Saint Isaiah, Prophet

St Isaiah prophet.jpegIn the Roman Martyrology we read that today the Church liturgically recalls Saint Isaiah, a major prophet in the Old Testament. A translation of the entry found in the Martyrology:

Commemoration of holy Isaiah, the prophet, who, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, was sent to reveal that the Lord was faithful and a savior to an unfaithful and sinful people, and to fulfill the promise swear by God to David. It is said that he met death as a martyr at the hands of the Jews under king Manassah.

Saint John Houghton, Saint Robert Lawrence, and Saint Augustine Webster

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Saint John Houghton (1487-1535), born in Essex, England, became a parish priest then found his vocation with the Carthusian Order, an order founded by Saint Bruno. In history the Carthusian vocation is given to few.  In the North America, in fact, in Vermont, there is only Charterhouse for monks. There is no monastery for Carthusian nuns. We do, however, have a monastery of nuns aggregated to the Carthusian order called, The Monastic Family of Bethlehem and of the Assumption of the Virgin, Livingston Manor, New York. They are impressive nuns because of the complete faithfulness to the charism of being with God alone.

Father Houghton was elected Prior of the Beauvale Charterhouse, Northhampton, for a few months before moving to the London Charterhouse.  In 1534, he was with Blessed Humphrey Middlemore (killed on 19 June 1535), for refusing to accept the Act of Succession, which recognized the legitimacy of the monarchial authority of Elizabeth I. Had Houghton and Middlemore signed the  Act of Succession they would have been released. There were two Carthusian monks accepted the law “as far as the law of God allows” and were released.

Houghton was arrested again in 1535 but this time with Saint Robert Lawrence and Saint Augustine Webster finally for refusing to accept the Act of Supremacy.  Lawrence was the Prior of the Beauvale Charterhouse and Webster was the Prior of the Axholme Charterhouse at the time of the arrests. The three were hanged, drawn, and quartered on this date in1535.

With the Church we pray:


Almighty and everlasting God, who kindled the flame of your love in the hearts of your holy martyrs Saint John Houghton, Saint Robert Lawrence, and Saint Augustine Webster: grant to us, your humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in their triumph may profit by their examples.

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Saints Philip and James

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Today we celebrate the feast of Saints Phillip and James, apostles: those who bore witness to the Truth.

Philip was born at Bethsaida and started as a disciple of John the Baptist. After the Baptist’s death he followed Christ. It is said that Saint Philip preached the Gospel in Asia and southern Russia.

James, a cousin of the Lord, was the son of Alphaeus. He led the Church at Jerusalem; wrote an epistle; lived an austere life; and converted many to the Faith. He was crowned with martyrdom in the year 62.

Saints Phillip and James pray for us!

Saint Athanasius

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The Church liturgically honors Saint Athanasius, a bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church. He was the bishop of Alexandria, having been the 20th Patriarch of the Church, and having died in 373. The exact biography of the saint’s life is lost, we do know this theological and pastoral activity. It is said that he was ordained to the episcopate in 328 not yet attained the canonical age of thirty years. Athanasius is famous, that is, distinguished, for being a great defender of the truth of Jesus’ full divinity as well as being fully human: our belief in the Incarnation. He was at that time, and continues to be, revered as a “Father of Orthodoxy.” Historically, he is remembered for composing two treatises, “Contra Gentes” and “De Incarnatione,” written around 318 which is before Arianism got a foothold in society.


What makes Saint Athanasius important for us in the 21st century is that despite the contentiousness of the debate of who Jesus is, it was his personal witness more than anything that led people to the truth of the Faith. The issues in the 4th century remain with us today: many “faithful” Christians don’t know how to explain what and whom they say they believe in. Saint Athanasius is still able articulate Catholic belief.

Saint Mark

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We know Jesus Christ through the mediation of others and if fortunate, to a personal relationship. On the former, we honor today the author of the first of the gospels. Saint Mark’s testimony to who Jesus is, and what he means to God’s promise to be with us.


The meditation today brings us to guidance we share in for our salvation.


