Monthly Archives: July 2016

Faith, patron saints

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Joachim & St. Anne, Feast Day July 26




St. Anne and St. Joachim Public Domain Image
St. Anne and St. Joachim

On July 26th the Catholic church will celebrate the feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim. They are the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.  St. Anne and St. Joachim are the patron saints of parents and grandparents.

Although most of what we know about them is legendary, their names were passed down in the non-biblical Gospel of James. Tradition tells us they were wealthy but pious. St. Anne conceived late in life, after the appearance of an angel. The Angel promised them they would have a child. Anne promised to dedicate the child to God. The feast day of The Holy Family is celebrated the Sunday after Christmas.

We reflect on their feast day about the importance of family and love. Tradition also tells us that a church was built on the site of the home of St. Joachim and St. Anne at the Mount of Olives.

We are created in the image of God…
from the time there is conception there is the life of God…
that is why it is so wrong to destroy life,
to destroy the image of God.
Quote of St. Teresa of Calcutta; Feast day September 5
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Apostle, Faith, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. James the Greater, Feast Day July 25




St. James the Greater Public Domain Image
St. James the Greater

On July 25, the Catholic Church will be celebrating the feast day of St. James the Greater. St. James was a fisherman and the brother of John. Peter was his partner. When they were called to become Apostles of  Jesus, they left everything to do so.  St. James the Greater is the patron saint of laborers and Spain.

There were two Apostles named James. James the Greater is the older of the two. He was also called “The Son of Thunder”.  James, John and Peter were honored to be the only Apostles present at the Transfiguration. They were also present in the Garden of Gethsemane while Jesus prayed before His death.

Tradition tells us he evangelized in Spain after the crucifixion for nine years. St. James the Greater was the first Apostle to be martyred. In the year 44, King Herod Agrippa killed him with a sword during the early persecutions of the Church.

Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state,
but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves,
a really good beginning will have been made.
Quote of St. Peter Alcantara;                                   Feast day October 19

St. James the Greater in Art

  • St. James the Greater Public Domain Image
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Faith, Martyr, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Boste, Feast Day July 24




 
St. John Boste

St. John Boste is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.  Their feast day is celebrated together on October 25.   The Feast Day of St. John Boste is celebrated on July 24, the anniversary of his death.

St. John Boste was born in Dufton Westmoreland in 1544.  He attended Queen’s College, Oxford.  He became the first headmaster to serve under Queen Elizabeth l.  He converted to Catholicism and was received into the Church in 1576.  After leaving England he was ordained a priest in Rheims in 1581.

St. John Boste returned to England as a missionary priest.  He evaded arrest for ten years.  After a betrayal, he was finally arrested.  He was found hiding behind a fireplace after celebrating a forbidden Mass.  He was taken to the Tower of London and interrogated on the rack.  He was then hung, drawn and quartered while reciting the Angelus prayer.

My function is to invade souls, not to meddle in temporal invasions.

Quote of St. John Boste
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Mary Magdalene, Feast Day July 22

 




St. Mary Magdalene Bartoolome Esteban Public Domain Image
St. Mary Magdalene
Bartoolome Esteban

The Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene is celebrated on July 22.  She is the patron of penitent sinners.

Mary Magdalene is well known from the gospel account of Jesus casting out seven demons from her.(Luke 8:2)   She experienced great sorrow for her sins and became a devoted follower of Christ.

Because of her sorrow, she anointed Christ with her tears and dried His feet with her hair. Mary Magdalene is present at many of the important times in the life of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was one of the women present at the time of His crucifixion. She is the one who discovered His body missing from the tomb. She is honored by being the first person Christ appeared to after His Resurrection.

Each of us has sin in our lives. Whatever that sin is, we can turn to Jesus as Mary Magdalene did… with sincere sorrow… and become true disciples of Jesus. Only if we confide in Jesus in our sorrow and our joy can we truly call Jesus our ‘friend’.

Mary Magdalene reported seeing Jesus after the resurrection  by exclaiming to the other followers…

“I have seen the Lord!”

