saint – Page 22

Saint Agrippina, martyr

The Church liturgically commemorates the feast of Saint Agrippina, a Roman martyr who lived at the time of Emperor Valerian (153-259). Not called to be married to a believer or unbeliever but called to fully dedicate her life to Christ, Agrippina confessed in public her faith in Christ as Savior for which she was tortured. After being beatened, tradition says, she was chained by the government yet released by an angel. She died from her torture. Initially, Saint Agrippina was buried in Sicily by three Christian women: Bassa, Paula and Agathonice; her relics were later transfered to Constantinople.

Saint Agrippina is often invoked by those who are suffering bacterial infections, evil spirits, leprosy and thunderstorms.

A liturgical hymn recalls Saint Agrippina:

With Your blood, O Christ, far beyond all price,

You redeemed us from our sin.

Bringing us new life, guarding us in strife,

Making us Your blood-brought kin.

Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,

Both in heav’n and earth adored!

Let Your martyr’s praise

Echo through our days;

Hymning You with one accord!

Let us form a choir, take the heav’nly lyre,

To adorn Your martyr’s feast.

Faithful unto death, with her final breath

She proclaimed You King and Priest!

Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,

Both in heav’n and earth adored!

Let Your martyr’s praise

Echo through our days;

Hymning You with one accord!

In Your martyr, brave Agrippina,

You show forth Your boundless grace.

Grant that we, inspired, may like her be fired

With the zeal to see Your face!

Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,

Both in heav’n and earth adored!

Let Your martyr’s praise

Echo through our days;

Hymning You with one accord!

Saint Romuald

All that I seek to know on earth is Christ,
The power of his resurrected life,
To share the suff’rings that he bore for me,
Thus shall I triumph over death and strife.

So Romuald, the solitary man,
Became a living icon of his Lord,
In prayer and self-denial formed his monks
And molded them within the silent Word.

O Father, Son, and Spirit ever blessed,
We raise our hearts in silence and in praise!
With Romuald and all the heav’nly choir,
We praise you, Lord of Life, for all our days!

J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
10 10 10 10
SURSUM CORDA, WOODLANDS

Saint Ephrem the Syrian

It is indeed fitting to honor the blessed deacon of
Edessa for his desire that the preaching of the divine word and the training of
his disciples rest on the purity of Sacred Scripture. He also acquired honor as
a Christian musician and poet. He was so accomplished in both arts that he was
called the “lyre of the Holy Spirit.” From this, Venerable Brothers,
you can learn what arts promote the knowledge of sacred things. Ephrem lived
among people whose nature was attracted by the sweetness of poetry and music.
The heretics of the second century after Christ used these same allurements to
skillfully disseminate their errors. Therefore Ephrem, like youthful David
killing the giant Goliath with his own sword, opposed art with art and clothed
Catholic doctrine in melody and rhythm. These he diligently taught to boys and
girls, so that eventually all the people learned them. In this fashion he not
only renewed the education of the faithful in Christian doctrine and supported
their piety with the spirit of the sacred liturgy, but also happily kept
creeping heresy at bay.

The artistry introduced by Blessed Ephrem added dignity
to sacred matters as Theodoretus stresses. The metric rhythm, which our saint
popularized, was widely propagated both among the Greeks and the Latins. Indeed
does it seem probable that the liturgical antiphonary with its songs and
processions, introduced at Constantinople in the works of Chrysostom and at
Milan by Ambrose (whence it spread throughout all of Italy), was the work of
some other author? For the “custom of Eastern rhythm” deeply moved
the catechumen Augustine in northern Italy; Gregory the Great improved it and
we use it in a more advanced form. Critics acknowledge that that “same
Eastern rhythm” had it origins in Ephrem’s Syrian antiphonary.

It is no
wonder then that many of the Fathers of the Church stress the authority of St.
Ephrem. Nyssenus says of his writings, “Studying the Old and New
Scriptures most thoroughly, he interpreted them accurately, word for word; and
what was hidden and concealed, from the very creation of the world to the last
book of grace, he illumined with commentaries, using the light of the
Spirit.” And Chrysostom: “The great Ephrem is scourge of the
slothful, consoler of the afflicted, educator, instructor and exhorter of
youth, mirror of monks, leader of penitents, goad and sting of heretics,
reservoir of virtues, and the home and lodging of the Holy Spirit.” Certainly
nothing greater can be said in praise of a man who, however, seemed so small in
his own eyes that he claimed to be the least of all and a most vile sinner”
(12-14).

Pope Benedict XV

Principi
Apostolorum Petro (On St. Ephrem the Syrian), 5 October 1920

Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, martyr

The Church has a new blessed, an apostle for freedom, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko.

