Monthly Archives: March 2016

Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Feast Day March 18




St. Cyril of Jerusalem
St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The Feast Day of St. Cyril of Jerusalem is celebrated on March 18.

St. Cyril was born in 315. He was raised in Jerusalem by a Christian family. Little is known about his early life. He was ordained by St. Maximus. He was a great instructor of catecheumans who were studying to become baptized into the church.

While serving as Bishop of Jerusalem, he was exiled from Jerusalem three times by the Arianists who denied the belief in the divinity of Christ. After his final return to Jerusalem he he attended the Council of Constantinople. He died in 386 at the age of 70.

St. Cyril is a Doctor of the Church.

If Christ could change water into wine, can He not change wine into His own blood?

Quote of St. Cyril of Jerusalem

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Patrick, Feast Day March 17




St. Patrick
St. Patrick

The feast day of St. Patrick is celebrated on March 17.   St. Patrick is the patron saint of slaves, Ireland and snakes.

St. Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, in 387. His parents were Romans, living in Britain. At age 14 he was captured by a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. As a slave, he tended to the sheep. He turned to God in prayer. His prayer “The Breastplate of St. Patrick” is well known.

Patrick was a slave until the age of 20. He received guidance in a dream. He was led to sailors who took him to Britain. In another dream, the people of Ireland asked him to return. He was reunited with his parents

St. Patrick studied to become a priest. He was ordained a priest by St. Germanus who was the bishop he studied under.   He was ordained a priest, then a Bishop. As Bishop he was sent back to Ireland. Many people converted under his guidance. St. Patrick is known for using the shamrock to explain the Trinity. He served as the Bishop of Ireland for forty years. Many miracles are attributed to St. Patrick.

St. Patrick wrote “The Confession of St. Patrick”  which  tells about his passionate faith and the trials he experienced.  St. Patrick died in Saul, where he built his first church, on March 17, 461

The Breastplate of St. Patrick

Christ be behind me, Christ be before me,
Christ be beside me…King of my heart.
Christ be within me, Christ be below me,
Christ be above me…never to part.
Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me…shield in the strife.
Christ in my sitting, Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my rising…light of my life.

(may be sung to Morning has Broken)

March is the Month of St. Joseph

                                   St. Patrick in Art

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Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Julian of Antioch, Feast Day March 16




St. Julian of Antioch
St. Julian of Antioch

 

The Feast Day of St. Julian of Antioch is celebrated on March 16.  

St. Julian was born in Anazarbus, Cilicia (Turkey).  He was arrested for being a Christian during the persecutions of Diocletian in 305 A.D.

St. Julian  refused to renounce his faith resulting in his being tortured and paraded through the city of Cilicia. After being sentenced to death, his body was sewn into a sack filled with vipers and scorpions and then cast into the sea. When the sack was recovered, the remains of St. Julian were sent to Alexandria and then to Antioch where St. John Chrysostom gave the eulogy at his burial.

 

Jesus stretches out His arms on the cross to embrace sinners.

 

Quote of St. John XXIII; Feast day October 11

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Benedictine Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Leander, Feast Day March 13

St. Leander
The fmFeast Day of St. Leander is celebrated on March 13.

St. Leander was born into a saintly family. Both he and his brother St. Isidore served as the Bishop of Seville. His sister St.Florentia became an abbess in charge of forty convents and over 1,000 nuns. He was born at Cartagena, Spain in 534.

St. Leander became a Benedictine monk. In 579 he became the Bishop of Seville. As bishop he defended the church from the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ. He promoted orthodox Christianity. For a period of time he was forced into exile in Byzantium. When he returned he oversaw the Third Council of Toledo.

It was St. Leander who began the practice of reciting the Nicene Creed during Mass. He believed it would help in the fight against Arianism.

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial
of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

St.Leander died in the year 601. He was succeeded as bishop by his brother St. Isidore.
St. Leander is considered a Doctor of the Church.

The humble man receives praise the way a clean window takes the light of the sun. The truer and more intense the light is the less you see of the glass.
Quote of Thomas Merton

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Seraphina, Feast Day March 12




St. Seraphina
The Feast Day of St.Seraphina is celebrated on March 12. 

St. Seraphina was born in San Gimignano, Italy to a poor family in 1238. As a young girl she was very pretty. After her father died, she came down with a strange illness. The illness took away her beauty. Her eyes, feet and hands became deformed.

