Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Boniface (also known as Winfrid; Wynfrith; Apostle of Germany) was born at Crediton, Devonshire, England in 675 A.D. He was educated at the Benedictine monastery at Exeter, England, and he joined the Benedictine Order at Nutshalling, and was ordained in 705.

In 716 he attempted a missionary journey to Friesland but had to abandon the effort due to political disturbances. He was offered the abbacy at Nutshalling, but declined and was sent to Germany east of the Rhine as missionary by Pope Gregory II in 719. There he was assisted by Saint Albinus, Saint Abel, and Saint Agatha. He destroyed pagan idols and temples and built churches on the temple sites.

He was called to Rome by Gregory II who consecrated him regional bishop in 722. Upon returning Boniface encountered a group worshipping at the sacred oak of the Norse thunder god, Thor, at Geismar. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took up an axe, and he hacked down the six foot wide wooden god. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, "How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he."

In 732 Pope Gregory III made Boniface Archbishop with no definite province. He founded or restored the dioceses of Bavaria, Thuringia, and Franconia. In 741 he was commissioned by Pope Zacharias to reform the whole Frankish church, after which success he was made Archbishop of Mainz in 748.

In 754 Saint Boniface resigned his see to accomplish his dream of missionary work in Friesland. He built a number of churches there, but, he was attacked by pagans, and he along with 52 of his converts were martyred at Friesland, Holland.

Saint Boniface is buried in the cathedral at Fulda.

Saint Boniface is the Patron Saint of brewers, file cutters, tailors, the diocese of Fulda, Germany, and the archdiocese of Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, Canada.

Saint Rita of Cascia

Rita Lotti was born in the year 1381, her parents, Antonio and Amata were very devout Catholics and taught Rita a love of God and the Church from a very young age. The young Rita was much loved by her parents and from them she learnt to have an intense devotion to our suffering Lord.

This would prove to be providential for throughout her life, Rita would be touched by tragedy and grief, it was if God Himself would pierce her soul in order to share in His suffering, this was an honour given to few, but Rita was one of those holy souls.

Rita though she longed to become a Religious instead bowed to her parents decision that she marry, being that she was an obedient daughter to both her parents and the Church, Rita consented in all humility to her parents wishes. This brought relief to both Antonio and Amata Lotti as they had worried that a Religious life would be too difficult for Rita to live, especially as the Church seemed to be under attack by certain political elements.

Rita married Paolo Mancini at a very young age and though Paolo would not prove to be an ideal husband, he tried through his wife's influence to overcome his fiery temper. They would be blessed with the birth of twin sons who seemed to have inherited their fathers tempestuous nature, but through it all Rita maintained her love for God and the Sacraments of the Church.

This was one very strong woman, who though her husband at times ill treated her, she bore him no ill will and instead returned only love to this volatile husband of hers. Rita grasped that in order to set a good and holy example she would have to excel at patience, fortitude , courage and humility, she did this with natural ease, as these very Gifts were inherent in her nature. This wife and mother lived an ordinary life of daily chores of cooking, cleaning, laundry and other sundry housework in order to maintain the upkeep of her home.

Though Rita would suffer at the hands of her volatile husband she never resented him but simply prayed that he would find the peace of heart that she had in abundance. Paolo did try to follow in his wife's lead but unlike Rita, he had a difficult time controlling his temper, and maintaining his decorum through the social upheavals in his region.

This inability to control his temper and mind his tongue may have led to an act of vengeance when Paolo was murdered as he was returning back home after his daily work was finished. The death of her husband in such an unfortunate and tragic way deeply grieved Rita, as she prayed for the soul of her husband and also the salvation of the man who had killed her beloved husband.

What also troubled Rita was the tradition of avenging a loved one's death and though Rita grieved her husbands untimely death, she herself wished no harm to come to his assailant, this position though was not shared by her sons. Though Rita had brought up her sons to love God and the Church, she was also fighting against a society that cultivated vengeance. Her boys themselves were heart sore at the death of their father, listened to the whispers of revenge rather than the loving and forgiving words of their mother.

It is here that Rita's real strength of character and her total Faith in God took over as her sons seemed bent on avenging their fathers death, and ignored all her entreaties to desist from this perilous path. The boys had closed their hearts to their mothers pleading, so began the boys decision to avenge their fathers death.

Rita as she always did, prayed with great zeal to God that He would not allow her beloved sons to have a mortal sin on their souls. And so it was that both her sons died, before they could complete their mission of avenging their fathers murder.

With the death of her family this left Rita alone in the world and though she grieved the loss of her husband and her beloved boys, she also had peace of heart knowing that her sons had not taken a life for a life. As the days, weeks and months rolled by Rita dedicated her life to prayer and good works.

Still, the longing to become a Religious had never left her and after she had tried to enter the Religious Community of the Augustinian Nuns, this caused some concern for the Superiors in that members of the man who had murdered her husband were living in the Convent walls. After being refused numerous times, Rita then approached the relatives of those who had murdered Paolo and also to her own in laws to request that both sides forgive as our Lord desired them too.

This would prove the last hurdle as Rita's love of God and her forgiveness of those who had wronged her left all with a deep imprint of this woman's strong Faith and love of God and her fellow man. Upon the warring families reconciliation with each other, this allowed Rita to enter the Community Augustinian Sisters.

From here on Sister Rita led a life of prayer, mortifications, self service to the poor and ill and also worked within the Convent attending to her daily duties as a Religious Sister. This most courageous Sister truly epitomised the meaning of self giving love for the sake of love itself.

