All Saints Day , November 1st

Pope Benedict, on All Saints Day in 2008, proclaimed the following words:

“With great joy, we celebrate today the feast of All Saints. Visiting a nursery garden, one remains taken aback,  at the variety of plants and flowers, and spontaneously begins to think of the Creator's fantasy that made the earth a marvelous garden. These same sentiments come to us when we consider the spectacle of holiness: the world appears to us as a "garden," where the Spirit of God has sustained with remarkable wonder, a multitude of saints, male and female, from every age and social condition, of every tongue, people and culture.

 

Each is different from the others, with the uniqueness of their own personality and their own spiritual charisma. All, however, were marked by the "seal" of Jesus, the imprint of his love, witnessed upon the Cross. All now are at joy, in a feast without end. Like Jesus, they reached this goal across toil and trial, each one encountering their share of sacrifice to participate in the glory of the resurrection.”

Today, November the First, the Church celebrates the feast of all saints. Welcome to the saint of the day.

 The Book of Revelation  Chapter 7 verse  nine and fourteen gives the magnificent vision of the multitudes of saints gathered around the Lamb:

 “After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands

One of the elders  said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “

Indeed there are many saints in the Church’s roll of saints  and each has been given a special day. There are also millions of saints who lived heroic Christian lives. They are unknown and their story never told. This feast celebrates the feasts of all saints. In this great galaxy of saints the supreme position is indeed given  to Mary  Our Mother who is highest perfection of saint hood.

Today we celebrate our communion with the all the saints who have gone before us leading a life of holiness. The saints of God are living entities just like each one of us. They constantly enjoy the blissful vision of God and intercede for us in the presence of God.

All saints Day  is a day of hope for all of us, the hope that one day we will also find our place in the book of  life provided that we lead a life based on the teachings of Christ. The feast  is also a warning that Christian life is not merely a member ship in the Church, it is an invitation to participate in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, in a special way.  The supreme example of saint hood is that our Lady. Her saint hood was her complete surrender of her will to the will of God, so gloriously expressed in the first fiat, let thy will be done, that she uttered at the time of annunciation.

Each of us is called to say a fiat, let thy will be done, in our lives too. Indeed, each person’s acquiring of  saint hood will be unique, based on the calling and the special charisma  with which we are blessed.

Saint Wolfgang of Ratisbon, October 31:

Saint Wolfgang of Ratisbon is credited as the man who started the evangelization process of the Magyar region, now called Hungary. Though a Benedictine Monk ,the Emperor Otto II,  found him to be the right man to evangelize the Magyar race.
Today, October 31, the Church celebrates the feast day of Saint Wolfgang, or Ratisbon missionary, priest, and bishop. In his life, Saint Wolfgang worked to reform the Church,  and those he came across, encouraging them to greater faith, humility, and love for the Lord.
Wolfgang was born in Swabia, Germany, as the son of a nobleman. He had his early education from a local priest and later he went to to the abbey of Reichenau, on Lake Constanz, to continue his education. It is there he met Henry, the younger brother of the bishop of Wurzburg. In Wurzburg, the bishop had established a school, and Henry told the young Wolfgang to travel with him to get the finest education of the time.

 

Wolfgang was a brilliant student.  After studies Wolfgang remained at the school as a teacher. Later, Henry became the Archbishop of Trier, and again persuaded Wolfgang to accompany him to that city to teach in the cathedral school. It is there Wolfgang met Saint Rambold, a monk known for his reform and zeal for the Lord, and worked together in strengthening the faith of the congregation and community there.
When Henry died in 964, Wolfgang left Trier to become a Benedictine monk at Einseideln. Recognized as a great teacher, Wolfgang was immediately put in charge of the abbey school, which became in short time known as the best school in the locality.

Wolfgang took his religious vows and was ordained by Saint Ulric in 971. His first priestly duty was to Hungary, which was not very successful. However, he is the one who started the movement which finally made the Hungarians Christians.  Subsequently he was appointed as bishop of Regensburg by Emperor Otto II and Saint Rambold.  Though Wolfgang longed for a quiet monastic life, he obediently accepted the position. As a bishop Wolfgang continued to dress in his monk’s robes and declined riches and privilege typical of bishops at that time.

 As a bishop Wolfgang undertook immediate reform of the clergy, monasteries, and convents in the city. He was convinced that faithful, without models to look up to in their clergy and religious, would slip into a lax life. Through the reforming the monasteries and convents, he reformed the entire region! With love and zeal, he guided his people, preaching widely and zealously. Saint Wolfgang was a perfect model of the love of Christ, giving all he had to those in greater need. Though he was successful in his pastoral life, he felt drawn to the monastic life he loved, attempting on multiple occasions to become a hermit. However, the overwhelming need of the people drew him back to the city. He became known as the Great Almoner, due his charity, and his care for, lay people in his diocese.