Eventually, St. Seraphina was paralyzed. She helped her mother spin and sow. She never complained and was known for her serenity. Her mother also died leaving her with no income. A friend would bring her food.

St. Seraphina turned to Christ on the Cross for comfort. She felt she was called to imitate the suffering Christ. Her favorite saint was St. Gregory the Great, due to his many sufferings. She asked him to intercede for her, asking for patience to bear her sufferings. Eight days before her death, St. Gregory appeared to her telling her she would die on his feast day. His feast day was celebrated at the time on March 12. It is now celebrated on Sept. 3.

St. Seraphina died on March 12, 1253 at the age of 15.

The cross is the staff of the lame.
Quote of St. George of Amastris; Feast day February 21

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Prayer, Sacred Heart, Spirituality

Seven Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus




 
 
 
 Sacred
 
 
 
 
 

How often have we heard that God is Love? It is not surprising then that a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus would become popular. The devotion was evident in the early church by writings of St. Justin Martyr and in the seventh century with Pope Gregory the Great. The devotion became more popular after a vision by St. Gertrude the Great. However, it became widespread after a series of visions received by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque instructing her to spread this devotion.

 

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the second Friday after Pentecost by the Catholic Church. It was recognized and approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1765.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is the patron saint of polio victims. She was born in 1647 in Burgundy, France. She was bedridden for five years as a child with rheumatic fever. She had a devotion to the Eucharist. Refusing marriage, she entered the Visitation convent. St. Margaret Mary was a visionary. She had a series of visions of Christ which instructed her to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When she shared her visions, she met great resistance. However, eventually the devotion was officially approved. We celebrate the feast day of St. Margaret Mary on Oct. 17. In one of her visions Jesus gave her twelve promises to those devoted to His Sacred Heart.

The Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary for those Devoted to His Sacred Heart:

  • I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
  • I will establish peace in their families.
  • I will console them in all their troubles.
  • They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
  • I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
  • Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
  • Tepid souls shall become fervent.
  • Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
  • I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
  • I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
  • Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
  • The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

– From Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque’s Vision of Jesus

The devotion to the Sacred Heart includes contemplation on the wounds of Christ, especially his side pierced by a sword and the graces which flow from the Heart of Jesus, healing and forgiving souls. The wound in the heart of Jesus symbolized the wound of love: He was “pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins.” (Is 53:5)

From the time of St. Margaret Mary the devotion to the Sacred Heart has steadily grown. Many prayers have been written in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The following prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can inspire us and deepen our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

sacred-heart-of-jesus-public-domain-image-1

 

Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death.

I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope for all from Thine infinite goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee.

Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee. I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite goodness, grant that my name be engraved on Thy Heart for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants. Amen.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

sacred-heart-of-jesus

 

Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Adorable Heart of Jesus, the tenderest, the most amiable, the most generous of all hearts!

Penetrated with gratitude at the sight of Thy benefits, I come to consecrate myself wholly and unreservedly to Thee! I wish to devote all my energies to propating Thy worship and winning, if possible, all hearts to Thee.

Receive my heart this day, O Jesus. Or rather take it, change it, purify it, to render it worthy of Thee; make it humble, gentle, patient, faithful, and generous like Thine, by inflaming it with the fire of Thy love. Hide it in Thy Divine Heart with all hearts that love Thee and are consecrated to Thee; never permit me to take my heart from Thee again. Let me rather die than grieve Thy Adorable Heart.

Thou knows, O Heart of Jesus, that the desire of my heart is to love Thee always, to be wholly Thine in life and in death, in time and in eternity.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.

sacred-heart-of-jesus-public-domain-image-4

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place My Trust in Thee

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in thee. Whatever may befall me, Lord, though dark the hour may be;

In all my woes; in all my joys, though nought but grief I see, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in thee.

When those I loved have passed away, and I am so distressed, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fly to thee for rest!

In all my trials, great or small, my confidence shall be unshaken as I cry, dear Lord, I place my trust in thee.

This is my one sweet prayer dear Lord, my faith, my trust, my love. But most of all in that last hour, when death points up above,

O sweet savior, may thy face smile on my soul set free. Oh may I cry with rapturous love…I’ve placed my trust in thee!

sacred-heart-of-jesus-public-domain-image-6

Prayer to Sacred Heart

Most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I love You. With a lively sorrow for my sins I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, and pure, and perfectly obedient to Your Will.