Perhaps this is why our Lord blessed Sister Rita with the singular gift shared by only a few Holy souls, a wound of the stigmata, as a thorn pierced her head, as she knelt in prayer. Once again Rita bore out this pain in silence as she spent her days contemplating the Crucified Lord, and prayed for the salvation of souls.

This remarkable woman truly embodied what it is to live one's Faith irrespective of the conditions one lives in, as she had often been on the receiving end of her volatile husbands temper and endured the loss of her beloved sons. Through all this not once did Rita complain of her lot, but rather offered up all her pain and suffering to her Lord and Saviour.

Sister Rita died in 1457.

Saint Rita was canonized in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Guest Post From Father Juan R. Vélez : Blessed John Henry Newman

Blessed John Henry Newman, A Great Teacher and Catechist

During the Year of the Faith convoked by Pope Benedict XVI we can draw inspiration from great teachers and catechists. One of these was Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) who founded both a school for boys and a university.

Today Catholic parents are sometimes confronted with the dilemma of choosing a school for either its catholic identity or for its academic excellence and sports programs. This is a sad and unacceptable dichotomy. As gifted educator and catechist, Newman paid equal attention to educating the both intellect and the soul.

A catechist is someone who teaches others the Faith while embodying the beliefs and practices himself. The Greek word katecho means to hold on to or to teach. A catechist is a person who holds on to what he has received and transmits it faithfully to others (not only in word but by their example). John Henry Newman was a true catechist. He knew the Faith very well and taught it with great clarity and abundant examples. Just as importantly, he did so with gentleness and charm. Newman worked as a teacher and catechist at Oxford, Dublin and Birmingham.

Newman studied at a boarding school just outside of London and then at Trinity College, Oxford. Afterwards he became a tutor, what we call an associate professor at the prestigious Oriel College, Oxford. He soon had a following of students who looked up to him. Newman was concerned not only with their intellectual life, but also with their character formation and their spiritual life. When he became Roman Catholic in 1845 some followed his footsteps; others had preceded their teacher who was more cautious and deliberate.

During his teaching time at Oxford Newman was pastor of St. Mary, the University Church, and its chapel at Littlemore. Newman preached hundreds of sermons on Christian life to the college students and professors. Many of the sermons focused on the mysteries of Christ, in His death and Resurrection, and the daily practice of following Christ in prayer, sacrifice, and on the Christian virtues. Newman also preached on the individual lessons that the Apostles and Martyrs, exemplars of the Christian life, give us. As a good teacher, Newman covered almost all the subjects of the Christian Faith.

Newman developed his sermons from Sacred Scriptures and frequently quoted it, explaining the figures of the Old Testament and resolving apparent difficulties (between the Old Testament and New). He spoke quietly from the pulpit of St. Mary's but with such depth and conviction that (the congregation remained deathly silent). All ears and eyes were on this teacher who was gentle and exacting at the same time. Newman was teaching the listeners and helping them to lead virtuous lives.

In addition to caring for the intellect and the spirit, Newman was concerned for the physical needs of his students, old and young. At Littlemore there was a Sunday school for children. Newman was concerned with the children's hygiene and appearance. He asked his sisters for advice on the girls' dress, and bought them aprons. He arranged for the children to learn how to sing religious hymns, and rehearsed with them. He installed beautiful stained glass windows in the little church at Littlemore which helped those attending to give fitting praise to God.

Once he became a Roman Catholic on October 9, 1845, founded the English Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham through which he aspired to be of service in the education of many youth. In 1852, while directing the Oratory, he began one of the most important and difficult projects of his life: the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland. At the petition of the Irish bishops he prepared study plans, hired professors and sought students. He was the founder, rector, administrator, fundraiser, and builder, all in one.

Newman had the extraordinary vision of university education as formation of both the mind and character. He explained the need for theology studies for a university to aspire to universal learning (comprising all learning, not just some spheres of learning). And he indicated what the usurpation of theology in a university would do for learning; the place of theology would be falsely occupied by another science. He extolled the value of knowledge for knowledge's sake. Newman transmitted these ideas in various lectures before the actual opening of the University, and they were later published in his seminal work, Idea of a University. Newman knew from his years at Oriel College that men need real mentors. He established houses or residences in which the students would live with a mentor who would take them under his wing. Students were offered guidance in the proper exercise of their freedom.

Newman's extraordinary work at Dublin was not well appreciated, and it was hampered by the very ones who had asked him to carry it out. In 1858 he returned full time to his home at Birmingham. As a born educator, however, he was anxious to communicate the truth, and soon undertook another important work, the foundation of the Oratory School. At the time the only secondary schools (or high schools) were the Protestant public schools and some Catholic colleges. The public schools were primarily for children from wealthy families. The few catholic colleges were run by various religious orders such as the Benedictines and the Jesuits. In the former there was a lack of discipline and poor religious formation. In the latter, students who were seminarians were mixed together with lay students, and the education was not academically as rigorous as in the public schools.

Urged on by his friends, Newman forged on with plans to start something like a Catholic Eaton (Eaton being the premier English Public School). He and his friends Edward Bellasis and James Hope-Scott worked hard to secure the necessary funds, support, and students. (A Catholic Eaton? Newman's Oratory School, Paul Shrimpton, Gracewing 2005). In May 1859 the school opened. Newman was not the headmaster; he had appointed an Oratorian Father, Nicholas Darnell to this role, but Newman was the inspiration and soul of the school. His prestige drew the students and patrons. The school had serious difficulties due to the faults of the headmaster, but Newman was able to set it back on good track.