From Cyprus on Sunday, June 6, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI
during the Angelus address spoke a “few words in Polish on the happy occasion
of the beatification today of Jerzy Popieluszko, priest and martyr: [I send
cordial greetings to the Church in Poland which today rejoices at the elevation
to the altars of Father Jerzy Popieluszko. His zealous service and his
martyrdom are a special sign of the victory of good over evil. May his example
and his intercession nourish the zeal of priests and enkindle the faithful with
love.]”

In 1984 I distinctively remember the tangible feelings upon hearing of the murder of the young priest, Father Jerzy Popieluszko, by the Communists. I think we all cried because he died for us. In fact, no person of Polish heritage could not not know about Popieluszko and identify with the struggle for human dignity and freedom he sought his people. He was seen as a the modern Saint Stanislaus, martyr. The tragic circumstances of his death were ever in front of us as yet another example of the evils of Communism.

Father Jerzy was a popular chaplain to members of the Solidarity movement. Yesterday, Archbishop Angelo Amato, SDB, Prefect of the Congregation of Saints, beatified Father Jerzy in the presence of his mother Marianna, 100, and other family members and nearly 140,000 people. Marianna is yet another living member of a saint or “saint-to-be.” How moving it is two see Father Jerzy’s mother present for her son’s beatification and the tremendous outpouring of love for him and for her.

Known as a martyr of freedom, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko’s tomb has had nearly 17 million visitors. Other details pertaining to Popieluszko’s beatification are in Jonathon Luxmoore’s Catholic News Service article, the Zenit article and another story about Blessed Jerzy that can be read here.

Some quick facts:

Born: September 14, 1947

Ordained priest: May 28, 1972

Kidnapped & killed: October 19/20, 1984

Venerated: December 19, 2009

Beatified: June 6, 2010

Liturgical memorial: October 19

Watch the note on a forthcoming movie on Blessed Jerzy

Saint Norbert of Xanten

“I myself shall lead my sheep,

Guarding them from danger;

They shall hear and follow me,

Not go with a stranger.

Into pastures rich and green–

God the Lord has spoken–

I shall bring my Israel,

With my love as token.”

Norbert, father of his flock,

Took to heart this warning,

And in all his works and words

Toiled from night to morning.

Guiding all within his cure,

He took time to nourish

With the love of Christ most fair,

Causing souls to flourish.

Father of the canon’s life,

Bishop of his city,

Prayed before the Eucharist,

Served the poor with pity.

Crowned a sacrificial life

With a death of glory;

Now we join with saints above

To retell his story!

Glory to the Father give,

Source of ev’ry blessing,

Glory to the Son we sing,

Who, our wrongs addressing,

Came to us as one of us!

To the Spirit, praises!

Hear the songs of thankfulness

Each believer raises!

Saint Charles Lwanga & companions, Martyrs of Uganda

Today’s the liturgical memorial of some of the most evocative witnesses to Jesus Christ who gave their lives for the Christian Faith of the 19th century. I pray that Saint Charles and companions intercede not only for Africa but for all who claim the Church as mother and family and who find it difficult to truly live their faith. More on Saint Charles here.

Saint Charles and his companions (22 of them) were killed in Namugongo, Uganda between 1885-1887. They ranged in age between 13 and 30. They were beatified in 1920 and canonized in 1964. At the revision of the Roman liturgical calendar Saint Charles’s feast day was added. The Church calls these saints the “Protomartyrs of Black Africa.”

In his 1964 homily at the canonization of Saint Charles and his companions, Pope Paul VI said:

“The African martyrs add another page to the Church’s roll of honor –an occasion both of mourning and joy. These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilization! Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, and the first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent.”

Saint Damien de Veuster (of Molokai)

Father of mercy, in Saint Damien You have given us a
shining witness of love for the poorest and most abandoned. Grant that, by his
intercession, as a faithful witnesses of the Heart of Your Son Jesus, we too
may be servants of the most needy and rejected.

Pope Benedict XVI canonized Damien de Veuster on October 11, 2009. Saint Damien is counted among the North American Martyrs and six other saints for a total of 15 saints of the USA. A wiki-article has a brief outline of Saint Damien’s life.

A number of resources have been pulled together for Saint Damien here.

The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary have published the texts for the Divine Office and the Mass for the liturgical memorial of Saint Damien found here.

Blessed Gregory Frackowiak, Society of the Divine Word

Gregory Frackowiak was the youngest of our four martyrs was 31 when he was beheaded
on May 5, 1943, in the prison of Dresden. Brother Gregory consciously offered
his life as a substitute for others [does this sound the Law of the Gift spoken of my Jesus and recalled often by Pope John Paul II?]. His willingness to claim responsibility
for some thing he did not do saved several people (including his brother) from
certain imprisonment and death. This heroic gesture makes him similar to
another martyr of the same war — St. Maximilian Kolbe, who also gave his life
for someone else in the concentration camp at Auschwitz.