The entire diocese of Regensburg came to value the idealism and courage and holiness of their bishop. He died in 994 while on a trip down the Danube; his body was brought back and enshrined in Regensburg. A cult was formed around him and the place quickly became a center of pilgrimage, and many miracles have been recorded at his tomb. In 1054, Pope Saint Leo IX canonized Saint Wolfgang as an exemplary bishop who by his personal life became a role model for the faithful, and by his pastoral care brought about changes in the life of the faithful entrusted to his care.

 

 

 

 

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, October 30th

In the Church of Montesion built between 1571 and 1683, lies the holy remains of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, the Jesuit Porter saint who spent his entire religious life, about 45 years serving as the porter of the nearby Jesuit college. Today, 30^th October, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez.  Welcome to the saint of the day.

Alphonsus was born in Segovia, Spain as the son of a rich merchant. He loved Mother Mary as his own mother right from his childhood.  This was the anchor of his spiritual live. With the desire to become a Jesuit he started his studies with them, hoping to be accepted by them when he was old enough. However, the unexpected death of his father forced him to go home and to take up his father’s business.
Subsequently he marries and three children were born to him. His life was soon beset with a string of tragic events, the death of his mother, wife and two of the three children. The trauma of these loses also resulted in the down fall of his business. He struggled to pay his employees and was forced to wind up the business.

 

With his toddler son he stayed with his sister for some time.  It was a time to take stock of his life.  Later he wrote:  “In failure I saw the majesty of God. I saw the sublime grandeur of God from the dust of my misery. I imagined myself as a second David, and the Miserere was the expression of my state of soul.”
After some years his remaining son too died. The more he suffered the more he decided to surrender to the will of God. All these calamities impaired his health and he had very little education. A candidate like him was least fit to join any religious order. However, in his ardent desire to become a religious, his Jesuit mentors saw the finger of God and accepted him to become a lay brother. Jesuits tried to improve his academic level at Barcelona which was not successful.  Eventually he had to sit with school children even though he was in his forty’s.

He joined the Jesuit novitiate and was sent to the Montesion College on the Island of Majorca.  For the next forty-five years, he served as the doorkeeper and hall porter-- a duty which involved delivering packages, seeing to the lodging of travelers, greeting guests to the college, and dispensing alms to the poor. When not greeting guests and humbly serving at the most menial post, he could be found at prayer or in silent meditation.

Though as a porter, he was ignored by many, some however noticed his holiness and came for spiritual guidance. One among such was St. Peter Claver a Jesuit seminarian to whom he discerned the will of God, which was to serve the black slaves. This made Peter Claver “a saint in slave trade” and the servant of slaves.

His spiritual superiors affirm that a single conversation with him did more good than reading a huge treatise on spirituality. Though he was poor in erudition he came to known as the Doctor of Majorca.  The porter’s job was repetitious and monotonous work, demanding much humility, but Rodriguez imagined everyone who knocked at the door to be the Lord and greeted everyone with the same smile he would have given God. When the doorbell rang, he could be heard exclaiming, “Lord, I’m coming!” as he hurried to greet the arriving visitor.

Saint Alphonsus was conscious of his educational limitations, but looked to the grace of God as explanation of his ability to serve. He said, “Insofar as the consciousness of my own debility became keen in me, I felt the grandeur of the Lord.” Saint Alphonsus died following an extended illness. The three nights before his death, following his last Eucharist, were spent in visionary ecstasy. His funeral was attended by Church and government leaders

( Please ask your dear ones and friends to Start the Day with the Saint, published on the eve of the feast, everyday)

 

 

September 25th, St. Vinvent Strambi

The image of SAINT VINCENT STRAMBI somewhat unknown to many, is household word in

Central Italy. The life of this heroic champion of the Faith is full of lessons for us all, but one stands out in bold relief—his unswerving loyalty to the Holy See in time of persecution. In defense of its rights, he suffered six years of exile, and finally gave up his life that a Pope might not die. Today, the 25th September, the Church celebrates the feast of SAINT VINCENT STRAMBI. Welcome to the saint of the Day.

Vincent Strambi was born in Civitavecchia, the port city of Rome on January 1, 1745. He was a cheerful and athletic child who manifested a strong interest in religion. When he was fifteen, he  entered the diocesan seminary at nearby Montefiascone. Two years later, he decided to continue his studies in Rome. The following year, he attended the Dominican house of studies in Viterbo, to study theology.

Prior to his ordination he was named rector and professor within his seminary, Montefiascone. While on his ordination retreat, he met St. Paul of the Cross and immediately decided to become a Passionist. Paul of the Cross named him professor of theology, the Chruch Fathers and preaching.

Traveling throughout most of Italy, he tried  to promote the Christian life among the people by preaching on the Passion. He wrote life of saints, including a Life of St. Paul of the Cross, and devotional books, the most significant of which was that on the Precious Blood. Being an outstanding 'spiritual director,' and two of his spiritual children, are Saint Gaspar del Bufalo and  Blessed Anna Maria, Taigi.