The students were all boys. Newman made sure that the younger ones had the care of a woman, and that the headmaster exercised appropriate discipline. He insisted that the students receive both a good religious education as well as a classical liberal arts education. This was the very reason for the school, namely providing youth with a complete human and spiritual formation. Their intellect should be formed and they should learn piety. Running a school was a difficult task, and Newman persevered in the endeavor. He participated in school events, including arranging classical plays which the students acted. Some famous persons were associated with the school. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, whom Newman had received in the Church, was a teacher (1867-1868) and Hilaire Belloc was a student in 1887.

Some years later Belloc wrote: They [the boys] were taught to be as free - as self-reliant and as free - as any of the young Englishmen who were growing up around them in the great public schools; but with it there was an atmosphere of healthy religion, an unconstrained frequency in the approaching of the Sacraments, a sincere faith and high code both of morals and of honour, which appeared so natural and so native to the place, that it would have been called spontaneous by anyone who did not know that the founding of the school, its influence, and its spirit were due to Cardinal Newman. ('John Henry Cardinal Newman,' The Lamp 39, 1890, pp. 138-139 quoted from A Catholic Eaton? pp. 284-285).

Through his entire life Newman led by example. He taught what he first practiced, and people were drawn by that unassuming and committed life. After many years of teaching university students, and a short time teaching children at the Littlemore Sunday school, he ended teaching boys at Birmingham Oratory School. He was an educator and a catechist all his life. Those who knew him felt his affection and influence. Thus, Cardinal Newman's knowledge of the faith was lived and transmitted to others with the gentle persuasion of the truth. He truly was a great teacher, catechist, and mentor.

Fr, Juan R. Vélez, author of Passion for Truth, the Life of John Henry Newman (TAN/St. Benedict's, 2012)

Note:

This guest post was graciously written by Father Juan R. Vélez, author of "Passion for Truth, The Life of John Henry Newman". Father Vélez is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei who resides in San Francisco. He holds a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the University of Navarre. His doctoral thesis was on John Henry Newman’s Eschatology.

His interest in the life and works of Cardinal Newman began with his doctoral studies under Prof. José Morales, author of John Henry Newman (1801-1890).

Fr. Vélez has a medical degree, also from the University of Navarre, and was previously board certified in internal medicine.

Doctors of the Church (A List)

The following is an alphabetical list of the 35 "Doctors of the Church" of the Roman Catholic Church.

Before we get to the list, here is the definition of Doctor of the Church from "The Modern Catholic Dictionary" by Father John A. Hardon, S.J.:

DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. A title given since the Middle Ages to certain saints whose writing or preaching is outstanding for guiding the faithful in all periods of the Church's history. Originally the Western Fathers of the Church, Gregory the Great, Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome, were considered the great doctors of the Church. But the Church has officially added many more names to the original four.

The following are Doctors of the Church

• Albert the Great
• Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
• Ambrose of Milan
• Anselm of Canterbury
• Anthony of Padua
• Athanasius
• Augustine of Hippo
• Basil the Great
• Bede the Venerable
• Bernard of Clairvaux
• Bonaventure
• Catherine of Siena
• Cyril of Alexandria
• Cyril of Jerusalem
• Ephrem of Syria
• Francis of Sales
• Gregory Nanzianzen
• Gregory the Great
• Hilary of Poitiers
• Hildegard von Bingen
• Isidore
• Jerome
• John Chrystostom
• John Damascene
• John of Avila
• John of the Cross
• Lawrence of Brindisi
• Leo the Great
• Peter Canisius
• Peter Chrysologus
• Peter Damian
• Robert Bellarmine
• Teresa of Avila
• Therese of Lisieux
• Thomas Aquinas
  

St. Louise de Marillac

There is some mystery to Louise’s birth, but what we do know is that even though Louise's Mother died soon after giving birth, Louise herself was then raised by her Aristocratic father. It was soon after that Louise’s father remarried, but unfortunately, Louise never enjoyed a close relationship with her step mother, so it was decided to send the young Louise to a Dominican convent.

This was a difficult time for Louise and never an exuberant child, she became even more introverted as she studied her lessons under the guidance of the Sisters of that Order, for Louise did display a curious mind and a propensity for intellectual pursuits. Living among the Nuns also fostered within her soul a deep desire to become a Religious herself, but fate intervened, and her wish was not to be met just yet.

Louise instead embarked on an arranged marriage in 1613 to Antoine LaGras who was also of noble standing and was secretary to Queen Marie de Medici. Their married life was comfortable but Antoine suffered many ailments, and so the shadow of death was not far away from the LaGras family.

During this difficult and worrisome time, Louise was to meet a very holy priest by the name of Francis de Sales, who provided much help to the distraught Louise.

Sadly Antoine LaGras died in the year 1625, leaving Louise a widow, but also leaving her free to work amongst the poor, which she had been doing for quite some time.

It was through her meeting with Francis de Sales that Louise met, Fr. Vincent de Paul, who inquired of her if she wished to help him in his enterprise, the Confraternities of Charity to work within the different parishes around France.

Louise had a great devotion to the poor, and even though born of noble birth, she mixed easily in all social classes, and with her quiet and humble spirit, many felt comfortable in her reassuring presence.