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Doctor of the Church, Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Feast Day July 21




The Feast Day of St. Lawrence of Brindisi is celebrated on July 21. He was born on July 21, 1559 in Brindisi , Italy. His baptismal name was Julius Caesar. He was adventurous as a child but knew from an early age that he had a religious calling. When his father died at the age of twelve he went to Venice where he studied with the conventual Franciscans. He was accepted into the Capuchin Order and eventually became a priest. He worked as a diplomat and as a missionary.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi was fluent in five languages. He was Master General of his Order from 1602-1605. He was known for his eloquent preaching. He reformed the monasteries and taught theology. St. Lawrence was known for many miraculous healings. He healed a blind man and cured a paralyzed woman. His sermons have been compiled into 15 volumes.

On July 22, 1619 St. Lawrence died of natural causes. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on Dec. 8, 1881. St Lawrence of Brindisi is a Doctor of the Church.

The crucifix alone
teaches one the worth
of a single human soul.

Quote of St. Pierre Henri Dorie;                           Feast day September 20.
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.
Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Joseph Barsabas, Feast Day July 20




St. Joseph Barsabas
St. Joseph Barsabas

St. Joseph Barsabas was a follower and disciple of Christ.  In the Acts of the Apostles  St. Matthias was chosen over him to replace Judas after the crucifixion.

St. Joseph Barsabas, is also known as Barsabbas and Joseph the Just.  He is considered one of the 72 disciples sent out by Our Lord. (Luke 10:1)

He spread the good news of the resurrection after the crucifixion.

Why climb the mountains or go down into the valleys of the world looking for Him who dwells within us.
Quote of St. Augustine;  Feast Day August 28
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood
Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; St. Macrina the Younger, Feast Day July 19




St. Macrina the Younger
St. Macrina the Younger

The Feast Day of St. Macrina the Younger is celebrated on July 19.  She was born into a family of saints during the year 327 in Cesarea.  Her grandparents were martyrs.  Her grandmother was St. Macrina the Elder.  Her parents Basil the Elder and Emmelia are both saints.

Macrina’s mother taught her to read and educated her.  Macrina in turn taught her brothers to read.    Her brothers were St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Peter of Sebastea.

At the age of twelve, Macrina became engaged to marry.  Her fiance died suddenly and she then decided to remain single.  She helped her mother raise her brothers as well as helping her mother run the household.

When Macrina’s father died, both Macrina and her mother consecrated themselves to a life of prayer and contemplation.

St. Macrina died  a peaceful death in 371 holding the crucifix which she always had near her.

My life is an instant, an hour which passed by.
My life is a moment which I have no power to stay.
You know, O my God, that to love you here on earth…
I have only today.
Quote of St. Therese of Lisieux
July is the Month of the the Most Precious Blood

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Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Camillus de Lellis, Feast Day July 18




St. Camillus Public Domain Image
St. Camillus

The Feast Day of St. Camillus de Lellis is July 18.

St. Camillus  was born on May 25, 1550 in Bucchianico, Abruzzo, Italy.  His mother died when he was a child and he received little attention.

As a teenager he was adventurous and a risk taker often losing his money and fighting.  During one fight he was wounded in his leg.  The wound did not heal but spread to his foot. It was during this time that his father also died.

Camillus continued to fight and gamble.  He became so destitute that he stopped at a church to request help.  Leaving the church, he met two monks.  He soon began working for a Capuchin monastery helping with construction projects.  After talking to a priest, he had a burning desire to become a Benedictine priest.  However, he was rejected due to lack of education.

At the age of 25, Camillus was admitted into a hospital for treatment of his leg.  To pay for the treatment he cared for the sick and dying in the hospital.  He was discharged form the hospital for gambling and fighting.  He decided to study to become a Benedictine, however his wound again needed treatment.  He returned to the hospital where he was hired to help reform the hospital.

At the age of 34 he became a priest and organized others to help.  They called themselves “Servants of the Sick.”

The Order of St. Camillus serves the sick and dying in 35 countries.  They care for both the physical and spiritual needs of the person in need.

It is always a feast where love is,

And where love is, God is.

Quote of Dorothy Day, Servant of God
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood
Carmelite Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Rose Chretien, Feast Day July 17




compeigne-holy-card
Martyrs of Compiegne

The Feast Day of Bl. Rose Chretien is celebrated on July 17.  It is also the Feast of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne.  She was born near Eureaux, France in 1741.

Bl. Rose married at a young age and soon became a widow.  She decided to join the Discalced Carmelite Order and became a choir nun.  At her profession in 1777 she took the religious name of  Sister Julia Louise of Jesus.

