Et
álibi
aliórum
plurimórum sanctórum
Mártyrum
et Confessórum,
atque sanctárum
Vírginum.
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. Пресвятая Богородице спаси нас! (Santíssima Mãe de Deus, salva-nos!) R.
Deo
grátias. R.
Thanks be to God.
2023December is the month of the Immaculate Conception. 23,658 Lives Saved Since 2007 Pope Francis has declared the 16th century Jesuit Father Pierre Favre a saint, bypassing the usual procedures for canonization. The Vatican announced the Pope’s decision on Dec. 17, Francis’ 77th birthday. Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary Nine First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart From the writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque How do I start the Five First Saturdays? Pope Authorizes 12 14 2015 Promulgation of Decrees Concerning 17 Causes, Including Servant of God William Gagnon November 23 2014 Six to Be Canonized on Feast of Christ the King lazarus_raising.jpg The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. Our Bartholomew Family Prayer List Joyful Mystery on Monday Saturday Glorius Mystery on Sunday Wednesday Sorrowful Mystery on Friday Tuesday Luminous Mystery on Thursday Veterens of War Acts of the Apostles Nine First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart From the writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque How do I start the Five First Saturdays? Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary December 17 – The first church dedicated to Mary (Rome, Italy) A miraculous snowfall in August Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major) is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, and the oldest Roman church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition says that during the night of August 4, 358 the Virgin appeared in a dream to Pope Saint Liberius and to a wealthy Roman named John. She asked both men to erect a church at a specific place. In the morning, finding that it had snowed in the month of August at the location indicated by the Virgin, the Pope planned to have a basilica built dedicated to "Holy Mary of the Snows" on the spot where it had snowed on the Roman Esquiline Hill. This basilica houses the first crèche made of stone, commissioned by Pope Nicolas IV in 1288 to Arnolfo di Cambio, to represent the Nativity scene. This tradition dates back to the year 432 when Pope Sixtus III (432-440) allegedly created inside the original basilica a "Grotto of the Nativity" inspired by that of Bethlehem. The basilica also contains the relics of Saint Jerome (347 – 30 September 420) . Since 1999, the pastoral activity of Saint Mary Major has been entrusted to the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. The Mary of Nazareth Team
December 17 – The First Church Dedicated to Mary (Rome, Italy)
The Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere
is one of the oldest churches in Rome. It was built in the Trastevere
district by Pope Callistus I (217-222). The location was probably one
of the first places of Christian worship officially open to the public.Our Lady and an Oil Spring According to a legend handed down by Eusebius of Caesarea, an oil spring allegedly appeared there in 38 B.C., and was interpreted by the Jewish population living in that area as a sign announcing the coming of the Messiah (in Hebrew, messiah means “anointed with oil”). In 340, Pope Julius I (337-352) rebuilt and enlarged the basilica. Today it is one of the twenty-five original parishes of Rome. It was dedicated to Our Lady probably at the time of the Council of Ephesus in 431. Although the inscription on the episcopal chair states that it is the first church dedicated to the Mother of God, it is not the oldest Marian church in the city: Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) is the oldest one, since it was dedicated to Our Lady from the time it was built, in the 4th century. The Mary of Nazareth Team December 17 - Our Lady of Amiens (France) A Man in the Womb of a Woman Let us now listen to Jeremiah, who added new prophecies to the old ones, and the One whom he couldn't show as being there yet, he pointed to his coming with the most ardent desire, and promised with confidence. The Lord, he said, just created a new miracle on earth: a woman will surround a man (Jr 31: 22). Who, then, is this woman? And who is this man? And if he is truly a man, how could a woman surround him? And if a woman can surround him, how can he still be a man? And to speak more bluntly, how can he be at the same time a grown man and still be in the maternal womb? (For this is the meaning of the expression "a woman will surround a man.") We call men those who have passed infancy, childhood, adolescence, middle age, and have reached the age of retirement. Yet can someone who has already reached that size be enveloped by a woman? If the prophet had said: a woman will surround a child or infant, we would see neither a novelty nor a prodigy in this. But he didn't say anything of the sort. He said a man. So we ask ourselves, what is this novelty that God has accomplished on the earth, that a woman might envelop a man and a man contract himself inside the frail body of a woman? What sort of miracle is this? Can a man, Nicodemus once asked, re-enter his mother's body and be born again? (Jn 3: 4). St Bernard of Clairvaux Excerpt of the Second Homily Super Missus February 17 - OUR LADY OF CONSTANTINOPLE - Arrest of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe (1941) - Ash Wednesday She Offered Me Two Crowns Father Maximilian Kolbe, born in Poland in a very poor but devout family, was quite a turbulent child until the day his mother cried out, "My poor child, what will become of you?" This question completely overwhelmed Maximilian. A turning point in Maximilian's life
followed that he confessed to his mother: "I prayed so hard and
asked the Holy Mother of God to tell me what I would become. Then
she appeared to me, holding two crowns, one white and one red. She
looked at me with love and offered them both to me. The white one meant
that I would always be pure and the red one that I would be a martyr.
I accepted both of them!"
On February 17, 1941, the Gestapo
arrested Father Maximilian Kolbe and four other brothers, and took
them first to the Pawiak prison in Warsaw. The priest was severely
beaten as a religious and a priest. He wrote to his congregation left
in Niepokalanow: "The loving Immaculate Mother was always with us
with her tenderness and will always watch over us. Let her guide us,
more and more perfectly wherever she wants us to go and according to
her good desire, fulfilling our duties until the end,
so that we may save all souls out
of love."A few days later, Father Kolbe was transferred to Auschwitz. |
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Lazarus 167-164 bc Daniel The Holy Prophet is the fourth of the major prophets. St. Ignatius, bishop and martyr, translation of who, third after blessed Apostle Peter, governed Church of Antioch Ananias ("God is gracious")The Holy Youth Azarias ("whom God helps")The Holy Youth Misael ("Who is what God is?")The Holy Youth Lazarus bishop of Marseilles martyr 4th c. St. Modestus I, archbishop of Jerusalem 408 St. Olympias lavish in her almsgiving 5th v. St. Maxentiolus Abbot and founder of Our Lady of Cunault Abbey 6th v. St. Tydecho Welsh saint 627 St. Briarch Abbot founder companion of St. Tudwal 637 St. Florian martyr w/58 Chiristians 691 St. Begga daughter of Pepin of Landen mayor of the palace 779 ST STURMI, ABBOT first German Benedictine monk; mission work in Westphalia founded monastery favourite of St Boniface 822 St. Eigil Benedictine abbot restored community 9th v. Saint Daniel the Confessor refused the Saracens' demand that he renounce Christ 1170 St. Wivina Benedictine abbess built a convent 1213 St. John of Matha John ransomed captives feast, by decree of Pope Innocent XI, is observed on February 8th 1624 Saint Dionysius of Zakynthos Bishop of Aegina gift of working miracles 1814 Paisius The holy New Martyr igumen of the Annunciation monastery in Trnava near Cacak, Serbia 1815 Avakum (Habakkuk) The holy New Martyr preferred death than deny Christ |
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Aaron_prophet.JPG
December
17 - Our Lady of Amiens (France) Gaze upon the star to avoid losing
your way
Wading through the events of this world, rather than walking on land, you have the impression of being tossed about among billows and storms; do not turn your eyes away from the splendor of this star if you do not want to be swallowed by the waves... Gaze upon the star, invoke Mary…Following her, you will not lose your way…If she protects you, you have no fear, if she guides you, you will not get tired and if she is propitious towards you, you will reach your goal. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1091 - 1153) Homilia super Missus est, (II, 17) |
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Advent's Great
O Antiphons (I): O Sapientia December 17 - OUR LADY
OF AMIENS (France, before 1218)
O uncreated Wisdom who is about to be made visible to the world, it is becoming so clear in this moment that you dispose of all things! Through your divine permission, an edict just came from the emperor Augustus to conduct a universal census. Each citizen of the Empire must register in his original town. The prince in his pride believes he has shaken up the whole human race. Millions of men are moving about over the globe, and cross the immense Roman world in all directions; they think they are following the orders of a man, while in fact it is God they are obeying. All this great agitation has but one purpose: to lead a man and a woman to Bethlehem, whose humble house is in Nazareth of Galilee; so that this woman unknown by men and the darling of heaven, approaching the term of the ninth month since her Son was conceived, may give birth in Bethlehem to this Son about whom the Prophet said: "His coming is from the days of eternity; O Bethlehem! You are not the least among the thousand cities of Jacob; for He will also come out of you." O divine Wisdom! So strong are you, to reach your purpose in such an invincible way, although hidden to men! How gentle you are, to still respect their freedom! But also, how fatherly you are, in foreseeing our needs! You chose Bethlehem to be born there, because Bethlehem signifies the House of Bread. Thereby you show us that you want to be our Bread, our life supply. Fed by a God, we will never die again. Dom Gueranger The Liturgical Year - Advent -December XVII |
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December 17 - Our Lady's in Trastevere,
First Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin (Rome, ca. 352)
Mary in the Midst of Israel's Waiting (VIII) "Behold, the days come that I will make
a new covenant" (Jer 31:31)
In Israel's and the Blessed Virgin's prayers,
meditating on the hope aroused by the prophets, the coming of the
Messiah would make all things new: "Behold, the days come that I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah..." (...) "I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their
heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people..." (...) "for they shall all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest of them: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin
will I remember no more" (Jer 31:31-34). "You renew the face of the earth"
(Ps 104:30).
"I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God" (Ezek 11:19-20). "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them" (Ezek 36:26-27). "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit" (Joel 2:28-29). |
The Holy Prophet Daniel
is the fourth of the major prophets.
Daniel In subject-matter the Book of Daniel falls into two parts. Ch. 1-6 are narratives: Daniel and his three companions in the service of Nebuchadnezzar, 1; Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the composite statue, 2; adoration of the golden effigy, and Daniel’s three friends in the furnace, 3; Nebuchadnezzar’s madness, 4; Belshazzar’s banquet, 5; Daniel in the lions’ den, 6. From all these trials, in which the reputation and even the life of Daniel or of his companions is at stake, they emerge victorious and the pagans give glory to the God who has saved them. The action takes place in Babylon in the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, of his ‘son’ Belshazzar, and of ‘Darius the Mede’, Belshazzar’s successor. Ch. 7-12 are visions granted to Daniel: the Four Beasts, 7; the Goat and the Ram, 8; the Seventy Weeks, 9; the great vision of the Time of Wrath and of the End, 10-12. They are assigned to the reigns of
Belshazzar, Darius the Mede and Cyrus king of Persia, and located in
Babylonia.
From the existence of these two sections some have deduced
two distinct documents of different periods combined by an editor.
But there are other indications which are against such a distinction.
The narratives are indeed in the third person, while the visions are
described by Daniel himself; but the first vision, ch. 7, has its introduction
and conclusion in the third person. The beginning of the book is in
Hebrew but in 2:4 there is a sudden change to Aramaic which continues
to the end of ch. 7 and so into the vision section; the remaining chapters are in Hebrew.