Louise took great delight in her work alongside Fr. Vincent, and with her skills as a homemaker, she was able to take charge of the day to day finances, so that everything ran smoothly, and the poor would receive the greatest benefits.

It was in 1633 that Louise decided to train a small group of women to serve the poor, and trained them to show respect and compassion, but also common sense when dealing with the destitute of France. And it was from these humble beginnings that the Daughters of Charity began.

Louise along side Fr. de Paul worked hard to establish this Order of Religious who were not confined to Convents, but, instead worked amongst the poorest of the poor. Louise was to teach all her sisters to have a deep respect for the poor, lonely and the widowed and to serve the poor as if they were serving Jesus Himself.

And as Louise de Marillac and Fr. Vincent worked side by side in this endeavour, so too, did they die within months of each other.

Louise de Marillac died in 1660. St. Vincent de Paul died six months later.

Louise was canonized on 11th March 1934 by Pope Pius XI.

Some Quotes

Prudence consists in speaking about important matters only and not relating a lot of trifles that are not worth saying.

How good it is to trust God! Turn to Him often, as children look to their father and mother in their needs.

One of the most powerful reasons to induce us to love God is the conviction we enjoy that He loves us.

And from these two great Saints, Vincent and Louise, yet another Frenchman would step forward to fulfill their vision of 'serving the poor'.

Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

Saint Agatha (also known as: Agatha of Sicily; Agatha of Palermo; Agatha of Catania) has been honored since ancient times, and her name is included in the canon of the Mass. We have little reliable information about her, except that she was a martyr. The following is according to her Latin Acts which is from around the sixth century.

Saint Agatha was a young, wealthy and beautiful woman who lived a life consecrated to God. When the Roman Emperor Decius (Caius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius 249-251) announced his edicts against Christians, the Roman magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha's sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into sex in exchange for not charging her. Saint Agatha was handed over to a brothel, but she refused to accept customers. After rejecting Quinctianus' advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, her breasts were crushed and cut off. One version says that Saint Peter appeared to her and healed her. She was imprisoned further and rolled onto live coals. She was near death when an earthquake struck. In the earthquake the magistrate's friend was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died. Her death occurred around 250 A.D.

Legend says that carrying her veil, taken from her tomb in Catania, in procession has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is also reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.

Her popular veneration is of a very early date; her name occurs in the prayer, "Nobis quoque peccatoribus," in the Canon of the Mass, and in some places bread is blessed after the Consecration of the Mass on her feast and called Agatha bread.

Feast of Saint John the Apostle (Goffine's Devout Instructions)

December 27

JOHN, the brother of Saint James the Greater, was a son of Zebedee, a fisherman of Galilee, and of Salome, a cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Matthew 4:21). He was the youngest of the apostles, and, with Peter and James, was the most trusted of the disciples of Jesus, by Whom he was most tenderly loved, on which account he is called the Disciple of Love. Of this Jesus gave the most convincing evidence when, at the Last Supper, He allowed that disciple to lean upon His breast, and when, from the cross, He committed to the care of John His own Mother. After the ascension John preached the Gospel in Palestine; afterwards went to Asia Minor, fixed his residence in Ephesus, and established many churches there. He was, with the other apostles, taken prisoner and scourged by the Jews, and in the year 95, under the Emperor Domitian, before the Latin Gate, at Rome, was thrown into a vessel of boiling oil. Having endured this torture without injury, he was then banished to the island of Patmos, where, by command of the Lord, he wrote the Apocalypse, or Revelation, concerning the fortunes of the Church. On returning from hIs banishment he again governed the churches of Asia Minor as chief pastor, as he had done before, and, at the age of nearly one hundred years, died at Ephesus a peaceful and natural death.

The Introit of the Mass reads: "In the midst of the Church the Lord opened his mouth, and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and clothed him with a robe of glory. It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to Thy name, O Most High." Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Amen. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Prayer

Mercifully illustrate Thy Church, O Lord, that, enlightened by the doctrines of Thy blessed apostle and evangelist Saint John, she may arrive at gifts everlasting. Through Christ our Lord, etc. Amen.

Epistle: Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6

He that feareth God will do good: and he that possesseth justice shall lay hold on her, and she will meet him as an honorable mother, and will receive him as a wife married of a virgin. With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink; and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved; and she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded; and she shall exalt him among his neighbors, and in the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with a robe of glory. She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and our Lord God shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.

On Purity

"He that loves wisdom," saith the Holy Ghost, "will obtain it, for it will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins" (Wisdom 1:4). Saint John was from his childhood an angel of purity, on which account he was particularly beloved by Jesus, and endowed by the Holy Ghost with such wisdom and knowledge that, as Saint Augustine has remarked, he begins his gospel in a manner more lofty and sublime than the other three evangelists. For while they walk with the God-man upon earth, speaking comparatively little of His divinity, Saint John, as if despising the world, soars beyond the vault of heaven, above the hosts of angels, and comes to Him by Whom all things are made, saying, "In the beginning was the Word." At the Last Supper he was permitted to lean on the bosom of Jesus, but what he there drank in secretly he imparted openly. Apply thyself, therefore, to purity of heart, and thou shalt be like Saint John, a beloved disciple of Jesus, and shalt be filled with heavenly wisdom.

