Saints – Page 52

Saint John Neumann

The famed American bishop, John Neumann (1811-60), is recalled by the Church today in her Liturgy. Known for his zeal and charity, John Neumann was an immigrant from Bohemia to North America and where he worked diligently to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. Neumann was famous for his work with the poor, Catholic education and the Eucharistic adoration. The readings from Scripture and the Collects from the Mass all conspire to remind us of the urgent and real concern we ought to have for our brothers and sisters. The Collect even as a reference to the city where the saint was bishop, Philadelphia.

The Church prays,

O God, who called the Bishop Saint John Neumann, renowned for his charity and pastoral service, to shepherd your people in America, grant by his intercession that, as we foster the Christian education of youth and are strengthened by the witness of brotherly love, we may constantly increase the family of your Church.

Watch two videos on the great Redemptorist Saint John Neumann’s life and here.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Behold a wise woman who has built her house. She feared the Lord and walked the right path. (the Entrance verse at Mass)

The first United States native to be canonized by the Catholic Church is Elizabeth Ann Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821). She is the famous American convert, wife, mother and founder of a religious congregation of women (The Sisters of Charity) revolutionized the work of the Church in the US. Seton’s motto, “Hazard yet forward” is a indication of her deep conviction that Christ indeed is our Savior and everything we do ought to be done for Him. Our “hazard” is being bold in proclaiming the Good News of Salvation, in proposing to live this Good News so that our lives are truly different and all people may see the face of Christ in our own.

Let us call upon Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton for her intercession with the Lord to help us hazard yet go forward in doing all things for Christ and His sacrament, the Church for our own salvation and the salvation of others.

The Church prays

O God, who crowned with the gift of true faith Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s burning zeal to find you, grant by her intercession and example that we may always seek you with diligent love and find you in daily service with sincere faith.

Holy Innocents

At the king’s command these innocent babes and little Children were put to death. They
died for Christ, and now in the glory of heaven as they follow Him, the
spotless Lamb, they sing for ever: Glory to You, O Lord!

O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not speaking but by dying, grant we pray, that the faith in you which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of living.

Pay close attention to the sentiments of this prayer: confession of the reality of God not by words but by actions, by the way we live. How appropriate to keep this in mind these days.

Saint John the Evangelist

Today, the Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of the Beloved disciple, Saint John the Evangelist. As you know, John is the great theologian, perhaps you might say after Saint Paul, of Jesus. His Gospel is a superb love story.

At dinner tonight Abbot Caedmon of Portsmouth Abbey blessed wine. It was a wonderful experience to hear the prayers used and a churchman pointing to a significant Catholic sacramentality that’s not often seen today.

The Blessing of Wine is found here.

Saint Stephen

You are the chief in the choir of Martyrs, like unto an angel; who pleaded with God for those that stoned him. O blessed Stephen, intercede for us with the Lord.

(A Sarum text)

Grant, Lord, we pray, that we may imitate what we worship, and a learn to love even our enemies, for we celebrate the heavenly birthday of a man who knew how to pray even for his persecutors.

Saint Lucy

The people of Sicily and northern Europe especially remember Saint Lucy as their heavenly patron and friend. I have a particular fondness for her because Saint Lucy is an early martyr of the Church and because an aunt and uncle lived with physical blindness.

We pray at Mass with these words…

May the glorious intercession of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Lucy give heart, we pray, O Lord, so that we may celebrate her heavenly birthday in this present age and so behold things eternal.

Hermina Tharway, 12, prepares for exams at Santa Lucia, a home for blind people in Abou, Egypt (image by Holly Pickett).

The Santa Lucia Home — named in honor of the patron saint of the blind — was built with funds from CNEWA’s donors and houses ten girls and eight boys from ages 8 to 18. The children do not attend school next door, which is not equipped to teach the blind. Rather, they are enrolled in public programs in other areas of the city. The boys attend El Nour School in Alexandria’s Muharram Bey neighborhood, while the girls attend a similar school in the Zizina area.

Sister Souad and her colleague, Sister Hoda Chaker Assal, rouse the children every morning for breakfast, baths and a 7:45 date with the school bus.

“Here we wake them and prepare them for school, we feed them and do their laundry and we tuck them in at night and make sure they get a good rest,” says Sister Souad. “It is just like at home.”

For more from this story see, Blind to Limitations.

h/t to One to One, the blog of Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Saint Juan Diego Cuahtlatoatzin

A relatively obscure saint on our liturgical calendar, as many are, but here in the USA while Saint Juan Diego (1774-1548) is not as well-known as he ought to be, those who recognize him know that he famous for being an instrument of Divine Providence. He discerned God’s will and lived his life as though he really belonged to Jesus Christ. He is the first native American to be raised to the altar. As Pope John Paul said, Juan Diego shed light on the divine path to salvation. Pray and closely read the prayer used at Mass below.

The Church prays,

O God, who by means of Saint Juan Diego showed the love of the most holy Virgin Mary for your people, grant through his intercession, that, by following the counsels our Mother gave at Guadalupe, we may ever be constant in fulfilling your will.

Notice the controlling ideas: through this man God revealed Himself to God’s people and that through this man’s prayers and good example he made known to all humanity the counsels of Mary, the Mother of God. THE counsel of Mary to us is our adherence to God’s will. Having that change-of-mind, that conversion to Christ in a total way.

Want to know more about Saint Juan Diego, read a brief biography here.

Blessed John Paul II’s homily at the Mass of Canonization of Juan Diego is noted here.

For what and for whom shall we pray today? For Mexico and the Church in the Americas (North, Central and South); for the Church especially in the USA to follow more closely the will of God and for those who bear the name Juan Diego.

Saint Ambrose

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom.

Let’s pray for Cardinal Angelo Scola and the Church in the great Archdiocese of Milan.

Saint Nicholas

The liturgical memorial of Saint Nicholas observed today is an opportunity to reflect on our reliance on others as we go onto the Lord as a community, people who have regard for another. The sainted bishop Nicholas of Myra (Turkey) reminds us of our reception of unmerited grace given by God.

Let us pray for sailors, orphans and pawnbrokers. I’d also like to remember Melkite Bishop Nicholas Samra on his feast day.

The Church prays…

We humbly implore your mercy, Lord: protect us in all dangers through the prayers of the Bishop Nicholas, that the way of salvation may lie open before us.

(RM 2011)

Saint Andrew: brought Peter to the Lord

Let us pray that Saint Andrew, first-called, will bring us to the Lord as he brought Saint Peter and countless others to the Lord to experience salvation.

Let us pray for concrete unity among Christians, particularly Orthodox Christians with the See of Rome.

The Church prays~

We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord, that, just as the blessed Apostle Andrew was for your Church a preacher and pastor, so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you.