Many explanations of this duality of language have been offered, none
satisfactory. There is no correspondence, therefore, between the division
established by subject-matter (narratives, visions) and the division
on the ground of style (first and third person) or of language (Hebrew,
Aramaic). On the other hand ch. 7 has its commentary in ch. 8, but is
parallel to ch. 2; its Aramaic is indeed the same as in 2-4, but certain
of its stylistic characteristics recur in 8-12, though these chapters
are in Hebrew. This ch. 7, therefore, links the book’s two sections
and proves that it is in fact an integral composition. Also, Belshazzar
and Darius the Mede both appear in each section of the book, so the historical
problem is present as much in one section as in the other. Lastly, the
literary devices and habits of thought are consistent throughout the
book, which is the strongest argument for its unity. The date of composition is decided by clear evidence given in ch. 11. The wars between the Seleucids and Ptolemies and a portion of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes are described with a wealth of detail quite unnecessary for the author’s purpose. This account bears no resemblance to any of the Old Testament prophecies and, despite its prophetic style, refers to events already past. But from 11:40 onwards the tone changes and the ‘Time of the End’ is foretold in a way that is reminiscent of the other prophets. The book must therefore have been written during the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes and before his death, even before the success of the Maccabaean revolt; that is to say between 167 and 164. There is nothing in the rest of the book to contradict this dating. The narratives of the first section are set in the Chaldaean period, but there are indications that the author is writing a short time after the events. Belshazzar was the son of Nabonid and not, as the book says, of Nebuchadnezzar; nor was he ever king. Darius the Mede is unknown to historians, nor is there room for him between the last Chaldaean king and Cyrus the Persian who had already conquered the Medes. The neo-Babylonian background is described in words of Persian origin; the instruments in Nebuchadnezzar’s orchestra are given names transliterated from the Greek. The dates given in the book agree neither among themselves nor with history as we know it, and they seem to have been placed at the chapter heads without much care for chronology. It seems therefore that ancient traditions, the extent of which is hard to determine, have provided the material for a much later work. The late composition of the book explains its position in the Hebrew Bible. It was admitted after the canon of the Prophets had already been fixed, and placed between Esther and Ezra among the varied group of ‘other writings’ forming the last section of the Hebrew canon. The Greek and Latin Bibles put it among the Prophets and add certain deuterocanonical sections, namely, the Psalm of Azariah and the Canticle of the Three Youths, 3:24-90; the story of Susanna illustrating the shrewdness of the young Daniel, ch. 13; and the stories of Bel and the sacred serpent, which are satires on idolatry, ch. 14. The aim of this book was to sustain faith and hope among the Jews persecuted by Antiochus Epiphanes. Daniel and his companions had been similarly tempted: to desert the Law, ch. 1, and to commit idolatry, ch. 3 and 6. From these trials they emerged victorious, and the persecutors were forced to acknowledge the power of the true God. The contemporary persecutor is painted in darker colours, but when the wrath of God is satisfied, 8:19; 11:36, the time of the end will come, 8:17; 11:40, when the persecutor will be destroyed, 8:25; 11:45. This will mean the end of sorrows and of sin and the coming of the kingdom of the saints, ruled over by a ‘Son of Man’ whose reign will endure for ever, ch. 7. This expectation of the end, this hope of the kingdom, runs through the whole book, 2:44; 3:33 (100); 4:31; 7:14. God will bring it to fulfilment after a lapse of time fixed by him, but long enough to embrace the whole of human history. The various stages of the world’s history become stages in the operation of God’s eternal purpose, so that these world-stages, past, present, future, themselves become prophetic of a further future since all are contemplated through the eyes of God ‘who controls times and seasons’, 2:21. By this double vision, at once in time and transcending time, the author reveals the prophetic significance of history. The secret of God, 2:18, etc.; 4:6, is revealed by mysterious intermediaries who are the messengers and agents of the Most High. The doctrine of angels is asserted in the Book of Daniel, as in Ezekiel and particularly in Tobit. The revelation concerns the hidden plan of God for his people and for the nations. It concerns both peoples and individuals. An important passage on the resurrection proclaims the rising of the dead either to eternal life or to eternal punishment, 12:2. The expected kingdom will include all nations, 7:14, and will have no end; it will be a kingdom of saints, 7:18, the kingdom of God, 3:33 (100); 4:3 1, the kingdom of the Son of Man to whom all power is given, 7:14. This is the last expression of messianic prophecy in the Old Testament. The coming of the kingdom will be the central theme of the Synoptic Gospels, and Jesus, king of the kingdom, will call himself ‘Son of Man’, thus clearly asserting that he has come to fulfil the prophecies of the Book of Daniel. This ‘sealed book’, 12:4, with its revelation of a divine secret, its angelic commentators, its message for generations to come, its deliberately enigmatic style, is the first mature apocalypse, a literary form found already developing in Ezekiel and later to flower in Jewish literature. The New Testament counterpart to the Book of Daniel is the Book of Revelation, but in this the seals of the closed book are broken, Rv 5-6, its words are secret no longer since ‘the time is at hand’, Rv 22:10, and the coming of the Lord is expected, Rv 22:20; 1 Co 16:22. In the years following 600 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians, the Temple built by Solomon was destroyed, and many of the Israelite people were led away into the Babylonian Captivity. Among the captives were also the illustrious youths Daniel, Ananias, Azarias and Misael. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ordered that they be instructed in the Chaldean language and wisdom, and dressed them in finery. Handsome children of princely lineage were often chosen to serve as pages in the palace. For three years, they would be fed from food from the king's table. After this they would be allowed to stand before his throne. Daniel was renamed Baltasar, Ananias was called Shadrach, Misael was called Mishach, and Azarias was known as Abednego. But they, cleaving to their faith, disdained the extravagance of court, refusing to defile themselves by eating from the king's table and drinking his wine. Instead, they lived on vegetables and water. The Lord granted them wisdom, and to St Daniel the gift of insight and interpretation of dreams. The holy Prophet Daniel preserved his faith in the one God and trusted in His almighty help. He surpassed all the Chaldean astrologers and sorcerers in his wisdom, and was made a confidant to King Nebuchadnezzar. Once, Nebuchadnezzar had a strange dream which terrified him (Daniel 2:1-6). He summoned magicians, sorcerers, and Chaldeans before him to interpret the dream. When they asked him what he had dreamt, the king refused to tell them. He said, "If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins." The Babylonian wise men protested that no magician or sorcerer could be expected to do this. Only the gods could reveal the dream and its meaning, they told him. The king ordered all the
wise men of Babylon to be executed. When they sought Daniel and his
companions to put them to death, Daniel asked that the king's sentence
not be carried out. He said that he could tell the king what he dreamt,
for it had been revealed to him in a vision. Daniel was brought before
the king and was able to reveal not only the content of the dream,
but also its prophetic significance. After this, the king elevated
Daniel to be ruler of the whole province of Babylon, and the chief of
all the wise men.
During these times King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a huge statue to be made in his likeness. It was decreed that when people heard the sound of trumpets and other instruments, they should fall down and worship the golden idol. Because they refused to do this, the three holy youths Ananias, Azarias and Misael were cast into a fiery furnace. The flames shot out over the furnace forty-nine cubits, felling the Chaldeans standing about, but the holy youths walked in the midst of the flames, offering prayer and psalmody to the Lord (Daniel 3:26-90). The Angel of the Lord appeared in the furnace and cooled the flames, and the young men remained unharmed. This "Angel of Great Counsel," as he is called in iconography, is identified with the Son of God (Daniel 3:25, Isaiah 9:6). In the first Canon for the Nativity of the Lord (Ode 5), the Church sings: "Thou hast sent us Thine Angel of Great Counsel." The emperor, upon seeing this, commanded them to come out, and was converted to the true God. Under King Baltasar, St Daniel interpreted a mysterious inscription ("Mane, Thekel, Phares"), which had appeared on the wall of the palace during a banquet (Daniel 5:1-31), foretelling the downfall of the Babylonian kingdom. Under the Persian emperor Darius, St Daniel was slandered by his enemies, and was thrown into a den with hungry lions, but they did not touch him, and he was not harmed. The emperor Darius then rejoiced over Daniel and ordered people throughout his realm to worship the God of Daniel, "since He is the living and eternal God, and His Kingdom shall not be destroyed, and His dominion is forever" (Daniel 6:26). The holy Prophet Daniel
grieved deeply for his people, who then were undergoing righteous
chastisement for a multitude of sins and offenses, for transgressing
the laws of God, resulting in the grievous Babylonian Captivity and
the destruction of Jerusalem: "My God, incline Thine ear and hearken;
open Thine eyes and look upon our desolation and that of Thy city, in which
Thy Name is spoken; for we do not make our supplication before Thee because
of our own righteousness, but because of Thy great mercy" (Dan 9:18).
Because of Daniel's righteous life and his prayers for the people's iniquity,
the destiny of the nation of Israel and the fate of all the world was revealed
to the holy prophet.
While interpreting the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, the holy, glorious Prophet Daniel spoke of a great and final kingdom, the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ (Dan 2:44). The prophetic vision about the seventy weeks (Dan 9:24-27) speaks about the signs of the First and the Second Comings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is connected with those events (Daniel 12:1-12). St Daniel interceded for his people before King Cyrus, who esteemed him highly, and who decreed freedom for the Israelite people. Daniel himself and his fellows Ananias, Azarias and Misael, all survived into old age, but died in captivity. According to the testimony of St Cyril of Alexandria (June 9), Sts Ananias, Azarias and Misael were beheaded on orders of the Persian emperor Chambyses. St Daniel and the three holy youths are also commemorated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, and on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (Sunday before the Nativity). |
Eódem die Translátio sancti Ignátii,
Epíscopi et Mártyris; qui, tértius post beátum
Petrum Apóstolum, Antiochénam rexit Ecclésiam.
Ejus corpus ab urbe Roma, ubi ipse, sub Trajáno, glorióse
martyrium tertiodécimo Kaléndas Januárii consummáverat,
Antiochíam delátum, ibídem, in cœmetério
Ecclésiæ, extra portam Daphníticam, pósitum
fuit; in qua celebritáte sanctus Joánnes Chrysóstomus
conciónem ad pópulum hábuit. Póstmodum
vero ejus relíquiæ rursus Romam translátæ
sunt, et in Ecclésia sancti Cleméntis, una cum córpore
ejúsdem beatíssimi Papæ et Mártyris, summa
veneratióne recónditæ. Also, the translation of St. Ignatius, bishop and martyr, who, the third after the blessed Apostle Peter, governed the Church of Antioch. His body was taken from Rome, where he had suffered martyrdom under Trajan on the 20th of December, and deposited in the church cemetery near the Gate of Daphne at Antioch. St. John Chrysostom, on that solemn occasion, preached the sermon to the people. Afterwards his relics were carried back to Rome and placed with the highest reverence in the church of St. Clement, together with the body of that blessed pope and martyr. |
The Holy Youth Ananias
("God is gracious") Ananias ("God is gracious")The Holy Youth Azarias ("whom God helps")The Holy Youth Companion of the Holy Prophet Daniel. He was chosen to serve in the king's palace with Daniel, Azarias, and Mishael (Daniel 1:6), who were all from the tribe of Judah. They gave Ananias the Chaldean name Shadrach ("royal"). They were thrown into a fiery furnace when they refused to worship the golden idol set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, but the angel of the Lord preserved them (Daniel 3:25). The Seventh and Eighth Odes of the nine Biblical Odes at the back of the Psalter are taken from The Song of the Three Holy Youths (found in the Septuagint text of the Old Testament used by the Orthodox Church). The Three Holy Youths and the Prophet Daniel are also commemorated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. |
The Holy Youth Azarias
("whom God helps") Companion of the Holy Prophet Daniel. He was chosen to serve in the king's palace with Daniel, Ananias, and Mishael (Daniel 1:6), who were all from the tribe of Judah. They gave Azarias the Chaldean name Abednego ("servant of Nego"). They were thrown into a fiery furnace when they refused to worship the golden idol set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, but the angel of the Lord preserved them (Daniel 3:25). The Holy Youth Misael ("Who is what God is?") Companion of the Holy Prophet Daniel. He was chosen to serve in the king's palace with Daniel, Azarias, and Ananias (Daniel 1:6), who were all from the tribe of Judah. They gave Misael the Chaldean name Meshach ("guest"). They were thrown into a fiery furnace when they refused to worship the golden idol set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, but the angel of the Lord preserved them (Daniel 3:25). |
Lazarus Massíliæ, in Gállia, beáti Lázari Epíscopi, sanctárum Maríæ Magdalénæ ac Marthæ fratris, quem Dóminus in Evangélio appellásse amícum et a mórtuis excitásse légitur. At Marseilles in France, blessed Lazarus, brother of the Saints Mary Magdalene and Martha, of whom we read in the Gospel that our Lord called him his friend and raised him from the dead. Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was the one of whom the Jews said, "See how much he loved him." In their sight Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years. A church was built in his honor in Constantinople and some of his reputed relics were transferred there in 890. A Western legend has the oarless boat arriving in Gaul. There he was bishop of Marseilles, was martyred after making a number of converts and was buried in a cave. His relics were transferred to the new cathedral in Autun in 1146. It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday. Comment: Many people who
had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When
Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without fear. He must have
been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared many meals
and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again. We don’t share
Lazarus’ firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless,
we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus, who waits to raise
us, too.
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4th c. St. Modestus I,
archbishop of Jerusalem His parents were pious Christians from Sebaste in Asia Minor, who died in prison while Modestus was still an infant. The child was raised by pagans, but when he learned that his parents had died for Christ, he secretly became a Christian also. When his adoptive parents died, he traveled to Athens, where he was taken in by a Christian goldsmith and his wife, and became a Christian at the age of thirteen. Modestus' almsgiving and love for the poor soon earned him renown, but aroused the envy of the goldsmith's sons, who sold Modestus into slavery during a trip to Egypt. But Modestus was able to bring his new master to faith in Christ and regain his freedom. Some time later he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre opened at his prayers, and the people, taking this as a sign from God, chose Modestus as Archbishop of Jerusalem. (Accounts of his life do not mention his having been anything but a layman before this.) He served his flock tenderly and zealously, encouraging all to abound in spiritual gifts, and working many miracles. His prayers were effective not only in healing the faithful, but even in curing the ailments of their cattle and other animals. For this reason, it is still customary on this day to sprinkle animals pens and stables, and even houses in which pets dwell, with holy water, asking the Saint's protection. Saint Modestus served his flock faithfully into old age. According to some accounts he reposed in peace. According to others, in his old age he was delivered up to the pagans by his enemies, and beheaded by them after many torments. |
408 St. Olympias lavish
in her almsgiving Constantinópoli
sanctæ Olympíadis Víduæ.