Gospel: John 21:19-24

At that time Jesus said to Peter: Follow Me. Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on His breast at supper, and said: Lord, who is he that shall betray Thee? Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? follow thou Me. This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but, So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

– Goffine's Devout Instructions

Saint Francis Xavier

Priest and Missionary

Saint Francis Xavier (also known as Apostle to the Far East) was born in 1506 Castle of Xavier, near Sanguesa, Navarre, Spain. He was a nobleman from the Basque region. He studied and taught philosophy at the University of Paris, and planned a career as a professor. He was a friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola who convinced him to use his talents to spread the Gospel. Francis is one of the founding Jesuits, and the first Jesuit missionary.

In Goa, India, while waiting to take ship, he preached in the street, worked with the sick, and taught children their catechism. He would walk through the streets ringing a bell to call the children to their studies. It is said that he converted the entire city.

Francis was a tremendously successful missionary for ten years in India, the East Indies, and Japan, baptizing more than 40,000. His journey finds him dining with headhunters, washing sores of lepers in Venice, teaching catechism to Indian children, and baptizing 10,000 in a single month. He tolerated the most appalling conditions on long sea voyages, enduring extremes of heat and cold. Wherever he went, he would seek out and help the poor and forgotten. He traveled thousands of miles, mostly on his bare feet, and he saw the greater part of the Far East.

Saint Francis Xavier died of a fever contracted on a mission journey on December 2, 1552 at Sancian, China. His body is at the former Jesuit church in Goa, and his right arm at the church of Gesu in Rome, Italy.

Patronage 

African missions; diocese of Agartala, India; diocese of Ahmedabad, India; diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana; Apostleship of Prayer; Australia; black missions; archdiocese of Bombay, India; Borneo; archdiocese of Cape Town, South Africa; China; diocese of Dinajpur, Bangladesh; East Indies; Fathers of the Precious Blood; foreign missions; Freising, Germany; Goa India; diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin; India; archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana; Japan; diocese of Joiliet, Illinois; diocese of Kabankalan, Philippines; diocese of Malindi, Kenya; missionaries; Missioners of the Precious Blood; missions, black; missions, foreign; missions, parish; Navarre, Spain; navigators; New Zealand; parish missions; plague epidemics; Propagation of the Faith 

Representation 

crucifix; preacher carrying a flaming heart; bell; globe; vessel; young bearded Jesuit in the company of Saint Ignatius Loyola; young bearded Jesuit with a torch, flame, cross and lily 

Quotations:

"It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards a man's progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken." -- Saint Francis Xavier 

We have visited the villages of the new converts who accepted the Christian religion a few years ago. The country is so utterly barren and poor. The native Christians have no priests. They know only that they are Christians. There is nobody to say Mass for them; nobody to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of God's Law. 

I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized. This means that I have purified a very large number of children so young that, as the saying goes, they could not tell their right hand from their left. The older children would not let me say my Office or eat or sleep until I taught them one prayer or another. Then I began to understand: "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

I could not refuse so devout a request without failing in devotion myself. I taught them, first the confession of faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; then the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, and Hail Mary. I noticed among them persons of great intelligence. If only someone could educate them in the Christian way of life, I have no doubt that they would make excellent Christians. 

Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. 

I wish the university students would work as hard at converting these people as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them. 

This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God's will and his choice. 

They would cry out with all their heart: "Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do?" Send me anywhere you like - even to India!" -- Saint Francis Xavier from his letters to Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Saint Chromatius of Aquileia

Saint Chromatius was born in the 4^th century at Aquileia, Italy. His father died when he was an infant and he was raised by his mother and large family of older brothers and sisters. He was ordained as a priest around 387 A.D.

He attended the Synod of Aquileia and worked for the strong denunciation of the Arian heresy. The denunciation resulted from the synod. Saint Chromatius was consecrated as Bishop of Aquileia in 388.

Saint Chromatius was an active correspondent with Saint Ambrose of Milan, and was a friend of both Saint Jerome and Saint John Chrysostom. Saint Jerome dedicated several works to him. Chromatius was influential in the translation of early Christian works into Latin for wider use. He financed Saint Jerome’s translation of the Bible, and Rufinus’ translation of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History.

Saint Chromatius wrote several respected scripture commentaries, seventeen of which survive. Saint Chromatius supported Saint John Chrysostom and wrote on his behalf against the unjust accusations of Emperor Arcadius.

Saint Chromatius died at Aquileia, Italy of natural causes in December 407.

*       *       *       *       *       *        *

The following is from a discourse on the Gospel of Saint Matthew by Saint Chromatius of Aquileia:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp only to put it under a bushel basket; they put it on a stand where it gives light to all in the house. The Lord called his disciples to salt of the earth because they seasoned with heavenly wisdom the hearts of men, rendered insipid by the devil. Now he calls them the light of the world as well, because they have been enlightened by him, the true and everlasting light, and have themselves become a light in the darkness. 

Since he is the Sun of Justice, he fittingly calls his disciples the light of the world. The reason for this is that through them, as through shining rays, he has poured out the light of the knowledge of himself upon the entire world. For by manifesting the light of truth, they have dispelled the darkness of error from the hearts of men. 

Moreover, we too have been enlightened by them. We have been made light out of darkness as the Apostle says: For once you, were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. He says another time: For you are not sons of the light and of darkness, but you are all sons of light and of the day. Saint John also rightly asserts in his letter: God is light, and whoever abides in God is in the light just as God himself is in the light. Therefore, because we rejoice in having been freed from the darkness of error, we should always walk in the light as children of light. This is why the Apostle says: Among them you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. 

