Category: Saints

Saint Leo the Great



Pope St Leo the Great2.jpg



Pope Saint Leo the
Great stated: “The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What
you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours for ever. Since it
is by giving alms that everything is pure for you, you will also receive that
blessing which is promised next by the Lord: the Godhead that no man has been
able to see. In the inexpressible joy of this eternal vision, human nature will
possess what eye has not seen or ear heard, what man’s heart has never
conceived.”

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Saint Charles Borromeo


St Charles Borromeo with old man.jpgPreserve in the midst of your people, we ask, O
Lord, the spirit with which you filled the Bishop Saint Charles Borromeo, that
your Church may be constantly renewed and, by conforming herself to the
likeness of Christ, may show his face to the world.




The humanity of today’s saint is brought out in an
address celebrating 400 years since he was raised to the altars. Here are three
paragraphs of the Pope 2010 talk (the rest may be read at the link below):

The
love of St Charles Borromeo was first and foremost the love of the Good
Shepherd who is ready to give his whole life for the flock entrusted to his
care, putting the demands and duties of his ministry before any form of
personal interest, amenity or advantage. Thus the Archbishop of Milan, faithful
to the Tridentine directives, visited several times his immense Diocese even
the most remote localities, and took care of his people, nourishing them ceaselessly
with the Sacraments and with the word of God through his rich and effective
preaching; he was never afraid to face adversities and dangers to defend the
faith of the simple and the rights of the poor.

However it is impossible to
understand the charity of St Charles Borromeo without knowing his relationship
of passionate love with the Lord Jesus. He contemplated this love in the holy
mysteries of the Eucharist and of the Cross, venerated in very close union with
the mystery of the Church. The Eucharist and the Crucified One immersed St
Charles in Christ’s love and this transfigured and kindled fervor in his entire
life, filled his nights spent in prayer, motivated his every action, inspired
the solemn Liturgies he celebrated with the people and touched his heart so
deeply that he was often moved to tears.

His contemplative gaze at the holy
Mystery of the Altar and at the Crucified one stirred within him feelings of
compassion for the miseries of humankind and kindled in his heart the apostolic
yearning to proclaim the Gospel to all. On the other hand we know well that
there is no mission in the Church which does not stem from “abiding” in the
love of the Lord Jesus, made present within us in the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
Let us learn from this great Mystery! Let us make the Eucharist the true centre
of our communities and allow ourselves to be educated and moulded by this abyss
of love! Every apostolic and charitable deed will draw strength and fruitfulness
from this source!

Pope Benedict XVI

Saints Simon and Jude


Sts Simon and Jude.jpgO God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to
acknowledge your Name, grant graciously, through the intercession of Saints
Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the people
who believe in you.


Today, the Dominican community and the assembled laity –about 150 people– honored Saint Jude by the Sacrifice of the Mass and the re-dedication ceremony of the Shrine to St Jude located at the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (NYC). The Shrine of Saint Jude had been recently renovated, thus honoring the memory of this great intercessor. These last nine days the annual Novena to Saint Jude led by Dominican Fathers Walter and Bruno, pastor and curate respectively at Saint Vincent Ferrer Church.

The St Jude Shrine assists the Priory and Church of Saint Catherine of Siena by their prayers and the financial support given to the Dominican Friars Healthcare Ministry of NY (the Catholic chaplaincy and professional bioethics center for the 4 area hospitals).

The website of the Dominican Shrine of Saint Jude can be visited here.

Saint Luke the Evangelist

St Luke VFoppa.jpg[Saint Luke] told of the power of the Lord, and his praise. (MP resp.)

Saint Luke is known to have brought light to a dark world with the writing of his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. As a disciple of Saint Paul, much of early Christian life that appears in Luke-Acts is due to this connection.

The particulars of his life are fuzzy, at least in this sense: we know he was born into a pagan (that is, unbelieving) family in Antioch and that he was a doctor of some sort and that he’s reported to have been an early convert to Christianity. His work as a painter, life and death are not well known. We commonly attribute a picture to Luke but certainty doesn’t exist. Some say he was martyred and others say Luke died of natural causes. The date of death is thought to be around AD 74. Saint Luke’s relics are venerated in Padua.

Saint Luke’s feastday is a traditional day to pray for healthcare professionals but also for artists, brewers,goldsmiths and laceworkers.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

The feast day of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque is a fitting reminder of our seeking the Heart of Jesus. What else is the Christian journey the seeking the Heart of Christ??? Or more precisely, allowing the Heart of Jesus to seek us. That He, the Lord, wants to be in a relationship with us personally and forever. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the famous nun of the Order of the Visitation of the 17th century, gives us a personal witness to the deep love Christ had for her, and she had for Him. I encourage you to spend a few moments in prayer with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is not a quaint devotion of a former time. Is it is as Mother Dolores Hart, OSB said, “love (faith) is an antagonism for life.”