Bl. Rose is considered one of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne.  The sixteen Carmelites were imprisoned along with English Benedictine nuns.  The Carmelites were condemned as traitors and sentenced to death by guillotine.  As they were martyred, one by one, they renewed their vows and chanted the hymn Veni Creato Spiritus which was the hymn sung at their ceremony professing their vows.

Several days after their deaths, the persecution called the Reign of Terror led by Robespierre came to an end.  The English Benedictine Nuns credited the Carmelites with ending the bloodbath and saving their community.

The Carmelite Sisters were buried in a common grave at Picpus Cemetery with a single cross where 1306 other victims of the guillotine were buried.

Those who do something for the glory of God are not troubled by failure, because they have already achieved their pupose of pleasing God, by acting with a pure intention.
Quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Feast day August 1
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Doctor of the Church, Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bonaventure, Feast Day July 15




St. Bonaventure Public Domain Image
St. Bonaventure

The Feast Day of St. Bonaventure is celebrated on July 15.

St. Bonaventure was born in 1218 in Bagnorgio, Latium. His name at birth was John of Fidanza. He was the son of a doctor. When he was young, he suffered from a serious intestinal illness. His distraught mother took him to St. Francis of Assisi to ask for healing prayers. When healed, St. Francis exclaimed “O-Buono ventura!” (O good fortune!) From then on he was known as Bonaventure.

St. Bonaventure studied philosophy and theology in Paris. He entered the Franciscan order in 1243 at age 22. He later became a bishop. Pope Sixtus V inscribed him Doctor of the church in 1557.

St. Bonaventure was regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages. St. Bonaventure wrote many books, including The Journey of the Mind to God. He is known as the Seraphic (Angelic) Doctor.

In 1257, St. Bonaventure was chosen as minister general of the Franciscan Order. He led the order into a deeper love of the Franciscan spirituality. At the request of his brothers he wrote a book describing St. Francis titled The life of St. Francis.

St. Bonaventure died while assisting the Second Council of Lyons on July 15, 1274.

Prayer consists in turning the mind towards God.
Quote of St. Bonaventure
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Henry II, Feast Day July 13




St. Henry II Public Domain Image
St. Henry II

The Feast Day of St. Henry II is celebrated on July 13.

St. Henry was born to Duke Henry of Vavaria and Princess Gisela of Burgundy. As a youth he considered becoming a priest. He was educated at the Cathedral School in Hildesheim by St. Wolfgang of Regensburg who was a bishop.

In 995 Henry became the Duke of Bavaria. He became the king of Germany in 1002. In 1004 he was crowned King of Pavia, Italy. He married St. Cunegunga, however they had no children. In 1014 he was crowned the Emperor of the Roman Empire by Pope Benedict VIII. He worked to establish peace in Europe. He was also able to reform the church. He fostered missions and began the construction of the Cathedral at Basel, Switzerland, which took 400 years to complete.

Later in life he came down with an aliment which crippled his leg. He was cured by the touch of St. Benedict at Monte Cesino. After the death of his wife he considered becoming a monk however he was turned down. He was told he could no more good in the world as a public servant.

St. Henry II died on July 13, 1024 from natural causes at Pfalz Gvona, Saxony (modern Germany). He was canonized by Pope Bl. Eugene III.

From now on, regard this life as a desert
through which you pass until you come to the Promised Land,
the Jerusalem, which is above the land of the living.
Quote of St. Augustine, Feast day August 28

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July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.




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Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Veronica, Feast Day July 12




St. Veronica Public Domain Image
St. Veronica

The Feast Day of St. Veronica is celebrated on July 12.

St. Veronica is the patron saint of photographers. Little is known about Veronica. She was a follower of Jesus and present during his crucifixion. While Jesus carried the cross, she was moved with compassion. She knelt in front of Jesus and used her veil to wipe his face clean. Her kindness is commemorated on the sixth station of the cross prayed by the church. The soldiers pushed Veronica away and she later discovered the imprint of Christ’s face on her veil. It is believed that Veronica left her veil in the care of Pope Clement I, the successor to St. Peter. The veil known as Veronica’s Veil is on display at St.Peter’s Basilica.

The name Veronica means “true image”.

St. Veronica
We are nothing without God…
but if we put our lives in God’s hands,
miracles happen.
Quote of St. Teresa of Calcutta; Feast day September 5
July is the Month of the  Most Precious Blood..

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