If we fail to live in the light, we shall, to our condemnation and that of others, be veiling over and obscuring by our infidelity the light men so desperately need. As we know from Scripture, the man who received the talent should have made it produce a heavenly profit, but instead he preferred to hide it away rather than put it to work and was punished as he deserved. 

Consequently, that brilliant lamp which was lit for the sake of our salvation should always shine in us. For we have the lamp of the heavenly commandment and spiritual grace, to which David referred: Your law, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Solomon also says this about it: For the command of the law is a lamp. 

Therefore, we must not hide this lamp of law and faith. Rather, we must set it up in the Church, as on a lamp stand, for the salvation of many, so that we may enjoy the light of truth itself and all believers may be enlightened." 

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse ( also known as Sernin; Saturnin) was a third century missionary from Rome to Gaul, the Pyrenees ( mountain range in southwestern Europe, forming a natural boundary between France and Spain), and the Iberian peninsula (peninsula in southwestern Europe, divided into Spain and Portugal, together with Gibraltar).

He made many converts including the farmer now known as Saint Honestus who joined him in the missions. Saint Saturninus and two companions were imprisoned at Carcassone by the prefect Rufinus, but they were freed by an angel. He was the first bishop of Toulouse, where he performed miraculous healings. He converted and baptized Saint Firminus who was later bishop of Amiens.

When Saturninus began his work in Toulouse, the local pagan priests stopped receiving oracles from their “gods”. The devils were struck dumb by the presence of the saint as he passed that way. One day in 257, when the priests were hopelessly frustrated, Saturninus passed by in the street. The priests blamed the bishop, and ordered the crowd of heathens to seize him and force him to offer sacrifice to their gods. The idols fell to pieces in front of the bishop. The crowds abused him, then tied his feet to a wild bull which was to be sacrificed, and then drove the bull out of the temple. He was dragged to death.

The martyrdom of this saint probably happened in the reign of Valerian, around 257 A.D.  

Quotation:

 "I adore one only God, and to him I am ready to offer a sacrifice of praise. Your gods are devils, and are more delighted with the sacrifice of your souls than with those of your bullocks. How can I fear them who, as you acknowledge, tremble before a Christian?" -- Saint Saturninus

Blessed Jacopone of Todi

Blessed Jacopone of Todi (also known as Crazy Jim; Iacopone da Todi; Jacomo da Todi; Jacopo Benedetti; Jacopo Benedicti; Jacopone Benedetti da Todi; Jacopone of Todi; James da Todi) was an Italian noble from the Benedetti family of Todi born around 1230 A.D. 

He was a successful lawyer at Bologna, and he married Vanna di Guidone in 1267. Vanna considered Jacomo too worldly, and did penance for him. 

In 1268, Jacomo insisted she attend a public tournament against her wishes. The stands in which she sat collapsed, and Vanna was killed. The shock of this event, and his discovery of her penance for him, caused a radical change in Jacomo. He gave his possessions to the poor, dressed in rags, and joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. His former associates called him Jacopone, Crazy Jim, a name which he embraced. 

After ten years of this penance and abuse, Jacomo tried to join the Franciscans, but his reputation as Crazy Jim preceded him, and he was refused. To prove his sanity and intentions, he wrote a beautiful poem about the vanities of the world which swayed the Franciscans, and he joined the Order in 1278. He refused to be ordained, and spent time writing popular hymns in the vernacular. 

Jacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals, as they were called, wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had the support of two cardinals and Pope Celestine V. 

The two cardinals, however, opposed Celestine's successor, Pope Boniface VIII, and due to the wrangling in the Vatican, Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned at the age of 68. Jacopone acknowledged his error, but was not released until five years later, when Blessed Benedict XI became pope. He accepted his imprisonment as penance. 

He spent his last three years giving himself completely to spirituality, weeping "because Love is not loved," and writing hymns, including the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater. 

Blessed Jacopone of Todi died December 25, 1306 at Collazzone, Italy as a priest intoned the Gloria from midnight Mass. His relics are at Saint Fortunato Church, Montecristo, Italy.

*       *       *       *       *       *       *

The 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 had pass'd. 

Oh, how sad and sore distress'd

Was that Mother highly blest

Of the sole-begotten One! 

Christ above in torment hangs;

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying glorious Son. 

Is there one who would not weep,

Whelm'd in miseries so deep

Christ's dear Mother to behold? 

Can the human heart refrain

From partaking in her pain,

In that Mother's pain untold? 

Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd,

She beheld her tender child

All with bloody scourges rent. 

For the sins of His own nation,

Saw Him hang in desolation,

Till His spirit forth He sent. 

O thou Mother! fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above;

Make my heart with thine accord. 

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ our Lord. 

Holy Mother! pierce me through;

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Saviour crucified. 

Let me share with thee His pain,

Who for all my sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died. 

Let me mingle tears with thee,

Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,

All the days that I may live. 

By the cross with thee to stay,

There with thee to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of thee to give. 

Virgin of all virgins best,

Listen to my fond request

Let me share thy grief divine. 

Let me, to my latest breath,

In my body bear the death

Of that dying Son of thine. 

Wounded with His every wound,

Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd

In His very blood away. 

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

Lest in flames I burn and die,

In His awful Judgment day. 

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

Be Thy Mother my defense,

Be Thy cross my victory. 

While my body here decays,

May my soul Thy goodness praise,

Safe in Paradise with Thee. 