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque3.jpg

Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
 

I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains, and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to honor, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him. I therefore take You, O Sacred heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my life, my assurance of salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of death.

Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of his righteous anger. O Heart of love, I put all my confidence in You, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and frailty, but I hope for all things from Your goodness and bounty.

Remove from me all that can displease You or resist Your holy will; let your pure love imprint Your image so deeply upon my heart, that I shall never be able to forget You or to be separated from You.

May I obtain from all Your loving kindness the grace of having my name written in Your Heart, for in You I desire to place all my happiness and glory, living and dying in bondage to You.

Saint Francis of Assisi


St Francis of Assisi Andrea diVanni d'Andrea.jpgFrancis, the man of God, left his home behind, abandoned his inheritance and became poor and penniless, but the Lord raised him up.


O God, by whose gift Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility, grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity, come to be united with you.

The mystery of the Cross is likely never made more evident in Christianity than through the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. The above prayer, in fact, the new collect for the Roman Missal brings this to bear on us. Francis’ life of charity and apostolic zeal effected God’s love for all.

The Pope offers a glimpse into the Poor Man of Assisi:

Continue reading Saint Francis of Assisi

Guardian Angels

guardian angels.jpg

The 27th Sunday through the year trumps the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. BUT I can’t resist thinking about angels. Today in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd I spoke to the children about the angels, though I centered my thoughts on the Archangels but the Guardian Angels factored in, too. Remember to say a prayer to your Guardian Angel intercession before God the Father.
Our belief in the existence of the guardian angels is not a pious idea that we teach to children; angels are biblical; Jesus speaks of the angels and the Church continues to give witness to the existence of angels in our lives.
So, what can we conclude? We conclude that God has concern for every human being by the protection of the Guardian Angels. Pope Benedict encourages us not to forget our angels in weekly audience (read about it here).
The Church prays….
O God, who in Your unfathomable providence are pleased to send Your holy Angels to guard us, hear our supplication as we cry to You, that we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company.
Angels are spirits. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “The existence of spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith (329).
What do these spirits do? What is the nature of spirits?
They angel. Again, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church we hear of the Saint Augustine of Hippo who taught “‘Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do , ‘angel'” (329).
What does the word “angel” mean?
Messenger.
What does the Church teach about angels?
Angels “are servants and messengers of God. Because they ‘always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven’ (Mt 18:10) they are ‘the mighty ones who do his word’ (Ps 103:20).
The Jewish people are familiar with angels –there are plenty of angels in the Old Testament (see Genesis 28-29; Exodus 12-13 and 32:34; Psalm 90:11; Job 38:7 among many sources). The Prophet Daniel (c. 550BC) speaks of Michael as “the great prince which stands for the children of His people.” And Our Lord speaks of the 12 legions of angels as being at his side.
Do angels exist? I think so. The witnesses are hard to beat.

Angels of God The Bible the Church.jpeg

Mike Aquilina’s 2009 book, Angels of God, is an excellent resource.
I recommend all of Mike’s writings, so purchase everything!!!
AND send an angel postcard given here…
Pray for the monks of the American-Cassinese Congregation who have the Holy Guardian Angels as their heavenly patrons. Monasteries in this congregation places like St Vincent’s (Latrobe, PA), St Anselm’s (Manchester, NH), St Martin’s (Lacey, WA), St Mary’s (Morristown, NJ), Newark Abbey (Newark, NJ) and a few more.

Saint Michael the Archangel and the archangels

Tadolini's Michael.jpgNo better day than today to recall the work of the archangels: Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Raphael is least known, but he’s remembered because of his ability to heal in God’s name and then there’s the famous Gabriel who announces to a young Jewish girl, Mary, that she’s to bring into history God, the Incarnate Word of God known to us as Jesus and then we know Michael because he’s best known for throwing Lucifer to hell (he was the 4th archangel turned Satan or known as the devil). Michael means “who is like unto God.”
Catholics know Saint Michael for 4 things:
1. he provides aid for the spiritual struggle fought by all people;
2. he is present at every deathbed, giving hope for one’s redemption;
3. weighs the merits of a person’s soul following death: you are judged worthy of heaven, purgatory or hell;
4. he guarantees Jesus Christ’s promise to that the gates of hell won’t prevail upon the Church and that the Church will last to the end of time.
Since the time of Pope Leo XIII in the 19th century, we’ve prayed …
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.