Tag Archives: St. Jerome

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Jerome, Feast Day September 30

Quote September 29, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra 1 Comment

St. Jerome and the Angel by Simon Vouet Public Domain Image — St. Jerome and the Angel
by Simon Vouet

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Jerome,

Feast Day September 30

The feast day of St. Jerome is celebrated on September 30. He is the patron saint of Bible scholars. He is considered one of the four great Doctors of the Church along with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Gregory of Nazianzus.

St. Jerome was born in Dalmatia around 340-342 A.D into a wealthy family. His father was a Christian and made sure he was well educated. His mother was a pagan. At the age of 20 he visited Rome. He enjoyed visiting the tombs of the martyrs and the Apostles and converted to Christianity. He was baptized by Pope Liberius in 360.

St. Jerome studied theology and then began life as a hermit in the Syrian desert. He was ordained a priest in Antioch at about the age of 40. He then went to Constantinople where he met St. Gregory of Nazianzus. He became the secretary for Pope Darnasus who commissioned him to translate the Bible. This project took him 30 years.

While living in Rome he was known for his personal holiness, learning and integrity. He was, however, disliked by many for his blunt sarcasm. He left Rome and went to Bethlehem where he established a monastery. He lived in prayer and study until the end of his life.

In art, St. Jerome is often shown with an angel with a trumpet. He was believed to have had a dream when he was seriously ill. In the dream he appeared before God’s judgment seat and was condemned for not being a Christian.

St. Jerome died peacefully on September 39, 420 after suffering from an illness for two years.

“The letters of the apostles are spiritual rain for us.”

Quote of St. Jerome

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

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Benedictine Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Elizabeth of Schoenna, Feast Day June 18

June 17, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of St. Elizabeth of Schoenna is celebrated on June 18.

St. Elizabeth was born in 1129 in Bonn, Germany. She was raised in a monastery and at the age of twelve entered a Benedictine Monastery. She made her profession in 1147 and became superioress of the Benedictine Nuns in 1157.

Elizabeth often had visions and ecstasies which occurred on Holy Days and Sundays. She wrote down her visions and after her death in 1165, the material was published by her brother Egbert who was a priest. The church has not examined her work and has not given an opinion.

Although she has never been formally canonized her name has been entered in the Roman martyrology.

To be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ.

Quote of St. Jerome; Feast day September 30

June is the Month of the Sacred Heart.

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Rita of Cascia, Feast Day May 22

Quote May 21, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Rita De Cascia Public Domain Image — St. Rita De Cascia

The feast day of St. Rita of Cascia is celebrated on May 22. She is the patron saint of impossible causes, abuse victims and widows.

St. Rita was born in 1386 in Cascia, Italy. She was known to be very spiritual even as a young child. She enjoyed visiting shrines and wished to become a nun. Her parents were opposed to the idea and arranged for her to be married. Her husband turned out to have a bad temper and was very difficult for her to live with. She dealt with his abuse with prayer, patience and kindness. They had twin sons. Their difficult marriage lasted 22 years.

One day while returning home from work her husband was ambushed and killed. St. Rita’s sons were now teenagers and began to talk of revenging their father’s death. St. Rita turned to prayer. She prayed that her sons would not be able to go through with the revenge. Her prayer was soon answered. Both her sons died from a deadly illness soon after without taking revenge on their father’s killer.

After the death of her husband and sons, Rita applied to enter the Augustinian Convent. Her first attempt was denied because of the ongoing feud. Rita persisted however. She convinced her husband’s family to put aside their hostility. The two rival families embraced peace. Rita turned to St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Augustine, requesting their intercession. The convent changed their decision and allowed her entry. She was 36 when she entered the monastery.

St. Rita had a great devotion for the passion of Christ. She meditated often on the crucifix. On Good Friday, 1442, St. Rita meditated on the suffering of Jesus on the crucifix. She offered to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing even the smallest part of his pain. As she was meditating, a small wound on her forehead appeared. It appeared to be a thorn from the crown that Jesus wore. St. Rita had this stigmata for 15 years.

St. Rita was confined to bed for the last four years of her life. She ate very little. The Eucharist sustained her and she remained joyful during her suffering. Before her death St. Rita requested a rose be brought to her from her parents’ garden even though it was January. Surprisingly, a rose was discovered to be blooming on the rosebush and it was presented to her. St. Rita gave thanks to God for this sign of God’s love.

Because this impossible request of St. Rita for a rose in January was answered she became the patron of impossible causes. It was also known that her prayers were known to obtain remarkable cures.

St. Rita died on May 29, 1456. Many miracles were recorded after her death . She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900.

St. Rita’s incorrupt body is venerated today in the Nation Shrine of Cascia.

Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.

Quote of St. Jerome; Feast day September 30

May is the Month of Our Lady

Faith, Our Lady, Prayer, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Our Lady of Lourdes, Feast Day Feb. 11

Image February 11, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra 1 Comment

The feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on Feb. 11.

Our Lady of Lourdes is the patron saint of bodily ills. Our lady first appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France on Feb. 11, 1858. Bernadette was a poor shepherdess who was only 14 years old. Our Lady actually appeared to her eighteen times.

During the first vision Bernadette saw a bright light and a beautiful lady dressed in a brilliant white dress adorned with a blue ribbon. A long veil covered her body from her head to her feet. Her hands were clasped as if praying and she carried a white and gold rosary with a gold cross in her hands. Bernadette took her rosary out of her pocket and guided by Our Lady they prayed the rosary. After praying, the vision ended. Bernadette asked the girls with her if they had seen anything and they said no. She told them not to say anything however her sister told their mother who did not believe the story.

On Feb. 14, Bernadette returned to the Grotto where the vision had happened. She asked those with her to pray the rosary. When Our Lady appeared again, Bernadette’s face was transfigured. She sprinkled the holy water which had been given her and said, “If you come from God, come near us.” The holy water touched Our Lady and she smiled and came closer. They began to pray the rosary together.

On Feb.18, St. Bernadette was accompanied after Mass by a lady and a religious. When she began praying, Our Lady appeared again and they all prayed the rosary. Our Lady asked Bernadette to return for 15 consecutive days. Bernadette promised she would do so. Our Lady said, “I also promise to make you happy, not in this world, but in the next.”

Bernadette went to the Grotto with a lit candle for the next 15 days. Hundreds of people began coming with her. On Feb. 21. Bernadette observed that Our Lady seemed sad. She asked her “What is wrong? What can I do?” Our Lady said,

“Pray for sinners.”

A doctor examined Bernadette and concluded there was nothing wrong with her. Bernadette was ridiculed nonetheless. On Feb. 23, Our Lady requested that a Sanctuary be built on the site. She told Bernadette to talk to the priest. When the priest asked her the name of the lady Bernadette did not know. The priest told her he needed a miracle and she should ask the lady for the rose bush to blossom.

On Feb. 25, Our Lady told Bernadette to drink from the fountain. Puzzled, Bernadette looked around for water. She discovered water coming up from the ground which soon became a pool of water. On Feb. 26 Our Lady revealed to Bernadette her name saying, “I am the Immaculate Conception”. During one apparition people witnessed Bernadette praying for fifteen minutes with the candle flame burning through her fingers. She remained unharmed.

The last apparition occurred on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Many miracles of healing have been attributed to he healing waters of Lourdes.
St. Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity seeking God in the silence of the convent. She died on April 16, 1879. The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is timeless…….Pray for sinners!

Death came through Eve, Life through Mary.

Quote of St. Jerome; Feast day September 30

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

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