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Monday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Hyginus, pope and martyr
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to Him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and He drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew Him (Mark 1:32-34).
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Hyginus. During the four years of his pontificate (138-142), he had to oppose the heresy of Valentinus who at this period came to propagate his errors in the heart of the Christian community in Rome.
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St. Hyginus
The crown of the empire belonged to Antonius Pius. Hyginus, as Telesphorus' successor, not only had to endure his relentless persecutions but also had to cope with the heretics who made their way to Rome.
Hyginus was a Greek from Athens who, like his contemporary Justin Martyr, was a philosopher. He is said to have done some organizing of the clergy, and it is likely that he addressed the Roman clergy on the subjects of sin in general and of obedience to the Church.
The emergence of Gnosticism is probably the most significant development of Hyginus' pontificate. Cerdo came from Syria and Valentinus from Egypt, and together they taught this system of mystical belief, which was a combination of Greek philosophy and Oriental superstitions regarding Christ. For years Cerdo vacillated between teaching error and repenting, returning to the Church, then falling from grace. Valentinus, however, staunchly defended his cause. Hyginus perceived this as heresy, for it deviated greatly from the true teachings of the Apostles.
Hyginus was said to have suffered gloriously and he was buried on Vatican Hill.
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St. Theodosius
St. Theodosius was so inspired by Abraham's example of leaving his loved ones and homeland for God that he left his homeland of Cappadocia to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There St. Theodosius took as his guide the holy man Longinus, who placed him in charge of a church near Bethlehem. Theodosius did not stay there long, however, but he went to live in a cave on a nearby mountain. He was known for his holiness, and many desired to dedicate their lives to God as monks under Theodosius. He built a monastery at Cathismus, as well as three hospices: for the sick, the elderly and the mentally i ll. When Emperor Anastasius was persecuting Christians who did not accept the Eutychian heresy, which states that Christ has only one nature, St. Theodosius preached orthodoxy throughout Palestine, even stating from the pulpit in Jerusalem: "If anyone receives not the four general councils as the four gospels, let him be anathema." The Saint renewed the courage of those in whom the Emperor's edicts had instilled fear. Anastasius banished Theodosius, though he was later recalled by Anastasius' successor. Theodosius died at the age of 105; many miracles occurred at his funeral.
Excerpted from Saints Calendar and Daily Planner, Tan Books
Tuesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time; Marguerite Bourgeoys (some places) Today the Church in Canada celebrates the memorial of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, renowned for her work, her spirituality and her impact on society and the Church in North America. In 1982 Pope John Paul II canonized her and she became the first woman saint in Canada.
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Marguerite Bourgeoys
Marguerite Bourgeoys was born in Troyes, France in 1620 and died in Montreal in 1700. As one of the older girls of a Christian, middle-class family, Marguerite had to assume the responsibility for the household when her mother died. At the age of twenty, she had a conversion experience during a religious procession that profoundly influenced her future mission and focused her values. She felt singled out by the Blessed Virgin. In response, she joined a local group of women who gathered to do charitable work as an extension of a cloister in Troyes. Marguerite served as leader of this extern group and, as her service, taught the children in the poor section of town. In 1653 Paul de Maisonneuve, founder of Montreal, passed through Troyes and invited Marguerite to join him in Ville Marie as a lay teacher to instruct the children of the colonists and the Native Americans. In June 1653, she sailed from Nantes on a three-month voyage to the New World.
Marguerite's humanitarian and Christian work in Canada was principally as educator and founder. The wilderness was so hard on the colonists that she had to wait for five years before children survived until school age. In the interim, she instructed the Indian children. In 1658 she opened her first school in a stone stable given her by the town leaders. Marguerite had a broad concept of education. She saw the school as a vehicle of religious and social development. Unique to her time, she provided education for all, giving special attention to girls, the poor and the natives. Education in Marguerite's schools consisted in the basics of literacy, religious instruction, home economics, and the arts.
Beyond the classroom, she worked with families, assisted in faith formation in the parish, and addressed the social service needs of the colonists. Noteworthy among her contributions to the colony is the special vocational schools she established to provide the domestic skills a young woman would need to run a home in the wilderness.
She became the official guardian to the "filles du roi", young orphan girls sent by the monarch to establish new families. She lodged them in her own home, served as a matchmaker, and prepared them for their new life as pioneers. Her signature appears as a witness on many of the early marriage contracts in Montreal. As a result of these activities she was affectionately referred to as "the Mother of the Colony". Marguerite made three trips back to France to recruit other women to join her in her work of education and to obtain civil approbation from the king.
Marguerite's apostolic spirituality was a special gift to the Church. She was a woman of action inserted into her time as is attested to by the mark she left on the history of Montreal and education in Canada. She was a woman of faith, deeply committed to the service of the Gospels. She was personally motivated by the missionary journeying of Mary in service to her cousin, Elizabeth, and desired to form a group of uncloistered women who would imitate Mary in this mystery of the Visitation.
Marguerite had an exceptional and practical love of God and neighbor. She had a great desire to serve the Church in its most local form, the parish. She exhorted her extern congregation of educators to be "daughters of the parish" - to worship with the people and use the local church as a source of spiritual nourishment.
Her Congregation received Church approbation in 1698 and at that time pronounced vows as uncloistered religious. Today the Congregation de Notre Dame numbers 2600 sisters in North America, Japan, Latin America, and the Cameroons in service to the people of God in the spirit of the Visitation.
On November 12, 1950 Pope Pius XII beatified Marguerite Bourgeoys. Canonizing her October 31, 1982, Pope John Paul II gave the Canadian Church its first woman saint.
Patron: Against poverty; impoverishment; loss of parents; people rejected by religious orders; poverty.
Things to Do:
•Say a prayer to St. Marguerite.
•Have your children visit this interactive webpage http://www.maisonsaint-gabriel.qc.ca/fr/c/index.htmlabout the life of St. Marguerite which also teaches the history of Canada.
•Learn more about the congregation, Congregation of Notre Dame de Montreal http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11127a.htm, St. Marguerite founded.
•Read the Vatican's biography of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys .http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_19821031_bourgeoys_en.html
•Have some fun with the family making "La tire Ste Catherine" (St. Catherine's Pull Taffy).
Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, bishop and doctor; Memorial of St. Kentigern, bishop (Scotland)
Old Calendar: Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ
St. Hilary of Poitiers was one of the great champions of the Catholic belief in the divinity of Christ. By his preaching, his treatise on the Trinity, his part in the Councils, his daring opposition to the Emperor Constantius, he showed himself a courageous apostle of the truth. He could not tolerate that the specious plea of safeguarding peace and unity should be allowed to dim the light of Gospel teaching. St. Pius IX proclaimed him a doctor of the Church.
In Scotland St. Kentigern's feast is a memorial. He was a missionary to Scotland and bishop of the Strathclyde Britons. Exiled, he fled to Wales.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
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St. Hilary
St. Hilary was one of those great Christian heroes who poured out their lives laboring and suffering in defense of Christ's divinity. Scarcely had the days of bloody persecution ended (313), when there arose, now within the Church, a most dangerous enemy of another sort, Arianism. The heresy of Arianism denied the divinity of Christ; it was, in fact, hardly more than a form of paganism masquerading as the Christian Gospel. The smoldering strife soon flared into a mighty conflict endangering the whole Church; and its spread was all the more rapid and powerful because emperors, who called themselves Christian, proved its best supporters. Once again countless martyrs sealed in blood their belief in Christ's divinity; and orthodox bishops who voiced opposition were forced into exile amid extreme privations.
Among the foremost defenders of the true faith stood Hilary. He belonged to a distinguished family and had received an excellent education. Though a married man, he was made bishop of Poitiers by reason of his exemplary life. It was not long before his valiant defense of the faith precipitated his exile to Phrygia. Here he composed his great work on the Blessed Trinity (in twelve books). It is a vigorous defense of the faith, which, he said, "triumphs when attacked." Finally, after four years he was permitted to return to his native land. He continued his efforts, and through prudence and mildness succeeded in ridding Gaul of Arianism. Because of his edifying and illustrious writings on behalf of the true religion, the Church honors him as one of her doctors.
Here is an example of Hilary's vigorous style: "Now it is time to speak, the time for silence is past. We must expect Christ's return, for the reign of Antichrist has begun. The shepherds must give the warning signals because the hirelings have fled. Let us lay down our lives for the sheep, for brigands have entered the fold and the roaring lion is rampaging about. Be ready for martyrdom! Satan himself is clothed as an angel of light." A favorite motto of St. Hilary was, Ministros veritatis decet vera proferre, "Servants of the truth ought speak the truth."
—The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Against snakes; backward children; snake bites.
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St. Kentigern
St. Kentigern was also known as Mungo ("dear one" or "darling"), his mother was a British princess named Thenaw (or Thaney or Theneva). When it was discovered that she was pregnant of an unknown man, she was hurled from a cliff and, when discovered alive at the foot of the cliff, was set adrift in a boat on the Firth of Forth. She reached Culross, was given shelter by St. Serf, and gave birth to a child to whom Serf gave the name Mungo. Raised by the saint, he became a hermit at Glasgow and was so renowned for his holiness that he was consecrated bishop of Strathclyde about 540. Driven to flight because of the feuds among the neighboring chieftains, he went to Wales, met St. David at Menevia, and founded a monastery at Llanelwy. About 553, Kentigern returned to Scotland, settled at Hoddam, and then returned to Glasgow, where he spent his last days. He is considered the first bishop of Scotland and with Thenaw is joint patron of Glasgow.
—Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
Glasgow's Coat of Arms includes a bird, a fish, a bell and a tree; the symbols of Kentigern.
The Bird commemorates the pet robin owned by Saint Serf, which was accidentally killed by monks who blamed it on Saint Kentigern. Saint Kentigern took the bird in his hands and prayed over it, restoring it to life.
The Fish was one caught by Saint Kentigern in the Clyde River. When it was slit open, a ring belonging to the Queen of Cadzow was miraculously found inside it. The Queen was suspected of intrigue by her husband, and that she had left with his ring. She had asked Saint Kentigern for help, and he found and restored the ring in this way to clear her name.
The Bell may have been given to Saint Kentigern by the Pope. The original bell, which was tolled at funerals, no longer exists and was replaced by the magistrates of Glasgow in 1641. The bell of 1641 is preserved in the People's Palace.
The Tree is symbol of an incident in Saint Kentigern's childhood. Left in charge of the holy fire in Saint Serf's monastery, he fell asleep and the fire went out. However he broke off some frozen branches from a hazel tree and miraculously re-kindled the fire.
Patron: Glasgow, Scotland; salmon.
Symbols: Bell; bird; fish; ring; robin; salmon; tree.
Things to Do:
•Make a custard pie in honor of St. Kentigern.
Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church; St. Felix of Nola, priest and martyr
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Felix who lived in the third century. He was a priest and suffered greatly in the Decian persecution. The tomb of St. Felix at Nola, a small town in the south of Italy, was a much frequented place of pilgrimage in Christian antiquity, and in the Middle Ages veneration of him spread throughout the west. Along with St. Hilary his feast is celebrated today on the Tridentine Calendar. According to the Ordinary Rite St. Hilary's feast is now celebrated on January 13.
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St. Felix
In one of the early persecutions the priest Felix was first tortured on the rack, then thrown into a dungeon. While lying chained on broken glass, an angel appeared, loosed his bonds, and led him out to freedom. Later, when the persecution had subsided, he converted many to the Christian faith by his preaching and holy example. However, when he resumed his denunciation of pagan gods and false worship, he was again singled out for arrest and torture; this time he escaped by hiding in a secret recess between two adjacent walls. No sooner had he disappeared into the nook than a thick veil of cobwebs formed over the entrance so that no one suspected he was there. Three months later he died in peace (260), and is therefore a martyr only in the wider sense of the word.
St. Paulinus of Nola (see June 22), who cherished a special devotion toward St. Felix, composed fourteen hymns (carmina natalicia) in his honor. In his day (fifth century) the saint's tomb was visited by pilgrims from far and wide and was noted for its miraculous cures.
— The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Against eye disease; against eye trouble; against false witness; against lies; against perjury; domestic animals; eyes.
Symbols: Cobweb; deacon in prison; spiderweb; young priest carrying an old man (Maximus) on his shoulders; young priest chained in prison with a pitcher and potsherds near him; young priest with a bunch of grapes (symbolizes his care of the aged Maximus); young priest with a spider; young priest with an angel removing his chains.
Things to Do:
•Let us be convinced that if we strive and struggle in God's behalf, we may also rely on His special protection. God shields you from your enemies, even, if need be, by a spider's web. Spend some time recalling occasions when you were protected in an unusual way from harm.
Friday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Paul, confessor, the first Hermit; St. Maurus, abbot; St. Claude de la Colombiere, religious; Our Lady of Prompt Succor
It was from St. Jerome (+ 420) that the west learned of the life of St. Paul; the book, which he devoted to the life of the first Christian hermit, charmed and instructed generations of the faithful and formed the inspiration of many artists. St. Paul is said to have died in 341, in a hermitage in the region of Thebes in Egypt after having received at the age of 113 a visit from St. Antony.
St. Maurus was one of the first disciples of St. Benedict. In this son of a patrician Roman family, entrusted by his parents to the father of western monasticism, Benedictine tradition celebrates the perfect monk, and the model of childlike obedience. Many monasteries, particularly in France, adopted him as patron. He died about A.D. 580.
The Jesuit Priest St. Claude de la Colombière was the first to believe in the mystical revelations of the Sacred Heart given to St. Margaret Mary in Paray le Monial Convent, France. Thanks to his support, St. Margaret Mary’s superior also believed, and propagation of the devotion to the Sacred heart was started.
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St. Paul, the first hermit
St. Paul is called "the first hermit" in the Missal and Breviary, a rare distinction, for such titles are seldom appended. Our saint was the standard-bearer of those courageous men who for the love of Christ left the world and entered the wilderness to dedicate themselves wholly to contemplation amid all the privations of desert life. The hermits were the great men of prayer in those difficult times when the Church was locked in fierce struggle with heresy after heresy. For centuries the example of their lives served as the school of Christian perfection. Their action set the background for the rise of monasticism and religious orders in the Church.
The Breviary retains an edifying legend concerning today's saint. One day St. Anthony, then ninety, was divinely inspired to visit the hermit Paul. Though they had never met previously, each greeted the other correctly by name. While they were conversing at length on spiritual matters, the raven that had always brought Paul half a loaf of bread, came with a whole loaf. As the raven flew away, Paul said: "See, the Lord, who is truly good and merciful, has sent us food. Every day for sixty years I have received half a loaf, but with your arrival Christ sent His servants a double ration." Giving thanks, they ate by a spring.
After a brief rest, they again gave thanks, as was their custom, and spent the whole night praising God. At daybreak Paul informed Anthony of his approaching death and asked him to fetch the cloak he had received from St. Athanasius, that he might wrap himself in it. Later, as Anthony was returning from his visit, he saw Paul's soul ascending to heaven escorted by choirs of angels and surrounded by prophets and apostles. Further traditional matter may be found in The Life of Paul the Hermit, written by St. Jerome about the year 376.
Patron: Clothing industry; weavers.
Symbols: Dead man whose grave is being dug by a lion; man being brought food by a bird; man clad in rough garments made of leaves or skins; old man, clothed with palm-leaves, and seated under a palm-tree, near which are a river and loaf of bread; with Saint Anthony the Abbot.
Things to Do:
•Bake a loaf of bread to celebrate this feast, as it is recounted in the Golden Legend how St. Paul received his daily bread every day from God.
•Read St. Jerome's http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/synexarion/stpaulus-hermit.html account of the Life of St. Paul.