Appointed Bishop of Macerata and Tolentino, he showed himself to be a true shepherd of his flock and promoted the reform of the clergy and the people with apostolic zeal. In the political upheavals of the time, he was a fearless advocate of the freedom of the Church and chose exile in preference to an unlawful oath of loyalty to Napoleon. When he returned to his Diocese after exile, he once again manifested his deep pastoral concern and extraordinary charity for the poor.

 He was called by Pope Leo XII to become his personal advisor.  When the pope fell ill, Vincent asked God that his life should be taken rather than that of the pope. The pope recovered and Vincent died a few days later on his 79th birthday, January 1, 1824. His body was then buried in the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Rome. Pope Pius XII canonized him in 1950.

September 24th, Our Lady of Ransom

Our Lady of Ransom

Mary with, outstretched hands with a huge mantle, under which the faithful remain protected and Mary holding the chain of the prisoners symbolically conveying the powerful message, that there is  safe haven for all who trust in her and she can free you from bondage both physical and spiritual. Today the 24^th of September the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Ransom. Welcome to the feast of the day.

 When Christian Europe was getting enslaved  and weakened by the rising Muslim domination in Spain, the strong hold of Catholicism, in  their desperation prayed to Blessed  Virgin Mary. The Blessed Virgin appeared in 1218 in separate visions to St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymund of Penafort, and James, the king of Aragon, asking them to found a religious order dedicated to freeing Christian captives from the cruel Saracens or Moors, who at that time held a great part of Spain.

On August 10, 1218, King James established the royal, military and religious Order of our Lady of Ransom, now known as the Mercedarian Order, with the members granted the privilege of wearing his own arms on their breast. Most of the members were knights, they guarded the coasts and delivered prisoners. This pious work spread everywhere and produced heroes of charity who collected alms for the ransom of Christians, and often gave themselves up in exchange for Christian prisoners.

These things were done by the followers of Christ from the earliest days, but especially during the Middle ages. At that time the enemies of Christ's Church had conquered a great part of Christian territory and had carried off into slavery many thousands of Christians.

The Order of Our Lady of Ransom, ransomed 490,736 slaves between the years 1218 and 1632. An even greater achievement was the conversion of thousands in captivity, and saving  them against the sufferings of a cruel martyrdom for the faith.

What is the relevance of Our Lady of Ransom today? There is always the need to be ransomed people from various forms of slavery. Slavery today is a reality. Jails and places where people undergo torture for their religion and conviction, people who are addicted to drugs, drinks and gambling; there is a wide area where we can seek the help of Our Lady of Ransom and do work by our personal contribution.

September 23rd, St. Padre Pio

St. Padre Pio

In 1910, the Lord singled out a worthy son of St. Francis of Assisi, for a unique grace, to receive the stigmata, the representation of the five wounds of Christ.  On September 20, 1918, these wounds became visible on his person at San Giovanni Rotondo in Southern Italy. He is Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. Today, 23^rd September, the Church celebrates the feast of  Saint Padre Pio. Welcome to the saint of the day.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina popularly known as Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina, a farming town in South Italy.  His parents were illiterate peasant farmers.  His baptismal name was Francesco.  He decided to dedicate his entire life to God when he was five years old.  Francesco was afflicted with a number of illnesses from his childhood days. 

When he was a young boy, Francesco had experienced heavenly visions and ecstasies.  He was drawn to the life of a friar,  after listening to a Capuchin friar who came to his town seeking donations.  At the age of 15 he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone.  He took the name of Fra Pio in honour of Pope St. Pius I.  He was ordained a priest in 1910 by Archbishop Paolo Schinosi at the Cathedral of Benevento. 

Though Padre Pio was selected for military service, due to his ill health he was declared unfit and discharged.  On September 18, 1918, Padre Pio had the first occurrence of stigmata, bodily marks corresponding to crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.  He was blessed with spiritual gifts,  including gifts of healing, prophecy, gift of tongues, miracles, levitation, bilocation, fragrance from his stigmata wounds and so on.  He became very popular within a short period of time.  Though the Church restricted his activities and public interactions initially, by 1934 she allowed him to perform, his public duties. 

After a prolonged period of illness, Padre Pio died on September 23, 1968 at the age of 81 whispering ‘Maria’.  Padre Pio was canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002.  He is the patron of civil defence warriors and adolescents. 

Sayings of Padre Pio:

“Pray, hope and don’t worry”.

"Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him".

September 22nd, St. Thomas of Villanueva

St. Thomas of Villanueva

Charity is not just giving, rather removing the need of those who receive charity and liberating them from it when possible.

If you want God to hear your prayers, hear the voice of the poor. If you wish God to anticipate your wants, provide those of the needy without waiting for them to ask you. Especially anticipate the needs of those who are ashamed to beg. To make them ask for alms is to make them buy it.

The Bible tells us that the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the needy, and the hungry and thirsty were the Lord’s favorites.Why, then, should they not be our favorites as well?