Gregory is his
religious name. He was born Boleslaw Frackowiak in Lowecice (a small village
not far from Poznan). One of twelve children, he grew up in a deeply religious
atmosphere. At the age of 18 he entered the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) novitiate in Gorna Grupa. From the beginning he exhibited great joy in being a
missionary Brother. He worked both as a receptionist and as a professional
binder in the printing press. Among the people of the area he was remembered as
someone with a special sensitivity towards the poor. He had numerous visitors,
because he was known for providing something to eat, a warm welcome, and a good
word for everyone. Some called him “the friend of the poor.”

His gentleness,
simplicity, and deep spirituality were also appreciated by the students of the
minor seminary, who enjoyed his presence and sought his advice. His work as a
bookbinder in the printing press was acknowledged as exemplary by both lay
employees and by the confreres. When Brother Gregory professed his final vows
on September 8, 1938, he was deeply convinced that he was offering his life to
God for the mission of Christ and of the Church. He had no idea how quickly and
how radically he would be expected to live out that commitment.

When World War
II began, Brother Gregory was part of the SVD community in Gorna Grupa. When
this house was made an internment camp for priests, the brothers were forced to
leave. For a while he lived with relatives in Poznan. There he served as the
sacristan at St. Martin’s Parish. He also taught catechism to children and even
baptized some of the newborn. One day the pastor was arrested by the Gestapo.
Since he could no longer safely hide the Blessed Sacrament, Brother Gregory
took upon himself the task of distributing it among the faithful. For an entire
day and night he and others in the parish knelt in adoration before the Blessed
Sacrament. Then with great reverence he distributed Holy Communion to those
present.

Eventually Brother Gregory was able to find work in a printing press
at Jarocin, a small town not far from his home. Like many others, he received
and passed on some anti-Nazi material. However, Fr. Paul Kiczka, SVD, advised
him to discontinue receiving and passing on these pamphlets, and so he stopped.
A year later these activities were discovered by the Gestapo.

Among those
arrested were men who had wives and children. Wouldn’t the others be saved if
he took on himself the whole responsibility for this anti-Nazi activity? “May I
accept the responsibility for them?” he asked his spiritual director. Fr.
Kiczka responded: “If you have the courage and strength. It would mean
sacrificing your life.” Gregory made his confession and received Holy
Communion. After his thanksgiving he shook his confrere’s hand and said, “Till
we meet again — but not on this earth.” He went home, where he was arrested the
following day. He “confessed” his crime, and immediately afterwards some of the
other suspects were freed. Gregory was transferred from the prison in Jarocin
to Poznan and then finally to Dresden, where he was beheaded.

A few hours
before his death Gregory wrote to his relatives. A few sentences from that
letter reveal his readiness for death: “I am writing to you for the last time
in this world. By the time you receive this letter I will no longer be among
the living. Today on Wednesday (5.5.1943) at 6:15 PM I will be executed. Please
pray for me. It is already one o’clock, and at two o’clock the priest will
bring me Jesus. Don’t cry, but pray for my soul. I leave it to you, whether you
want to communicate to my mother the manner of my death. I am completely at
peace. I greet all of you, and I will wait for you in God’s presence. Please
greet all the Missionary Brothers in Bruczkow. After the war bring my cassock
there. God bless you. Remain faithful Catholics. Forgive any faults of mine.
I’m sorry for my poor mother. May God protect you. Till we see each other in
heaven.”

Blessed Gregory Frackowiak was beatified by Pope John Paul II on June
13, 1999, together with three companions from the Society of the Divine Word,
as part of a group of 107 Polish martyrs of the Second World War.

This
biography provided by the Society of the Divine Word, this religious congregation out if you think you have a vocation. We need more Blessed Gregorys….

Saints Philip and James; Cardinal O’Connor remembered

Philip, he who sees Me, sees also the Father, alleluia.

O God, who makes us glad by the yearly festival of Thine Apostles Philip and James, grant we beseech Thee, that we who rejoice in their merits may be taught by their example.

Today, we also remember the soul of John Joseph Cardinal O’Connor, PhD, archbishop of New York, 1984-2000. He died 10 years ago today.

O God, Who was pleased to raise Thy servant John Joseph O’Connor to the dignity of the episcopate; we beseech Thee, vouchsafe to admit him to the communion of Thy bishops forevermore.

Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt

In her retreat of 1843, Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt wrote in her notes,

Only then will my love of neighbor be genuine if it flows from the wellspring of the love of God. If I love people because of their talents, their kindness, then this love does not deserve the name of Christian charity.

Thumbing through a booklet of her prayers and thoughts, I found a prayer Blessed Pauline wrote in 1854 that gives inspiration,

O dearest God, help me to become ever more closely and more intimately united with you, thereby growing in genuine love of neighbor. Grant me a heart full of love and help that love to impress itself on every aspect of my behavior. Amen.

Bless the Sisters of Christian Charity and give us the grace of love of neighbor, dear Blessed Pauline.