or just passing through. Nonetheless, their situation is not enviable. Our present saint chose to be a beggar, but through the desire to offer good example to others.

St. Dominic de Guzman was from Spain in the 12th century, but on a trip through southern France encountered a dangerous heresy located in and near the town of Albi, thus the name Albigensianism. This group of "the pure" believed that there were two basic principles of the world, good and evil. But good was only spiritual, and anything material was thus evil, including the human body. This led to the denial of the Incarnation, as well as the sacraments and the preference of living together without Marriage to Marriage. They also preferred suicide as a way to "release" the soul from its confinement in the body. They were also anti-clerical due to the wealth and preferential benefits given to priests.

St. Dominic founded a religious order to preach to these people, but they would live lives of self-sacrifice rather than luxury. To that end, the Dominicans were a mendicant, or begging order, just like the Franciscans, their contemporaries. They preached by word and example. We are called to share our faith by word and example. Do we defend Church teachings when the rest of society attacks it in the name of autonomy or equality? Do we respect the dignity of all people, even when they support living contrary to natural law? Word and example--truth and love--are what are needed today to share Jesus' message.