•The Order of St. Paul the Hermit (Paulines) runs the Shrine of Our Lady of Chestochowa in Doylestown, PA http://www.paulinefathers.org/eng/order.htm. Read more about the order and if in the neighborhood pay a visit (or a virtual visit) to the Shrine. http://www.czestochowa.us/
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St. Maurus
In Benedictine history Maurus holds a distinguished place, taught and trained by St. Benedict himself. While still very young, Maurus and another youth, Placid, were brought by their parents to be reared in monastic life by the Patriarch of Monks. An incident reveals Maurus' spirit of childlike obedience. One day Placid was sent to a near-by lake to draw water. Soon he was at the shore, where, boy that he was, he fell victim to his own heedlessness. Eager to fill the vessel quickly, he reached out too far and was dragged in by the rapidly filling jar. He was being borne along by the waves when from his cell St. Benedict realized what had happened. "Hurry, run to the lake! Placid has fallen in!" he called to Maurus. Stopping only for his spiritual father's blessing, Maurus sped to the lake, seized Placid by the hair and brought him ashore.
Imagine his shock and amazement when he realized that he had run some distance on water! His explanation? Such a miracle could not have happened save by virtue of his master's command! St. Gregory relates the incident in his Second Book of Dialogues along with much other interesting detail from the life of St. Benedict. The Martyrology makes this comment on the miracle: How greatly he advanced in faith under his teacher (St. Benedict) is attested by an occurrence unheard of since the days of St. Peter; for, on one occasion he walked upon water as though it were dry land. The tradition that Maurus later became abbot at Glanfeuil in France lacks historical support.
Patron: Against cold; against gout; against hoarseness; charcoal burners; cobblers; cold; coppersmiths; gout; hoarseness; shoemakers.
Symbols: Monk saving Saint Placid from drowning while a cowl floats above him; abbot with crozier; abbot with book and censer; holding the weights and measures of food and drink given him by Saint Benedict.
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St. Claude de la Colombière
Missionary and ascetical writer, born of noble parentage at Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, between Lyons and Vienne, in 1641; died at Paray-le-Monial, 15 February, 1682. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1659. After fifteen years of religious life he made a vow, as a means of attaining the utmost possible perfection, to observe faithfully the rule and constitutions of his order under penalty of sin. Those who lived with him attested that this vow was kept with great exactitude. In 1674 Father de la Colombière was made superior at the Jesuit house at Paray-le-Monial, where he became the spiritual director of Blessed Margaret Mary and was thereafter a zealous apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1676 he was sent to England as preacher to the Duchess of York, afterwards Queen of Great Britain. He lived the life of a religious even in the Court of St. James and was as active a missionary in England as he had been in France. Although encountering many difficulties, he was able to guide Blessed Margaret Mary by letter. His zeal soon weakened his vitality and a throat and lung trouble seemed to threaten his work as a preacher. While awaiting his recall to France he was suddenly arrested and thrown into prison, denounced as a conspirator. Thanks to his title of preacher to the Duchess of York and to the protection of Louis XIV, whose subject he was, he escaped death but was condemned to exile (1679). The last two years of his life were spent at Lyons where he was spiritual director to the young Jesuits, and at Paray-le-Monial, whither he repaired for his health. His principal works, including "Pious Reflections", "Meditations on the Passion", "Retreat and Spiritual Letters", were published under the title, "Oeuvres du R. P. Claude de la Colombière" (Avignon, 1832; Paris, 1864). His relics are preserved in the monastery of the Visitation nuns at Paray-le-Monial. (Catholic Encyclopedia) He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 31, 1992.
Patron: Toy makers; turners.
Things to Do:
•Visit this website for more information about St. Claude .http://www.piercedhearts.org/theology_heart/life_saints/claude_colombiere.htm
•Read about the final miracle http://www.mindszenty.org/report/1997/sept97/sept97.html necessary for Blessed Claude's canonization.
•Read "Spiritual Direction of Saint Claude De Colombière". http://www.ignatius.com/ViewProduct.aspx?SID=1&Product_ID=813&SKU=SDSC-P&ReturnURL=search.aspx%3f%3fSID%3d1%26SearchCriteri a%3dspiritual+direction
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Our Lady of Prompt Succor
Devotion to Our Lady of Prompt Succor dates back to 1802, when the Ursuline Order in New Orleans pleaded for help in sustaining the Order with new sisters from France. Their prayers were answered with papal permission for sisters to be transferred from France to New Orleans. In thanksgiving for this favor, the Ursulines dedicated a statue in their convent chapel to Our Lady of Prompt Succor in 1810.
In 1812, a terrible fire broke out in New Orleans, and the wind was blowing the flames toward the convent. Prayers before the statue of Our Lady were answered with a reversal of the wind direction and the convent was spared.
During the Battle of New Orleans, in 1815, the sisters again invoked the assistance of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. As the sound of guns and cannons thundered around the chapel during Mass, they vowed to have a Mass of Thanksgiving sung every year if the Americans were victorious. At Communion time, a messenger arrived with the news that Gen. Andrew Jackson's overmatched army had successfully driven the British from the city. Once again Our Lady had responded promptly.
In 1928, the Holy See approved the selection of Our Lady of Prompt Succor as the Patroness of the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. The Mass of Thanksgiving is offered each January 8 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in New Orleans.
Patron: State of Louisiana; the Archdiocese of New Orleans; City of New Orleans
Things to Do:
•Read more about Our Lady of Prompt Succor at Miracle of the Rosary Mission. http://www.miraclerosarymission.org/olpsnovenva.html
PRAYERS
Blessing of Saint Maurus over the Sick http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=978
Prayer for Those Suffering Despair http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=979
Litany of Saint Maurus http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1165
Litany of Our Lady of Prompt Succor http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1297
ACTIVITIES
How God Provides http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=263
On Parental Duty and How Parents Let Their Children Risk Chastity http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=244
Story of St. Paul the Hermit http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1000
RECIPES
Date and Nut Bread http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=300
Whole Wheat Bread http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=17
Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Marcellus, pope and martyr
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Marcellus who was elected Pope just at the time when Diocletian had spent somewhat his first violence against the Church. In Rome he reorganized the Catholic hierarchy disrupted by the persecution. Before the reform of the Roman Calendar this was the feast of St. Marcellus, pope and martyr.
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St. Marcellus
Diocletian's terrible persecution had taken its toll. It was reported that within a period of thirty days, sixteen thousand Christians were martyred. The Church in Rome was left scattered and disorganized, and the Holy See remained vacant for over two years. It wasn't until the ascension of Emperor Maxentius and his policy of toleration that a pope could be chosen. Marcellus, a Roman priest during the reign of Marcellinus, was elected.
The new pope was confronted with enormous problems. His first challenge was to reorganize the badly shaken Church. He is said to have accomplished this by dividing Rome into twenty-five parishes, each with its own priest. The next task was more challenging. Once again a pope was faced with the problem of what to do with the many brethren who had compromised their faith during the reign of Diocletian. Marcellus upheld the doctrine of required penance before absolution. The apostates keenly desired readmission to communion, but they violently opposed the harshness of the penance demanded by the rigorist, Marcellus. Riots broke out throughout the city, and even bloodshed, to the point that Emperor Maxentius intervened. He believed that the pontiff was the root of the problem, and in the interest of peace, he banished Marcellus; the pope died a short time later. Apart from persecution, this was the first time that the secular government was known to have interfered with the Church. There is some confusion whether his body was brought back to Rome or whether he was allowed to return to the Holy See before his death. There is no doubt, however, that he was buried in the cemetery of Priscilla on the Via Salaria.
Symbols: Pope with a donkey or horse nearby; pope standing in a stable
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Second Sunday after Epiphany
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." (And) Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you (John 2:1-5)."
Today the Church celebrates the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. Today's readings contain explicit nuptial references and are taken from Cycle C.
"Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him."
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 62:1-5. Isaiah compares Yahweh to a young man who marries a virgin. His love transforms her. She used to be called "Forsaken". Now she has a new name, "My Delight".
The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, 12:4-11 and teaches that God is the origin of spiritual gifts. The various graces which the members of the Church receive are a living reflection of God who, being essentially one, and so is a trinity of persons. Therefore, diversity of gifts and graces is as important as their basic unity, because all have the same divine origin and the same purpose—the common good. — Excerpted from The Navarre Bible, Corinthians
Today's Gospel is taken from St. John, 2:1-11, which recounts the events at the wedding feast at Cana. This is the occasion that Jesus chose to first reveal some of his inner reality. How much Jesus loves young married couples! He performs this miracle at the urging of his Mother, whom significantly he calls "Woman". Before the primeval sin our common mother was referred to as "the woman". (Gen 3) By the time of St. Irenaeus (2nd century) Christians saw Mary as the New Eve. — Fr. Phil Bloom
Things to Do:
•Read this sermon by Fr. Phil Bloom further explaining today's readings. http://geocities.com/seapadre_1999/2ndSunday-c.html
ACTIVITIES
Attending a Catholic Wedding http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=853
Elementary Parent Pedagogy: Two Homes, Heaven and Earth — Building up Family Unity and Security http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=30
Engagement and Wedding http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=416
How to Best Prepare Your Child for Marriage http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=153
Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Matrimony) http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=426
PRAYERS
Roman Ritual: Orders for the Blessing of a Married Couple http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=697
Nuptial Blessing http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=770
RECIPES
Bride's Cake I http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=612
Bride's Cake II http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=616
How to Cut a Four-Tiered Cake http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=835
Italian Wedding Cookies http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1221
Kourambiedhes Wedding Cakes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1320
Monday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Peter's Chair at Rome, St. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Peter's Chair at Rome and the commemoration of St. Prisca. The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on February 22.
Regarding St. Prisca, the Martyrology reads: "In the city of Rome, the holy virgin and martyr Prisca; after many tortures she gained the crown of martyrdom under Emperor Claudius II (about 270)." Prisca should not be confused with Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, mentioned in the Acts, whose feast dates to the earliest days of Christianity.
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St. Prisca
Prisca, who is also known as Priscilla, was a child martyr of the early Roman Church. Born to Christian parents of a noble family, Prisca was raised during the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius. While Claudius did not persecute Christians with the same fervor as other Roman emperors, Christians still did not practice their faith openly. In fact, Prisca's parents went to great lengths to conceal their faith, and thus they were not suspected of being Christians.
Prisca, however, did not feel the need to take precaution. The young girl openly professed her dedication to Christ, and eventually, she was reported to the emperor. Claudius had her arrested, and commanded her to make a sacrifice to Apollo, the pagan god of the sun.
According to the legend, Prisca refused, and was tortured for disobeying. Then, suddenly, a bright, yellow light shone about her, and she appeared to be a little star.
Claudius ordered that Prisca be taken away to prison, in the hopes that she would abandon Christ. When all efforts to change her mind were unsuccessful, she was taken to an amphitheatre and thrown in with a lion.
As the crowd watched, Prisca stood fearless. According to legend, the lion walked toward the barefoot girl, and then gently licked her feet. Disgusted by his thwarted efforts to dissuade Prisca, Claudius had her beheaded.
Seventh-century accounts of the grave sites of Roman martyrs refer to the discovery of an epitaph of a Roman Christian named Priscilla in a large catacomb and identifies her place of interment on the Via Salaria as the Catacomb of Priscilla.
Excerpted from Ordinary People Extraordinary Lives.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum, martyrs; St. Canute, martyr
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Marius, Martha, Audivax and Abachum, a group of Roman martyrs of the third century. St. Canute was king of Denmark; he was put to death out of hatred of his faith and his zeal in working for its extension in his kingdom. He was killed in St. Alban's Church in Odense.
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St. Marius and Family
Their feast does not appear in the Roman calendar until the twelfth century. The Acts of these martyrs are wholly legendary. They give the following details. Marius was a Persian of noble extraction. With his wife, who was also noble-born, and his two sons, Audifax and Abachus, he came to Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II (268-270) to venerate the graves of the martyrs. They visited the Christians in prison, encouraged them by word and deed, and shared with them their goods. And like Tobias of old, they buried the bodies of the saints.
It was not long before they themselves were arrested; and when neither threats nor allurements could make them offer sacrifice to the idols, they were savagely flogged. Martha was the first to die, but not before she had fervently exhorted her husband and sons to endure steadfastly whatever tortures might be inflicted for the faith. All were beheaded in the same place and their bodies thrown into the fire. Felicitas, a saintly Roman woman, succeeded in recovering the half-burnt bodies and buried them on her estate.
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St. Canute
St. Canute, king of Denmark, was murdered in St. Alban's Church, Odense, July 10, 1086. The Martyrology confuses him with his nephew, St. Canute the Duke, who died on January 7, 1131, and was canonized November 8, 1169, by Pope Alexander III. St. Canute is also called Canute the holy, or Danish Knut, or Knud, Den Hellige, or Sankt Knut, or Knud.
The son of King Sweyn II Estrithson of Denmark, Canute succeeded his brother Harold Hen as king of Denmark. Canute opposed the aristocracy and kept a close association with the church in an attempt to create a powerful and centralized monarchy.
In ecclesiastical matters, Canute generously patronized several churches, including the Cathedral of Lund, Denmark's archbishopric; established a Benedictine abbey at Odense; and supported apostolic preaching throughout Denmark. In temporal matters, he attempted an administrative reform, particularly an enforced levying of tithes that incurred the wrath of the rural aristocracy. In 1085 he reasserted the Danish claims to England and, with the count of Flanders and King Olaf III of Norway, prepared a massive invasion fleet that alarmed the Norman-English king William I the Conqueror.
Canute's plan, however, had to be abandoned suddenly, for those aristocrats who opposed his tax policy revolted as he was preparing to embark for England. He fled from the rebels, led by his brother Prince Olaf, to St. Alban's Church, Odense, which he had founded, and was assassinated there with the entire royal party.
Canute was buried in St. Alban's, renamed c. 1300 St. Canute's Cathedral. Miracles were recorded at his tomb, and, at the request (1099) of King Erik III Evergood of Denmark, he was canonized (1101) by Pope Paschal II.
Patron: Zeeland, Denmark.
Symbols: Knight with a wreath, lance, and ciborium.
Optional Memorials of St. Fabian, pope and martyr; St. Sebastian, martyr
Old Calendar: Saints Fabian and Sebastian
St. Fabian and St. Sebastian have always been venerated together, and their names were coupled in the ancient martyrologies, as they are still in the Litany of Saints.
St. Fabian was Pope from 236 to 250 AD. He promoted the consolidation and development of the Church. He divided Rome into seven diaconates for the purpose of extending aid to the poor. He was one of the first victims of the persecution of Decius, who considered him as a rival and personal enemy.
St. Sebastian, a native of Milan, was an officer in Diocletian's imperial guard. He became a Christian and suffered martyrdom upon orders of the emperor.
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St. Fabian
St. Fabian, a Roman, was as energetic as he was admired and respected. He was able to accomplish a great deal during his long pontificate. Escaping the persecution of Emperor Maximus Thrax, who had been assassinated, Fabian enjoyed peace in the Church under the reigns of succeeding emperors.
One of St. Fabian's first acts was to reorganize the clergy of Rome to better serve the increasing flock. He is also credited with beautifying and enlarging the cemeteries. He ordered paintings to adorn the vaults, and he erected a church above the cemetery of Calixtus.
The Church flourished under St. Fabian as a succession of emperors left the Christians to themselves. This peaceful time came to an abrupt end with the ascension of Emperor Decius. He was a cruel enemy and he decreed that all Christians were to deny Christ by openly worshipping pagan idols. The Church was to lose many followers, but more stood firm to suffer torture and even death. Certainly, one of the first was Pope Fabian. Arrested, he was thrown in prison and died at the hands of his brutal captors. He is buried in the cemetery of Calixtus.
Things to Do:
•Pope Fabian's two special interests were the poor and the liturgy. Offer your Mass today for someone in spiritual need since this is the worst poverty and the greatest charity.
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St. Sebastian
The name of Sebastian is enveloped in a wreath of legends. The oldest historical account of the saint is found in a commentary on the psalms by St. Ambrose; the passage reads: "Allow me to propose to you the example of the holy martyr Sebastian. By birth he was a Milanese. Perhaps the persecutor of Christians had left Milan, or had not yet arrived, or had become momentarily more tolerant. Sebastian believed that here there was no opportunity for combat, or that it had already passed. So he went to Rome, the scene of bitter opposition arising from the Christians' zeal for the faith. There he suffered, there he gained the crown."