The quotes that you just read came from a man who lived  in the  16^th century. However, the words have a ring of modernity about it. The words came from saint Thomas of Villanueva, the greatest orator of the 16^th century. Today 22^nd September, the church celebrates the feast of St. Thomas of Villanueva. Welcome to the saint of the day.

St. Thomas of Villanueva ,Tomás García y Martínez, was born in 1488 in Fuentellana, Spain to a pious couple.  Both the parents had the habit of distributing food and provisions to the poor, and the son followed suit.  Thomas grew up in Villanueva and studied in the University of Alcala.  He became a professor at the age of 26, after earning a licentiate in theology.  Later he entered the Order of St. Augustine in Salamanca in 1516 and was ordained a priest in 1518.

Thomas was well known for his very effective and eloquent sermons in the churches in and around Salamanca.  One of the greatest orations of 16th century was his masterpiece the ‘Sermon on the Love of God’.  He had a great devotion for Virgin Mary and spent long hours in prayer.  He continued to help the poor and the needy in all possible ways.

Thomas was elevated to be the Bishop of Valencia which he refused for a period of time.  He later relented on the orders of his superior and became the Bishop of Valencia in 1544.  Thomas continued to lead an austere life even as a Bishop.  He organized social welfare and charity programs to help the poor and the needy.  He had a deep sympathy towards the orphans and widows.  He gave work to the poor, thus making his charity bear fruit.  He was fondly called the ‘Father of the poor’.

September 21st, St. Mathew, Apostle and Evangelist

Jesus Calls Mathew 

This is the image of the first chronicler of the Life of Jesus. However, we do not know much about him; we do not know his date of birth or death. We know that he was from Galilee, and followed the despised profession of the tax collector.  The acceptance of his invitation for dinner, by the tax collector was a powerful statement of Christ which sent shock waves among the Jewish circles. He has come for the sinners, sick and downtrodden. Today, the 21^st of September, the church celebrates the feast of St. Mathew, Apostle and Evangelist. Welcome to the feast of the day.

One of the four Evangelists St. Matthew is the author of the first gospel of the New Testament in the Bible.  Matthew was a tax collector before becoming an apostle of Christ.  He was the son of Alpheus.  He was born in Galilee, though his birth and death dates are not known.  He is the patron saint of bankers. 

Matthew chapter 9 verse 9, describes Matthew’s response to the calling of Christ. Matthew was collecting tax in Capernaum when Jesus came that way.  Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me”.  A single command from Jesus was all it took for Matthew, to leave behind everything he had been doing.  Subsequently, Matthew invited Jesus home for a feast.  It was here that the Scribes and the Pharisees found fault with Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This prompted Jesus to answer, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Matthew became one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ and was a witness to a number of miracles.  He was a witness to the ascension of Jesus Christ.  As a tax collector he would have known Aramaic and Greek languages. Matthew later wrote the gospel around AD 70 in either Aramaic or Hebrew language.  The pages of Matthew’s gospel encourage the faithful and offer hope, and lead the lost to Christ.  Not much is known about Matthew beyond this as the happenings in his life are not chronicled anywhere.  Many Bible scholars consider St. Matthew is depicted with one of four living creatures of Revelation chapter four verse seven,  which reads ‘the first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third living creature had a human face and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle’.

September 20th, Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions.

St.Andrew Kim  and Paul Chong 

Chon Jin Am,  is the birth place of the Catholic Church in Korea in 1779. Five Koreans withdrew in Chon Jin Am hills. They discovered the writings on Christianity by Jesuit Mateo Ricci from China and adhered to the Catholic faith. One of them went to China to meet Catholic Fathers and be baptized. The graves of these first five Catholics are on the site. Thus we can say that the Korean Church is born of itself, without the intervention of missionaries. From the seeds of the early Christianity, the First Korean Priest was ordained who had to give the ultimate price for his faith, martyrdom. He is St.Andrew Kim Taegon. Today, 20^th of September the Church is celebrating the feast of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions. Welcome to the saint of the day.

St. Andrew Kim’s parents were part of the yangban, a traditional ruling class dynasty.  Kim’s parents embraced Christianity and later his father was martyred for practicing Christianity, a prohibited activity in the then Korea. 

Kim was baptized at the age of 15.  Subsequently he studied in a seminary at Macau and then in Philippines.  He was ordained as a priest in 1844 by the French Bishop Jean Joseph Jean Baptiste Ferréol.  After his ordination he returned to Korea for evangelization.  During this time Christians were persecuted by the Joseon Dynasty and Kim was one among the several thousand Christians executed.  Kim was tortured and beheaded near Seoul in 1846 when he was 25 years old.  He remained steadfast in his faith until his last breath.

St. Paul Chong Hasang was one of the early Korean Martyrs whose feast day falls on September 22.  He is venerated along with the rest of the 103 Korean martyrs on September 20.