Amen. 

-- Blessed Jacopone da Todi

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux On All Saints Day

Why should our praise and glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the saints? What do they care about earthly honors when their heavenly Father honors them by fulfilling the faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation mean to them? The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.

Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints. But our dispositions change. The Church of all the first followers of Christ awaits us, but we do nothing about it. The saints want us to be with them, and we are indifferent. The souls of the just await us, and we ignore them.

Come, brothers, let us at length spur ourselves on. We must rise again with Christ, we must seek the world which is above and set our mind on the things of heaven. Let us long for those who are longing for us, hasten to those who are waiting for us, and ask those who look for our coming to intercede for us. We should not only want to be with the saints, we should also hope to possess their happiness. While we desire to be in their company, we must also earnestly seek to share in their glory. Do not imagine that there is anything harmful in such an ambition as this; there is no danger in setting our hearts on such glory.

When we commemorate the saints we are inflamed with another yearning: that Christ our life may also appear to us as he appeared to them and that we may one day share in his glory. Until then we see him, not as he is, but as he became for our sake. He is our head, crowned, not with glory, but with the thorns of our sins. As members of that head, crowned with thorns, we should be ashamed to live in luxury; his purple robes are a mockery rather than an honor. When Christ comes again, his death shall no longer be proclaimed, and we shall know that we also have died, and that our life is hidden with him. The glorious head of the Church will appear and his glorified members will shine in splendor with him, when he forms this lowly body anew into such glory as belongs to himself, its head.

Therefore, we should aim at attaining this glory with a wholehearted and prudent desire. That we may rightly hope and strive for such blessedness, we must above all seek the prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be granted through their intercession.

Saint Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church

October 15

Saint Teresa of Avila (also known as Theresa of Avila; The Roving Nun; Teresa of Jesus; Teresa de Avila) was born in 1515 A.D. as Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada at Avila, at Castile, Spain. Teresa was a Spanish noble, the daughter of Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda and Doña Beatriz. She grew up reading the lives of the saints, and playing at "hermit" in the garden. 

She was crippled by disease in her youth, which led to her being well educated at home. She was cured of her affliction after prayer to Saint Joseph. Her mother died when Teresa was 12, and she prayed to Our Lady to be her replacement. Her father opposed her entry to religious life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a Carmelite house at the age of 17. Seeing her conviction to her call, her father and family consented.

Not long after taking her vows, Teresa became seriously ill, and the inadequate medical help she received aggravated her condition. She never fully recovered her health. She began receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits, including Saint Francis Borgia, who pronounced the visions holy and true.

Teresa considered her original house too lax in its rule, so she founded a reformed convent of Saint John of Avila. She founded several houses, often receiving fierce resistance from local authorities. Teresa was a mystical writer, and most of her works are preserved until today. Pope Paul VI proclaimed Teresa a Doctor of the Church on September 27, 1970. She has the distinction of being the first woman saint to be declared a Doctor of the Church.

Saint Teresa of Avila died of natural causes on October 4, 1582 at Alba de Tormes in the arms of her secretary and close friend Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew. Her body is incorrupt, and her relics preserved at Alba. Her heart shows signs of Transverberation (piercing of the heart), and is displayed, too.

Feast of Saint James the Greater, Apostle (From Goffine's Devout Instructions)

July 25

James, by birth a Galilean, a son of Zebedee and Salome, was brother to Saint John the apostle, with whom he was called by Jesus to follow Him. He was present at the transfiguration on Mount Thabor, at the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and other like miracles, and at the bloody sweat in the Garden. After the sending of the Holy Ghost he preached the doctrines of Jesus in Judea, Samaria, and in Jerusalem, where Herod caused him to be beheaded in the year 44. His body was brought to Compostella, in Spain, where it is venerated by vast numbers of the faithful, who make pilgrimages to his grave. Saint James was the first of the apostles who shed his blood for Christ.

The Introit of the Mass is as follows:

“To me Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable; their principality is exceedingly strengthened. Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Prayer

Be Thou, O Lord, the sanctifier and guardian of Thy people, that, defended by the protection of Thy apostle James, they may please Thee by their conduct, and serve Thee with secure minds. Through our Lord, etc.

Epistle: I Corinthians 4:9-15

Brethren: I think that God hath set forth us apostles the last, as it were men appointed to death; we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honorable, but we without honor. Even unto this hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have, no fixed abode, and we labor working with our own hands; we are reviled, and we bless; we are persecuted, and we suffer it. We are blasphemed, and we entreat; we are made as the refuse of this world, the off-scouring of all even until now. I write not these things to confound you, but I admonish you as my dearest children; for if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus by the Gospel I have begotten you.

Gospel: Matthew 20:20-23

At that time: There came to Jesus the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking; something of Him.

Who said to her: What wilt thou?

She saith to Him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the other on Thy left, in Thy kingdom.

But Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice, that I shall drink?

They say to Him: We can.

He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on My right or left hand is not Mine to give to you but to them for whom it is prepared by My Father.

Explanation

From this gospel we learn that if we wish to become partakers with Christ of the kingdom of heaven we must drink with Him of the chalice of pain and suffering.

Prayer to Saint James

O heroic apostle, who first of all didst, after the example of Jesus, drink of the chalice of suffering, but now, in the kingdom of His Father, livest upon the holy mountain of Sion, obtain for me, I beseech thee, from Jesus the grace not to shrink from the chalice of suffering and tribulation, but patiently to accept whatever the hand of God may present to me, whether agreeable or disagreeable, and thereby to become worthy one day to be inebriated with the streams of heavenly joy.