At Constantinople, St. Olympias, widow.
St Olympias, called by
St Gregory Nazianzen “the glory of the widows in the Eastern
church”, was to St John Chrysostom something of what St
Paula was to St Jerome. Her family belonged to Constantinople,
and was one of distinction and wealth. She was born about the year 361,
and left an orphan under the care of the prefect Procopius, her uncle; it was her happiness to
be entrusted by him to Theodosia, sister to St Amphilochius,
a woman who, St Gregory told her, was a pattern of goodness in whose
life she might see as in a glass all excellences. Olympias had inherited a large
fortune and was attractive in person and character, so that her uncle
had no difficulty in arranging a marriage that was acceptable to
him and to her, namely with Nebridius, for some time prefect of Constantinople.
St Gregory wrote apologizing because age and bad health kept him from
attending the wedding, and enclosing a poem of good advice for the bride.
The husband appears to have been an exacting man, but within a very
short time Nebridius was dead, and the hand of Olympias was being sought
by several of the most considerable men of the court. The Emperor
Theodosius was very pressing with her to accept Elpidius, a Spaniard
and his near relation. She declared her resolution of remaining single
the rest of her days: “ Had God wished me to remain a wife ”, she said,
“ He would not have taken Nebridius away.” Theodosius persisted, and as
her refusal continued, he put her fortune in the hands of the urban
prefect with orders to act as her guardian till she was thirty years
old. The prefect even hindered her from seeing the bishop or going
to church. She wrote to the emperor, somewhat acidly perhaps, that she
was obliged to him for easing her of the burden of managing and disposing
of her money, and that the favour would be complete if he would order
it all to be divided between the poor and the Church. Theodosius, struck
with her letter, made an inquiry into her manner of living, and restored
to her the administration of her estate in 391. St Olympias thereupon offered herself to St Nectarius, Bishop
of Constantinople, for consecration as a deaconess, and established
herself in a large house with a number of maidens who wished to devote
themselves to the service of God. Her dress was plain, her furniture
simple, her prayers assiduous, and her charities without bounds, so
that St John Chrysostom found it necessary to tell her sometimes
to moderate her alms, or rather to be more cautious in bestowing them,
that she might be able to succour those whose distress deserved preference
“ You must not encourage the laziness of those who live upon you without
necessity. It is like throwing your money into the sea.” In 398 Chrysostom
succeeded Nectarius in the see of Constantinople, and he took
St Olympias and her disciples under his protection, and guided by him
her benefactions were spread abroad; an orphanage and a hospital were
attached to their house, and when the expelled monks came from Nitria
to appeal against Theophilus of Alexandria they were fed and sheltered
at the expense of Olympias. Our knowledge of this holy
widow is derived partly from Palladius, the letters of Chrysostom and the
writings of other contemporaries, but also from a Greek Life which was printed
for the first time in the
Analecta Bollandiana, vol. xv (1896), pp. 400—483, together
with an account of the translation of her remains (ibid., vol. xvi,
pp. 44—51) written much later by the superioress (Ama) Sergia. See
also the article of J. Bousquet, "Vie d’Olympias Ia diaconesse", contributed
to the Revue de
l’Orient chrétien,
second series, vol. i (1906), pp. 225—250, and vol. ii (1907), pp.
255—268. The life seems to have been composed in the middle of the
fifth century and is clearly posterior to Palladius, as is proved by
quotations made from this source. One chapter, the eleventh, seems to
be a later interpolation by another hand. The letters of St John Chrysostom
to St Olympias have been translated into French by P. Legrand, Exhortations â Theodore; Lettres â
Olympias (1933). See also H. Leclercq in DAC., vol. xii, cc. 2064—2071.
* Elsewhere
he writes to her: “Much patience is needed to see oneself unjustly
deprived of wealth, driven from home and country to exile in an unhealthy
climate, chained and imprisoned, loaded with insults, railing and
contempt. Even the calmness of Jeremias could not resist such trials.
Yet not even these or the loss of children dear as our very heart’s blood
or death itself, the most terrible of evils in human estimation, are so
trying to bear as bad health.” |
5th v. St. Maxentiolus
Abbot and founder of Our Lady of Cunault Abbey France. Also called Mezenceul, he was a disciple of St. Martin of Tours. |
6th v. St. Tydecho Welsh saint.
He is honored by several churches in Wales. St. Cadfan was his brother. Other details of his life are no longer available. |
627 St. Briarch Abbot founder
companion of St. Tudwal. Briarch was an Irishman who entered a monastery in Wales. He went with St. Tudwal to Brittany, France. There he built a monastery and served as abbot |
637 St. Florian martyr
w/58 Chiristians. Eleutherópoli, in Palæstína, sanctórum Mártyrum Floriáni, Calaníci, et Sociórum quinquagínta et octo; qui, témpore Heraclíi Imperatóris, a Saracénis ob Christi fidem occísi sunt. At Eleutheropolis, the holy martyrs Florian, Calanicus, and their fifty-eight companions, who were slain by the Saracens because of the faith of Christ, during the reign of Emperor Haraclius. Martyr with Calanicus and fifty-eight Christians who died at the hands of the Muslim ruler of Eleutheropolis. |
691 St. Begga daughter
of Pepin of Landen mayor of the palace and St. Itta. Andániæ, apud Septem Ecclésias, in Bélgio, beátæ Beggæ Víduæ, quæ fuit soror sanctæ Gertrúdis. At Andenne, at the Seven Churches, blessed Begga, widow, the sister of St. Gertrude. 693 ST BEGGA, WIDOW PEPIN of Landen, mayor
of the palace to three Frankish kings, and himself commonly called
Blessed, was married to a saint, Bd Itta or Ida, and two of
their three children figure in the Roman Martyrology: St Gertrude
of Nivelles and her elder sister, St Begga. Gertrude refused
to marry and was an abbess soon after she was twenty, but Begga married
Ansegisilus, son of St Arnulf of Metz, and spent practically the
whole of her long life as a nobleman’s wife “in the world”. Of this union
was born Pepin of Herstal, the founder of the Carlovingian dynasty in France.
After the death of her husband, St Begga in 691 built at Andenne on the
Meuse seven chapels representing the Seven Churches of Rome, around a
central church, and in connection therewith she established a convent and
colonized it with nuns from her long-dead sister’s abbey at Nivelles. It
afterwards became a house of canonesses and the Lateran canons regular commemorate
St Begga as belonging to their order. She is also venerated by the Béguines
of Belgium as their patroness, but the common statement that she founded
them is a mistake due to the similarity of the names. St Begga died abbess
of Andenne and was buried there.
A life of St Begga, together
with some collections of miracles, has been printed in Ghesquière,
Acta Sanctorum Belgii,
vol. v (1789), pp. 70—125 it is of little historical value. See also
Berlière, Monasticon
Belge, vol. i, pp. 66—63 and DHG., vol. ii, cc. 1559— 1560. There
can he little doubt that the word beguinae, which we first meet about
the year 1200 and which, as stated above, has nothing to do with St Begga,
was originally a term of reproach used of the Albigensians: see the Dictionnaire de Spiritualité,
vol. i, cc. 1341-1342.
|
779 ST STURMI, ABBOT first German Benedictine
monk; mission work in Westphalia
founded monastery favourite of St Boniface
In monastério Fuldénsi sancti Stúrmii, Abbátis et Saxóniæ Apóstoli; quem Innocéntius Papa Secúndus, in Concílio secúndo Lateranénsi, in Sanctórum númerum rétulit. In the monastery of Fulda, the holy abbot Sturmius, apostle of Saxony, who was ranked among the saints by Innocent II, in the second Lateran Council Sturmi, the son of Christian parents in Bavaria, was entrusted to the care of St Boniface who left him to be educated under St Wigbert in his abbey of Fritzlar. He was there in due course ordained priest and did mission work in Westphalia for three years, after which he was allowed with two companions to lead an eremitical life in the forest at Hersfeld. This place was unprotected from the marauding Saxons, and was otherwise unsuited to them, and was soon abandoned. St Boniface had found a district further south more suitable for a monastery from which the Saxons could be evangelized, and St Sturmi rode down into it on his donkey and selected a site at the junction of the Greizbach and the Fulda. In 744 the monastery of Fulda was founded, St Boniface appointing St Sturmi its first abbot. It was the favourite foundation of St Boniface, who intended it to be what in fact it became under the fostering care of Sturmi, the pattern monastery and seminary of priests for all Germany; he used frequently to visit it to superintend its progress, and his body was buried in the abbey church. Soon after its foundation St Sturmi went into Italy to study Benedictine observance at its fountain-head at Monte Cassino, and it seems that Pope St Zachary gave his monastery complete autonomy by withdrawing it from episcopal jurisdiction and subjecting it directly to the Holy See. The abbey of Fulda continued to prosper under St Sturmi, but he was involved in serious difficulties after the martyrdom of St Boniface, for the attitude of his successor at Mama, St Lull, towards the monastery was very different. Lull claimed that it should be subject to him as bishop, and the ensuing struggle was long and bitter. In 763 an order was obtained from Pepin for the banishment of Sturmi, and Lull nominated a superior in his place, but the monks of Fulda refused to accept him and expelled him from the house, threatening that they would go in a body and appeal to the king. To pacify them Lull told them to choose a superior of their own, whereupon they elected a life-long disciple of Sturmi. He took a deputation of monks to court, and they were successful in inducing Pepin to recall their beloved abbot, who returned to Fulda amid great rejoicing after two years of exile. The efforts of St Sturmi and his monks to convert the Saxons did not meet with much external success, and the wars of Pepin and Charlemagne, first punitive and then of conquest, were not calculated to recommend his religion to the heathen. St Sturmi, like many missionaries before and since, was working under the greatest handicaps furnished by the civil power it seemed to the Saxons that the faith of Christ was preached to them “with an iron tongue by their bitterest enemies”. When Charlemagne was recalled from Paderborn to attack the Moors in Spain, the Saxons at once rose and drove out the monks; Fulda itself was threatened. In 779 Charlemagne returned and St Sturmi accompanied him to the mobilization at Duren which preceded fresh military success against the Saxons, but he did not live to recommence his missions. He was taken ill at Fulda and, in spite of the efforts of the physician sent by Charlemagne, died on December 17, 779. The name of St Sturmi, called by the Roman Martyrology the Apostle of the Saxons, was added to the roll of saints in 1139; he is apparently the first German known to have become a Benedictine monk. The Vita S. Sturmii belongs
to the best class of early medieval biographies. It was written by
Eigil, himself also abbot of Fulda, about fifty years after the founder’s
death. It has been many times printed, e.g. in Migne, PL., vol. cv,
cc. 423—444, and in MGH., Scriptores,
vol. ii, pp. 366—377. See also the sketch of Sturmi’s activities given
by H. Timerding in Die
Christliche Fruhzeit Deutschlands;
zweite Gruppe (1929); and M. Tangl, Leben des hl. Bonifazius, der hl. Leoba
und des Abtes Sturmi (1920), Introduction. The life by Eigil
is translated by C. H. Talbot in Anglo-Saxon Missionaries in Germany
(1954).
|
822 St. Eigil Benedictine
abbot restored community. sometimes called Aegilius.
Eigil became abbot of Fulda Monastery, in Germany, in 817. He restored
the community and trained his successor, St. Rabanus
Maurus.
|
Saint Daniel the Confessor
refused the Saracens' demand that he renounce Christ. (in the schema Stephen)
lived in the tenth century. He was a Spanish dignitary, and prefect
of the island of Niverta. Disdaining worldly glory, he became a monk
in Rome and went on pilgrimage to the holy places at Constantinople
and Jerusalem, where he received the Great Schema and the name Stephen.