Augustine Jeong Yak-Jong, father of Paul Chong Hasang was one among the first converts of Korea.  Hasang grew up and became the servant of a government interpreter which enabled him travel to Beijing several times.  During one of these visits he met with the Bishop of Beijing and asked him to send priests to Korea.  Bishop Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert,  and two priests were sent to Korea some years later.  Hasang learned theology and Latin and was about to be ordained when persecution broke out.  Hasang was captured and put in jail.  He was tortured and bound to a cross on a cart.  He cheerfully met his death at the age of 45.

Andrew Kim Taegon and Paul Chong Hasang along with 101 martyrs were canonised as saints by Pope John Paul II in 1984.  At that time the Pope remarked.

September 19th, the Feast of St. Januarius

St. Januarius

A Church in Naples entomb, the relics, and a vial of blood of St. Januarius. In the 14th century there occurred a phenomenon that was to attract curiosity throughout the centuries until even today the happenings provoke worldwide interest: The year was 1389. A procession was making its way about the cathedral when the priest holding the flasks containing the saint's coagulated blood noticed that the contents began to liquefy and bubble. Since then the blood has repeated this phenomenon 18 times each year: on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May and the eight days following; on the feast of the saint, September 19, and during the octave, and on December 16.

Today, 19^th September the feast of St. Janurius. Welcome to the saint of the day.

The biographical information available on St. Januarius is very little. The saint's history begins with the Roman Emperor Diocletian whose persecution during the dawning years of the fourth century made martyrs of innumerable Christians. Among his victims was counted St. Januarius, who was serving as bishop of Benevento. The imprisonment of the bishop occurred in A.D. 305 when he journeyed to Pozzuoli to offer encouragement to Sossius, a deacon who had been imprisoned. The bishop was soon arrested together with several ministers who had labored beside the saint in the service of the Church. They were thrown to the wild beasts, but when the animals did not attack them, they were beheaded. After their decapitation the bodies were removed to various cities. St. Januarius’ body was taken to Benevento, then to Monte Vergine and lastly to Naples where it was entombed in the main church of the city, with two vials of his blood that had been collected by devout followers. Around this tomb the great cathedral was constructed. Here Januarius was honorably remembered by the faithful of the city.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015, during a visit of Pope Francis to the Cathederal of Naples, the blood of St Januarius liquefied after the Pope venerated and kissed the relic. The last time the blood of St Januarius liquefied in the presence of a Pope was back in 1848 with Pope Pius IX. The miraculous blood liquefacation occurred at the end of the meeting with priests, religious and seminarians in the cathedral of Naples. During this time, the Pope kissed and venerated the relic, and then the Pope gave a blessing with the relic to all those present . When Crescenzio Sepe, the Cardinal of the Diocese,  initially gave the relic to the Pope, the blood was still solid on one side of the vial, however when Pope Francis returned the reliquary, the cardinal looked at the relic and then announced: “It seems that St. Januarius loves the Pope, because the blood is already half liquefied.” 

To downplay the event, The Pope Francis replied: "The bishop just announced that the blood half-liquefied. We can see the saint only half loves us. If only half of it liquefied that means we still have work to do; we have to do better. We must all spread the Word, so that he loves us more!" 

Soon afterwards however it was noted that all of the blood had liquefied completely. The liquefaction occurred during Pope Francis' one day pilgrimage to Naples, during which time he visited the poor of the city and also a prison. 

September 18th, The Feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino

St. Joseph of Cupertino

Welcome to the Saint of the Day. Today, September 18^th, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino, a mystic, famous for his ability to fly.  His father, a poor carpenter, died before his birth and his mother, who was unable to pay the debts, lost her home and gave birth to Joseph in a stable at Cupertino, Italy on June 17, 1603.

Joseph began having supernatural visions when he was seven, and was often so lost to the world around him that the other children called him, "open-mouthed".

He could not even read properly, giving others the impression that he was good for nothing. Aside from that, he was so continually drawn into ecstasy that it was impossible for him to be attentive to the tasks at hand. Thus, when he got a job, he lost it very quickly.

He finally managed to obtain a post taking care of horses in a Franciscan monastery  near Cupertino. Upon realizing his holiness and aptitude for penance, humility, and obedience, it was decided that he could begin studying for the priesthood.

Joseph was a very poor student, however during his final examination, the examiner happened to ask him a question on the one topic he knew well.  He passed and was admitted into the priesthood

For the last 35 years of his life as a priest he was unable to celebrate Mass in public because he would often, without being able to help it, be lifted up into the air when he went into an ecstatic state, which happened at nearly every Mass.  It took only the slightest reference of anything having to do with God in order for this state to be induced in him.

Despite being moved from one friary to another, because of the disruption he caused by his ecstasies he remained deeply filled by the joy of abandoning himself to Divine Providence.

He died on September 18, 1663 and was canonized in 1767 by Pope Clement XIII.  He is the patron of air travelers and students preparing for exams.