St. Sebastian was widely venerated during the Middle Ages, particularly as a protector against the plague. Paul the Deacon relates that in 670 a great pestilence at Rome ceased when an altar was dedicated in his honor. The Breviary account of the saint is highly legendary; in part it reads: "Diocletian tried by every means to turn Sebastian from the faith of Christ. After all efforts had proven fruitless, he ordered him tied to a post and pierced with arrows. When everyone thought him dead, a devout woman named Irene arranged for his burial during the night; finding him still alive, she cared for him in her own house. After his recovery he appeared again before Diocletian and boldly rebuked him for his wickedness. Enraged by the saint's sharp words, the emperor ordered him scourged until he expired. His body was thrown into a sewer."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Archers; armourers; arrowsmiths; athletes; bookbinders; diseased cattle; dying people; enemies of religion; fletchers; gardeners; iron mongers; lacemakers; laceworkers; lead workers; masons; plague; police; racquet makers; Rio de Janeiro; soldiers; Spanish police officers; stone masons; stonecutters.
Symbols: Arrows of martyrdom; naked youth tied to a tree and shot with arrows; arrows; crown.
Things to Do:
•Read a longer account of St. Sebastian's life. http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/SEBASTN.htm
•St. Sebastian's Day is marked in Sicily and in Kerala, India with huge celebrations. Try a Sicilian or Kerala dish for dinner tonight in honor of the saint.
•If you have an athlete in your family teach them the prayer to St. Sebastian.
Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr
Old Calendar: St. Agnes
St. Agnes (c. 304) like St. Cecilia, is to be numbered among the most famous martyrs of Rome. When the Diocletian persecution was at its height, and when priests as well as laymen were apostatizing from the faith, Agnes, a girl of twelve, freely chose to die for Christ. When she was commanded to offer incense to false gods, she raised her hand to Christ and made the Sign of the Cross. When the heathens threatened to bind her hand and foot, she herself hastened to the place of torture as a bride to her wedding feast. Pain had no terror for her—although the fetters slipped from her small hands while even the pagan bystanders were moved to tears.
When the son of the Roman prefect offered to marry her, she replied: "The one to whom I am betrothed is Christ Whom the angels serve." When the executioner, who was to behead her, hesitated, she encouraged him with the words: "Strike, without fear, for the bride does her Spouse an injury if she makes Him wait". The name of "Agnes" means "lamb-life," and hence the lamb is the symbol of the modesty and innocence of the virgin-martyr.
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St. Agnes
Agnes is one of the most glorious saints in the calendar of the Roman Church. The greatest Church Fathers vie with one another in sounding her praise and glory. St. Jerome writes: "All nations, especially their Christian communities, praise in word and writing the life of St. Agnes. She triumphed over her tender age as well as over the merciless tyrant. To the crown of spotless innocence she added the glory of martyrdom."
Our saint's name should be traced to the Greek hagne - the pure, rather than to the Latin agna - lamb. But the Latin derivation prevailed in the early Church. The reason may have been that eight days after her death Agnes appeared to her parents with a train of virgins, and a lamb at her side. St. Augustine knew both derivations. "Agnes", he writes, "means 'lamb' in Latin, but in Greek it denotes 'the pure one'". The Latin interpretation occasioned the yearly blessing of the St. Agnes lambs; it takes place on this day in the Church of which she is patron, and the wool is used in weaving the palliums worn by archbishops and, through privilege, by some bishops. In the church built by the Emperor Constantine over the saint's grave, Pope Gregory the Great preached a number of homilies. Reliable details concerning the life of St. Agnes are very few. The oldest material occurs in St. Ambrose's De Virginibus, parts of which are read today at Matins. The value of the later (definitely unauthentic) "Passion" of the saint is enhanced by the fact that various antiphons and responsories in the Office are derived from it.
From such liturgical sources we may construct the following "life of St. Agnes". One day when Agnes, then thirteen years old, was returning home from school, she happened to meet Symphronius, a son of the city prefect. At once he became passionately attracted to her and tried to win her by precious gifts. Agnes repelled him, saying: "Away from me, food of death, for I have already found another lover" (r. Ant.). "With His ring my Lord Jesus Christ has betrothed me, and He has adorned me with the bridal crown" (3. Ant., Lauds). "My right hand and my neck He has encircled with precious stones, and has given me earrings with priceless pearls; He has decked me with lovely, glittering gems" (2. Ant.). "The Lord has clothed me with a robe of gold, He has adorned me with priceless jewels" (4. Ant.). "Honey and milk have I received from His mouth, and His blood has reddened my cheeks" (5. Ant.). "I love Christ, into whose chamber I shall enter, whose Mother is a virgin, whose Father knows not woman, whose music and melody are sweet to my ears. When I love Him, I remain chaste; when I touch Him, I remain pure; when I possess Him, I remain a virgin" (2. Resp.). "I am betrothed to Him whom the angels serve, whose beauty the sun and moon admire" (9. Ant.). "For Him alone I keep my troth, to Him I surrender with all my heart" (6. Ant.).
Incensed by her rebuff, Symphronius denounced Agnes to his father, the city prefect. When he threatened her with commitment to a house of ill fame, Agnes replied: "At my side I have a protector of my body, an angel of the Lord" (2. Ant., Lauds). "When Agnes entered the house of shame, she found an angel of the Lord ready to protect her" (1. Ant., Lauds). A light enveloped her and blinded all who tried to approach. Then another judge condemned her to the stake because the pagan priests accused her of sorcery.
Surrounded by flames she prayed with outstretched arms: "I beseech You, Father almighty, most worthy of awe and adoration. Through Your most holy Son I escaped the threats of the impious tyrant and passed through Satan's filth with feet unsullied. Behold, I now come to You, whom I have loved, whom I have sought, whom I have always desired." She gave thanks as follows: "O You, the almighty One, who must be adored, worshipped, feared - I praise You because through Your only begotten Son I have escaped the threats of wicked men and have walked through the filth of sin with feet unsullied. I extol You with my lips, and I desire You with all my heart and strength."
After the flames died out, she continued: "I praise You, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, because by Your Son the fire around me was extinguished" (4. Ant., Lauds). And now she longed for union with Christ: "Behold, what I yearned for, I already see; what I hoped for, I already hold in embrace; with Him I am united in heaven whom on earth I loved with all my heart" (Ben. Ant.). Her wish was granted; the judge ordered her beheaded. —The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Affianced couples; betrothed couples; bodily purity; chastity; Children of Mary; Colegio Capranica of Rome; crops; engaged couples; gardeners; Girl Scouts; girls; rape victims; diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; virgins.
Symbols: Lamb; woman with long hair and a lamb, sometimes with a sword at her throat; woman with a dove which holds a ring in its beak; woman with a lamb at her side.
Things to Do:
•Read St. Ambrose's De Virginibus http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/34071.htm about the martyrdom of St. Agnes. "It is the birthday of a martyr, let us offer the victim. It is the birthday of St. Agnes, let men admire, let children take courage, let the married be astounded, let the unmarried take an example."
Optional Memorial of St. Vincent of Saragossa, deacon and martyr;
Old Calendar: Saints Vincent and Anastasius, martyrs
St. Vincent of Saragossa, one of the greatest deacons of the Church, suffered martyrdom in Valencia in the persecution under Diocletian. He was born in Huesca, Spain. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is also the feast of St. Anastasius, a Persian monk who was beheaded in 628.
In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when the 22nd falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life.
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St. Vincent of Saragossa
Vincent of Saragossa was one of the Church's three most illustrious deacons, the other two being Stephen and Lawrence. He is also Spain's most renowned martyr. Ordained deacon by Bishop Valerius of Saragossa, he was taken in chains to Valencia during the Diocletian persecution and put to death. From legend we have the following details of his martyrdom. After brutal scourging in the presence of many witnesses, he was stretched on the rack; but neither torture nor blandishments nor threats could undermine the strength and courage of his faith. Next, he was cast on a heated grating, lacerated with iron hooks, and seared with hot metal plates. Then he was returned to prison, where the floor was heavily strewn with pieces of broken glass. A heavenly brightness flooded the entire dungeon, filling all who saw it with greatest awe.
After this he was placed on a soft bed in the hope that lenient treatment would induce apostasy, since torture had proven ineffective. But strengthened by faith in Christ Jesus and the hope of everlasting life, Vincent maintained an invincible spirit and overcame all efforts, whether by fire, sword, rack, or torture to induce defection. He persevered to the end and gained the heavenly crown of martyrdom. —The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Portugal; vine dressers; vinegar makers; vintners; wine growers; wine makers.
Symbols: Deacon holding a ewer; deacon holding several ewers and a book; deacon with a raven; deceased deacon whose body is being defended by ravens; deacon being torn by hooks; deacon holding a millstone.
Things to Do:
•Read this account of St. Vincent's martyrdom. http://www.deacons.net/Deacons_before_us/vincent.html
•Pray to St. Vincent for those ordained deacons in the Church, especially those in your own parish.
•Read Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 to discover the role of deacons in the early Church.
•Cook a Spanish dish in honor of St. Vincent.
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St. Anastasius
The Martyrology relates: At Bethsaloen in Assyria, St. Anastasius, a Persian monk, who after suffering much at Caesarea in Palestine from imprisonment, stripes, and fetters, had to bear many afflictions from Chosroes, king of Persia, who caused him to be beheaded. He had sent before him to martyrdom seventy of his companions, who were drowned in a river. His head was brought to Rome, at Aquæ Salviæ, together with his revered image, by the sight of which demons are expelled, and diseases cured, as is attested by the Acts of the second Council of Nicea. The saint was venerated highly in Rome.
Saturday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Raymund of Penafort, confessor; St. Emerentiana, virgin and martyr
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII today is the feast of St. Raymond of Penafort which is now celebrated on January 7 on the General Roman Calendar. It is also the commemoration of St. Emerentiana whose veneration is connected with that of St. Agnes. She was venerated at Rome not far from the basilica of St. Agnes-Outside-the-Walls on the via Nomentana. The acts of St. Agnes make Emerentiana her foster sister; according to this source, while still a catechumen she was stoned at the tomb of the youthful martyr where she had gone to pray.
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St. Emerentiana
St. Emerentiana was a Roman virgin, the foster sister of St. Agnes. Already as a catechumen she was conspicuous for her faith and love of Christ. One day she boldly upbraided the idolaters for their violent attacks on the Christians. The enraged mob retaliated by pelting her with stones. She died in the Lord praying at the tomb of St. Agnes, baptized in her own blood.
Patron: Those who suffer from digestive disorders.
Symbols: Young girl with stones in her lap, usually holding a palm or lily.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Third Sunday after Epiphany
"Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all (Luke 4:14-15)."
The first reading is taken from the Book of Nehemiah, 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10. Nehemiah and Ezra lived in the time when the people of Israel had been returned to their land after the years of the Babylonian Captivity and it was a time of rebuilding. The people had lost their connections to their faith. The Torah, also known as The Law, had not been taught to them. Ezra and Nehemiah were given an important mission by the Lord. They were to teach what had been lost, to rebuild the communal structures, to reinspire the people to the high ideals of their ancestral religion--so that once again they could begin to live a healthy social and religious life. — Fr. Jerome Day, OSB
The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, 12:12-30 and refers to the Mystical Body of Christ. St. Paul concludes his description of the different parts of the body by applying it to the Church, where variety of functions does not detract from unity. It would be a serious mistake not to recognize in the visible structure of the Church, which is so multifaceted, the fact that the Church founded by Christ is one, visible at the same time as it is spiritual.
— The Navarre Bible, Corinthians
The Gospel reading is from St. Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21. Christ's words in v. 21 show us the authenticity with which he preached and explained the Scriptures: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing". Jesus teaches that this prophecy, like the other main prophecies in the Old Testament, refer to him and find their fulfillment in him. Thus, the Old Testament can be rightly understood only in the light of the New — as the risen Christ showed the Apostles when he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, an understanding which the Holy Spirit perfected on the day of Pentecost.
— The Navarre Bible, St. Luke
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle
Old Calendar: Conversion of St. Paul
St. Paul, named Saul at his circumcision, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, was born at Tarsus, the capitol of Cilicia. He was a Roman citizen. He was brought up as a strict Jew, and later became a violent persecutor of the Christians. While on his way to Damascus to make new arrests of Christians, he was suddenly converted by a miraculous apparition of Our Lord. From a fierce persecutor he became the great Apostle of the Gentiles. He made three missionary journeys which brought him to the great centers of Asia Minor and southern Europe, and made many converts. Fourteen of his Epistles are found in the New Testament. He was beheaded in Rome in 66, and his body is kept in the Basilica of St. Paul near the Ostian Way.
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St. Paul
St. Paul was born at Tarsus, Cilicia, of Jewish parents who were descended from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Roman citizen from birth. As he was "a young man" at the stoning of Stephen and "an old man" when writing to Philemon, about the year 63, he was probably born around the beginning of the Christian era.
To complete his schooling, St. Paul was sent to Jerusalem, where he sat at the feet of the learned Gamaliel and was educated in the strict observance of the ancestral Law. Here he also acquired a good knowledge of exegesis and was trained in the practice of disputation. As a convinced and zealous Pharisee, he returned to Tarsus before the public life of Christ opened in Palestine.
Some time after the death of Our Lord, St. Paul returned to Palestine. His profound conviction made his zeal develop to a religious fanaticism against the infant Church. He took part in the stoning of the first martyr, St. Stephen, and in the fierce persecution of the Christians that followed.
Entrusted with a formal mission from the high priest, he departed for Damascus to arrest the Christians there and bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was nearing Damascus, about noon, a light from heaven suddenly blazed round him. Jesus with His glorified body appeared to him and addressed him, turning him away from his apparently successful career.
An immediate transformation was wrought in the soul of St. Paul. He was suddenly converted to the Christian Faith. He was baptized, changed his name from Saul to Paul, and began travelling and preaching the Faith. He was martyred as an Apostle in Rome around 65 AD.
Excerpted from Lives of the Saints
Patron: Against snakes; authors; Cursillo movement; evangelists; hailstorms; hospital public relations; journalists; lay people; missionary bishops; musicians; poisonous snakes; public relations personnel; public relations work; publishers; reporters; rope braiders; rope makers; saddlemakers; saddlers; snake bites; tent makers; writers; Malta; Rome; Poznan, Poland; newspaper editorial staff Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Covington, Kentucky; Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Symbols: Book and sword; three fountains; two swords; scourge; serpent and a fire; armour of God; twelve scrolls with names of his Epistles; phoenix; palm tree; shield of faith; sword; book.
Often portrayed as: Thin-faced elderly man with a high forehead, receding hairline and long pointed beard; man holding a sword and a book; man with 3 springs of water nearby.
Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus, bishops
Old Calendar: St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr
St. Timothy, born in Galatia in Asia Minor, was baptized and later ordained to the priesthood by St. Paul. The young Galatian became Paul's missionary companion and his most beloved spiritual son. St. Paul showed his trust in this disciple by consecrating him bishop of the great city of Ephesus. St. Timothy was stoned to death thirty years after St. Paul's martyrdom for having denounced the worship of the goddess Diana. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite St. Timothy's feast is celebrated on January 24 and St. Titus on February 6.
St. Titus, a convert from paganism, was a fellow laborer of St. Paul on many apostolic missions. St. Paul later made him bishop of Crete, a difficult charge because of the character of the inhabitants and the spread of erroneous doctrines on that island. St. Paul's writings tell us that St. Titus rejoiced to discover what was good in others and drew the hearts of men by his wide and affectionate sympathy.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Polycarp, which is now celebrated in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite on February 23.