He received the crown of martyrdom after he refused the Saracens' demand
that he renounce Christ and become a Moslem.
|
1170 St. Wivina Benedictine
abbess built a convent; many miracles of healing
took place at her tomb 1170 ST WIVINA,VIRGIN Little is related of the life of St Wivina that is not common to many other holy nuns of the middle ages. She was a Fleming, well brought up, and by the time she was fifteen had made up her mind to “leave the world” and her father’s house. She was, however, sought in marriage by a number of suitors—foremost among whom was a young nobleman named Richard, who had the approval of her parents. This young man was very much in love with her, and when she made it clear to him that she would accept no earthly husband he took it so hardly that he became ill and his life even was in danger. Feeling herself responsible for his unhappy state, Wivina prayed and fasted for him until he was restored to health, as it were miraculously. When she was twenty-three she left her father’s house secretly, taking only a psalter with her, and with one companion made a hermitage of branches in a wood near Brussels, at a place called Grand-Bigard. Here her solitude was much disturbed by people who came from the city to see her out of curiosity. Count Godfrey
of Brabant offered her the land and an endowment wherewith to build
a monastery on it, which she gladly accepted. She put herself and her
community under the direction of the abbot of Afflighem, a monastery
near Alost (it is still in being) which at that time, according to the
testimony of St Bernard, was
peopled by angels rather than men. Under such auspices the
nunnery of Grand-Bigard prospered, though not without grave difficulties
for the abbess; some of her subjects found her lacking in discretion,
especially in the matter of austerities, and did not keep their opinions
to themselves. St Wivina pointed out to them that they were being
led away by Satan, but it required a miracle to persuade them that their
abbess was in the right. There is a legendary account
of her which has been printed by the Bollandists in the volume Anecdota J. Gielemans (1895), pp. 57—79.
Her psalter, written in the early twelfth century, is still preserved
at Orbais in Brabant. See also Van Ballaer, Officium cum Missa (1903).
also called Vivina. A
native of Oisy, Flanders, Belgium. she was adamant in refusing all offers
of marriage until the age of twenty-three when she became a hermitess
at Grand Bigard, near Brussels. After gathering disciples, she accepted
the offer of land from Count Godfrey of Brabant and built a convent over
which she served as first abbess. |
1213 St. John of
Matha; John ransomed captives; born Faucon, Provence
June 23, 1160
1213 St. John of Matha Feast Day John ransomed captives feast, by decree of Pope Innocent XI, is observed February 8th 1213 > John of Matha hermit first Mass celebrated: vision of angel clothed in white with a red and blue cross on his breast. The angel placed his hands on the heads of two slaves, who knelt beside him. Romæ natális sancti Joánnis de Matha, Presbyteri et Confessóris, qui Ordinis sanctíssimæ Trinitátis redemptiónis captivórum Fundátor éxstitit. Ipsíus tamen festívitas, ex dispositióne Innocéntii Papæ Undécimi, ágitur sexto Idus Februárii. At Rome, the birthday of St. John of Matha, priest and confessor, founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, whose feast, by decree of Pope Innocent XI, is observed on the 8th of February. {Note: there are several different dates of birth, and several different years of death from several different sources.} He was educated at Aix, but on his return to Faucon, lived as a hermit for a time. He then went to Paris where he received his doctorate in theology, was ordained there in 1197, and then joined St. Felix of Valois in his hermitage at Cerfroid. He confided to Felix his idea of founding a religious order to ransom Christian prisoners from the Moslems, and late in 1197, the two went to Rome and received the approval of Pope Innocent III for the Order of the Most Holy Trinity (the Trinitarians), with John as superior, in 1198; they also secured the approval of King Philip Augustus of France. The Order flourished, spread to France, Spain, Italy, and England, sent many of its members to North Africa, and redeemed many captives. John died at Rome on December 17. ST JOHN OF MATHA, FOUNDER
OF THE ORDER OF THE TRINITARIANS
From several bulls of Innocent III and the many authors of his life, especially that compiled by Robert Gaguin, the learned general of this order, in 1490, collected by Baillet, and the Hist. des Ordres Relig. by F. Helyot. See also Annales Ordinis is SS. Trinitatis, auctore Bon. Baro, Ord. Minor. Romae, 1684, and Regula et Statuta Ord. SS. Trinitatis, in 12 mo, 1570.St. John was born of very pious and noble parents, at Faucon, on the borders of Provence, June the 24th, 1169, and was baptized John, in honour of St. John the Baptist. His mother dedicated him to God by a vow from his infancy. His father Euphemius sent him to Aix, where he learned grammar, fencing, riding, and other exercises fit for a young nobleman. But his chief attention was to advance in virtue. He gave the poor a considerable part of his money his parents sent him for his own use; he visited the hospital every Friday, assisting the poor sick, dressing and cleansing their sores, and affording them all the comfort in his power. Being returned home, he
begged his father's leave to continue the pious exercises he had begun, and retired to
a little hermitage not far from Faucon, with the view of living at
a distance from the world, and united to God alone by mortification
and prayer. But finding his solitude interrupted by the frequent visits
of his friends, he desired his father's consent to go to Paris to study
divinity, which he easily obtained. He went through these more sublime
studies with extraordinary success, and proceeded doctor of divinity with
uncommon applause, though his modesty gave him a reluctancy to that honour.
He was soon after ordained priest, and said his first mass in the Bishop
of Paris's chapel, at which the bishop himself, Maurice de Sully, the
abbots of St. Victor and of St. Genevieve, and the rector of the university
assisted; admiring the graces of heaven in him, which appeared in his extraordinary
devotion on this occasion, as well as at his ordination.
On the day he said his first mass, by a particular inspiration from God, he came to a resolution of devoting himself to the occupation of ransoming Christian slaves from the captivity they groaned under among the infidels; considering it as one of the highest act. of charity with respect both to their souls and bodies. But before he entered upon so important a work, he thought it needful to spend some time in retirement, prayer, and mortification; and having heard of a holy hermit, St. Felix Valois, living in a great wood near Gandelu, in the diocese of Meux, he repaired to him and begged he would admit him into his solitude, and instruct him in the practice of perfection. Felix soon discovered him to be no novice, and would not treat him as a disciple, but as a companion. It is incredible what progress these two holy solitaries made in the paths of virtue, by perpetual prayer, contemplation, fasting, and watching. One day, sitting together
on the bank of a spring, John disclosed to Felix the design he had conceived on the day
on which he said his first mass, to succour the Christians under the Mahometan
slavery, and spoke so movingly upon the subject that Felix was convinced
that the design was from God, and offered him his joint concurrence to carry
it into execution. They took some time to recommend it to God by prayer and
fasting, and then set out for Rome in the midst of a severe winter, towards
the end of the year 1197, to obtain the pope's benediction. They found Innocent
III promoted to the chair of St. Peter, who being already informed of their
sanctity and charitable design by letters of recommendation from the Bishop
of Paris, his holiness received them as two angels from heaven, lodged them
in his own palace, and gave them many long private audiences. After which
he assembled the cardinals and some bishops in the palace of St. John Lateran,
and asked their advice. After their deliberations he ordered a fast and particular
prayers to know the will of heaven. At length being convinced that these
two holy men were led by the spirit of God, and that great advantages would
accrue to the church from such an institute, he consented to their erecting
a new religious order, and declared St. John the first general minister.
The Bishop of Paris, and the abbot of St. Victor, were ordered to draw up
their rules, which the pope approved by a bull in 1198. He ordered the religious
to wear a white habit, with a red and blue cross on the breast, and to take
the name of the order of the Holy Trinity. He confirmed it some time after,
adding new privileges by a second bull, dated in 1209.
The two founders having
obtained the pope's blessing and certain indults or privileges, returned
to France, presented themselves to the king, Philip Augustus, who
authorized the establishment of their order in his kingdom, and favoured
it with his liberalities. Gaucher III, lord of Chatillon, gave them
land whereon to build a convent. Their number increasing, the same
lord, seconded by the king, gave them Cerfroid, the place in which St.
John and St. Felix concerted the first plan of their institute. It is
situated in Brie, on the confines of Valois. This house of Cerfroid, or
De Cervo frigido, is the chief of the order. The two saints founded many
other convents in France, and sent several of their religious to accompany
the counts of Flanders and Blois, and other lords, to the holy war. Pope
Innocent III wrote to recommend these religious to Miramolin, king
of Morocco; and St. John sent thither two of his religious in 1201, who
redeemed one hundred and eighty-six Christian slaves the first voyage.
The year following, St. John went himself to Tunis, where he purchased
the liberty of one hundred and ten more. He returned into Provence, and there
received great charities, which he carried into Spain, and redeemed many
in captivity under the Moors. On his return he collected large alms among
the Christians towards this charitable undertaking. His example produced
a second order of Mercy, instituted by St. Peter Nolasco, in 1235.
St. John made a second
voyage to Tunis in 1210 in which he suffered much from the infidels, enraged at his
zeal and success in exhorting the poor slaves to patience and constancy in
their faith. As he was returning with one hundred and twenty slaves he had
ransomed, the barbarians took away the helm from his vessel and tore all
its sails, that they might perish in the sea. The saint, full of confidence
in God, begged him to be their pilot, and hung up his companions'
cloaks for sails, and, with a crucifix in his hands kneeling on the
deck, singing psalms, after a prosperous voyage, they all landed safe
at Ostia, in Italy.
Felix, by this time, had greatly propagated his order in France, and obtained for it a convent in Paris, in a place where stood before a chapel of St. Mathurin, whence these religious in France are called Mathurins. St. John lived two years more in Rome, which he employed in exhorting all to penance with great energy and fruit. He died on the 21st of December, in 1213 aged sixty-one. He was buried in his church of St. Thomas, where his monument yet remains, though his body has been translated into Spain. Pope Honorius III confirmed the rule of this order a second time. By the first rule they were not permitted to buy any thing for their sustenance except bread, pulse, herbs, oil, eggs, milk, cheese, and fruit, never flesh or fish: however, they might eat flesh on the principal festivals, on condition it was given them. They were not, in travelling, to ride on any beasts but asses. When we consider the zeal
and joy with which the saints sacrificed themselves for their neighbours,
how must we blush at and condemn our insensibility at the spiritual
and the corporal calamities of others! The saints regarded affronts,
labours, and pains as nothing for the service of others in Christ: we
cannot bear the least word or roughness of temper.
St. Chrysostom elegantly and pathetically extols the charity of the widow of Sarepta, whom neither poverty nor children, nor hunger, nor fear of death, withheld from affording relief to the prophet Elias, and he exhorts every one to meditate on her words, and keep her example present to his mind. "How hard or insensible soever we are," says he, "they will make a deep impression upon us, and we shall not be able to refuse relief to the poor, when we have before our eyes the generous charity of this widow. It is true, you will tell me, that if you meet with a prophet in want, you could not refuse doing him all the good offices in your power. But what ought you not to do for Jesus Christ, who is the master of the prophets? He takes whatsoever you do to the poor as done to himself." When we consider the zeal and joy with which the saints sacrificed themselves for their neighbors, how must we blush at, and condemn our insensibility at the spiritual and the corporal calamities of others! 'Fine saints regarded affronts, labors, and pains, as nothing for the service of others in Christ: we cannot bear the least word or roughness of temper. |
1624 Saint Dionysius of
Zakynthos Bishop of Aegina gift of working miracles
born in 1547 on the island of Zakynthos. Though born into a noble family, he was determined to flee the world and set his mind upon heavenly things. He entered the monastery of Strophada, and after the prescribed time, he was clothed in the angelic schema by the abbot. Though young in years, he surpassed many of his elders in virtue, and was found worthy of ordination to the holy priesthood. Although he protested his unworthiness, St Dionysius was consecrated Bishop of Aegina. In that office he never ceased to teach and admonish his flock, and many were drawn to him in order to profit from his wisdom. He feared the praise of men, lest he should fall into the sin of vainglory, so he resigned his See and returned to Zakynthos. In 1579 the diocese of Zakynthos was widowed (when a bishop dies, his diocese is described as "widowed"), and Dionysius agreed to care for it until a new bishop could be elected. Then he fled from the worldly life which gave him no peace, and went to the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Anaphonitria, twenty miles from the main village. A certain stranger murdered
the saint's brother Constantine, an illustrious nobleman. Fearing
his victim's relatives, the stranger, by chance or by God's will, sought
refuge in the monastery where St Dionysius was the abbot. When the
saint asked the fugitive why he was so frightened, he confessed his
sin and revealed the name of the man he had murdered, asking to be protected
from the family's vengeance.
Saint
SusannaSt Dionysius wept for his only brother, as was natural. Then he comforted the murderer and hid him, showing him great compassion and love. Soon the saint's relatives
came to the monastery with a group of armed men and told him what
had happened. He pretended to know nothing about it. After weeping
with them and trying to console them, he sent them off in the wrong direction.