September 17th, Saint Robert Bellarmine

St. Robert Bellarmine

The holy remains  of Saint Robert Bellarmine,  lies by the side of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, his

spiritual son. It was the wish of a spiritual father to be buried close to his spiritual son. It was the custom among the Jesuits of Rome, to wrap the body of the dead Jesuit,  in a shroud and bury in  the ground. However, when Aloysius Gonzaga died, his spiritual director, Saint Robert Bellarmine, was so convinced that the young man was a saint and he persuaded his superiors to place Aloysius’s body in a coffin,  so it could be found easily and moved to a proper shrine after his canonization. The relics of Saint Aloysius are preserved in a side altar of the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome. The bones of the Saint Robert lie in an adjacent altar.  It is a rare instance that the spiritual father and the spiritual son got raised to sainthood and find the final resting place in the same church.

Today, 17th of September, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Robert Bellarmine.

St. Robert Bellarmine, was one of the most significant cardinals of the Catholic Church. He was born in a poor but noble,  Italian family. His early intellectual accomplishments gave his father hope that Bellarmine would re-establish the family’s status through a political career. However, his mother wanted him to enter the Society of Jesus.

On completion of his studies, Bellarmine taught first at the University of Louvain in Belgium. In 1576, he accepted the invitation of Pope Gregory XIII, to teach theology at the new Roman College.

Robert Bellarmine spent the next 11 years, teaching and writing his great work Disputations on the Controversies, defending the Catholic faith against the arguments of the Protestant reformers. A trusted person to the popes, Bellarmine held a number of positions, including rector of the Roman College, examiner of bishops and Cardinal Inquisitor.

Although he was one of the most powerful men in Rome, Bellarmine lived, a life of simplicity. He gave most of his money to the poor. Once he gave the wall adornment from his living quarters to the poor, saying that the walls wouldn’t catch cold. Though he never cared for himself, he was careful about the well being of all his servants.

St. Robert Bellarmine was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931.

September 16th, St. Cyprian of Cathage

St. Cyprian

The public examination of Cyprian, by the proconsul, in Carthage, Galerius Maximus, on September 14, 258, has been preserved:

Galerius Maximus:"Are you Thascius Cyprianus?"

 Cyprian: "I am."

 Galerius: "The most sacred Emperors, have commanded you, to conform to the Roman rites."

 Cyprian: "I refuse." 

Galerius: "Take heed for yourself." 

Cyprian: "Do as you are bid; in so clear a case I may not take heed." 

Galerius: "You have long lived, an irreligious life, and have drawn together,  a number of men bound by an unlawful association, and professed yourself, an open enemy to the gods and the religion of Rome.”It is the sentence of this court that, Thascius Cyprianus, be executed with the sword." 

Cyprian: "Thanks be to, God."

Today, 16^th of September, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Cyprian of Carthage.

Cyprian was born around 200 AD in North Africa, of pagan parents. He was a prominent lawyer and teacher of rhetoric. Around 246 he became a Christian, and in 248 was chosen Bishop of Carthage. A year later the persecution under the Emperor Decius began, and Cyprian went into hiding. as he thought that his survival was crucial for the Church.

During the reign of the Emperor Valerian, Carthage suffered a severe plague epidemic. Cyprian organized a program of medical relief and nursing of the sick, available to all residents, but this did not prevent the masses from being convinced that the epidemic resulted from the wrath of the gods at the spread of Christianity. Another persecution arose, and this time Cyprian did not flee. He was arrested, tried, and finally beheaded on 14 September 258.

Many of his writings have been preserved. His essay On the Unity of The Catholic Church stresses the importance of visible, concrete unity among Christians, and the role of the bishops in guaranteeing that unity. It has greatly influenced Christian thought, as have his essays and letters on Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 

September 15th, St. Catherine of Genoa

St. Catherine of Genoa

Welcome to the Saint of the Day. Today 15^th September, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Catherine of Genoa. Catherine was born in Genoa in 1447. She was the youngest of five of Giacomo Fieschi and Francesca di Negro. Her mother provided such an effective Christian education that the elder of her two daughters became religious.

When Catherine was 16, she was given in marriage to Giuliano Adorno, a man who after various trading and military experiences in the Middle East had returned to Genoa in order to marry.

Married life was far from easy for Catherine, partly because of the character of her husband who was given to gambling. Catherine herself was at first induced to lead a worldly sort of life in which, however, she failed to find serenity. After 10 years, her heart was heavy with a deep sense of emptiness and bitterness.

A unique experience on 20 March 1473 sparked her conversion. She had gone to the Church of San Benedetto in the monastery of  Our Lady of Grace, to make her confession and, kneeling before the priest, “received”, as she herself wrote, “a wound in my heart from God’s immense love”. It came with such a clear vision of her own wretchedness and shortcomings and at the same time of God’s goodness that she almost fainted.