– Goffine's Devout Instructions

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (also known as Aluigi Gonzaga; Luigi Gonzaga) was born in 1568 A.D. at the castle of Castiglione, Italy. His family was of nobility, and Aloysius' father was a compulsive gambler. He was the cousin of Saint Rudolph Acquaviva.

Aloysius had been trained to be a soldier and courtier from the age of four. He suffered from kidney disease, which he considered a blessing as it left him bed-ridden with time for prayer. While still a boy himself, he taught catechism to poor boys. He received his first Communion from Saint Charles Borromeo.

He was educated at the courts of the Medici of Florence and of Philip II of Spain. Upon his return to Italy at the age of 18, he renounced his inheritance in favor of his brother, and entered the Society of Jesus. He made his vows in 1587.

He was the spiritual student of Saint Robert Bellarmine. When the plague and famine struck Italy in 1591, Aloysius devoted himself to the care of the sick, and became ill himself.

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga died in 1591 at Rome of plague, fever, and his desire to see God. His relics are entombed under the altar of Saint Ignatius Church, Rome. Devotion to him is widespread, and the practice of receiving communion on six successive Sundays is observed in his honor.

Patronage

AIDS care-givers; AIDS patients; Catholic youth; Jesuit students; relief from pestilence; sore eyes; teenage children; teenagers; young people

Quotes from Saint Aloysius Gonzaga:

1. There is no more evident sign that anyone is a saint and of the number of the elect, than to see him leading a good life and at the same time a prey to desolation, suffering, and trials.
2. He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for His sake.
3. O Holy Mary! My Mother; into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy, I this day, and every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and body. To thee I commit all my anxieties and sorrows, my life and the end of my life, that by they most holy intercession, and by thy merits, all my actions may be directed and governed by thy will and that of thy Son.
4. May the comfort and grace of the Holy Spirit be yours for ever, most honored lady. Your letter found me lingering still in this region of the dead, but now I must rouse myself to make my way on to heaven at last, and to praise God for ever in the land of the living; indeed I had hoped that before this time my journey there would have been over. If charity, as Saint Paul says, means "to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who are glad," then, dearest mother, you shall rejoice exceedingly that God in his grace and his love for you is showing me the path to true happiness, and assuring me that I shall never lose him.
5. Take care above all things, most honored lady, not to insult God's boundless loving kindness; you would certainly do this if you mourned as dead one living face to face with God, one whose prayers can bring you in your troubles more powerful aid than they ever could on earth. And our parting will not be for long; we shall see each other again in heaven; we shall be united with our Savior; there we shall praise him with heart and soul, sing of his mercies for ever, and enjoy eternal happiness. From a letter to his mother

Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Saint Anthony of Padua (also known as Antonio da Padova, Evangelical Doctor) was born as Ferdinand to a wealthy family in 1195 A.D. at Lisbon, Portugal. He was educated in the cathedral school in Lisbon. His family wanted him to be a great nobleman, but, Anthony felt a religious calling and he joined the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine in 1210 when he was 15.

Two years later, to avoid the distraction of family and friends who visited him frequently, Anthony received permission from his superior to move to the Convent of Santa Croce in Cóimbra where he remained for eight years. There he occupied his time with prayer and study, where he learned a great deal about theology and gained the understanding of Holy Scripture.

When the bodies of Saint Berard and his companions, the first Franciscan martyrs in 1220, were brought to be buried in the Church of Santa Croce , Anthony was inspired to leave his order, enter the Friars Minor, and go to Morocco to evangelize, and become a martyr for Christ. After confiding his intentions to some of the Franciscans, he received the Franciscan habit, and took the name Anthony.

When Anthony first started for Morocco, he was stricken with a severe illness which affected him the entire winter. He set sail for Portugal and then Morocco the following spring, but, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Sicily, where he remained for a time until he regained his health. From there he journeyed to a general chapter of the Franciscans at Assisi where he went entirely unnoticed. He applied to the Provincial of Cóimbra for a place where he could live in solitude and penance and enter more fully in the discipline of Franciscan life. The Provincial was in need of a priest for the hermitage of Montepaolo and sent him there to celebrate Mass for the lay brothers.

While Anthony lived at Montepaolo it happened that a number of Franciscan and Dominican friars were sent together to be ordained. When the time for ordination had arrived, it was found that no one had been chosen to preach. The superior turned first to the Dominicans, but everyone declined, saying he was not prepared. They then chose Anthony, whom they thought only able to read the Missal and Breviary, and told him to speak whatever the spirit of God inspired in him. Anthony obeyed, and at first he spoke slowly and timidly, but soon he was enkindled with the Spirit, and he began to explain the most hidden sense of Holy Scripture with such profound learnedness and beautiful doctrine that all were astonished. That moment began Anthony's public career. He was then constantly travelling, evangelizing, preaching, and teaching theology through Italy and France.

Anthony won a reputation as a preacher and teacher of theology, received the praise of Saint Francis, made numerous converts and performed many miracles. He had a vision of the Infant Christ, and he was made provincial of the monastery at Limousin, France in 1226.

Saint Anthony of Padua died of natural cause at Vercelli, Italy in June 1231. His relics are at Padua, Italy. He was declared a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946 by Venerable Pope Pius XII.