Then he told the murderer that he was the brother of the man he had killed.
He admonished him as a father, and brought him to repentance. After forgiving
him, St Dionysius brought him down to the shore and helped him to escape
to another place in order to save his life. Because of the saint's Christ-like
virtue, he was granted the gift of working miracles.
Having passed his life in holiness, St Dionysius reached a great age, then departed to the Lord on December 17, 1624. Not only are the saint's relics incorrupt, but he is also one of Greece's "walking saints" (St Gerasimus and St Spyridon are the others). He is said to leave his reliquary and walk about performing miracles for those who seek his aid. In fact, the soles of his slippers wear out and must be replaced with a new pair from time to time. The old slippers are cut up, and the pieces are distributed to pilgims. On August 24, we celebrate the Transfer of his Holy Relics. Through prayers of Saint Dionysius, may Christ our God have mercy upon us and save us. |
1815 The holy New Martyr
Avakum (Habakkuk) preferred to die rather than deny Christ
born in Bosnia in 1794 named Lepoje by his parents. Lepoje's father died when he was still a young boy, so his mother took him to the Mostanica monastery, where his uncle was the spiritual Father. He grew up in the monastery, and later became a monk with the name Avakum. When he was eighteen, he was ordained a deacon by Metropolitan Joseph (Sakabenta). In 1809, the monks took part in an unsuccessful revolt against the Turks, and had to flee for their lives. They settled in the Annunciation monastery in Trnava near Cacak, where the igumen was St Paisius.
After the collapse
of Karageorge's revolt in 1813, the Turks began a reign of terror against
the Serbs. Disease also swept the area because of the many bodies left
unburied. The people attempted another revolt under Hadj-Prodan Gligorijevic,
and the monks of Trnava became involved in it. The rebellion took place
on the Feast of the Cross (September 14), but it was crushed by the Turks.
Many people were captured, and some were executed on the spot as a warning
to others.
Some of the prisoners were sent to Suleiman Pasha in Belgrade, among whom were Sts Paisius and Avakum. The holy deacon Avakum sang "God is with us" (from Compline) in the prison cell, while St Paisius prayed. The Turks offered to free anyone who would convert to Islam. Some of the prisoners agreed to this, but the majority refused to deny Christ, and so they were put to death. The Turks tried to pressure Avakum to save himself by embracing their religion, but he refused even to consider it. His former spiritual Father, Gennadius, accepted the offer of the Turks and urged Avakum to follow his example. The courageous deacon declared that he was a warrior of Christ, and preferred to die rather than deny Christ. St Avakum was sentenced to be impaled on a stake, which he was forced to carry to the place of execution. His own mother urged him to embrace Islam, then to seek forgiveness later because he had been forced into it. The saint thanked her for giving him life, but not for her advice. At the place of execution, the Turks asked him one more time to consider his youth and not to die before his time. Avakum laughed and asked, "Don't even Turks eventually die?" They replied, "Of course they do." "Well then," he said, "the sooner I die, the fewer sins I will have." Because of his courage and steadfastness in his faith, the Turks decided not to impale him. They killed him quickly by stabbing him in the heart with a sword on January 27, 1815. St Avakum the deacon is commemorated on December 17 with St Paisius. |
1814 The holy New Martyr
Paisius igumen of the Annunciation monastery in Trnava near Cacak,
Serbia After collapse of Karageorge's revolt in 1813, the Turks began a reign of terror against the Serbs. Disease also swept the area because of the many bodies left unburied. The people attempted another revolt under Hadj-Prodan Gligorijevic, and the monks of Trnava became involved in it. The rebellion took place on the Feast of the Cross (September 14), but it was crushed by the Turks. Many people were captured, and some were executed on the spot as a warning to others. Some of the prisoners were sent to Suleiman Pasha in Belgrade, among whom were Sts Paisius and Avakum. The holy deacon Avakum sang "God is with us" (from Compline) in the prison cell, while St Paisius prayed. The Turks offered to free anyone who would convert to Islam. Some of the prisoners agreed to this, but the majority refused to deny Christ, and so they were put to death. St Paisius was taken from prison and forced to carry a stake to the place of execution. He was impaled, and the stake was set into the ground. The holy martyr exclaimed, "Glory to God." Then the vizier clapped his hands to signal his soldiers to draw their swords and begin killing some of the other prisoners. Forty-eight people were killed, and their bodies were raised up on posts. After suffering for some time, St Paisius surrendered his soul to God, thereby obtaining the crown of martyrdom on December 17, 1814. |
THE PSALTER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PSALM 219 O Lady, let not the Lord rebuke me in His anger: obtain for us pardon for our sins. Let all our desire be in thy sight: our hope and our confidence. My heart is troubled within me: light departs from my interior, Enlighten with thy brightness my blindness: sweeten with thy sweetness my contrite heart. Forsake us not, O Lady, Mother of God: let thy grace and thy power be at my right hand. For thy spirit is kind: thy grace fills the whole world. Thunder, ye heavens, from above, and give praise to her: glorify her, ye earth, with all the dwellers therein. Rejoice, ye Heavens, and be glad, O Earth: because Mary will console her servants and will have mercy on her poor. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning and will always be.
God
loves
variety.
He doesn't
mass-produce
his saints.
Every
saint
is unique,
for each
is the
result
of
a new idea.
As
the liturgy
says:
Non
est inventus
similis
illis--there
are
no two
exactly
alike.
It is we
with our
lack
of imagination,
who paint
the same
haloes
on all
the saints.
Dear Lord, grant us a spirit
that is not bound by our own ideas and preferences. Grant that we may be able to appreciate in others what we lack in ourselves. O Lord, grant that we may understand that every saint must be a unique praise of Your glory. Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven: only saints are allowed into heaven. The more "extravagant" graces are bestowed
NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as
FOR the benefit of others.
There
are over 10,000 named saints beati
from history
and Roman Martyology Orthodox sources Patron_Saints.html Widowed_Saints html Indulgences The Catholic Church in China LINKS: Marian Shrines India Marian Shrine Lourdes of the East Lourdes 1858 China Marian shrines 1995 Kenya national Marian shrine Loreto, Italy Marian Apparitions (over 2000) Quang Tri Vietnam La Vang 1798 Links to Related MarianWebsites Angels and Archangels Saints Visions of Heaven and Hell Widowed Saints html Doctors_of_the_Church Acts_Of_The_Apostles Roman Catholic Popes Purgatory Uniates Chalcedon |
|
Mary the
Mother
of
Jesus
Miracles_BC Lay Saints
Miraculous_Icons
Miraculous_Medal_Novena
Patron
Saints
Miracles by Century 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 Miracles 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Lay Saints |
|
The
great
psalm
of
the
Passion,
Chapter
22,
whose
first
verse
“My
God,
my God,
why
hast
thou
forsaken
me?”
Jesus pronounced on the cross, ended with the vision: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him” For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations. All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you. The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought. |
|
Pope
Benedict
XVI
to The
Catholic
Church
In China
{whole
article
here}
2000 years of the Catholic Church
in China The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. Join us on CatholicVote.org. Be part of a new
movement
committed
to using
powerful
media
projects
to create
a Culture
of
Life.
We can
help
shape
the
movement
and have
a voice
in
its future.
Check
it out
at www.CatholicVote.org
3. Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes, if a half hour is not possible. 4. Say the rosary every day. 5. Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament; toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour, 6. Conclude the day with evening prayer & an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day. 7. Every month make a review of the month in confession. 8. Choose a special patron every month & imitate that patron in some special virtue. 9. Precede every great feast with a novena that is nine days of devotion. 10. Try to begin & end every activity with a Hail Mary My God, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love
Thee.
I beg
pardon
for
those
who
do not
believe,
do not
adore,
do
not
O most Holy trinity, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly.
I offer Thee the most
precious
Body,
Blood,
Soul
and
Divinity
of
Jesus
Christ,
present
in
all the
Tabernacles
of the
world, in reparation
for the
outrages,
sacrileges
and indifference
by which
He
is offended,
and by the
infite
merits
of the
Sacred
Heart
of
Jesus
and the
Immaculate
Heart
of Mary.
I beg the conversion
of poor sinners, Fatima Prayer,
Angel of Peace
The
voice
of
the
Father
is
heard,
the
Son
enters
the water,
and
the Holy
Spirit
appears
in the
form of
a dove.
THE
spirit
and example
of the
world
imperceptibly
instil
the
error
into
the
minds
of
many that
there
is
a kind
of middle
way of going
to Heaven;
and
so, because
the world
does not
live
up to the
gospel,
they
bring
the
gospel
down
to the level
of
the world.
It
is not by
this example
that
we are
to measure
the Christian
rule,
but
words
and life
of Christ.
All
His followers
are commanded
to
labour to
become
perfect
even as
our heavenly
Father
is perfect,
and
to bear His
image
in our hearts
that we
may be His
children.
We are obliged
by the
gospel to
die to ourselves
by fighting
self-love
in
our hearts,
by the
mastery
of our passions,
by
taking on
the spirit
of our
Lord.
These
are
the
conditions
under
which
Christ
makes
His
promises
and
numbers
us
among
His
children,
as
is manifest
from
His words
which the
apostles
have
left
us in their
inspired
writings.
Here is
no distinction
made
or foreseen
between
the
apostles
or clergy
or religious
and secular
persons.
The former,
indeed,
take
upon
themselves
certain
stricter
obligations,
as a means
of accomplishing
these
ends
more perfectly;
but the
law of holiness
and
of disengagement
of the
heart
from the
world is
general
and binds
all
the followers
of Christ.
|
|
God loves variety.
He doesn't
mass-produce
his
saints.
Every
saint
is unique
each
the
result
of
a new idea.
As the liturgy says: Non
est inventus similis illis--there are no two exactly alike.
It is we with our lack of imagination, who paint the same haloes on all the saints. Dear Lord, grant us a spirit not bound by our own ideas and preferences. Grant that we may be able to appreciate in others what we lack in ourselves. O Lord, grant that we may understand that every saint must be a unique praise of Your glory. Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors
responded
to God's
invitation
to
use his
or
her unique
gifts.
|
|
The 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite
the
Rosary
)
Revealed
to
St. Dominic
and
Blessed
Alan)
1. Whoever
shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive
signal graces. 2.
I promise my special
protection
and the greatest graces
to all those who shall
recite the Rosary.
3.
The Rosary
shall be a powerful
armor against hell,
it will destroy vice,
decrease sin,
and defeat heresies.
4.
It will cause
virtue and good works
to flourish; it will obtain
for souls the abundant
mercy of God; it will withdraw
the hearts of people from
the love of the world
and its vanities, and will
lift them to the desire of
eternal things.
Oh, that soul would sanctify
them by this means.
5.
The soul that
recommends itself to
me by the recitation of the Rosary
shall not perish. 6.
Whoever shall
recite the Rosary devoutly,
applying themselves
to the consideration of
its Sacred Mysteries shall
never be conquered by misfortune.
God will not
chastise them in His justice,
they shall not perish
by an unprovided
death; if they be just, they shall
remain in the grace of
God, and become worthy of eternal
life. 7.
Whoever shall have a
true devotion for the Rosary
shall not die without the
Sacraments of the Church.
8.
Those who are faithful to
recite the Rosary shall have
during their life and at their
death the light of God and the
plentitude of His graces;
at the moment of death they shall
participate in the merits of the
Saints in Paradise. 9.
I shall
deliver from purgatory those
who have been devoted to the
Rosary. 10.
The faithful children
of the Rosary shall merit
a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11.
You shall obtain all
you ask of me by the recitation
of the Rosary. 12.
I shall
aid all those who propagate
the Holy Rosary in their necessities.
13.
I have obtained from my
Divine Son that all the advocates
of the Rosary shall have
for intercessors the entire
celestial court during
their life and at the hour
of death. 14.
All who recite the Rosary
are my children, and brothers
and sisters of my
only Son, Jesus Christ. 15.
Devotion to my Rosary is a great
sign of predestination.
|
|
His Holiness Aram I, current (2013)
Catholicos of Cilicia of Armenians,
whose
See
is located
in Lebanese
town
of Antelias.
The Catholicosate
was founded
in Sis,
capital
of Cilicia,
in the year
1441
following
the move
of the
Catholicosate
of All Armenians
back
to its
original
See of Etchmiadzin
in Armenia.
The
Catholicosate
of Cilicia
enjoyed
local
jurisdiction,
though
spiritually
subject
to the
authority
of
Etchmiadzin.
In
1921 the
See was transferred
to
Aleppo
in Syria,
and in
1930 to
Antelias.