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St. Timothy
Timothy was Paul's dearest disciple, his most steadfast associate. He was converted during the apostle's first missionary journey. When Paul revisited Lystra, Timothy, though still very young (about twenty) joined him as a co-worker and companion. Thereafter, there existed between them a most intimate bond, as between father and son. St. Paul calls him his beloved child, devoted to him "like a son to his father" (Phil. 2:22). Of a kindly disposition, unselfish, prudent, zealous, he was a great consolation to Paul, particularly in the sufferings of his later years. He also assisted the apostle in the establishment of all the major Christian communities and was entrusted with missions of highest importance. Timothy was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment. Paul made his self-sacrificing companion bishop of Ephesus, but the finest monument left him by his master are the two canonical Epistles bearing his name.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Intestinal disorders; stomach diseases.
Symbols: Club and stones; broken image of Diana.
Things to Do:
•No one understood the heart of St. Paul better than St. Timothy. His finest legacy is the two epistles he wrote to Timothy. Today would be an opportune occasion to study these epistles and to apply personally the high ideals proposed.
•Look up the descriptions St. Paul gives of his traveling companion, Tim: 1, Cor. 4:17, Phil. 2:19-20, Rom. 16:21, and 2 Tim. 1:4-5.
•Pray that the Church may be blessed with bishops, priests, and deacons, endowed with all those qualifications St. Paul requires from the dispensers of the mysteries of God. Say the following invocation frequently: "Jesus, Savior of the world, sanctify Thy priests and sacred ministers."
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St. Titus
St. Titus, a pagan by birth, became one of St. Paul's most illustrious disciples. He accompanied the apostle on several of his missionary journeys and was entrusted with important missions. Finally he came with St. Paul to the island of Crete, where he was appointed bishop. He performed this duty in accordance with the admonition given him, ". . . in all things show yourself an example of good works" (Tit. 2:7).
Tradition tells us that he died a natural death at the age of 94, having lived in the state of virginity during his whole life. St. Paul left a worthy monument to Titus, his faithful disciple, in the beautiful pastoral letter which forms part of the New Testament. Today's feast in his honor was introduced in 1854.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Crete.
Symbols: Broken images; ruined temple of Jupiter.
Things to Do:
•St. Paul left a worthy monument to Titus, his faithful disciple, in his letter. Read this letter.
•Even though St. Timothy and Titus were disciples, bake some apostle cookies and adapt them for this feast.
Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, virgin
Old Calendar: St. John Chrysostom, bishop, confessor and doctor
St. Angela was born in northern Italy. In 1516, she founded the Order of Ursulines, the first teaching order for women approved by the Church. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. John Chrysostom. St. Angela Merici's feast is celebrated on June 1, except in the convents of her order where it is also celebrated today.
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St. Angela Merici
The saint was born in 1474 in the diocese of Verona. Early in life she dedicated herself to Christ as His bride. After the death of her parents, she desired to live solely for God in quiet and solitude, but her uncle insisted that she manage his household. She renounced her patrimony in order to observe most perfectly the rule for Franciscan Tertiaries.
During a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, she lost her eyesight temporarily. Pope Clement VII, whom she visited in Rome, desired her to remain in the Holy City. Later she founded a society for girls, under the protection of St. Ursula; this was the beginning of the Ursuline Order. St. Angela was almost seventy when she died; her body remained incorrupt for thirty days. Remarkable phenomena occurred at her burial in the Church of St. Afra.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Bodily ills; disabled people; handicapped people; illness; loss of parents; physically challenged people; sick people; sickness.
Symbols: Cloak; ladder.
Things to Do:
•Read more about the life of St. Angela http://www.onde.net/desenzano/citta/santangela/mostra-eng.htm and her travels to the Holy Land.
•St. Angela formed the Company of St. Ursula http://www.companyofstursula.org/, a secular institute. Read more about secular institutes http://www.secularinstitutes.org/ and their role in the Church.
Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor
Old Calendar: St. Peter Nolasco, confessor
St. Thomas Aquinas is the Dominican order's greatest glory. He taught philosophy and theology with such genius that he is considered one of the leading Christian thinkers. His innocence, on a par with his genius, earned for him the title of "Angelic Doctor".
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, St. Thomas' feast was celebrated on March 7.
Today is the feast of St. Peter Nolasco, who was born in southern France. After the death of his wealthy parents, he spent his inheritance in Barcelona to rescue Christians enslaved by the Moors. He formed a lay confraternity, which later developed into the religious order of the Mercedarians, and led his fellow workers into Moorish territory to purchase the freedom of Christian captives, and to make numerous conversions among the non-Christians. Later Peter's Mercedarians labored among the Indians of the far-flung Spanish American Empire.
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St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas ranks among the greatest writers and theologians of all time. His most important work, the Summa Theologiae, an explanation and summary of the entire body of Catholic teaching, has been standard for centuries, even to our own day. At the Council of Trent it was consulted after the Bible.
To a deeply speculative mind, he joined a remarkable life of prayer, a precious memento of which has been left to us in the Office of Corpus Christi. Reputed as great already in life, he nevertheless remained modest, a perfect model of childlike simplicity and goodness. He was mild in word and kind in deed. He believed everyone was as innocent as he himself was. When someone sinned through weakness, Thomas bemoaned the sin as if it were his own. The goodness of his heart shone in his face, no one could look upon him and remain disconsolate. How he suffered with the poor and the needy was most inspiring. Whatever clothing or other items he could give away, he gladly did. He kept nothing superfluous in his efforts to alleviate the needs of others.
After he died his lifelong companion and confessor testified, "I have always known him to be as innocent as a five-year-old child. Never did a carnal temptation soil his soul, never did he consent to a mortal sin." He cherished a most tender devotion to St. Agnes, constantly carrying relics of this virgin martyr on his person. He died in 1274, at the age of fifty, in the abbey of Fossa Nuova. He is the patron saint of schools and of sacred theology.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Academics; against storms; against lightning; apologists; book sellers; Catholic academies; Catholic schools; Catholic universities; chastity; colleges; learning; lightning; pencil makers; philosophers; publishers; scholars; schools; storms; students; theologians; universities; University of Vigo.
Symbols: Chalice; monstrance; ox; star; sun; teacher with pagan philosophers at his feet; teaching.
Things to do:
•Read G.K. Chesterton's biography, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Dumb Ox http://www.stjamescatholic.org/ebooks/chesterton_saint_thomas.pdf, which is full of Chestertonian profundity and wit.
•Dive into the intellectual depth and beauty of St. Thomas' thought in his Summa Theologiae. Familiarize yourself with his method of inquiry by reading his section on God's attributes, especially the goodness of God http://www.newadvent.org/summa/100600.htm. Here is a Bibliography in English. http://www.home.duq.edu/~bonin/thomasbibliography.html
•Nearly everyone, especially young people, knows and appreciates the story of St. Thomas chasing the prostitute from his room with a burning log. (She was sent by his wealthy family to tempt him away from the religious life.) After he drove away the temptress, two angels came to him and fastened a chastity belt around his waist. Buy or fashion your own chastity belt, easy to make from braided yarn or thin, soft rope. (St. Joseph chastity belts are available at some Catholic shops.) This would be a beautiful alternative or addition to the "True Love Waits" chastity pledge and ring. It is a wonderful low-key symbol for self-conscious teens. It also serves as an excellent reminder to pray daily for the virtue of chastity.
•Meditate upon the profound humility of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose intellectual capacity far surpasses any since his time. He stopped writing at the end of his life after having a vision of the glory of God, claiming that 'All that I have written seems to me like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me.' How often do we take pride in our own intellectual achievements, fully crediting them to ourselves?
•If you are a student or teacher, or at all concerned about the crisis of Catholic education, make ample use of the Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas for Schools http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=990 and the Prayer to the Angel of Schools http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=991.
•Read Pope Leo XIII's encyclical, Aeterni Patris http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4861, strangely relevant to our time in its exhortation towards a renewal in philosophical study with a focus on the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas.
•Finally, read Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=592, especially the section on The enduring originality of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. He expresses a similar intent to that of Pope Leo XIII's in the following words, "If it has been necessary from time to time to intervene on this question, to reiterate the value of the Angelic Doctor's insights and insist on the study of his thought, this has been because the Magisterium's directives have not always been followed with the readiness one would wish."
•From the Catholic Culture library: Light from Aquinas http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6129 , The Meaning of Virtue in St. Thomas Aquinas http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6092 and The Philosophy of Woman of St. Thomas Aquinas http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=2793. For many more documents search the library for "aquinas".
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St. Peter Nolasco
One night while Peter Nolasco was praying, the Blessed Virgin appeared (1228) and told him how greatly pleased she and her divine Son would be if a religious order were established in her honor for the express purpose of delivering Christians held in bondage by the infidels. In compliance with her wish, Peter, together with St. Raymond of Penafort and James I, King of Aragon, founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives. Besides the usual vows, all members were required to take a fourth, one by which they bound themselves to become captives of the pagans, if necessary, to effect the emancipation of Christians.
On one occasion Peter Nolasco ransomed 400 at Valencia and Granada; twice he traveled to Africa as "the Ransomer," not without peril to his own life; and records show that through his personal efforts a total of 890 Christians regained their liberty. He died with these words from Psalm 110 on his lips: The Lord has sent redemption to His people.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Things to Do:
•To find out more about the history of the Mercedarian Order read this account. http://orderofmercy.org/charism/survey/
Friday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Francis De Sales, bishop, confessor and doctor
"'What is your name?' Jesus asked. 'My name is legion,' he answered 'for there are many of us.' And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district. Now there was there on the mountainside a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, 'Send us to the pigs, let us go into them' So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned (Mk 5:9-14)."
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Francis de Sales.
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The Man Possessed by Legion
We see this man in the Gospel, this man who was possessed by Legion and lived among the tombs and on the hillsides, screaming out and gnashing himself all day and night. Isn’t it interesting that, of all the people, he is the first one that the Lord sends out on a mission to go and preach the Gospel? He did not send His apostles as yet. And recall too that in the Jewish territories anyone whom Jesus healed He commanded them to tell no one about it. But this man was a pagan and so it was in the pagan areas, where the Jews would not have been going anyway because it was unclean, that the Lord sent this particular individual to go and preach the Gospel. And so he went through the Decapolis, the ten cities that were up on top of the mountainside, and he preached about what had happened and how his healing came about.
Now this can give us great hope in one form or another. If the world tends to reject us because of the way we are living our lives (as long as we are not doing something that is utterly foolish) then if it is because of faith that we do what we do, it is pleasing to God and it is fully acceptable in the sight of God. We do not need to be doing great things; we do not need to be extraordinary (in the way that we recognize some of the saints). But if we are filled with faith and we are living according to that faith, even if other people think that we are strange, if God sees that we are acceptable then we are on the right track.
At the same time, what we can also do is look back at our own lives and we can see the sinfulness of our lives. And we can wonder, as so often we do, whether God could even have mercy on such a rotten sinner as ourselves. “How could He ever forgive my sins? How could anything good ever come out of somebody like me?” we think. “Why would God ever want such a horrible person like me to be doing anything good for Him? Why would He want it?” Precisely because we are such horrible sinners. Can any of us suggest that we are possessed by hundreds of demons, living among the tombs and gnashing ourselves day and night? Yet this is the man that God sent to preach the Gospel to the pagans. And it is precisely because they all knew who he was. They saw him in his possessed form. They knew that he could not be bound and chained even with the strongest chains and that nothing could hold this man down. Now that he had been healed, once again, nothing could hold him down – not physically anymore, but spiritually; he was going to preach the Gospel no matter what it cost.
The people wanted to stay in their sinfulness and in their paganism. Even when they saw this, they did not want to change and they begged Jesus to leave their territory. What a sad reality! To have God Himself come to you, heal the one who is the most notorious in your entire society, and you would beg Him to leave because you do not want to change, because you do not want to leave your sinfulness! But it is precisely in the one who is healed that the people would have to continue to look at him and recognize what happened and be faced with the reality that the Gospel had been preached among them and that they would have to accept it and change their lives.
So if we look at our own sinfulness and we wonder what God would want with somebody like us, it is to live and to preach the Gospel precisely because if other people knew what a horrible life we have lived, then how can they reject the message of the Lord when they see that we are trying now to live a life of faith, that we have been healed by Jesus Christ? If, on the other hand, we have lived a holy life and by faith God has drawn us aside and made us a little bit odd according to the ways of the world and different in the eyes of those around us, praise God! That means the world is not worthy of you, but God has found you worthy; and it is a purification as He prepares you for the ultimate resurrection and for the glory of Heaven.
Regardless of our situation, what we need to do is stop fighting with God and accept the fact that He has chosen us. He has chosen to heal us and now He is simply asking us to do His Will. We need to ask Him what His Will is for us and we need to seek to do it. When we see the examples that we hear of in the readings today, we realize that, one way or the other, not only are we no different from these people on one level, but we cannot even compare with them on either end of the spectrum. And so if that is the case, and God could choose these people, He can choose us as well. And He has. So it is time that we stop questioning God and it is time that we stop fighting with Him, and instead that we accept His choice, His call, and that we respond with our whole heart and seek to do His Will and to live and to preach the Gospel to others.
* This text was transcribed from the audio recording of a homily by Father Robert Altier with minimal editing.
Saturday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Martina, virgin and martyr
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Martina who was a Roman virgin born of an illustrious family. Both of her parents died while she was very young. She distributed among the poor the immense wealth which she inherited and so laid up for herself unfailing treasures in heaven. With great constancy she refused to offer sacrifices to false gods. She was tortured in various inhuman ways, she was exposed to the attacks of beasts in the amphitheater, and was finally beheaded about the year 228.
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St. Martina
She was a noble Roman virgin, who glorified God, suffering many torments and a cruel death for her faith, in the capital city of the world, in the third century. There stood a chapel consecrated to her memory in Rome, which was frequented with great devotion in the time of St. Gregory the Great. Her relics were discovered in a vault, in the ruins of her old church and translated with great pomp in the year 1634, under the Pope Urban VIII, who built a new church in her honor, and composed himself the hymns used in her office in the Roman Breviary. The city of Rome ranks her among its particular patrons. The history of the discovery of her relics was published by Honoratus of Viterbo, an Oratorian.
Taken from Vol. I of The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints by the Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 edition published by D. & J. Sadlier, & Company.
Patron: Nursing mothers; Rome, Italy.
Symbols: Maiden with a lion; being beheaded by a sword; tortured by being hung on a two-pronged hook; receiving a lily and the palm of martyrdom from the Virgin and Child.
Things to Do:
•Read about the Roman Church http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/Santi_Luca_e_Martina dedicated to St Luke the Evangelist and St Martina.
•Pray to St. Martina for the courage to destroy those idols of our affections, to which we are so prone to offer the sacrifice of our hearts. Examine your conscience and try to identify what these idols might be.
PRAYERS
Hymn to St. Martina http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=998
Novena for Purification http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1216
Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Septuagesima Sunday
There is a shocking turnaround in today's Gospel. The people with whom Jesus grew up were assembled in the Nazareth synagogue. After they heard him read Sacred Scripture and give a one sentence homily "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" St. Luke tells us that "all spoke well of him and were AMAZED at the gracious words that came from his mouth." But that amazement soon turned into doubt and then into fury. — Fr. Roger J. Landry
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Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19). Jeremiah is the second of the four great prophets of Israel; a contemporary of Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. He was born in the last part of the reign of Manasseh, about 645 years before the birth of Jesus and almost a century after Isaiah. Today's reading comes from the prologue which gives an account of Jeremiah's calling. It is a dialog between Yahweh and Jeremiah.
The second reading, taken from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:31-13:13), continues last week's comparison of the Church to the human body. Each part of the body is no greater than any other part; rather, all work together to serve the common good. The second reading also discusses the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel reading is taken from St. Luke (Lk 4:21-30). Last week's Gospel reading was from the beginning of Jesus' public ministry when He went to His home town, Nazareth, and in the synagogue read from the scroll of Isaiah. Today's reading continues this event in His life. Jesus' words so wound the pride of his fellow townspeople that they are ready to kill Him. He doesn't flee but walks away majestically, leaving the crowd paralyzed. As on other occasions men do Him no harm; it was by God's decree that He died on the cross when His hour had come.