Her heart was moved by this knowledge of herself — knowledge of the empty life she was leading and of the goodness of God. This experience prompted the decision that gave direction to her whole life. She expressed it in the words: “no longer the world, no longer sin.

This mystical experience made her closer to man. The place of her ascent to mystical peaks was Pammatone Hospital, the largest hospital complex in Genoa where she  lived a totally active existence despite the depth of her inner life. In Pammatone a group of followers, disciples and collaborators formed around her, fascinated by her life of faith and her charity.

Indeed her husband, Giuliano Adorno, was so won over that he gave up his dissipated life, became a Third Order Franciscan and moved into the hospital to help his wife.

Catherine’s dedication to caring for the sick continued until the end of her earthly life on 15 September 1510. From her conversion until her death there were no extraordinary events but two elements characterize her entire life: on the one hand her mystical experience, that is, the profound union with God, which she felt as spousal union, and on the other, assistance to the sick, the organization of the hospital and service to her neighbour, especially the neediest and the most forsaken. These two poles, God and neighbor, totally filled her life, virtually all of which she spent within the hospital walls.

Moreover the humble, faithful and generous service in Pammatone Hospital that the Saint rendered throughout her life is a shining example of charity for all and an encouragement, especially for women who, with their precious work enriched by their sensitivity and attention to the poorest and neediest, make a fundamental contribution to society and to the Church.

September,15th Our Lady of Sorrows

 Our Lady of Sorrows

Angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her: blessed are you among women. Leonardo Da Vinci has brilliantly captured that moment in this painting.  Mary gets a foretaste of her blessedness in the prophecy of Simeon in the temple: a sword shall pierce through thy own soul.

Today the 15^th of September, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Welcome to the Saint of the Day.

The title of Our Lady of Sorrows, given to Mary, not only focuses on the intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord, but also the moments of anguish and distress she felt, throughout her life.

The sword that will pierce her soul was not a single sword, but seven swords. That is why she is represented in Christian art with a heart through which seven swords penetrate through.

These seven sorrows of our Blessed Mother included the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt; this was not a merry picnic. Joseph and Mary had to travel a distance of three hundred and twenty kilometers through a rugged terrain in a hostile climate, under the shadow of death. The loss and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple; they had travelled without Jesus a day’s journey. Mary's meeting of Jesus on His way to Calvary; this meant that her son was being taken to the site of execution as a criminal. Mary's standing at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified; no mother can stand the site of her son being butchered. Her holding of Jesus when He was taken down from the cross; It was a benumbing experience to receive the cold and blood smeared body of her son. Then Jesus’ burial in a hurry with only a limited number of friends, all traumatized by the finale of Jesus’ earthly life.

However, the dignity and courage with which she received the seven swords was the testing ground of the fiat, let it be done unto me according to thy word, first articulated at the moment of annunciation.

The feast became popular in the fourteenth and fifteenth century throughout the Christendom. In 1668 the feast in honor of the Seven Dolores was set for the Sunday after September 14, the Feast of the Holy Cross. The feast was inserted into the Roman calendar in 1814, and Pope Pius the tenth fixed the permanent date of September 15, for the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

September 13th, St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysos

Welcome to the saint of the day. Today September 13^th, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Chrysostom, the Bishop of Constantinople and the Doctor of the church.

John was born in Antioch. He was very intelligent and the excellent education that he was able to get sharpened his genius. It was the meeting of John with Saint Basil which made a decisive change in his life. He urged John to follow Christ deeply and this made him an ascetic. Setting aside worldly studies he turned to the scripture and lived the life of an anchorite on a close by mountain. In enjoying silence he learned to communicate with the Lord. However, his penances and the harsh climate on the mountain, took a toll on his health. Prudently, he returned to Antioch, was ordained, and labored as a priest. His learning and eloquent sermons began to attract attention, and eventually, his weekly Mass was drawing huge crowds. However, the urge for monastic life was intense in him and went again for the monastic, contemplative life for fourteen years until he was by force taken to Constantinople, and consecrated as Patriarch and Bishop. 

The power of Saint John’s oratory, earned him his surname, which translated literally means “the golden mouthed.” Saint John preached the Gospel to all who would listen, drawing attention to the needs of the poor, and advocating for great social change on the part of the rich and noble classes.

He was a prolific writer too. His writing is charged with Christ’s concern for the poor and the value of his writing has permanent significance and can be relished and can  be benefited by all generations.

His concern for the poor brought him in to conflict with the establishment, both ecclesiastical and political.  Twice he was banished from his homeland. On the way of to his place of exile, John died in 407 in the city of Comana. He was buried there and his relics later were transferred to Constantinople. He is venerated in all the Christian denominations.

September 14th, The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross

There have been millions of symbols in the world. However, the most recognized symbol the world over is that of Christ crucified. There are millions of people who blatantly exhibit this symbol as their sartorial appendage, millions have faced death holding on to this symbol, countless number of homes give this a central place and innumerable churches’ entry confront you with the prominent display of the dis-empowered Christ; this is indeed the ultimate communication which has been baffling people ever since the Golgotha.

