The Church offers us today the life of someone salvation history has determined to be a significant figure in the proclamation of the Gospel. Pope Saint Leo the Great, a doctor of the Church helped the Church of his era develop orthodox thinking on the person of Jesus Christ that is standard theology today. He defended the two natures of Jesus Christ at the Council of Chalcedon. The Fathers of Chalcedon said, “Peter has spoken through Leo!”
Tag: saint
Saint Charles Borromeo
Saint Charles Borromeo’s intercession is as much needed today as ever we needed it. He was an unexpected gift of God to his family and to the Church and we ask him to intercede for us. Some interesting points about the legacy of Saint Charles Borromeo, whose feast we celebrate today.
- His nephew,
Federico Borromeo (1564-1631), was archbishop of Milan from 1595 and,
furthering Charles’ support for Catholic learning, in 1609 founded the
Ambrosian Library in that city. He donated a tremendous collection of art and
literature to the library. - Borromeo’s emblem is the Latin
word humilitas (humility), which is a portion of the Borromeo shield.
He is usually represented in art in his robes, barefoot, carrying the cross as archbishop; a rope round his neck, one hand raised in blessing, thus recalling his
work during the plague. - Borromeo is one of only four people mentioned at the
beginning of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, citing them as responsible
for the Council of Trent, which gave way to the modern day catechism. The
others mentioned are St. Peter Canisius, St. Turibius of Mongrovejo and St.
Robert Bellarmine. - The city and county of St. Charles, Missouri are named for
Borromeo.
Saints Simon and Jude
Talking about Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop
A record number of Australians flocked to Rome last week to attend to the Mass and rites of canonization celebrated by Pope Benedict of 6 people, among them was Australia’s first saint, Sister Mary of the Cross MacKillop. While many will make her the patron saint of the former ex-communicate, she is for me an example of staying faithful to Christ even when ecclesiastics are unusually harsh in their pastoral judgment. For Saint Mary of the Cross for us too, Jesus told us that upon Peter is the Church built; and that’s how we follow Christ: by remaining on that Rock. As her own religious name indicates, “of the Cross,” we ought to carry our cross but with Christ helping us. We don’t go through life alone!!!! The Lord is there with us, right now.
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop
The Church in Australia has a her first native born
saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
The canonized Saint Mary of the Cross with 5 others earlier today. The feast day of Saint Mary of the Cross is August 8.
dedicated herself as a young woman to the education of the poor in the
difficult and demanding terrain of rural Australia, inspiring other women to
join her in the first women’s community of religious sisters of that country.
She attended to the needs of each young person entrusted to her, without regard
for station or wealth, providing both intellectual and spiritual formation.
Despite many challenges, her prayers to Saint Joseph and her unflagging
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom she dedicated her new
congregation, gave this holy woman the graces needed to remain faithful to God
and to the Church. Through her intercession, may her followers today continue
to serve God and the Church with faith and humility! She dedicated herself as a
young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding terrain
of rural Australia, inspiring other women to join her in the first women’s
community of religious sisters of that country. She attended to the needs of
each young person entrusted to her, without regard for station or wealth,
providing both intellectual and spiritual formation. Despite many challenges,
her prayers to Saint Joseph and her unflagging devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, to whom she dedicated her new congregation, gave this holy woman the
graces needed to remain faithful to God and to the Church. Through her
intercession, may her followers today continue to serve God and the Church with
faith and humility!”
homily)
Saint Edward the Confessor
Hail to You, Christ, Prince of Peace!
Blessed John XXIII
Today we are given Blessed John XXIII as a model of holiness. Pope Blessed John’s liturgical memorial is not the date of his death but the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.
Saint Faustina Kowalska
Clued-in Catholics know the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. They are, however, unlikely to know the person who made this devotion known to the world and who was instrumental in getting the work of divine mercy known in the world today. Today, the Church gives us the woman who made the Lord’s mercy known to men and women of today.
Sr Faustina
Kowalska wrote in her Diary: “I feel tremendous pain when I see the
sufferings of my neighbours. All my neighbours’ sufferings reverberate in my
own heart; I carry their anguish in my heart in such a way that it even
physically destroys me. I would like all their sorrows to fall upon me, in
order to relieve my neighbour” (Diary, p. 365). This is the degree of
compassion to which love leads, when it takes the love of God as its
measure!
It is this love which must inspire humanity today, if it is to face
the crisis of the meaning of life, the challenges of the most diverse needs
and, especially, the duty to defend the dignity of every human person. Thus the
message of divine mercy is also implicitly a message about the value of every
human being. Each person is precious in God’s eyes; Christ gave his life for
each one; to everyone the Father gives his Spirit and offers intimacy. (Pope John Paul II, Canonization homily, April 30, 2000).
Saint Vincent de Paul
In honoring Saint Vincent de Paul today let’s call to mind the myriad of ways he and his spiritual sons and daughters have served, and continue to serve, the Gospel by serving the poor and uneducated. Have you got your copy of the video “Charity’s Saint: St Vincent de Paul“? I pray in thanksgiving for the Vincentian priests in New Haven who were my spiritual guides as a child.
With glowing light sent from above,
O Vincent, how you guide our way!
Your virtues and example pure
Show us the path to heaven’s day.
With self-effacing modesty,
You made yourself of little state;
Your gentleness and simple life
Made you revered by small and great.
Amidst the graces of your life
Your charity sheds brightest fire:
How many of the poor it fed,
Filled many hearts with Christ’s desire.
Urged on by zeal and charity,
You preached in town and countryside,
Proclaiming all God’s mysteries
To poor and rich, both far and wide.
Beneath your wings you gathered those
Who longed to share both work and strife.
By word and deed you taught them well;
You formed and taught them by your life.
To God, the holy Three-in-One,
All praise and glory be addressed,
Whose life divine is best reward,
And light eternal for the blessed.
J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2009, World Library Publications
LM; WINCHESTER NEW, HAMBURG, ST. VINCENT
Don Bosco’s relic comes to New York City
A relic of Saint John Bosco, patron of youth, is visiting New York City on Friday, October 1. The relic’s pilgrimage is in preparation for the saint’s 200th anniversary of birth. Being in the USA is only one of 130 nations that the relic is visiting.