Things to Do:
•Read Fr. Roger Landry's Homily http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5830 for this Sunday.
•Read or reread Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=419 on Keeping the Lord's Day Holy
PRAYERS
Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 3 http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=681
Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 4 http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=682
Monday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time; Feast of St. Brigid, Virgin (Ireland) (NZ, Opt. Mem.)
Old Calendar: St. Ignatius, bishop and martyr;
Surnamed "the Mary of the Gael," St. Brigid was born at Faughart, near Dundalk. She took the veil in her youth and eventually founded the nunnery of Kildare, the first to be erected on Irish soil, thus becoming the spiritual mother of all Irish nuns. Around her name there have been formed hundreds of legends, which could be fittingly described as "the Little Flowers of St. Brigid," the keynote being mercy and pity for the poor.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is also the feast of St. Ignatius. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on October 17.
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St. Brigid
Bridget (Brigid, Bride, Bridey) of Kildare was born around 450 into a Druid family, being the daughter of Dubhthach, court poet to King Loeghaire. At an early age, Brigid decided to become a Christian, and she eventually took vows as a nun. Together with a group of other women, she established a nunnery at Kildare. She was later joined by a community of monks led by Conlaed. Kildare had formerly been a pagan shrine where a sacred fire was kept perpetually burning. Rather than stamping out this pagan flame, Brigid and her nuns kept it burning as a Christian symbol. (This was in keeping with the general process whereby Druidism in Ireland gave way to Christianity with very little opposition, the Druids for the most part saying that their own beliefs were a partial and tentative insight into the nature of God, and that they recognized in Christianity what they had been looking for.) As an abbess, Brigid participated in several Irish councils, and her influence on the policies of the Church in Ireland was considerable.
Many stories of her younger days deal with her generosity toward the needy.
Patron: Babies; blacksmiths; boatmen; cattle; chicken farmers; children whose parents are not married; dairymaids; dairy workers; fugitives; infants; Ireland; Leinster; mariners; midwives; milk maids; newborn babies; nuns; poets; poultry farmers; poultry raisers; printing presses; sailors; scholars; travelers; watermen.
Symbols: Abbess; usually holding a lamp or candle; often with a cow nearby.
Things to Do:
•Read Amy Steedman's biography of Saint Brigid http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stb03002.htm of Ireland to gain a greater appreciation and devotion for this holy woman, who had a great tenderness for mothers and their children.
•Read Saint Brigit: The Mary of the Gael http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6069 (Catholic Culture Library) or go to this fascinating page St. Brigit http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ASaints/Brigit.html - The Giveaway where you will find some folklore and recipes.
•Saint Brigid always recognized Christ in the sick and the poor. Visit Christ in a nursing home or hospital today, and pray for the grace of clear vision, even when you encounter Him in a distressing disguise.
•Meditate on today's beautiful reading, in 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13. Is this the kind of love you share with your family? Pray to Saint Brigid for the grace to be patient, kind, and gentle with those entrusted to your care.
•For more recipes and for a craft go to Brigid's Day Foods http://mysite.verizon.net/cbladey/brigid/bfoods.html and How to Make a Traditional St. Briget's Cross. http://www.catholichomeandgarden.com/How_to_Make_A_Saint_%20Bridget%27s_Cross.htm
•For those who want even more stories and poetry about St. Brigid check out this page. http://mysite.verizon.net/cbladey/brigid/thesaint.html
PRAYERS
Litany of Saint Brigid of Kildare http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1170
Novena for Purification http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1216
Novena to St. Joseph II http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1219
LIBRARY
Our Lady in Old Irish Folklore and Hymns | James F. Cassidy http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=3137
St. Brigit: The Mary of the Gail | Hugh de Blacam http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6069
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Andrew Corsini, bishop and confessor
St. Andrew was born in the fourteenth century in Florence, Italy. He fell into bad company; but soon, touched by the grief of his mother, the young nobleman entered the Carmelite Order. Having served as prior of his convent, he was chosen to fill the vacant bishopric of Fiesole. He continually helped the poor, doing so in secret in the case of those who were ashamed to make known their distress. By showing his people the true nature of Christian peace, Bishop Andrew put an end to a number of troublesome disturbances in the city. He died on the feast of the Epiphany, 1373.
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St. Andrew Corsini
St. Andrew Corsini lived from 1302 to 1373. While still carrying him in her womb, his mother dreamed she had given birth to a wolf that sauntered to the gate of the Carmelite monastery, and entering the vestibule of the church, was changed to a lamb. Andrew was reared as a pious and God-fearing youth, but little by little he succumbed to the pleasures of the world in spite of frequent warnings and reproofs from his mother. After he became aware that his parents had vowed him to the service of Blessed Mary, he mended his ways and at the age of seventeen entered the Carmelite Order. Though persistently tempted and assailed by the devil, he never swerved from his holy decision. A man of austere penance, he fasted continuously, always wore a hair shirt, and prayed the penitential psalms daily. For humility's sake he often washed the feet of the poor and beggars. His special gift from God was the grace to effect the conversion of hardened sinners. In 1360, despite his efforts to the contrary, he was made bishop of Fiesole in Tuscany.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Civil disorder; riot.
Symbols: Holding a cross, with a wolf and lamb at his feet, and floating above a battlefield on a cloud or a white palfrey.
Things to Do:
•Pray to St. Andrew Corsini that your children, especially teenagers, may find their true vocation and follow it faithfully.
•St. Andrew's fellow Italians often sought his aid in solving the disputes which had split their families and cities — imitate this peacemaker, renowned for his prudence and wisdom, by sowing peace in your own home.
RECIPES
Tuscan-Style Peppered Chicken http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1415
ACTIVITIES
How to Deal with People http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=668
PRAYERS
Collect for the Feast of St. Andrew Corsini http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1004
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
LIBRARY
Order Of The Brothers Of The Most Blessed Virgin Mary Of Mount Carmel (Carmelites: White Friars: O. Carm.) | Helen Walker Homan
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=4449
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Andrew Corsini, bishop and confessor
St. Andrew was born in the fourteenth century in Florence, Italy. He fell into bad company; but soon, touched by the grief of his mother, the young nobleman entered the Carmelite Order. Having served as prior of his convent, he was chosen to fill the vacant bishopric of Fiesole. He continually helped the poor, doing so in secret in the case of those who were ashamed to make known their distress. By showing his people the true nature of Christian peace, Bishop Andrew put an end to a number of troublesome disturbances in the city. He died on the feast of the Epiphany, 1373.
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St. Andrew Corsini
St. Andrew Corsini lived from 1302 to 1373. While still carrying him in her womb, his mother dreamed she had given birth to a wolf that sauntered to the gate of the Carmelite monastery, and entering the vestibule of the church, was changed to a lamb. Andrew was reared as a pious and God-fearing youth, but little by little he succumbed to the pleasures of the world in spite of frequent warnings and reproofs from his mother. After he became aware that his parents had vowed him to the service of Blessed Mary, he mended his ways and at the age of seventeen entered the Carmelite Order. Though persistently tempted and assailed by the devil, he never swerved from his holy decision. A man of austere penance, he fasted continuously, always wore a hair shirt, and prayed the penitential psalms daily. For humility's sake he often washed the feet of the poor and beggars. His special gift from God was the grace to effect the conversion of hardened sinners. In 1360, despite his efforts to the contrary, he was made bishop of Fiesole in Tuscany.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Civil disorder; riot.
Symbols: Holding a cross, with a wolf and lamb at his feet, and floating above a battlefield on a cloud or a white palfrey.
Things to Do:
•Pray to St. Andrew Corsini that your children, especially teenagers, may find their true vocation and follow it faithfully.
•St. Andrew's fellow Italians often sought his aid in solving the disputes which had split their families and cities — imitate this peacemaker, renowned for his prudence and wisdom, by sowing peace in your own home.
RECIPES
Tuscan-Style Peppered Chicken http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1415
ACTIVITIES
How to Deal with People http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=668
PRAYERS
Collect for the Feast of St. Andrew Corsini http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1004
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
LIBRARY
Order Of The Brothers Of The Most Blessed Virgin Mary Of Mount Carmel (Carmelites: White Friars: O. Carm.) | Helen Walker Homan
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=4449
Memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr
Old Calendar: St. Agatha
St. Agatha died in defense of her purity, in Catania, Sicily, where she was born. After Quintanus, the governor of Sicily, tried in vain to force her to consent to sin, she was imprisoned for a month with an evil woman. He then turned from sensuality to cruelty and had her breasts cut off; but that night Agatha was healed by St. Peter. She was then rolled over sharp stones and burning coals, and finally taken to prison where she died while praying. Her name appears in the Roman Canon.
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St. Agatha
It is impossible to write a historically reliable account of St. Agatha's life. The "Acts" of her martyrdom are legendary, dating from the sixth century.
According to these sources Agatha was a Sicilian virgin of noble extraction. Quintianus, governor of Sicily, became deeply enamored of her; but she rejected his advances. As a result she was charged with being a Christian and brought before his tribunal. To the question concerning her origin she replied: "I am noble-born, of a distinguished family, as all my relatives will attest." When asked why she lived the servile life of a Christian, she answered: "I am a handmaid of Christ, and that is why I bear the outward appearance of a slave; yet this is the highest nobility, to be a slave to Christ." The governor threatened her with the most dreadful tortures if she did not renounce Christ. Agatha countered: "If you threaten me with wild beasts, know that at the Name of Christ they grow tame; if you use fire, from heaven angels will drop healing dew on me."
After being tortured, "Agatha went to prison radiant with joy and with head held high as though invited to a festive banquet. And she commended her agony to the Lord in prayer." The next day, as she again stood before the judge, she declared: "If you do not cause my body to be torn to pieces by the hangmen, my soul cannot enter the Lord's paradise with the martyrs. She was then stretched on the rack, burned with red-hot irons, and despoiled of her breasts. During these tortures she prayed: "For love of chastity I am made to hang from a rack. Help me, O Lord my God, as they knife my breasts. Agatha rebuked the governor for his barbarity: "Godless, cruel, infamous tyrant, are you not ashamed to despoil a woman of that by which your own mother nursed you?"
Returning to prison, she prayed: "You have seen, O Lord, my struggle, how I fought in the place of combat; but because I would not obey the commands of rulers, my breasts were lacerated." In the night there appeared to her a venerable old man, the apostle Peter, with healing remedies. Agatha, ever delicately modest, hesitated to show him her wounds. "I am the apostle of Christ; distrust me not, my daughter." To which she replied: "I have never used earthly medicines on my body. I cling to the Lord Jesus Christ, who renews all things by His word." She was miraculously healed by St. Peter: "Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, I give you praise because by Your apostle You have restored my breasts." Throughout the night a light illumined the dungeon. When the guards fled in terror, her fellow prisoners urged her to escape but she refused: "Having received help from the Lord, I will persevere in confessing Him who healed me and comforted me."
Four days later she was again led before the judge. He, of course, was amazed over her cure. Nevertheless, he insisted that she worship the gods; which prompted another confession of faith in Christ. Then by order of the governor, Agatha was rolled over pieces of sharp glass and burning coals. At that moment the whole city was rocked by a violent earthquake. Two walls collapsed, burying two of the governor's friends in the debris. Fearing a popular uprising, he ordered Agatha, half dead, to be returned to prison. Here she offered her dying prayer: "Blessed Agatha stood in the midst of the prison and with outstretched arms prayed to the Lord: O Lord Jesus Christ, good Master, I give You thanks that You granted me victory over the executioners' tortures. Grant now that I may happily dwell in Your never-ending glory." Thereupon she died.
A year after her death the city of Catania was in great peril from an eruption on Mount Etna. Pagans, too, were numbered among those who fled in terror to the saint's grave. Her veil was taken and held against the onrushing flames, and suddenly the danger ceased. Her grave is venerated at Catania in Sicily.
—The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Bell-founders; breast cancer; breast disease; Catania, Italy; against fire; earthquakes; eruptions of Mount Etna; fire; fire prevention; jewelers; martyrs; natural disasters; nurses; Palermo, Italy; rape victims; single laywomen; sterility; torture victims; volcanic eruptions; wet-nurses; Zamarramala, Spain.
Symbols: Breasts on a dish; embers; knife; loaves of bread on a dish; pincers; shears; tongs; veil; virgin martyr wearing a veil and bearing her severed breasts on a silver platter.
Things to Do:
•Bake an Agatha loaf! On St. Agatha's feast day people would bake loaves attached to a picture of St. Agatha and prayers for protection from fires. The parish priests would bless the loaves, and people would keep them in their homes in case of a poor harvest and famine. The prayers would then be hung above the main door of each home to invoke St. Agatha's guardianship.
•Spanish tradition associates this feast day with ancient fertility customs. Young men would visit many farms throughout the countryside, singing songs of praise to St. Agatha and invoking God's blessing upon people, animals, and fields. However, if they did not receive the customary gifts of money or food for their services, they would call down a 'quick old age' upon the ungrateful inhabitants of that farm. Although most of us do not live in such communities where this kind of custom would be practicable or even understood, we can pray to St. Agatha for a greater openness to the transmission of new life in our culture, and actively affirm and support young couples with children whenever possible.
•St. Agatha is the patron saint against fire. Take this day to establish a fire escape plan for the family and to practice a family fire drill. Also check the smoke detectors, fire alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors to see if they are all working. Change the batteries on all the alarms! (Idea taken from A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families by Monica McConkey. Used with permission. Write to ArmaDei@aol.com mailto:ArmaDei@aol.com or see Arma Dei http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/A-Treasure-Chest-of-Traditions-for-Catholic-Families/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/20336/ for more information about this great book. Treasure Chest is filled with unique ideas for activities, crafts and recipes to help families celebrate the various Seasons and Feast Days of the year.)
RECIPES
Creme Brulee Creole http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=58
Dutch Fried Doughnuts http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=737
Faschingskrapfen http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=290
Fastnacht Doughnuts http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=201
Fastnachts http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=440
Gateau au Rhum http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=359
Irish Potato Pancakes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=301
Perfect Pancakes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1216
Potato Doughnuts http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=948
Shrove Tuesday Buns http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1358
Whole Wheat Batter Bread http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=362
Whole Wheat Bread http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=17
Whole Wheat Bread http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=207
ACTIVITIES
Aunt Rhody http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=330
Carnival http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=388
Lenten Customs of the Russian Germans http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=823
Pre-Lent, or Carnival in the Home http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=572
Spirit of Lent, The http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=509
The Echo Yodel http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=328
The Riddle Song http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=329
Tuesday-Before-Ash-Wednesday Procession http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=194
Turkey in the Straw http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=327
PRAYERS
Shrove Tuesday Prayer http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=777
Litany of the Saints http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=905
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
LIBRARY
Shrove Tuesday and Shrovetide | Fr. William Saunders http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=5877
Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, martyrs
Old Calendar: St. Titus, confessor and bishop; St. Dorothy, virgin and martyr
Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit, and his twenty-five companions were martyred in Nagasaki, Japan. They were the first martyrs of East Asia to be canonized. They were killed simultaneouly by being raised on crosses and then stabbed with spears. Their executioners were astounded upon seeing their joy at being associated to the Passion of Christ.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Titus, whose feast in the Ordinary Form is combined with St. Timothy on January 26. It is also the feast of St. Dorothy, virgin and martyr, in the Extraordinary Form.
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St. Paul Miki and Companions
Nagasaki, Japan, is familiar to Americans as the city on which the second atomic bomb was dropped, killing hundreds of thousands. Three and a half centuries before, twenty-six martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill, now known as the Holy Mountain, overlooking Nagasaki. Among them were priests, brothers and laymen, Franciscans, Jesuits and members of the Secular Franciscan Order; there were catechists, doctors, simple artisans and servants, old men and innocent children—all united in a common faith and love for Jesus and his church.
Brother Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution: "The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ's example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain."
When missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s, at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had secretly preserved the faith. Beatified in 1627, the martyrs of Japan were finally canonized in 1862.
Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.