Its
jurisdiction
currently
extends
to
Syria,
Cyprus,
Iran
and
Greece. |
|
Aramaic dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac
The exact date of the introduction
of Christianity
into
Edessa
{Armenian
Ourhaï
in Arabic
Er Roha,
commonly
Orfa
or Urfa,
its
present
name}
is
not known.
It
is certain,
however,
that
the
Christian
community
was at first
made
up from
the
Jewish
population
of the
city.
According
to an ancient
legend,
King
Abgar
V, Ushana,
was
converted
by
Addai,
who
was one
of the seventy-two
disciples.
In fact,
however,
the first
King
of Edessa
to
embrace
the
Christian
Faith
was
Abgar
IX (c.
206) becoming
official
kingdom
religion.
Christian
council
held
at
Edessa
early
as 197
(Eusebius,
Hist.
Ecc7V,xxiii).
In 201 the city was devastated
by a great
flood,
and
the
Christian
church
was destroyed
(“Chronicon
Edessenum”,
ad. an.
201).
In 232 the relics of the
Apostle St. Thomas were
brought from India,
on which
occasion
his
Syriac
Acts
were
written.
Under Roman domination martyrs suffered at Edessa: Sts. Scharbîl and Barsamya, under Decius; Sts. Gûrja, Schâmôna, Habib, and others under Diocletian. In the meanwhile Christian
priests from Edessa evangelized Eastern Mesopotamia and Persia, established
the first Churches
in the kingdom of the Sassanides.
Atillâtiâ,
Bishop of Edessa,
assisted
at the
Council
of Nicæa
(325).
The
“Peregrinatio
Silviæ”
(or Etheriæ)
(ed.
Gamurrini,
Rome,
1887,
62
sqq.)
gives
an
account
of
the many
sanctuaries
at
Edessa
about
388.
Although Hebrew had been
the
language
of the
ancient
Israelite
kingdom,
after
their
return
from
Exile
the Jews
turned
more
and
more
to Aramaic,
using
it for
parts
of the
books
of Ezra
and Daniel
in the
Bible.
By the
time
of
Jesus,
Aramaic
was the
main
language
of Palestine,
and quite
a number
of
texts
from
the Dead
Sea
Scrolls
are
also
written
in
Aramaic.
Aramaic
continued
to be
an important
language
for
Jews,
alongside
Hebrew,
and
parts
of the
Talmud
are
written
in it.
After Arab conquests of
the seventh century, Arabic quickly replaced Aramaic as the main language
of those who converted
to Islam, although
in out of the way places,
Aramaic continued
as a vernacular
language of Muslims.
Aramaic, however, enjoyed
its greatest
success
in
Christianity.
Although
the
New
Testament
wins
written
in
Greek,
Christianity
had come
into
existence
in
an Aramaic-speaking
milieu,
and it
was the
Aramaic
dialect
of Edessa,
now known
as Syriac,
that became
the literary
language
of a large
number
of
Christians
living
in the
eastern
provinces
of the
Roman
Empire
and
in the
Persian
Empire,
further
east.
Over
the course
of
the centuries
the influence
of
the Syriac
Churches
spread
eastwards
to China
(in Xian,
in
western
China,
a
Chinese-Syriac
inscription
dated
781
is
still
to be seen);
to southern
India
where
the
state of
Kerala
can
boast
more Christians
of
Syriac
liturgical
tradition
than
anywhere
else in the
world.
680 Shiite saint Imam Hussein, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad Known as Ashoura and observed by Shiites across the world, the 10th day of the lunar Muslim month of Muharram: the anniversary of the 7th century death in battle of one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints. Imam Hussein died in the 680 A.D. battle fought on the plains outside Karbala, a city in modern Iraq that's home to the saint's shrine. The battle over a dispute about the leadership of the Muslim faith following Muhammad's death in 632 A.D. It is the defining event in Islam's split into Sunni and Shiite branches. The occasion is the source of an enduring moral lesson. "He sacrificed his blood to teach us not to give in to corruption, coercion, or use of force and to seek honor and justice." According to Shiite beliefs, Hussein and companions were denied water by enemies who controlled the nearby Euphrates. Streets get partially covered with blood from slaughter of hundreds of cows and sheep. Volunteers cook the meat and feed it to the poor. Hussein's martyrdom recounted through a rich body of prose, poetry and song remains an inspirational example of sacrifice to many Shiites, 10 percent of the world's estimated 1.3 billion Muslims. |
|
Meeting
of
the
Saints
walis
(saints
of Allah) Great men covet to embrace
martyrdom
for
a cause
and principle.
So
was
the
case
with
Hazrat
Ali.
He
could
have
made
a compromise
with
the
evil
forces
of his
time
and,
as a result,
could
have led a very comfortable,
easy
and
luxurious
life.
But
he was
not
a person
who would
succumb
to such
temptations.
His
upbringing,
his education
and
his training
in
the lap
of the
holy
Prophet
made
him
refuse
such
an offer.Rabia Al-Basri (717–801 C.E.) She was first to set forth the doctrine of mystical love and who is widely considered to be the most important of the early Sufi poets. An elderly Shia pointed out that during his pre-Partition childhood it was quite common to find pictures and portraits of Shia icons in Imambaras across the country. Shah Abdul Latif: The Exalted Sufi Master born 1690 in a Syed family; died 1754. In ancient times, Sindh housed the exemplary Indus Valley Civilisation with Moenjo Daro as its capital, and now, it is the land of a culture which evolved from the teachings of eminent Sufi saints. Pakistan is home to the mortal remains of many Sufi saints, the exalted among them being Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, a practitioner of the real Islam, philosopher, poet, musicologist and preacher. He presented his teaching through poetry and music - both instruments sublime - and commands a very large following, not only among Muslims but also among Hindus and Christians. Sindh culture: The Shah is synonymous with Sindh. He is the very fountainhead of Sindh's culture. His message remains as fresh as that of any present day poet, and the people of Sindh find solace from his writings. He did indeed think for Sindh. One of his prayers, in exquisite Sindhi, translates thus: “Oh God, may ever You on Sindh bestow abundance rare! Beloved! All the world let share Thy grace, and fruitful be.” Shia Ali al-Hadi, died 868 and son Hassan al-Askari 874. These saints are the 10th and 11th of Shia's 12 most revered Imams. Baba Farid Sufi 1398 miracle, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki renowned Muslim Sufi saint scholar miracles 569 A.H. [1173 C.E.] hermit gave to poor, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti greatest mystic of his time born 533 Hijri (1138-39 A.D.), Hazrat Ghuas-e Azam, Hazrat Bu Ali Sharif, and Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Sufi Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badshah Quadri Chisty Yamani Quadeer (RA) 1236-1325 welcomed people of all faiths & all walks of life. |
|
801 Rabi'a
al-'Adawiyya
Sufi
One of
the most
famous
Islamic
mystics
(b. 717). This 8th century saint was an early Sufi who had a profound influence on later Sufis, who in turn deeply influenced the European mystical love and troubadour traditions. Rabi'a was a woman of Basra, a seaport in southern Iraq. She was born around 717 and died in 801 (185-186). Her biographer, the great medieval poet Attar, tells us that she was "on fire with love and longing" and that men accepted her "as a second spotless Mary" (186). She was, he continues, “an unquestioned authority to her contemporaries" (218). Rabi'a began her ascetic life in a small desert cell near Basra, where she lost herself in prayer and went straight to God for teaching. As far as is known, she never studied under any master or spiritual director. She was one of the first of the Sufis to teach that Love alone was the guide on the mystic path (222). A later Sufi taught that there were two classes of "true believers": one class sought a master as an intermediary between them and God -- unless they could see the footsteps of the Prophet on the path before them, they would not accept the path as valid. The second class “...did not look before them for the footprint of any of God's creatures, for they had removed all thought of what He had created from their hearts, and concerned themselves solely with God. (218) Rabi'a was of this second kind. She felt no reverence even for the House of God in Mecca: "It is the Lord of the house Whom I need; what have I to do with the house?" (219) One lovely spring morning a friend asked her to come outside to see the works of God. She replied, "Come you inside that you may behold their Maker. Contemplation of the Maker has turned me aside from what He has made" (219). During an illness, a friend asked this woman if she desired anything. "...[H]ow can you ask me such a question as 'What do I desire?' I swear by the glory of God that for twelve years I have desired fresh dates, and you know that in Basra dates are plentiful, and I have not yet tasted them. I am a servant (of God), and what has a servant to do with desire?" (162) When a male friend once suggested she should pray for relief from a debilitating illness, she said, "O Sufyan, do you not know Who it is that wills this suffering for me? Is it not God Who wills it? When you know this, why do you bid me ask for what is contrary to His will? It is not well to oppose one's Beloved." (221) She was an ascetic. It was her custom to pray all night, sleep briefly just before dawn, and then rise again just as dawn "tinged the sky with gold" (187). She lived in celibacy and poverty, having renounced the world. A friend visited her in old age and found that all she owned were a reed mat, screen, a pottery jug, and a bed of felt which doubled as her prayer-rug (186), for where she prayed all night, she also slept briefly in the pre-dawn chill. Once her friends offered to get her a servant; she replied, "I should be ashamed to ask for the things of this world from Him to Whom the world belongs, and how should I ask for them from those to whom it does not belong?" (186-7) A wealthy merchant once wanted to give her a purse of gold. She refused it, saying that God, who sustains even those who dishonor Him, would surely sustain her, "whose soul is overflowing with love" for Him. And she added an ethical concern as well: "...How should I take the wealth of someone of whom I do not know whether he acquired it lawfully or not?" (187) She taught that repentance was a gift from God because no one could repent unless God had already accepted him and given him this gift of repentance. She taught that sinners must fear the punishment they deserved for their sins, but she also offered such sinners far more hope of Paradise than most other ascetics did. For herself, she held to a higher ideal, worshipping God neither from fear of Hell nor from hope of Paradise, for she saw such self-interest as unworthy of God's servants; emotions like fear and hope were like veils -- i.e., hindrances to the vision of God Himself. The story is told that once a number of Sufis saw her hurrying on her way with water in one hand and a burning torch in the other. When they asked her to explain, she said: "I am going to light a fire in Paradise and to pour water on to Hell, so that both veils may vanish altogether from before the pilgrims and their purpose may be sure..." (187-188) She was once asked where she came from. "From that other world," she said. "And where are you going?" she was asked. "To that other world," she replied (219). She taught that the spirit originated with God in "that other world" and had to return to Him in the end. Yet if the soul were sufficiently purified, even on earth, it could look upon God unveiled in all His glory and unite with him in love. In this quest, logic and reason were powerless. Instead, she speaks of the "eye" of her heart which alone could apprehend Him and His mysteries (220). Above all, she was a lover, a bhakti, like one of Krishna’s Goptis in the Hindu tradition. Her hours of prayer were not so much devoted to intercession as to communion with her Beloved. Through this communion, she could discover His will for her. Many of her prayers have come down to us: "I have made Thee the Companion of my heart, But my body is available for those who seek its company, And my body is friendly towards its guests, But the Beloved of my heart is the Guest of my soul." [224] |
|
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Colombia
was
among
the
countries
Mother
Angelica
visited.
In Bogotá, a Salesian priest - Father Juan Pablo Rodriguez - brought Mother and the nuns to the Sanctuary of the Divine Infant Jesus to attend Mass. After Mass, Father Juan Pablo took them into a small Shrine which housed the miraculous statue of the Child Jesus. Mother Angelica stood praying at the side of the statue when suddenly the miraculous image came alive and turned towards her. Then the Child Jesus spoke with the voice of a young boy: “Build Me a Temple and I will help those who help you.” Thus began a great adventure that would eventually result in the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Temple dedicated to the Divine Child Jesus, a place of refuge for all. Use this link to read a remarkable story about The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Father Reardon, Editor of The Catholic
Bulletin
for
14 years Lover of the poor;
“A very Holy Man of
God.”
Monsignor
Reardon
Protonotarius
Apostolicus Pastor 42 years BASILICA OF SAINT MARY Minneapolis MN America's First Basilica Largest Nave in the World
August 7, 1907-ground broke for the foundation
by Archbishop
Ireland-laying cornerstone May 31, 1908
Brief History of our Beloved Holy Priest Here and his published books of Catholic History in North America Reardon, J.M. Archbishop Ireland; Prelate, Patriot, Publicist, 1838-1918. A Memoir (St. Paul; 1919); George Anthony Belcourt Pioneer Catholic Missionary of the Northwest 1803-1874 (1955); The Catholic Church IN THE DIOCESE OF ST. PAUL from earliest origin to centennial achievement 1362-1950 (1952); The Church of Saint Mary of Saint Paul 1875-1922; (1932) The Vikings in the American Heartland; The Catholic Total Abstinence Society in Minnesota; James Michael Reardon
Born
in Nova
Scotia,
1872;
Priest, ordained by Bishop
Ireland;
Affiliations
and
Indulgences
Litany of Loretto in Stained glass
windows
here.