Good Jesus, grant that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger and comfort me in my afflictions. Bestow on me health of body, assistance in temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

sacred-heart

Act of Love to the Sacred Heart

How great, O my Jesus, is the extent of Thine excessive charity! Thou hast prepared
for me, of Thy most precious Body and Blood, a divine banquet, where Thou
gives me Thyself without reserve. What has urged Thee to this excess of love?
Nothing but Thine own most loving Heart.

O adorable Heart of my Jesus, furnace of Divine Love, receive my soul into the wound of Thy most Sacred Passion, that in this school of charity I may learn to make  a return of love to that God Who has given me such wonderful proofs of His love.

St. Gertrude the Great

sacred-jeart-11

Memorare to the Sacred Heart

Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought its mercy was ever abandoned.

Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushed beneath the weight of our sins.

In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests. Amen.

jcheartenh

Prayer to the Sacred Heart for the souls in purgatory

O most gentle Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the souls of Thy departed servants. Be not severe in Thy judgments, but let some drops of Thy Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames. And do, O Merciful Savior, send Thy holy angels to conduct them to a place of refreshment, light, and peace. Amen

St. Gertrude the Great

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Faith, Jesuit Saints, Martyr

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Ogilvie, Feast Day March 10




St. John Oglivie Public Domain Image St. John Ogilvie

 

The Feast Day of St. John Ogilvie is celebrated on March 10.

St. John Ogilvie was born in 1579 to noble parents in Scotland. He was raised a Calvinist. He became interested in the debate between the Protestants and the Catholics and turned to the scripture for guidance.

Two verses stood out to him:

“God wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4);

and

“Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” (Mat ll:28).

He had a great admiration of the martyrs of the faith. St. John Ogilvie converted to the Catholic faith when he was 17. His early studies were with the Benedictines. He attended the Jesuit College at Olmutz. The Jesuits are also known as the Society of Jesus.

St. John Ogilvie was ordained a Jesuit priest in Paris in 1610. He requested to serve in Scotland. He went to Scotland, then returned. He also went to London, Paris and then back to Scotland. He was very successful in converting people to the faith. Eventually however, he was betrayed and arrested. He was tortured in an attempt to make him reveal the names of other Catholics. He refused to do so.

St. John Ogilvie was tried for the treason of converting Protestants to the faith. He stood trial three times. In 1615, he was hanged at Glasgow at the age of 36.  Just before he was hanged, St. John tossed his Rosary beads into the crowd. They were caught by a Calvinist nobleman who later became a Catholic. He credited his conversion to the incident and the martyr’s beads.

St. John Ogilvie was canonized in 1976.

 

Lord, give me patience in tribulation.

Quote of St. Thomas More; Feast day June 22

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Prayer, Visionary

Do Heaven and Hell Really Exist?





Last Judgement by Michelangelo Public Domain Image
                              Last Judgement. by Michelangelo

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Faith, patron saints

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of God, Feast Day March 8




St. John of God
The Feast Day of St. John of God is celebrated on March 8. St. John is the patron saint of booksellers, printers, firefighters, heart patients, hospitals, nurses and the sick.

St. John of God was born in Portugal in 1495.   When he was eight years old he disappeared and never saw his parents again. Little is known about what actually happened in the years following his disappearance except that he ended up on the opposite coast of the Spanish peninsula from where he was born.

St. John of God lived a solitary life until he joined the army when he was 22. As a soldier he enjoyed the vices his fellow soldiers enjoyed; revelry, drinking and cruelty. After being thrown off a stolen horse near French lines he was in danger of being killed or captured. He reviewed his life and decided to change. John made a pilgrimage on foot to St. James of Compostella.  At the shrine he made his confession, and determined that in some way the rest of his life should be spent in atonement for his sins.

After being discharged from the army John went in search of his parents only to learn that they had both died. John found work in Spain unloading ship cargoes and visited churches at night. He spent his spare time reading religious books. He enjoyed reading so much that he began selling books and holy cards.