Things to Do:
•The survival of Japanese Catholicism is one of the most moving stories in the entire history of the Church. For over two centuries the people had no priests but lived the faith as best they could, in secret, not daring to keep written materials but handing down their beliefs by word of mouth. (James Hitchcock, The Nagasaki Martyrs http://www.wf-f.org/JFH-Nagasaki_Martyrs.html) You can read more in this article from Catholic Culture's Library, The Nagasaki Martyrs .http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4024
•Stop for a moment today to pray for Christians who are persecuted throughout the world.
•Read more about St. Paul Miki and Companions at these websites: St. Paul Miki http://www.sjweb.info/Jesuits/saintShow.cfm?SaintID=65; St. Paul Miki's Martyrdom; St. Paul Miki http://www.catholicradiodramas.com/Saints_Works_P-S/Paul%20Miki.htm and Companions. http://www.con-spiration.de/syre/english/feb/e0206.html
•Read Pope Pius XII's Encyclical Meminissee Iuvat http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4980 on prayers for the persecuted Church.
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St. Dorothy
St. Dorothy, (i.e., the gift of God), a virgin from Caesarea in Cappadocia, allegedly suffered a martyr's death under Diocletian. Her relics are honored in a church dedicated to her honor in the Trastevere section of Rome. (On the door of St. Dorothy's Church the names of those who had not received holy Communion during Easter time used to be posted.) Her feast was introduced into the Roman calendar during the Middle Ages.
A very edifying story is related in connection with her name. As Dorothy was being led to execution because of her faith in Christ, she prayed, "I thank You, 0 Lover of souls, for having called me to Your paradise." A certain Theophilus, an official of the Roman governor, jestingly retorted, "Farewell, bride of Christ, send me apples or roses from your Bridegroom's garden of bliss." Dorothy answered, "I most certainly will."
While devoting herself to prayer during the few moments permitted before receiving the death stroke, she beheld a vision of a beautiful youth who carried three apples and three roses in a napkin. She said to him, "I implore you to take these to Theophilus." Soon the sword severed her neck, and her soul returned to God.
As Theophilus was mockingly telling his friend of Dorothy's promise, a young man stood before him holding a linen in which were wrapped three beautiful apples and three magnificent roses.
"See, the virgin Dorothy sends you these from the garden of her Bridegroom, even as she promised you." Highly astonished, for it was February and everything in nature was frozen, Theophilus received the gifts and cried out: "Truly indeed, Christ is God." And soon he too died a martyr's death for publicly confessing the faith.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Brewers; brides; florists; gardeners; midwives; newlyweds.
Symbols: Crowned with flowers and surrounded by stars as she kneels before the executioner; crowned with palm and flower basket; surrounded by stars; crowned; carrying a flower basket; in an orchard with the Christ-child in an apple tree; leading the Christ-child by the hand; maiden carrying a basket of fruit and flowers, especially roses; roses; veiled with flowers in her lap; veiled; holding apples from heaven on a branch; with a basket of fruit and the Christ-child riding a hobby horse; with an angel and wreath of flowers; with an angel carrying a basket of flowers.
Things to Do:
•Read the Golden Legend http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/golden321.htm account of the Life of St. Dorothy.
•Decorate your table with red roses and a bowl of apples, and tell the story of Theophilus and Saint Dorothy to your family at dinner.
RECIPES
Japanese Style Steak http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1578
ACTIVITIES
Namedays http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=208
Pain and Suffering http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=262
Teaching About Death http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=591
What is a Nameday? http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1026
PRAYERS
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Sexagesima Sunday
After Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon Peter, "Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch!" The Holy Father proposed Jesus' imperative "Put out into the deep water" as the motto of the Church. He did this because so often we in the Church today can feel that we're in Peter's shoes. In many areas of life, but particularly in our discipleship, we can work so hard and seem to have so little to show for it. We're called, like Peter, Andrew, James and John to leave behind whatever might keep us from the Lord and follow him, being sent out into the deep water of the world to fish for souls. We're called, like St. Paul, to "work harder than any" of the rest, because of the Lord's great mercy, love and trust in calling us and sending us. — Fr. Roger Landry
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Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Isaiah (Is 6:1-2a, 3-8). This reading describes Isaiah's call to prophetic office. According to Jewish tradition, Isaiah was of royal stock. It is certain that he belongs to the tribe of Judah and that his home was in Jerusalem. From the time of his calling, Isaiah's whole life was devoted to the "Lord Yahweh". The Lord had called him and henceforth Isaiah was His servant. Jeremiah's call to office was in the form of a dialog between Yahweh and Jeremiah; Isaiah's is a majestic vision. Isaiah is eager to serve God, "Here I am," I said, "send me!"
The second reading is taken from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:1-11). St. Paul treats the subject of the resurrection of the body. A characteristic Greek and Platonic concept was that the body was a hindrance to the soul's activity. St. Paul answers this question by declaring that the bodily resurrection of Christ is a fact duly attested to by chosen witnesses.
The Gospel is a reading from St. Luke (Lk 5:1-11). After reading from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum where he taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath and cast out a demon, then He went to Simon's house and healed his mother-in-law, healed many, casting out demons for some. The next day He went to a remote spot but the crowds followed Him. Jesus then told the crowds that He must give the good news in other towns also because that is what He was sent to do. Today's reading, which is Simon's call to be an apostle, takes place at the Sea of Gennesaret (Galilee). The early Church fathers saw in Simon's boat a symbol of the pilgrim church on earth. Christ got into the boat in order to teach the crowds; and from the barque of Peter, the Church, He continues to teach the whole world.
Things to Do:
•Prepare a fish dinner and discuss what it means to be "Fishers of Men". Ask your children if this just applies to priests or if they can also "fish" for men.
•Say a prayer for the Holy Father.
•Read Fr. Roger Landry's Homily http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5868 for today.
RECIPES
Year-Round Favorite Sunday Dinner (Sample Menu) http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=782
ACTIVITIES
None
PRAYERS
Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 1 http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=679
Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=909
Optional Memorials of St. Jerome Emiliani, priest; St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin
Old Calendar: St. John of Matha, confessor
St. Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice in 1486. He converted to Christianity after a rather dissolute youth, and dedicated himself to the service of the poor, the sick, and abandoned children. He founded a congregation (Somaschi) which looked after the education of children, especially orphans. He died of the plague while serving the afflicted.
Saint Josephine was a young Sudanese girl sold into slavery and brought to Italy where, while serving as a nanny, she was sent to live with the Canossian Sisters of the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice. There she was baptized, and, having reached majority age, was granted her freedom by Italian law. In 1896 she joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity where she served humbly for the next twenty five years. She died after a long and painful illness, during which she would cry out to the Lord: "Please loosen the chains... they are so heavy!" Her dying words were "Our Lady! Our Lady!"
Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was the feast of St. John of Matha, who came from Provence, France and was ordained a priest in Paris. He retired to a solitary life conscious that God was calling him to a special mission, and spent three years in prayer and recollection. He then founded the Trinitarian Order for the ransom of Christians held by the Mohammedans. A great number of houses were founded and innumerable prisoners set free. St. John spent the last two years of his life in Rome, where he died.
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St. Jerome Emiliani
A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood.
In the years after his ordination, events again called Jerome to a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he soon resolved to devote himself and his property solely to others, particularly to abandoned children. He founded three orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital.
Around 1532 Jerome and two other priests established a congregation dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928 Pius XI named him the universal patron of orphans and abandoned children.
Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.
Patron: Abandoned people; orphans.
Symbols: Ball and chain; man shackled with a ball and chain who is attending the sick; man wearing a ball and chain, and receiving an apparition of Mary and the Child Jesus.
Things to Do:
•Read more about St. Jerome: Life of St. Jerome http://www.somascans.org/anonimu.htm
•Meditate on these words: "Before dying, Jerome gives to his own a testament that is not only the synthesis of his spiritual experience, but also an itinerary of Christian life: Follow the way of the Crucified, despise the world, love one another, serve the poor. The life of love for the poor is born from a community of people who live the commandment of the reciprocal love, after having decided to have, as a goal, only God. The cross becomes the expression of this dedication and love, on the example of Jesus Christ."
•We suggest you visit the Somascan Fathers and Brothers' website http://www.somascans.org/letters.htm where you can read St. Jerome's letters written in 1535 as well as other documents and you can also learn more about this religious community.
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St. Josephine Bakhita
For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave, but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was resold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan.
Two years later he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Soon Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice's Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine.
When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. During the ensuing court case, the Canossian sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephine's behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885.
Josephine entered the Institute of Saint Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery and welcoming visitors at the door. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters' school and the local citizens. She once said, "Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!"
The first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.
Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.
"Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know him. What a great grace it is to know God!". — St. Josephine Bakhita
Things to Do:
•Visit these websites for more about the life of St. Josephine: Josephine Bakhita http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_giuseppina-bakhita_en.html(Vatican's biography); Josephine Bakhita - an African Saint http://www.afrol.com/archive/josephine_bakhita.htm (Has links to information about the Faith in Africa and the persecution which continues); Black Catholics: Josephine Bakhita (Life Historical Timeline) http://www.nbccongress.org/black-catholics/black-saints-saint-josephine-bakhita.asp
•The Canossian Daughters of Charity http://www.canossiansisters.org/ are called to contemplate, experience and share God's love for every person and to participate in Christ's mission of salvation in a life of total dedication to God, communion and humble service with Mary, mother of love beneath the cross. Learn more about the Canossian Daughters of Charity, the order in which St. Josephine became a professed religious.
•A Sister seeing St. Josephine so peaceful and always in prayer, asked, "Do you wish to go to heaven?" "I wish neither to go nor to stay. God knows where to find me, when He wants me." To another who asked how she was going on, she answered, "I am going slowly, step by step, because I have two heavy bags to carry - one containing my own sins, the other Christ's merits. When I get to the other side, I will open my bags and say, 'Eternal Father, now judge!' and to St Peter, 'You can close that door of yours, for I'm going to stay.'" More autobiographical excerpts from St. Josephine's wonderful story can be found here http://www.catholic-church.org/canossians-sg/the%20Canossians/holy%20women/Bakhita/bakhita1.htm.
•Pray for those suffering persecution in Sudan. Read what Bishop Macram Max Gassis says in this article, Sudan: Country of Terrorism, Religious Persecution, Slavery, Rape, Genocide, and Man-Made Starvation http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5067 and this statement from the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Regional Conference http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=3498.
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St. John of Matha
John of Matha, the founder of the Trinitarian Order, was born at Faucon, on the borders of Provence, in France. He was trained as a young noble in horsemanship and the use of arms, decided to study for the priesthood, and was ordained in Paris. After some years in solitude, he conceived the idea of founding an order to ransom Christian captives from the Muslims and went to Rome to obtain the blessing of Pope Innocent III.
Houses of the order were established at Cerfroid and Rome and in Spain. He was very successful in the work of ransoming captives and his order spread. Very little is known for certain about his life, and in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to bolster his reputation, certain members of his order fabricated stories about him, filled his life with miracles and amazing adventures, and connected the beginnings of his order with St. Felix of Valois.
The Trinitarian Order had not preserved any archives of their order and had little knowledge of the life of their founder. Another order, the Order of Mercy, was founded for the same reason as their own, and they compiled a fictitious record of the beginnings of their order. This takes nothing away from the achievements of St. John of Matha, but it does obscure the true story of his life and work.
We do know that he received approval of his order from Pope Innocent III in 1198 and that he died in Rome in 1213. His relics were taken to Madrid in 1655, and he was recognized as a saint in 1694. At his death, there were thirty-five houses of the order throughout Europe. The Trinitarians were one of the first religious orders to combine monastic discipline with pastoral work and one of the first to become international in its work. The order flourishes today in several countries and in 1906 made a foundation in the United States.
Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints, Rev. Clifford Stevens
Patron: Against lightning; against pestilence; archers; automobile drivers; automobilists; bachelors; Baden, Germany; boatmen; bookbinders; Brunswick, Germany; bus drivers; cab drivers; epilepsy; epileptics; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; hailstorms; holy death; lightning; lorry drivers; mariners; market carriers; Mecklenburg, Germany; motorists; pestilence; porters; Rab Croatia; sailors; Saint Christopher's Island; Saint Kitts; storms; sudden death; taxi drivers; toothache; Toses, Girona, Catalonia, Spain; transportation; transportation workers; travellers; truck drivers; truckers; watermen.
Symbols: Branch; giant; torrent; tree; man with Christ on his shoulders.
Things to Do:
•Like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. John of Matha saw a critical need for the Church at the time and set about doing something about it. He devoted all of his time, his efforts, and his resources to ransom his fellow Christians from slavery, and his work continued into modern times, until slavery was abolished. Like him, we should look around us and see what good has to be done and then courageously put our hand to the task.
•Read a longer biography of St. John. http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/MATHA.HTM
RECIPES
Mafé http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1448
ACTIVITIES
Namedays http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=208
What is a Nameday? http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1026
PRAYERS
Collect for Feast of St. John of Matha http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1207
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
Prayer to St. Jerome Emiliani http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1250
Somascans' Prayer http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1251
Prayer in Honor of St. Josephine Bakhita http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1252
LIBRARY
Order of the Most Holy Trinity | Helen Walker Homan http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6147
St. Josephine Bakhita Was a Humble Witness to God's Love | Unknown http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=3158
Monday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time; St. Teilo (Wales)
Old Calendar: St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor; St. Apollonia, virgin and martyr
Today the feast of St. Teilo, bishop, is celebrated in Wales. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor, and St. Apollonia, virgin and martyr. St. Cyril's feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on June 27th. St. Apollonia was a young martyr of Alexandria. She was arrested and executed in about 250 during a riot provoked against the Christians. Her executioners broke all her teeth. She is invoked for the cure of a toothache.
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St. Teilo
According to tradition Teilo, or Elios as he was sometimes known, was born about the year 480 AD at either Gumfreston or Penally in south Pembrokeshire. He studied under Paulinus at Ty Gwyn where he met Dewi (Saint David), the two becoming firm friends. Later, the two set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and en route were joined by Padarn.
Upon their return home, Teilo was given charge of the church at Llandaff and the surrounding area. Shortly afterwards there was an outbreak of Yellow Fever and Teilo led his followers to Cornwall to escape its effects. From Cornwall they travelled to Brittany where they were welcomed by Archbishop Solomon of the Church of Dol. They stayed for seven years, during which time Teilo and his followers are said to have planted three miles of fruit trees. He returned to Llandaff where he ministered for many years. He died in 566 AD.
Several churches in south Wales and Brittany are dedicated to St Teilo. He is depicted on a fifteenth century stained glass window in a church at Plogonnec, Finistére, and also in a statue in the Chapel of Our Lady, Kerdévot. In both cases he is shown wearing bishop's robes and mitre and seated on a stag, suggesting, as was the case with many other saints of the time, that he had an affinity with the natural world.
— National Museum Wales
Patron: Horses and fruit trees.
Things to Do:
•Visit this interesting site which gives you information about the picturesque and ancient town of Llandeilo, Wales http://www.terrynorm.ic24.net/llandeilo.htm as well as St. Teilo.
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St. Apollonia
The Martyrology reads: "At Alexandria the holy virgin Apollonia -- under the Emperor Decius (249-251) her teeth were beaten out; then the executioners built and lit a funeral pyre, and threatened to burn her alive unless she would repeat their blasphemies. After some reflection she suddenly tore herself loose from her tormentors and threw herself into the flames. The fire of the Holy Spirit that glowed within her was more intense than the burning pyre. Her executioners were astounded to see a weak woman willingly embracing death with such determination before they were ready to carry out their threats."
The saint was already well on in years. An account of St. Apollonia's martyrdom was written by Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria (died 265), a contemporary. She is honored as the patroness against toothache.
Apollonia, it might seem, committed suicide. Her act was used by the ancients as proof that it is permitted to escape dishonor or persecution through voluntary death. But the most authoritative moralists, including Saint Augustine, declare that even in such cases suicide is not permitted, and seek to justify Apollonia's heroic act by assuming that she acted according to a special mandate from God; without such a divine injunction no one is allowed to follow her example. The saints are not to be imitated on every point.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Dentists, tooth disease, toothache.