Nave
Sacristy
and
Residence
Here
Member -- St. Paul Seminary
faculty.
Sanctuary spaces between them filled with grilles of hand-forged wrought iron the life of our Blessed Lady After the crucifixon Apostle statues Replicas of those in St John Lateran--Christendom's
earliest
Basilica.
Ordered by Rome's first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, Popes' cathedral and official residence first millennium of Christian history. The only replicas ever made: in order from
west
to east
{1932}.
Saints Simon (saw),
Bartholomew
(knife),
James
the
Lesser
(book),
John
(eagle),
Andrew
(transverse
cross),
Peter
keys),
Paul
(sword), James
the Greater (staff), Thomas (carpenter's
square),
Philip
(serpent),
Matthew
(book),
and Jude
sword
It Makes No Sense Not To Believe In GOD |
|
THE BLESSED
MOTHER
AND
ISLAM
By Father
John
Corapi.
June 19, Trinity Sunday, 1991: Ordained Catholic Priest under
Pope
John
Paul
II;
By
Father John Corapithen 2,000,000 miles delivering the Gospel to millions, and continues to do so. THE BLESSED MOTHER AND ISLAM By Father John Corapi.
June 19, Trinity Sunday, 1991: Ordained Catholic Priest under
Pope
John
Paul
II;
By
Father John Corapithen 2,000,000 miles delivering the Gospel to millions, and continues to do so.
Among
the
most important
titles
we have
in the
Catholic
Church
for the
Blessed
Virgin
Mary
are
Our Lady
of
Victory
and
Our Lady
of the
Rosary.
These
titles
can
be traced
back to
one of
the most
decisive
times
in
the history
of the
world and
Christendom.
The Battle
of
Lepanto
took place
on October
7 (date
of feast
of Our
Lady of Rosary),
1571.
This proved
to be
the most crucial
battle
for
the Christian
forces
against
the radical
Muslim
navy of
Turkey.
Pope
Pius
V led a procession
around
St. Peter’s
Square
in Vatican
City praying
the
Rosary.
He showed
true pastoral
leadership
in recognizing
the danger
posed
to Christendom
by the
radical
Muslim
forces,
and in using
the
means necessary
to defeat
it. Spiritual
battles
require
spiritual
weapons,
and this
more than
anything
was a battle
that
had
its origins
in the spiritual
order—a
true battle
between
good and
evil. Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children. No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion. As we watch the spectacle of the world seeming to self-destruct before our eyes, we can’t help but be saddened and even frightened by so much evil run rampant. Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea—It is all a disaster of epic proportions displayed in living color on our television screens. These are not ordinary times and this is not business as usual. We are at a crossroads in human history and the time for Catholics and all Christians to act is now. All evil can ultimately be traced to its origin, which is moral evil. All of the political action, peace talks, international peacekeeping forces, etc. will avail nothing if the underlying sickness is not addressed. This is sin. One person at a time hearts and minds must be moved from evil to good, from lies to truth, from violence to peace. Islam, an Arabic word that has often been defined as “to make peace,” seems like a living contradiction today. Islam is a religion of peace. As we celebrate the birthday of Our Lady, I am proposing that each one of us pray the Rosary for peace. Prayer is what must precede all other activity if that activity is to have any chance of success. Pray for peace, pray the Rosary every day without fail. There is a great love for Mary among Muslim people. It is not a coincidence that a little village named Fatima is where God chose to have His Mother appear in the twentieth century. Our Lady’s name appears no less than thirty times in the Koran. No other woman’s name is mentioned, not even that of Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima. In the Koran Our Lady is described as “Virgin, ever Virgin.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen prophetically spoke of the resurgence of Islam in our day. He said it would be through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Islam would be converted. We must pray for this to happen quickly if we are to avert a horrible time of suffering for this poor, sinful world. Turn to our Mother in this time of great peril. Pray the Rosary every day. Then, and only then will there be peace, when the hearts and minds of men are changed from the inside.
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Father John Corapi goes to
the heart of the contemporary world's
many
woes
and wars,
whether
the wars
in Afghanistan,
Iraq,
Lebanon,
Somalia,
or the
Congo,
or the natural
disasters
that
seem
to be increasing
every
year,
the
moral
and spiritual
war is
at the
basis of
everything.
“Our
battle
is not
against
human
forces,”
St.
Paul asserts,
“but
against
principalities
and
powers,
against
the
world
rulers
of this
present
darkness...”
(Ephesians
6:12).
The “War to end all wars” is the moral and spiritual combat that rages in the hearts and minds of human beings. The outcome of that unseen fight largely determines how the battle in the realm of the seen unfolds. The title talk, “With the Moon Under Her Feet,” is taken from the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation, and deals with the current threat to the world from radical Islam, and the Blessed Virgin Mary's role in the ultimate victory that will result in the conversion of Islam. Few Catholics are aware of the connection between Islam, Fatima, and Guadalupe. Presented in Father Corapi's straight-forward style, you will be both inspired and educated by him. About Father John Corapi. Father Corapi is a Catholic
priest
.
The pillars of father's
preaching
are
basically:
Love
for
and
a
relationship
with
the
Blessed
Virgin
Mary
Leading a vibrant and loving relationship with Jesus Christ Great love and reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist from Holy Mass to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament An uncompromising love for and obedience to the Holy Father and the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church God Bless
you on your
journey
Father
John
Corapi
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Records on life of Father Flanagan, founder of Boys Town, presented at Vatican Jul 23, 2019 - 03:01 am .- The cause for canonization of Servant of God Edward Flanagan, the priest who founded Nebraska's Boys Town community for orphans and other boys, advanced Monday with the presentation of a summary of records on his life. Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be beatified Jul 6, 2019 - 04:00 am .- Pope Francis approved the miracle attributed to Archbishop Fulton Sheen Friday, making possible the American television catechist's beatification. Brooklyn diocese advances sainthood cause of local priest Jun 25, 2019 - 03:01 am .- The Bishop of Brooklyn accepted last week the findings of a nine-year diocesan investigation into the life of Monsignor Bernard John Quinn, known for fighting bigotry and serving the African American population, as part of his cause for canonization. Fr. Augustus Tolton, former African American slave, advances toward sainthood Jun 12, 2019 - 05:03 am .- Fr. Augustus Tolton advanced along the path to sainthood Wednesday, making the runaway slave-turned-priest one step closer to being the first black American saint. Pope Francis will beatify these martyred Greek-Catholic bishops in Romania May 30, 2019 - 03:01 pm .- On Sunday in Blaj, Pope Francis will beatify seven Greek-Catholic bishops of Romania who were killed by the communist regime between 1950 and 1970. Woman who served Brazil’s poorest to be canonized May 14, 2019 - 06:53 am .- Pope Francis Tuesday gave his approval for eight sainthood causes to proceed, including that of Bl. Dulce Lopes Pontes, a 20th-century religious sister who served Brazil’s poor. Seven 20th-century Romanian bishops declared martyrs Mar 19, 2019 - 12:01 pm .- Pope Francis declared Tuesday the martyrdom of seven Greek-Catholic bishops killed by the communist regime in Romania in the mid-20th century. Pope advances sainthood causes of 17 women Jan 15, 2019 - 11:12 am .- Pope Francis approved Tuesday the next step in the canonization causes of 17 women from four countries, including the martyrdom of 14 religious sisters killed in Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War. Nineteen Algerian martyrs beatified Dec 10, 2018 - 03:08 pm .- Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in Algeria between 1994 and 1996, were beatified Saturday during a Mass in Oran. The Algerian martyrs shed their blood for Christ, pope says Dec 7, 2018 - 10:02 am .- Ahead of the beatification Saturday of Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in Algeria between 1994 and 1996, Pope Francis said martyrs have a special place in the Church. Algerian martyrs are models for the Church, archbishop says Nov 16, 2018 - 03:01 am .- Archbishop Paul Desfarges of Algiers has said that Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in Algeria between 1994 and 1996, are “models for our lives as disciples today and tomorrow.” Francesco Spinelli to be canonized after healing of a newborn in DR Congo Oct 9, 2018 - 05:01 pm .- Among those being canonized on Sunday are Fr. Franceso Spinelli, a diocesan priest through whose intercession a newborn was saved from death in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Algerian martyrs to be beatified in December Sep 14, 2018 - 06:01 pm .- The Algerian bishops' conference has announced that the beatification of Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in the country between 1994 and 1996, will be held Dec. 8. Now a cardinal, Giovanni Angelo Becciu heads to congregation for saints' causes Jun 28, 2018 - 11:41 am .- Newly-minted Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu will resign from his post as substitute of the Secretariat of State tomorrow, in anticipation of his appointment as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints later this summer. Pope Francis creates new path to beatification under ‘offering of life’ Jul 11, 2017 - 06:22 am .- On Tuesday Pope Francis declared a new category of Christian life suitable for consideration of beatification called “offering of life” – in which a person has died prematurely through an offering of their life for love of God and neighbor. Twentieth century Polish nurse among causes advancing toward sainthood Jul 7, 2017 - 06:14 am .- Pope Francis on Friday approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Hanna Chrzanowska, a Polish nurse and nursing instructor who died from cancer in 1973, paving the way for her beatification. Sainthood causes advance, including layman who resisted fascism Jun 17, 2017 - 09:22 am .- Pope Francis on Friday recognized the heroic virtue of six persons on the path to canonization, as well as the martyrdom of an Italian man who died from injuries of a beating he received while imprisoned in a concentration camp for resisting fascism. Solanus Casey, Cardinal Van Thuan among those advanced toward sainthood May 4, 2017 - 10:47 am .- Pope Francis on Thursday approved decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints advancing the causes for canonization of 12 individuals, including the American-born Capuchin Solanus Casey and the Vietnamese cardinal Francis Xavier Nguen Van Thuan. Pope clears way for canonization of Fatima visionaries Mar 23, 2017 - 06:44 am .- On Thursday Pope Francis approved the second and final miracle needed to canonize Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the shepherd children who witnessed the Fatima Marian apparitions. Surgeon and father among sainthood causes moving forward Feb 27, 2017 - 11:03 am .- Pope Francis recognized on Monday the heroic virtue of eight persons on the path to canonization, including an Italian surgeon and father of eight who suffered from several painful diseases throughout his life. Records on life of Father Flanagan, founder of Boys Town, presented at Vatican Jul 23, 2019 - 03:01 am .- The cause for canonization of Servant of God Edward Flanagan, the priest who founded Nebraska's Boys Town community for orphans and other boys, advanced Monday with the presentation of a summary of records on his life. Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be beatified Jul 6, 2019 - 04:00 am .- Pope Francis approved the miracle attributed to Archbishop Fulton Sheen Friday, making possible the American television catechist's beatification. Brooklyn diocese advances sainthood cause of local priest Jun 25, 2019 - 03:01 am .- The Bishop of Brooklyn accepted last week the findings of a nine-year diocesan investigation into the life of Monsignor Bernard John Quinn, known for fighting bigotry and serving the African American population, as part of his cause for canonization. Fr. Augustus Tolton, former African American slave, advances toward sainthood Jun 12, 2019 - 05:03 am .- Fr. Augustus Tolton advanced along the path to sainthood Wednesday, making the runaway slave-turned-priest one step closer to being the first black American saint. Pope Francis will beatify these martyred Greek-Catholic bishops in Romania May 30, 2019 - 03:01 pm .- On Sunday in Blaj, Pope Francis will beatify seven Greek-Catholic bishops of Romania who were killed by the communist regime between 1950 and 1970. Woman who served Brazil’s poorest to be canonized May 14, 2019 - 06:53 am .- Pope Francis Tuesday gave his approval for eight sainthood causes to proceed, including that of Bl. Dulce Lopes Pontes, a 20th-century religious sister who served Brazil’s poor. Seven 20th-century Romanian bishops declared martyrs Mar 19, 2019 - 12:01 pm .- Pope Francis declared Tuesday the martyrdom of seven Greek-Catholic bishops killed by the communist regime in Romania in the mid-20th century. Pope advances sainthood causes of 17 women Jan 15, 2019 - 11:12 am .- Pope Francis approved Tuesday the next step in the canonization causes of 17 women from four countries, including the martyrdom of 14 religious sisters killed in Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War. Nineteen Algerian martyrs beatified Dec 10, 2018 - 03:08 pm .- Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in Algeria between 1994 and 1996, were beatified Saturday during a Mass in Oran. The Algerian martyrs shed their blood for Christ, pope says Dec 7, 2018 - 10:02 am .- Ahead of the beatification Saturday of Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in Algeria between 1994 and 1996, Pope Francis said martyrs have a special place in the Church. Algerian martyrs are models for the Church, archbishop says Nov 16, 2018 - 03:01 am .