“… the words of our Risen Jesus forbid us to fear such a calamity. He did not say to his Apostles: “Lo! I am with you even to the end of your lives;” but Lo! I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. So that those to whom he addressed himself were to live to the end of the world! What means this, but that the Apostles were to have successors, in whom their rights were to be perpetuated, successors whom Jesus would ever assist by his presence and uphold by his power? The work founded by a God, out of his love for man, and at the price of his own precious Blood, must surely be imperishable! Jesus, by his presence amidst his Apostles, preserved their teaching from all error; by his presence he will also, and forever, guide the teaching of their successors.”

The Liturgical Year

Dom Proper Guéranger, OSB

Remembering Saint Augustine’s conversion

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You may remember reading this phrase in the Confessions, “Tolle lege.” It means “take up and read.” As is well known that “while he was under conviction of sin, Augustine heard some children singing this phrase as they played — and he concluded that God was telling him to “take up and read” the Scriptures. And the rest is history…

The practice of Lectio Divina is essential for knowing the beauty of the faith.

Today, the Norbertine liturgical calendar celebrates the conversion of Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, and their holy patron. Let’s pray for the canons of Daylesford Abbey.

St. George and The Dragon

Let us pray for the Roman Pontiff whose baptismal name is George, and for all those who claim the saint has their heavenly patron before God Almighty.


St. George and The Dragon

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Of Hector’s deeds did Homer sing,

And of the sack of stately Troy, 

What griefs fair Helena did bring,

Which was Sir Paris’ only joy: 

And by my pen I will recite

St. George’s deeds, and English knight.

Against the Sarazens so rude

Fought he full long and many a day,

Where many gyants he subdu’d,

In honour of the Christian way;

And after many adventures past,

To Egypt land he came at last.

Now, as the story plain doth tell, 

Within that countrey there did rest

A dreadful dragon fierce and fell,

Whereby they were full sore opprest:

Who by his poisonous breath each day

Did many of the city slay.

The grief whereof did grow so great

Throughout the limits of the land, 

That they their wise-men did intreat

To shew their cunning out of hand;

What way they might this fiend destroy,

That did the countrey thus annoy. 

The wise-men all before the king,

This answer fram’d incontinent:

The dragon none to death might bring

By any means they could invent;

His skin more hard than brass was found,

That sword nor spear could pierce nor wound.

Continue reading St. George and The Dragon

Frédéric Ozanam at 200

Frédéric Ozanam DR.jpgToday is the 200th birthday of Frédéric Ozanam the famed co-founder of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society (may 1833). Born in Milan and lived in various cities in France, Ozanam was a well-educated man earning doctorates in law and letters; we was a literary critic and professor of literature. In June 1841 he married Amélie Soulacroix.

In the years following the Revolution, Ozanam advocated ideas pertaining to Catholic democracy based on his reading of Church history and knowing the contributions to culture by those who lived the Catholic faith. Some place Frédéric within a movement called ‘neo-Catholic.’
Frédéric Ozanam was an early proponent of a spirituality based on Saint Vincent de Paul that demonstrated that you can see the face of Christ in the poor, the teaching readily known in the biblical narrative.
In honor of Ozanam’s 200th birthday, VinFormation produced 2 videos accessed here.

Pope John Paul beatified Frédéric Ozanam.

His feast day is September 9.

Saint Stanislaus of Krakow, bishop and martyr

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Saint Stanislaus of Krakow ( July 26, 1030 to April 11, 1079 ) was martyred by King Boleslaus II himself, who had to leave Poland in exile.

The young Stanislaus was well educated in theology and canon law from the university in Paris, allowing him to have an interesting career in the bishop’s court as preacher and archdeacon to the bishop. Later, as bishop, Stanislaus was a man who concentrated on a Christian’s conversion to the Lord, and sought to have the Polish people live according to the Gospel; being conformed to Christ crucified, risen and present in the Eucharist are marks of this saintly bishop; he became a voice against political crime and social injustice. As such, it was Blessed Pope John Paul II who called Saint Stanislaus the patron saint of moral order. His virtues of humility, generosity, courage, strength and faith are to be imitated.

Stanisław was one of the earliest native Polish bishops and he is the first native Polish saint, revered today as a patron saint of Poland, an honor shared with Our Lady and Saint Adalbert.

Since 1969 revision of the liturgical calendar, Stanislaus’ feast day is observed today, but it was observed on May 7 and on May 8 in Krakow.

Saint Stanislaus of Krakow, pray for us.