Symbols: Deaconess holding a set of pincers which often holds a tooth; gilded tooth; pincers grabbing a tooth; pincers; tooth and a palm branch; tooth; woman wearing a golden tooth on a chain.
Things to Do:
•Pray to St. Apollonia for a courageous and holy death. The elderly especially may beseech her to strengthen their faith as they weaken and approach death.
RECIPES
Red Lentil Soup http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1581
PRAYERS
Prayer from Ash Wednesday to Saturday http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=176
Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Lent (2nd Plan) http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=746
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
LIBRARY
Painting Angels, Saints and Their Symbols | Maria Stella Ceplecha
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6035
Memorial of St. Scholastica, virgin
Old Calendar: St. Scholastica
St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, the Patriarch of Western monasticism. She was born in Umbria, Italy, about 480. Under Benedict's direction, Scholastica founded a community of nuns near the great Benedictine monastery Monte Cassino. Inspired by Benedict's teaching, his sister devoted her whole life to seeking and serving God. She died in 547 and tradition holds that at her death her soul ascended to heaven in the form of a dove.
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St. Scholastica
St. Scholastica, like her brother, dedicated herself to God from early youth. Information on the virgin Scholastica is very scanty. In his Second Book of Dialogues (Ch. 33 and 34) Pope St. Gregory has described for us the last meeting between brother and sister:
"His sister Scholastica, who had been consecrated to God in early childhood, used to visit with him once a year. On these occasions he would go to meet her in a house belonging to the monastery a short distance from the entrance. For this particular visit he joined her there with a few of his disciples and they spent the whole day singing God's praises and conversing about the spiritual life.
"When darkness was setting in they took their meal together and continued their conversation at table until it was quite late. Then the holy nun said to him, 'Please do not leave me tonight, brother. Let us keep on talking about the joys of heaven till morning.' 'What are you saying, sister?' he replied. 'You know that I cannot stay away from the monastery.' The sky was so clear at the time, there was not a cloud in sight.
"At her brother's refusal Scholastica folded her hands on the table and rested her head upon them in earnest prayer. When she looked up again, there was a sudden burst of lightning and thunder accompanied by such a downpour that Benedict and his companions were unable to set foot outside the door. By shedding a flood of tears while she prayed, this holy nun had darkened the cloudless sky with a heavy rain. The storm began as soon as her prayer was over. In fact, the two coincided so closely that the thunder was already resounding as she raised her head from the table. The very instant she ended her prayer the rain poured down.
"Realizing that he could not return to the abbey in this terrible storm, Benedict complained bitterly. 'God forgive you, sister!' he said. 'What have you done?' Scholastica simply answered, 'When I appealed to you, you would not listen to me. So I turned to my God and He heard my prayer. Leave now if you can. Leave me here and go back to your monastery.'
"This, of course, he could not do. He had no choice now but to stay, in spite of his unwillingness. They spent the entire night together and both of them derived great profit from the holy thoughts they exchanged about the interior life. The next morning Scholastica returned to her convent and Benedict to his monastery.
"Three days later as he stood in his room looking up toward the sky, he beheld his sister's soul leaving her body and entering the heavenly court in the form of a dove. Overjoyed at her eternal glory, he gave thanks to God in hymns of praise. Then, after informing his brethren of her death, he sent some of them to bring her body to the abbey and bury it in the tomb he had prepared for himself. The bodies of these two were now to share a common resting place, just as in life their souls had always been one in God."
Her tomb is at Monte Cassino.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Against rain; convulsive children; nuns; storms.
Symbols: Nun with crozier and crucifix; nun with dove flying from her mouth.
Things to Do:
•Tell your children about the "holy twins": St. Scholastica and the tender love she had for her brother St. Benedict. Ask them how they can help one another to become saints.
•Make an altar hanging or window transparency in the shape of a dove to honor St. Scholastica.
•If you are traveling to Italy try to visit St. Benedict's Abbey of Monte Cassino http://www.officine.it/montecassino/main_e.htm. If not, make a virtual visit.
•Read more about the life of St. Scholastica. http://saintbenedict.org/stscholastica.htm
•Learn how to prayerfully read Sacred Scripture in this article, Lectio Divina: Daily Information for a New Life http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?RecNum=5869 by Fr. Adam Ryan, O.S.B.
RECIPES
Chicken Valdostana http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1488
ACTIVITIES
Home Altar Hangings http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=241
Window Transparencies http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=240
PRAYERS
Litany of Saint Scholastica http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1164
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes
Old Calendar: Apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes
Today marks the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 to fourteen-year-old Marie Bernade (St. Bernadette) Soubirous. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin appeared eighteen times, and showed herself to St. Bernadette in the hollow of the rock at Lourdes. On March 25 she said to the little shepherdess who was only fourteen years of age: "I am the Immaculate Conception." Since then Lourdes has become a place of pilgrimage and many cures and conversions have taken place. The message of Lourdes is a call to personal conversion, prayer, and charity.
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Our Lady of Lourdes
The many miracles which have been performed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin at Lourdes prompted the Church to institute a special commemorative feast, the "Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary." The Office gives the historical background. Four years after the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854), the Blessed Virgin appeared a number of times to a very poor and holy girl named Bernadette. The actual spot was in a grotto on the bank of the Gave River near Lourdes.
The Immaculate Conception had a youthful appearance and was clothed in a pure white gown and mantle, with an azure blue girdle. A golden rose adorned each of her bare feet. On her first apparition, February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin bade the girl make the sign of the Cross piously and say the rosary with her. Bernadette saw her take the rosary that was hanging from her arms into her hands. This was repeated in subsequent apparitions.
With childlike simplicity Bernadette once sprinkled holy water on the vision, fearing that it was a deception of the evil spirit; but the Blessed Virgin smiled pleasantly, and her face became even more lovely. The third time Mary appeared she invited the girl to come to the grotto daily for two weeks. Now she frequently spoke to Bernadette. On one occasion she ordered her to tell the ecclesiastical authorities to build a church on the spot and to organize processions. Bernadette also was told to drink and wash at the spring still hidden under the sand.
Finally on the feast of the Annunciation, the beautiful Lady announced her name, "I am the Immaculate Conception."
The report of cures occurring at the grotto spread quickly and the more it spread, the greater the number of Christians who visited the hallowed place. The publicity given these miraculous events on the one hand and the seeming sincerity and innocence of the girl on the other made it necessary for the bishop of Tarbes to institute a judicial inquiry. Four years later he declared the apparitions to be supernatural and permitted the public veneration of the Immaculate Conception in the grotto. Soon a chapel was erected, and since that time countless pilgrims come every year to Lourdes to fulfill promises or to beg graces.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
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February 11 was proclaimed World Day of the Sick by Pope John Paul II. Therefore, it would be appropriate to celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on this day during a Mass or Liturgy of the Word. (The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is only to be given to "those of the faithful whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age", Roman Ritual. This Sacrament must not be given indiscriminately to all who take part in Masses for the sick.)
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We pilgrims to Lourdes
Anyone who has made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Lourdes will not have missed the opportunity to pray at the Grotto where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the 11th of February 1858. A mystical place, similar to the welcoming “bosom” of a mother, almost a baptismal font, in which to immerse ourselves and rediscover the unrivalled beauty of being Christians: having God as our Father and Mary as our Mother!
Lourdes is one of the most important “places of grace” known to the Church. It is like a vast basin of purity where countless souls have removed the clothes of sin and put on the snow white garments of spiritual rebirth! Some, like the author, found the light necessary to embrace the call to the priesthood, others, the strength to remain faithful to this commitment.
How can we deny that the Mother is the one who knows the Will of the Son better than anyone else and that turning to Her we understand better the mysterious plan God has for each one of us? No one better than Mary can convince us to “do whatever he tells you”!
In Lourdes, like the servants at Cana, we too sincerely open our hearts to the presence of the Mother and, attentive to her words, we are captivated by the mystery of the Son. Then we see His Will for what it truly is: our path to happiness!
Bernardette actually saw the Lady dressed in white, whereas we see her not with our eyes but with our heart, which is aware in faith of her presence on our journey. In front of the Grotto of Massabielle the pilgrim's interior vision is illuminated with a light typical of that place of grace: the light of the spiritual motherhood of Mary who gives Jesus to us as at Christmas, again and again.
Those apparitions have sustained countless souls, encouraging them on the path of conversion and personal sanctification. And their change has helped improve the world because the whole world benefits from the conversion of even one heart.
For us, pilgrims to Lourdes, Mary's universal motherhood is a mystery to discover again and again, so she may accompany us all through life. In Lourdes this Marian light is present everywhere: when we bathe in the waters, in the evening when we mingle with thousands of others to pray the rosary at the torchlight procession; in the afternoon when we join crowds of sick persons taking part in the Blessed Sacrament Procession …
Her presence is a mystery to savor in our soul and to learn, with Mary, to honour her Son, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The first to witness Our Lady's presence at Lourdes was little Bernardette Soubirous, who became her intrepid messenger. Although she is buried far away in Nevers in the north of France, her body totally incorrupt, as if she were asleep, you can "meet" Saint Bernadette everywhere in Lourdes.
It is sweet to remember her and read the humble words she addressed to Our Lady: “Yes, gentle Mother, you lowered yourself, you came down to earth to appear to a helpless little girl… You, the Queen of Heaven and earth, deigned to make use of what was most humble for the world” (from her Journal dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, 1866).
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, recalling that “this year (2008) the beginning of Lent coincides providentially with the 150th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes”, said in his Angelus reflection on the 1st Sunday of Lent “the message which Our Lady still offers at Lourdes recalls the words Jesus said at the beginning of his public mission and that we hear so often in these first days of Lent: ‘Convert and believe in the Gospel, pray and do penance. Let us respond to the call of Mary who echoes that of Christ and let us ask Her to help us ‘enter’ Lent with faith and live this season of grace with deep joy and generous commitment” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 10 February 2008). (Agenzia Fides 13/2/2008; righe 47, parole 662)
— Mgr. Luciano Alimandi
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Patron: Bodily ills.
Symbols: The Blessed Virgin ("The Immaculate Conception") who wears a white dress, blue belt, and a rose on each foot.
Things to Do:
•Watch The Song of Bernadette, a masterpiece filmed in 1943.
•Bring flowers (roses would be appropriate) to your statue of Our Lady at your home altar, especially if you have a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes.
•Obtain some Lourdes holy water and give the parental blessing to your children (see link).
•Give extra care to the sick in your community — cook dinner for a sick mother's family, bring your children to the local nursing home (the elderly love to see children), send flowers to a member of your parish community who is ill.
ACTIVITIES
A Single Branch Three Roses Bore http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=346
Ave Maria Dear
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=341
Beautiful, Glorious
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=345
Mary Garden
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=223
Salve Regina
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=342
Stella Matutina
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=344
'Tis Said of Our Dear Lady http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=343
Virgin Blessed, Thou Star the Fairest http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=347
PRAYERS
Parental Blessing
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=202
Table Blessing for the Feasts of the Mother of God http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1173
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1217
LIBRARY
Plenary Indulgence Declared for Lourdes Pilgrimages | Apostolic Penitentiary http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=7923
The Shrine: Memory, Presence and Prophecy of the Living God | Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=1069
Two Lourdes Miracles and a Nobel Laureate: What Really Happened? | Rev. Stanley L. Jaki http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=2866
Friday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Seven Founders of the Servite Order, confessors; St. Eulalia, virgin & martyr (Hist)
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Seven Founders of the Servite Order. Their feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on February 17th. Historically today is the feast of St. Eulalia the most celebrated virgin martyr of Spain. She was a native of Merida, thirteen years of age, and was burnt at the stake in her native city under Diocletian.
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St. Eulalia
Prudentius has celebrated the triumph of this holy virgin who was a native of Merida, then the capital city of Lusitania in Spain now a declining town in Estremadura, the archiepiscopal dignity having been translated to Compostella. Eulalia, descended from one of the best families in Spain, was educated in the Christian religion, and in sentiments of perfect piety, from her infancy distinguished herself by an admirable sweetness of temper, modesty, and devotion, showed a great love of the holy state of virginity, and by her seriousness and her contempt of dress, ornaments diversions, and worldly company, gave early proofs of her sincere desire to lead on earth a heavenly life. Her heart was raised above the world before she was thought capable of knowing it, so that its amusements, which usually fill the minds of young persons, had no charms for her, and every day of her life made an addition to her virtues.
She was but twelve years old when the bloody edicts of Dioclesian were issued, by which it was ordered that all persons, without exception of age, sex, or profession, should be compelled to offer sacrifice to the gods of the empire. Eulalia, young as she was, took the publication of this order for the signal of battle; but her mother, observing her impatient ardor for martyrdom, carried her into the country. The saint found means to make her escape by night, and after much fatigue arrived at Merida before break of day. As soon as the court sat, the same morning, she presented herself before the cruel judge, whose name was Dacianus, and reproached him with impiety in attempting to destroy souls, by compelling them to renounce the only true God. The governor commanded her to be seized, and first employing caresses, represented to her the advantages which her birth, youth and fortune gave her in the world, and the grief which her disobedience would bring to her parents. Then he had recourse to threats, and caused the most dreadful instruments of torture to be placed before her eyes, saying to her, "All this you shall escape if you will but touch a little salt and frankincense with the tip of your finger." Provoked at these seducing flatteries, she threw down the idol, trampled upon the cake which was laid for the sacrifice, and, as Prudentius relates, spat at the judge; an action only to be excused by her youth and inattention under the influence of a warm zeal, and fear of the snares which were laid for her. At the judge's order two executioners began to tear her tender sides with iron hooks, so as to leave the very bones bare. In the mean time she called the strokes so many trophies of Christ. Next, lighted torches were applied to her breasts and sides: under which torment, instead of groans, nothing was heard from her mouth but thanksgivings. The fire at length catching her hair, surrounded her head and face, and the saint was stifled by the smoke and flame. Prudentius tells us, that a white dove seemed to come out of her mouth, and to wing its way upward when the holy martyr expired: at which prodigy the executioners were so much terrified that they fled and left the body. A great snow that fell covered it and the whole forum where it lay; which circumstance shows that the holy martyr suffered in winter. The treasure of her relics was carefully entombed by the Christians near the place of her martyrdom: afterwards a stately church was erected on the spot, and the relics were covered by the altar which was raised over them, before Prudentius wrote his hymn on the holy martyr in the fourth century He assures us that "pilgrims came to venerate her bones; and that she, near the throne of God, beholds them, and, being made propitious by hymns, protects her clients. Her relics are kept with great veneration at Oviedo, do, where she is honored as patroness. The Roman Martyrology mentions her name on the 10th of December.
Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints
Patron: Merida, Spain; Oviedo, Spain, runaways; torture victims; widows
Symbols: Maiden with a cross, stake, and dove; naked maiden lying in the snow
RECIPES
Mostaccioli
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=2
ACTIVITIES
None
PRAYERS
February Devotion: The Holy Family http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=754
Prayer to the Holy Family http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=960
Novena to the Holy Family http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=994
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Catherine de Ricci, virgin (Hist)
Historically today is the feast of St. Catherine de Ricci a native of Florence, Italy, who became a Dominican tertiary in 1535 and eventually filled the offices of novice-mistress and prioress. She was famous for her ecstasies in which she beheld and enacted the scenes of our Lord's passion. It is said that she met St. Philip Neri, in a vision who was still alive in Rome. Three future popes were among the thousands who flocked to her convent to ask her prayers.
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St. Catherine de Ricci
See her life, written by F. Seraphin Razzi, a Dominican friar, who knew her, and was fifty-eight years old when she died. The nuns of her monastery gave an ample testimony that this account was conformable partly to what they knew of her, and partly to MS, memorials left by her confessor and others concerning her. Whence F. Echard calls this life a work accurately written. It was printed in 4to. at Lucca, in 1594. Her life was again compiled by F. Philip Guidi, confessor to the saint and to the Duchess of Urbino, and printed at Florence, in two vols. 4to., in 1622. FF. Michael Pio and John Lopez, of the same order, have given abstracts of her life. See likewise Bened. XIV de Can. Serv. Dei. t. 5. inter Act. Can 5. SS. Append.