- Archbishop Paul Desfarges of Algiers has said that Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in Algeria between 1994 and 1996, are “models for our lives as disciples today and tomorrow.” Francesco Spinelli to be canonized after healing of a newborn in DR Congo Oct 9, 2018 - 05:01 pm .- Among those being canonized on Sunday are Fr. Franceso Spinelli, a diocesan priest through whose intercession a newborn was saved from death in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Algerian martyrs to be beatified in December Sep 14, 2018 - 06:01 pm .- The Algerian bishops' conference has announced that the beatification of Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who were martyred in the country between 1994 and 1996, will be held Dec. 8. Now a cardinal, Giovanni Angelo Becciu heads to congregation for saints' causes Jun 28, 2018 - 11:41 am .- Newly-minted Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu will resign from his post as substitute of the Secretariat of State tomorrow, in anticipation of his appointment as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints later this summer. Pope Francis creates new path to beatification under ‘offering of life’ Jul 11, 2017 - 06:22 am .- On Tuesday Pope Francis declared a new category of Christian life suitable for consideration of beatification called “offering of life” – in which a person has died prematurely through an offering of their life for love of God and neighbor. Twentieth century Polish nurse among causes advancing toward sainthood Jul 7, 2017 - 06:14 am .- Pope Francis on Friday approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Hanna Chrzanowska, a Polish nurse and nursing instructor who died from cancer in 1973, paving the way for her beatification. Sainthood causes advance, including layman who resisted fascism Jun 17, 2017 - 09:22 am .- Pope Francis on Friday recognized the heroic virtue of six persons on the path to canonization, as well as the martyrdom of an Italian man who died from injuries of a beating he received while imprisoned in a concentration camp for resisting fascism. Solanus Casey, Cardinal Van Thuan among those advanced toward sainthood May 4, 2017 - 10:47 am .- Pope Francis on Thursday approved decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints advancing the causes for canonization of 12 individuals, including the American-born Capuchin Solanus Casey and the Vietnamese cardinal Francis Xavier Nguen Van Thuan. Pope clears way for canonization of Fatima visionaries Mar 23, 2017 - 06:44 am .- On Thursday Pope Francis approved the second and final miracle needed to canonize Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the shepherd children who witnessed the Fatima Marian apparitions. Surgeon and father among sainthood causes moving forward Feb 27, 2017 - 11:03 am .- Pope Francis recognized on Monday the heroic virtue of eight persons on the path to canonization, including an Italian surgeon and father of eight who suffered from several painful diseases throughout his life. |
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8
Martyrs
Move Closer
to
Sainthood
8 July,
2016
Posted by ZENIT Staff on 8 July, 2016 The angel appears to Saint Monica This morning, Pope Francis received Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato. During the audience, he authorized the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes: *** MIRACLES: Miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Luis Antonio Rosa Ormières, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Guardian Angel; born July 4, 1809 and died on Jan. 16, 1890 MARTYRDOM: Servants of God Antonio Arribas Hortigüela and 6 Companions, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart; killed in hatred of the Faith, Sept. 29, 1936 Servant of God Josef Mayr-Nusser, a layman; killed in hatred of the Faith, Feb. 24, 1945 HEROIC VIRTUE: Servant of God Alfonse Gallegos of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Titular Bishop of Sasabe, auxiliary of Sacramento; born Feb. 20, 1931 and died Oct. 6, 1991 Servant of God Rafael Sánchez García, diocesan priest; born June 14, 1911 and died on Aug. 8, 1973 Servant of God Andrés García Acosta, professed layman of the Order of Friars Minor; born Jan. 10, 1800 and died Jan. 14, 1853 Servant of God Joseph Marchetti, professed priest of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles; born Oct. 3, 1869 and died Dec. 14, 1896 Servant of God Giacomo Viale, professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, pastor of Bordighera; born Feb. 28, 1830 and died April 16, 1912 Servant of God Maria Pia of the Cross (née Maddalena Notari), foundress of the Congregation of Crucified Sisters Adorers of the Eucharist; born Dec. 2, 1847 and died on July 1, 1919 |
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Sunday,
November
23
2014
Six to
Be Canonized
on Feast
of Christ
the
King. On the List Are Lay Founder of a Hospital and Eastern Catholic Religious VATICAN CITY, June 12, 2014 (Zenit.org) - Today, the Vatican announced that during the celebration of the feast of Christ the King on Sunday, November 23, an ordinary public consistory will be held for the canonization of the following six blesseds, who include a lay founder of a hospital for the poor, founders of religious orders, and two members of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See: -Giovanni Antonio Farina (1803-1888), an Italian bishop who founded the Institute of the Sisters Teachers of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts -Kuriakose Elias Chavara (1805-1871), a Syro-Malabar priest in India who founded the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate -Ludovico of Casoria (1814-1885), an Italian Franciscan priest who founded the Gray Sisters of St. Elizabeth -Nicola Saggio (Nicola da Longobardi, 1650-1709), an Italian oblate of the Order of Minims -Euphrasia Eluvathingal (1877-1952), an Indian Carmelite of the Syro-Malabar Church -Amato Ronconi (1238-1304), an Italian, Third Order Franciscan who founded a hospital for poor pilgrims |
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CAUSES
OF
SAINTS
July
2015. Pope Recognizes Heroic Virtues of Ukrainian Archbishop Recognition Brings Metropolitan Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky Closer to Beatification By Junno Arocho Esteves Rome, July 17, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky. According to a communique released by the Holy See Press Office, the Holy Father met this morning with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Pope also recognized the heroic virtues of several religious/lay men and women from Italy, Spain, France & Mexico. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky is considered to be one of the most influential 20th century figures in the history of the Ukrainian Church. Enthroned as Metropolitan of Lviv in 1901, Archbishop Sheptytsky was arrested shortly after the outbreak of World War I in 1914 by the Russians. After his imprisonment in several prisons in Russia and the Ukraine, the Archbishop was released in 1918. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic prelate was also an ardent supporter of the Jewish community in Ukraine, going so far as to learn Hebrew to better communicate with them. He also was a vocal protestor against atrocities committed by the Nazis, evidenced in his pastoral letter, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." He was also known to harbor thousands of Jews in his residence and in Greek Catholic monasteries. Following his death in 1944, his cause for canonization was opened in 1958. * * * The Holy Father authorized the Congregation to promulgate the following decrees regarding the heroic virtues of: - Servant of God Andrey Sheptytsky, O.S.B.M., major archbishop of Leopolis of the Ukrainians, metropolitan of Halyc (1865-1944); - Servant of God Giuseppe Carraro, Bishop of Verona, Italy (1899-1980); - Servant of God Agustin Ramirez Barba, Mexican diocesan priest and founder of the Servants of the Lord of Mercy (1881-1967); - Servant of God Simpliciano della Nativita (ne Aniello Francesco Saverio Maresca), Italian professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts (1827-1898); - Servant of God Maria del Refugio Aguilar y Torres del Cancino, Mexican founder of the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (1866-1937); - Servant of God Marie-Charlotte Dupouy Bordes (Marie-Teresa), French professed religious of the Society of the Religious of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (1873-1953); - Servant of God Elisa Miceli, Italian founder of the Rural Catechist Sisters of the Sacred Heart (1904-1976); - Servant of God Isabel Mendez Herrero (Isabel of Mary Immaculate), Spanish professed nun of the Servants of St. Joseph (1924-1953) |
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October
01,
2015
Vatican
City,
Pope Authorizes
following
Decrees (ZENIT.org) By Staff Reporter Polish Layperson Recognized as Servant of God Pope Authorizes Decrees Pope Francis on Wednesday authorised the Congregation for Saints' Causes to promulgate the following decrees: MARTYRDOM - Servant of God Valentin Palencia Marquina, Spanish diocesan priest, killed in hatred of the faith in Suances, Spain in 1937; HEROIC VIRTUES - Servant of God Giovanni Folci, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Opera Divin Prigioniero (1890-1963); - Servant of God Franciszek Blachnicki, Polish diocesan priest (1921-1987); - Servant of God Jose Rivera Ramirez, Spanish diocesan priest (1925-1991); - Servant of God Juan Manuel Martín del Campo, Mexican diocesan priest (1917-1996); - Servant of God Antonio Filomeno Maria Losito, Italian professed priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (1838-1917); - Servant of God Maria Benedetta Giuseppa Frey (nee Ersilia Penelope), Italian professed nun of the Cistercian Order (1836-1913); - Servant of God Hanna Chrzanowska, Polish layperson, Oblate of the Ursulines of St. Benedict (1902-1973). |
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March
06
2016 MIRACLES
authorised
the Congregation
to promulgate
the following
decrees:
Pope Francis received in a private audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he authorised the Congregation to promulgate the following decrees: MIRACLES – Blessed Manuel González García, bishop of Palencia, Spain, founder of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth (1877-1940); – Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity (née Elisabeth Catez), French professed religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites (1880-1906); – Venerable Servant of God Marie-Eugène of the Child Jesus (né Henri Grialou), French professed priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, founder of the Secular Institute “Notre-Dame de Vie” (1894-1967); – Venerable Servant of God María Antonia of St. Joseph (née María Antonio de Paz y Figueroa), Argentine founder of the Beaterio of the Spiritual Exercise of Buenos Aires (1730-1799); HEROIC VIRTUE – Servant of God Stefano Ferrando, Italian professed priest of the Salesians, bishop of Shillong, India, founder of the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (1895-1978); – Servant of God Enrico Battista Stanislao Verjus, Italian professed priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, coadjutor of the apostolic vicariate of New Guinea (1860-1892); – Servant of God Giovanni Battista Quilici, Italian diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Crucified (1791-1844); – Servant of God Bernardo Mattio, Italian diocesan priest (1845-1914); – Servant of God Quirico Pignalberi, Italian professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (1891-1982); – Servant of God Teodora Campostrini, Italian founder of the Minim Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Sorrows (1788-1860); – Servant of God Bianca Piccolomini Clementini, Italian founder of the Company of St. Angela Merici di Siena (1875-1959); – Servant of God María Nieves of the Holy Family (née María Nieves Sánchez y Fernández), Spanish professed religious of the Daughters of Mary of the Pious Schools (1900-1978). April 26 2016 MIRACLES authorised the Congregation to promulgate the following decrees: Here is the full list of decrees approved by the Pope: MIRACLES – Blessed Alfonso Maria Fusco, diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist (1839-1910); – Venerable Servant of God John Sullivan, professed priest of the Society of Jesus (1861-1933); MARTYRDOM – Servants of God Nikolle Vinçenc Prennushi, O.F.M., archbishop of Durres, Albania, and 37 companions killed between 1945 and 1974; – Servants of God José Antón Gómez and three companions of the Benedictines of Madrid, Spain, killed 1936; HEROIC VIRTUES – Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-Eop, diocesan priest (1821-1861); – Servant of God Sosio Del Prete (né Vincenzo), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, founder of the Congregation of the Little Servants of Christ the King (1885-1952); – Servant of God Wenanty Katarzyniec (né Jósef), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (1889-1921); – Servant of God Maria Consiglia of the Holy Spirity (née Emilia Paqualina Addatis), founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Addolorata, Servants of Mary (1845-1900); – Servant of God Maria of the Incarnation (née Caterina Carrasco Tenorio), founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Tertiary Sisters of the Flock of Mary (1840-1917); – Servant of God , founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Family of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1851-1923); – Servant of God Ilia Corsaro, founder of the Congregation of the Little Missionaries of the Eucharist (1897-1977); – Servant of God Maria Montserrat Grases García, layperson of the Personal Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei (1941-1959). |
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LINKS: Marian Apparitions (over 2000) India Marian Shrine Lourdes of the East Lourdes Feb 11- July 16, Loreto, Italy 1858 China Marian shrines May 23, 1995 Zarvintisya Ukraine Lourdes Kenya national Marian shrine Quang Tri Vietnam La Vang 1798 Links to Related Marian Websites Angels and Archangels Doctors_of_the_Church Acts_Apostles Roman Catholic Popes Purgatory Uniates, 218 2023 |