When John was 41, he had a vision of the Infant Jesus. Tradition tells us that in this vision he found a small child on the roadside, ill-clad and barefooted, who asked John to carry him part of his way. John lifted the child on his shoulders, and trudged along with his double burden. But the weight was heavy, and John was none too strong; when he reached a drinking fountain on the road John proposed to the child that they should stop and rest. The child came down from his shoulders but was suddenly transformed. “John of God,” he said, “Granada shall be your cross,” and immediately disappeared.

After the vision, John went to Granada and opened a small book shop. After hearing John of Avila preach one day, he was overcome with grief over his sins. He gave away all his religious books and money. John was so overcome that he behaved like a lunatic and was put in a hospital. The traditional treatment for lunacy was whipping. He was tied down and daily beaten and whipped. John of Avila visited him and said his penance had been long enough…40 days…and had him moved to a better part of the hospital.

John of God began helping the sick in the hospital. He decided to start a hospital of his own. When he was released he earned money by selling wood. The money he earned he used to feed the poor and homeless. He rented a house which he turned into a shelter and hospital. Eventually, he moved his hospital into an old Carmelite monastery and opened a homeless shelter in the monastery hall.

St. John of God was known for impulsively helping anyone who needed help. When he heard that the Royal Hospital was on fire, he ran to help. While other people looked on, he rushed into the hospital and began carrying patients out. After the patients were all safe, he began to throw mattresses and sheets out the windows. He continued doing all he could do until he fell through the burning roof. It was feared he was dead, but he miraculously appeared out of smoke. This is why he is the patron of firefighters.

St. John of God came down with pneumonia after trying to rescue a boy who had fallen into the river. When he was near to death, he requested to be alone with God. He died on his birthday, March 8, 1559, kneeling before a crucifix. He was 55 years old.

St. John of God is considered the founder of the Brothers Hospitallers who were inspired by his example and are the fruit of his work.

Lord, Your thorns are my roses and Your suffering my paradise.
Quote of St. John of God.

St. John of God in Art. 




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Faith, Quotes of Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Colette, Feast Day March 6




St. Colette 2The Feast Day of St. Colette is celebrated on March 6.  

St. Colette was born in Corbie, France in 1380. Her father was a carpenter. Both her parents were near sixty when she was born. She was orphaned at the age of 17 and left in the care of a Benedictine abbot.

In her search for a vocation, St. Colette first joined the Bequins, then the Benedictines and the Urbanist Poor Clares. She then chose to live the life of a recluse. In her dreams, she received direction to reform the Poor Clares. She joined the Poor Clares, founding the Colettine Poor Clares. She founded over 17 convents under the reformed rule which was quite strict. Her reform movement met with resistance. She was even accused of sorcery.

St. Colette was well known for her sanctity, ecstasies and visions of the Passion. She foretold the date of her own death. She had a deep devotion to the Passion of Christ and was known for her love of animals. Her sanctity was rewarded with the gift of miracles and supernatural favors.

St. Colette
St. Colette died in 1447. She was canonized in 1807.

If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.
Quote of St. Colette
March is the Month of St. Joseph
St. Colette in Art

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Faith, Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Joseph, Feast Day March 5




St. John Joseph
The Feast Day of St. John Joseph of the Cross is celebrated on March 5.

St. John Joseph was born on the Feast of the Assumption, to a noble family on the Island of Ischia in Southern Italy in 1654. From early childhood he lived a life of penitence and prayer. Although he was from a noble family his love of poverty led him to wear the clothes of the poor and often he gave them food and money.

When John was sixteen years old he entered the Order of St. Francis at Naples. He joined the Franciscan Friars of the Alcantarine Reform, which was begun by St. Peter of Alcantara. He fasted constantly and slept little.

In 674, St. John Joseph founded a friary at Afila in Piedmont. He worked alongside the builders while it was being built. He was ordained a priest and was appointed Vicar Provincial of the Alcantarine Reform in Italy. He was known for having the gift of miracles. As a result, many people came to him seeking cures from illness.

St. John Joseph had a great devotion to Our Lady and urged others to have the same devotion.

St. John Joseph died in1734. St. John Joseph of the Cross was beatified in 1789 and canonized in 1839.

There stood by the cross of Jesus His Mother…the nails pierced the hands of the Son and the heart of the Mother.

 

Quote of St. Thomas of Villanova; Feast day Sept. 22
March is the Month of St. Joseph

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