In the fourth century, the mother of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, St. Helena set off to Jerusalem looking for the holy places in the life of Christ. A temple of Venus had been built over the tomb of Jesus to avoid the veneration of the site by the followers of Jesus. She raised the temple to the ground and found three crosses. It was easy for her to find out the cross of Christ due to Pilots inscription of the criminal charges on the cross. The cross became an object of veneration and the pieces of the cross were distributed in various Churches of different denominations.

Perhaps the cry of Jesus: My God, my God, why have thou forsaken me is Jesus’ moment of total aloneness, the pinnacle of his dis-empowerment by which he tasted the bitterest anguish of humanity. Jesus in his dis-empowerment has experienced the deepest despair, encountered the most overwhelming evil, have stood in realms distanced from any inkling of peace, love and happiness.  Christ came out victorious by asserting that his way of showing himself that he is the Son of God will be as the suffering servant of Yahweh. The traits of his dis-empowerment are in his suffering, service and insignificance. He bore our sorrows, suffering and our sin. The hallmark of his mission was submissiveness to His Father’s plan for him expressed in poignant silence, suffering and shame. It was surrendering his will to the will of God the Father.

Christ has many attributes. One of them is that of Christ the King. However, human beings are more drawn to the image of the dis-empowered body of Christ on the cross. Faced with unmanageable helplessness clutching the crucifix has strengthened men across the globe. When misfortune strikes and takes away at one blow everything that you cherish, be it your spouse, child or friend, the long gaze at the dis-empowered body of Christ has helped many to grin and bear the trauma and fall back on the business of life. In the torture chambers of the armies and the police where the prisoners are subjected to hideous indignities too macabre to think it is the image of the Christ on the cross that has sustained the victims. In the hospital beds where bodies writhe in pain and crouch in helpless postures the crucifix has given hope and meaning. On the death bed the crucifix held close to the heart has given thousands the grit to face the ultimate hour with equanimity. In the last phase of life, in a typical Christian burial we have our dignified exit holding the cross between our hands.

In the words of Gerard Manly Hopkins, the Jesuit priest poet: “Stroke and a stress that stars and storms deliver is the Mystery of the cross at which the faithful waver, the faithless fable and miss”. Christ in Hopkins’ words is the hero of Calvary and his dis-empowered body on the cross is the ultimate communication and the sole testimony of the triumph of the cross.

September 12th, St. Guy

St. Guy

Welcome to the saint of the day. Today, September 12, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Guy of Anderlecht, also known as Saint Guido, a Belgian Christian known as the “Poor Man of Anderlecht.”

The few facts that we know of him show, that he totally demonstrated in his life Christ’s worry for the poor and marginalized. Saint Guy did not have much worldly belongings, but he was inundated with love and kindness to others. Charged with grace of God, he worked untiringly at the most tedious jobs, and in a short time became a well recognized person, as a friend of the poor, in spite of remaining a poor man all through his life. Although, he never joined a particular religious order, Saint Guy was visited for spiritual direction by many, and through his model, brought many closer to Christ.

Born in Anderlecht, Belgium, a small village outside of Brussels, Guy was reared and instructed, by poor, but saintly parents. Early in life he had a great affection to Our Lord and Holy Mother Mary. This warm relation with Jesus and Mary made him select a life that is set apart for the deprived. Throughout his childhood, he gave away all he had, and spent his days visiting the ailing and aged of the town. Guy came to be recognized as a saint by many.

As he grew up his commitment to Jesus and Mary and his dedication to the poor became the innermost concerns in his life. He spent hours in prayer each day, rarely sleeping but instead contemplating the Lord. His devotion to Jesus and Mary was noted by a holy priest who asked his to serve the Church. He virtually lived in the Church, praying, cleaning the church and giving arms to the poor who came to seek his help.

However, saintly a person may be, he or she is likely to go off track. This occurred  to Guy also.  A rich merchant from Brussels approached   him with a business scheme. He advised Guy to be a associate with him, in an endeavor. The merchant suggested that earnings from it could be used to assist the deprived. At first sight Guy became charmed of the idea of business and joined him. However, the business failed totally. Guy realized the suggestion for business as a way of making money for the poor, came from the evil spirit. The fact that he ventured into it for a short time filled him with remorse.

In his early 60s he came back to Anderlecht and soon died there of natural causes. People around him started esteeming him as a saint. He was buried in Anderlecht, and many miracles were credited to his mediation at his grave. Saint Guy is the patron saint of Anderlecht.  His intervention is invoked for healing  from epilepsy and rabies.  In atonement Guy engaged in rigorous acts of atonement for the rest of his life, offering all he had to the Lord for his fickleness. He traveled on pilgrimage—on foot—for seven years, visiting Rome and then the Holy Land, coming back  to Belgium and serving as a guide at the holy shrines.