(A.D. 1589)
The Ricci are an ancient family, which still subsists in a flourishing condition in Tuscany. Peter de Ricci, the father of our saint, was married to Catherine Bonza, a lady of suitable birth. The saint was born at Florence in 1522, and called at her baptism Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine at her religious profession. Having lost her mother in her infancy, she was formed to virtue by a very pious godmother, and whenever she was missing she was always to be found on her knees in some secret part of the house.
When she was between six and seven years old, her father placed her in the Convent of Monticelli, near the gates of Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. This place was to her a paradise: at a distance from the noise and tumult of the world, she served God without impediment or distraction
After some years her father took her home. She continued her usual exercises in the world as much as she was able; but the interruptions and dissipation, inseparable from her station, gave her so much uneasiness that, with the consent of her father, which she obtained, though with great difficulty, in the year 1535, the fourteenth of her age, she received the religious veil in the convent of Dominicanesses at Prat, in Tuscany, to which her uncle, F. Timothy de Ricci, was director.
God, in the merciful design to make her the spouse of his crucified Son, and to imprint in her soul dispositions conformable to His, was pleased to exercise her patience by rigorous trials. For two years she suffered inexpressible pains under a complication of violent distempers, which remedies themselves served only to increase. These sufferings she sanctified by the interior dispositions with which she bore them, and which she nourished principally by assiduous meditation on the passion of Christ, in which she found an incredible relish and a solid comfort and joy. After the recovery of her health, which seemed miraculous, she studied more perfectly to die to her senses, and to advance in a penitential life and spirit, in which God had begun to conduct her, by practicing the greatest austerities which were compatible with the obedience she had professed; she fasted two or three days a week on bread and water, and sometimes passed the whole day without taking any nourishment, and chastised her body with disciplines and a sharp iron chain which she wore next her skin.
Her obedience, humility, and meekness were still more admirable than her spirit of penance. The least shadow of distinction or commendation gave her inexpressible uneasiness and confusion, and she would have rejoiced to be able to lie hid in the center of the earth, in order to be entirely unknown to and blotted out of the hearts of all mankind, such were the sentiments of annihilation and contempt of herself in which she constantly lived. It was by profound humility and perfect interior self-denial that she learned to vanquish in her heart the sentiments or life of the first Adam–that is, of corruption, sin, and inordinate self-love. But this victory over herself, and purgation of her affections, was completed by a perfect spirit of prayer; for by the union of her soul with God, and the establishment of the absolute reign of his love in her heart, she was dead to and disengaged from all earthly things. And in one act of sublime prayer she advanced more than by a hundred exterior practices in the purity and ardor of her desire to do constantly what was most agreeable to God, to lose no occasion of practicing every heroic virtue, and of vigorously resisting all that was evil. Prayer, holy meditation, and contemplation were the means by which God imprinted in her soul sublime ideas of his heavenly truths, the strongest and most tender sentiments of all virtues, and the most burning desire to give all to God, with an incredible relish and affection for suffering contempt and poverty for Christ. What she chiefly labored to obtain, by meditating on his life and sufferings, and what she most earnestly asked of him, was that he would be pleased, in his mercy, to purge her affections of all poison of the inordinate love of creatures, and engrave in her his most holy and divine image, both exterior and interior–that is to say, both in her conversation and her affections, that so she might be animated, and might think, speak, and act by his most Holy Spirit.
The saint was chosen, very young, first, mistress of the novices, then sub-prioress, and, in the twenty-fifth year of her age, was appointed perpetual prioress. The reputation of her extraordinary sanctity and prudence drew her many visits from a great number of bishops, princes, and cardinals-among others, of Cervini, Alexander of Medicis, and Aldobrandini, who all three were afterwards raised to St. Peter's chair, under the names of Marcellus II, Clement VIII, and Leo XI.
Something like what St. Austin relates of St. John of Egypt happened to St. Philip Neri and St. Catherine of Ricci. For having some time entertained together a commerce of letters, to satisfy their mutual desire of seeing each other, whilst he was detained at Rome she appeared to him in a vision, and they conversed together a considerable time, each doubtless being in a rapture. This St. Philip Neri, though most circumspect in giving credit to or in publishing visions, declared, saying that Catherine de Ricci, whilst living, had appeared to him in vision, as his disciple Galloni assures us in his life.1 And the continuators of Bollandus inform us that this was confirmed by the oaths of five witnesses.2 Bacci, in his life of St. Philip, mentions the same thing, and Pope Gregory XV, in his bull for the canonization of St. Philip Neri, affirms that whilst this saint lived at Rome he conversed a considerable time with Catherine of Ricci, a nun, who was then at Prat, in Tuscany.3
Most wonderful were the raptures of St. Catherine in meditating on the passion of Christ, which was her daily exercise, but to which she totally devoted herself every week from Thursday noon to three o'clock in the afternoon on Friday. After a long illness she passed from this mortal life to everlasting bliss and the possession of the object of all her desires, on the feast of the Purification of our Lady, on the 2nd of February, in 1589, the sixty-seventh year of her age. The ceremony of her beatification was performed by Clement XII in 1732, and that of her canonization by Benedict XIV in 1746. Her festival is deferred to the 13th of February.
1 Gallon. apud Contin Bolland. Acta Sanctorum, Maii, t. 6, p. 503, col. 2, n. 146.
2 Ibid. p. 504, col. 2.
3 In Bullar. Cherubini, t. 4, p. 8.
Excerpted from Vol. II of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 edition published by D. & J. Sadlier, & Company
Patron: Against illness; sick people
ACTIVITIES
Habits of Prayer in the Family http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=848
PRAYERS
Prayer for the First Week of Lent http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=177
Lent Table Blessing 1
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=683
The Canticle of the Passion http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1296
LIBRARY
A Parent's Blueprint for Making Youth Holy | Rev. Daniel Egan S.A. http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=7841
Women as Guardians of Purity | Alice von Hildebrand http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6017
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Quinquagesima Sunday
"And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured (Luke 6:17-18)."
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Sunday Readings
The first reading is from the book of Jeremiah (Jer 17:5-8). Jeremiah lived through one of the most troubled periods of the ancient Near East as he witnessed the fall of Assyria and the rising of Babylon. In the midst of this turmoil, the kingdom of Judah, came to its downfall by resisting this overwhelming force of history. The two predominant themes of Jeremiah's message are to precisely define true Yahwehism, and to proclaim the imminent wars as punishments of Judah's aberrations. Today's reading falls into the category of true Yahwehism and is a wisdom saying on true justice.
The second reading is from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:12, 16-20). This reading continues the teaching we heard last week on the resurrection of the dead. St. Paul addresses the Corinthian claim that there is no such thing as resurrection from the dead.
The Gospel reading is taken from St. Luke (Lk 6:17, 20-26). Jesus then went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles: Simon, his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot. He then came down the mountain with them and delivered the sermon on the plain which is our reading for today.
Things to Do:
•Read the more detailed, corresponding passage in Matthew 5:3-12 on the Beatitudes. Choose a beatitude to focus on for the rest of this month. Write it in conspicuous places throughout your house — desk, home altar, fridge, bathroom mirror. Think of some small practical ways to put this beatitude into action in your daily life. For some ideas on how to live the poverty and detachment prescribed by the first beatitude (Blessed are the poor in spirit), read this interview http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5282 with spiritual director and writer Fr. Dubay.
•Read a summary of St. Bernard's advice for living the Beatitudes http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=3729 , and the Holy Father's exhortation to the youth http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4473 at Toronto's World Youth Day to be people of the Beatitudes.
ACTIVITIES
Teaching Children About Sickness and Death http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=854
PRAYERS
Prayer for a Sick Person
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=170
Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 2 http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=680
Litany for the Sick and Afflicted http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1003
LIBRARY
Mental Illness: 'A Real and Authentic Social Health Care Emergency' | Pope Benedict XVI , http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6739
Monday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Saints Faustinus and Jovita, martyrs
"If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20)." The need to make reparation is a vital, inescapable urge of a free person. His very nature cries out for order and peace. His reason tells him that where an order has been violated, the order must be repaired; and the higher the order, the greater must be the reparation. To be free at all, is to accept the responsibility for atonement. Sin is a violation of God's order. Sin demands reparation — the reparation of personal penance, personal prayer, personal charity to all. Part of our atonement to God is made by serving our fellow men. — Daily Missal of the Mystical Body
According to the Tridentine Calendar today is the feast of Sts. Faustinus and Jovita, two martyrs of Brescia, in Italy, where they are the patrons of the city. A late account of their martyrdom makes them two brothers, one, Faustinus, a priest and the other, Jovita, a deacon.
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St. Faustinus and Jovita
Faustinus and Jovita were brothers, nobly born, and were zealous professors of the Christian religion, which they preached without fear in their city of Brescia in Lombardy, during the persecution of Adrian. Their remarkable zeal excited the fury of the heathens against them, and procured them a glorious death for their faith.
Faustinus, a priest, and Jovita, a deacon, were preaching the Gospel fearlessly in the region when Julian, a pagan officer, apprehended them. They were commanded to adore the sun, but replied that they adored the living God who created the sun to give light to the world. The statue before which they were standing was brilliant and surrounded with golden rays. Saint Jovita, looking at it, cried out: “Yes, we adore the God reigning in heaven, who created the sun. And you, vain statue, turn black, to the shame of those who adore you!” At his word, it turned black. The Emperor commanded that it be cleaned, but the pagan priests had hardly begun to touch it when it fell into ashes.
The two brothers were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those came out and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels brought them strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a large number of spectators were converted at the sight. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they knelt down and received the death blow. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons and possesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.
Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler’s Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Lives of the Saints for Every Day of the Year, edited by Rev. Hugo Hoever, S.O. Cist., Ph.D. (Catholic Book Publishing Co.: New York, 1951-1955).
Patron: Brescia.
Things to Do:
•Read more about St. Faustinus and Jovita here and here.
•Read what the Catholic Encyclopedia has to say about the city in Italy in which they lived.
•Discover Brescia and if you are a cooking enthusiast try making the authentic Italian dish, risotto allo zafferano, (rice with saffron). Recipes can be found here About: Italian Cuisine and if you are REALLY interested you can learn what arborio rice is and why it should be used to make authentic risotto. If your not interested in the finer details you can make the recipe in Catholic Culture's database.
RECIPES
Risotto alla Bresciana
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=789
ACTIVITIES
Dramatics at Home for Elementary Children http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=36
PRAYERS
Prayer for the First Week of Lent http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=177
Lent Table Blessing 1
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=683
LIBRARY
Spiritual Warfare: The Occult Has Demonic Influence | Bishop Donald Montrose D.D. http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=5299
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time Today is the day before Ash Wednesday, called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Traditionally, it is the last day for Christians to indulge before the sober weeks of fasting that come with Lent. Formally known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras has long been a time of extravagant fun for European Christians. In many southern states of the USA Mardi Gras is a traditional holiday. The most famous celebration takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. It has been celebrated there on a grand scale, with masked balls and colorful parades, since French settlers arrived in the early 1700s.
On April 17th, 1958, His Holiness Pope Pius XII confirmed the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus on Shrove Tuesday (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) for all the dioceses and religious orders who would ask for the Indult from Rome in order to celebrate it. You can learn more about this devotion at Holy Face Devotion http://www.holyface.org.uk/ and at the Holy Face Association http://www.holyface.com/.
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Preparing for Lent
No Lent is worthy of the name without a personal effort of self-reformation, of leading a life more in accordance with God's commands and an attempt by some kind of voluntary self-denial to make reparation for past negligence. But the Church, together with the personal effort which she requires of all of us, her children, sets up in the sight of God the cross of Christ, the Lamb of God who took upon Himself the sins of man and who is the price of our redemption. As Holy Week approaches the thought of the passion becomes increasingly predominant until it occupies our whole attention, but from the very beginning of Lent it is present, for it is in union with the sufferings of Christ that the whole army of Christians begins on the holy "forty days", setting out for Easter with the glad certitude of sharing in His resurrection.
"Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation." The Church puts Lent before us in the very same terms that formerly she put it before the catechumens and public penitents who were preparing for the Easter graces of baptism and sacramental reconciliation. For us, as it was for them, Lent should be a long retreat, one in which under the guidance of the Church we are led to the practice of a more perfect Christian life. She shows us the example of Christ and by fasting and penance associates us with his sufferings that we may have a share in His redemption.
We should remember that Lent is not an isolated personal affair of our own. The Church avails herself of the whole of the mystery of redemption. We belong to an immense concourse, a great body in which we are united to the whole of humanity which has been redeemed by Christ. The liturgy of this season does not fail to remind us of it.
This, then, is the meaning of Lent for us: a season of deepening spirituality in union with the whole Church which thus prepares to celebrate the Paschal mystery. Each year, following Christ its Head, the whole Christian people takes up with renewed effort its struggle against evil, against Satan and the sinful man that each one of us bears within himself, in order at Easter to draw new life from the very springs of divine life and to continue its progress towards heaven.
Excerpted from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal
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Shrove Tuesday
Here are a few suggestions to help you celebrate the final day before Lent.
•Today is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras! Try some of the traditional recipes linked here. When eggs were among the foods that were forbidden by the Church during Lent, people would use them up on Fat Tuesday by mixing up large quantities of pancakes or doughnuts (also known as fastnachts).
•Read Maria von Trapp's explanation of the traditions associated with Carnival, or Fat Tuesday here. http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=388
•Sing this American favorite, Turkey in the Straw http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=327, with your children as part of your Mardi Gras celebrations.
•Discuss Jesus' Gospel teaching for today, He who would be first must be last, with your children and ask them how they can put others in the family before themselves. Keep it simple and practical — setting the table, washing the dishes, folding laundry, watching the littler ones, doing homework right away.
•What does it mean to become a child spiritually, that we may enter Heaven and be received by Christ Himself? We can learn much from St. Therese of the Child Jesus about spiritual childhood. Begin reading her Story of a Soul. http://www.trinstore.com/ecom_2/item_view.cfm?inventoryid=100
•Read Fr. William Saunder's article, Shrove Tuesday and Shrovetide http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?RecNum=5877, from the Catholic Culture Library.
RECIPES
Baked Pancakes with Apple Filling http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1004
Boxty Bread
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=122
Boxty Dumplings
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=123
Boxty Pancakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1327
Buttermilk Pancakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=54
Car Cakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=202
Coquille Buns
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1305
Creme Brulee Creole
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=58
Dolmas
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=26
Dutch Fried Doughnuts http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=737
Faschingskrapfen
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=290
Fastenlavensboller
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=51
Fastlags Buller
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=203
Fastnacht Doughnuts
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=201
Fastnachts
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=440
Fastnachtskuchen
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=55
Filling for Fet Tisdags Bullar http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=56
Filling for Fet Tisdags Bullar http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=25
Irish Potato Pancakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=301
Pancakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1303
Pasticcio di Polenta
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=50
Perfect Pancakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1216
Polish Shrove Doughnuts http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1359
Potato Doughnuts
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=948
Potato Pancakes
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1236
Potato Pudding
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=955
Salsiccia con Peperoni I http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=53
Salsiccia con Peperoni II http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=204
Sausage with Green Peppers http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=945
Semlor
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=24
Shrove Tuesday Buns
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1302
Shrove Tuesday Buns
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1358
Waterzoei
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=57
ACTIVITIES
Aunt Rhody
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=330
Carnival
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=388
Lenten Customs of the Russian Germans http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=823
Spirit of Lent, The
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=509
The Echo Yodel
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=328
The Riddle Song
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=329
Tuesday-Before-Ash-Wednesday Procession http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=194
Turkey in the Straw
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=327
PRAYERS
Shrove Tuesday Prayer http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=777
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