All posts by Vicki Scheenstra

Vicki Scheenstra is a former Catholic Bookstore owner and has been active in Catholic Education.

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John the Evangelist; Feast Day December 27




St. John the Evangelist on Patmos

December 27 is the feast day of St. John the Evangelist. He is the patron of writers, editors, and publishers. This honor is due to his writing of the fourth gospel, three epistles and the Book of Revelations.

John was the son of Zebedee. He and his brother James the Greater were called by Jesus to follow him as his Apostles. James and John were known as the “sons of thunder”.

John is referred to as the “beloved disciple”. At the Last Supper, it is John who sat next to Jesus. He is the only apostle not to die a martyr’s death.

In the gospels, John with Peter and James were the only witnesses to Jesus raising of the daughter of Jairus. (Luke 8.40) They were also at the transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. Jesus sent only John and Peter into the city for the preparation of the final Passover meat. ( Last Supper).

The writings of John have been very important in the life of the church. It was the last gospel written. John did not focus on the parables of Jesus. He focused on the divinity of Jesus and the major themes of Jesus teaching. The first chapter of John especially focuses on the divinity of Jesus.

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1.1)

The gospel of John contains the “I am” sayings of Jesus. These sayings teach us a a great deal about Jesus. They are:

  • I am the bread of life (6.35)
  • I am the light of the world (8.12)
  • I am the gate for the sheep (10.7)
  • I am the good shepherd (10.11)
  • I am the way, and the truth, and the life (14.6)
  • I am the vine, you are the branches (15.5)

Reflecting on these gospel readings can help us to know Jesus in a much deeper way. John also shares with us his vision of the “end times” in the Book of Revelation. This book is probably the most misunderstood book in the bible. One of the things it teaches is the Christian belief that good will be victorious over evil. The book of Revelation also gives us the image of Jesus as “The Lamb of God”.

St. John was the only apostle who did not flee during the death of Jesus. He stood courageously at the foot of the cross with Mary and the other women. It is during the crucifixion that Jesus says,

“Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple. “Here is your mother.“ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19.26)

This is why Catholics consider Mary to be their spiritual mother.

The home John and Mary lived in is believed to be in Ephesus. After its discovery, it became a shrine for pilgrims. Tradition states that Joseph had died earlier in the life of Jesus. John lived primarily in Jerusalem and Ephesus after the crucifixion. He founded churches in Asia Minor.

Popular legend tells us Roman officers attempted to poison him. However, when John blessed the chalice the poison was turned into a snake. He was then ordered cast into boiling oil but because he was uninjured he was banished to the island of Patnos for a year. He lived to an old age, dying around the year 100.

Prayer to St. John the Evangelist

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illuminated by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life, through Jesus Christ Our Lord, who lives and reigns with your and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever. Amen

St. John is the author of the Gospel of John.

In the beginning

was the Word,

and the Word was God.

Gospel of John

St. John the Evangelist in Art

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

 

Save

Save

Save

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Stephen, Feast Day December 26




Stoning of St. Stephen

The feast day of St. Stephen is celebrated on December 26.  He was a disciple of Jesus.

St. Stephen is believed to be one of the 72 original disciples of Our Lord. After the ascension of Jesus he became one of the first seven deacons of the Catholic Church. He is considered the first to be martyred for the faith.  In the book of Acts:6 we learn the story of the plot against St. Stephen. He was accused of blasphemy against the Jewish temple. This resulted in him being condemned and then stoned to death. Before his death he cried out to the Lord to forgive those persecuting him.

 

Look! I see an opening in the sky, and the Son of Man standing

at God’s right hand…Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Lord, do not hold this sin against them.

Quote of St. Stephen

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

Save

Save

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: The Feast of the Nativity, Feast Day December 25




Unlike Easter which has always been celebrated by the Church, the feast day of Christmas was not firmly established until the fourth century. Because the birthday of Jesus was unknown, it was decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. This would also coincide with the winter solstice festivals. The date symbolizes that Jesus is the Light of the World. In the Gospel of John 8:12 Jesus said;

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

Christmas also focuses on the two natures of Jesus Christ. He is both full divine and fully human. It states in Luke 2:9:

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid; for see…I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying;

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another;

“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

 

The Word of God,

the Day whose light shines

upon the angel…

put on flesh and was born

of the the Virgin Mary.

Quote of St. Augustine; Feast day August 28

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

Save

Save

 

Save

Save

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Emiliana and St. Trasila, Feast Day December 24




St. Emiliana

 

 

The feast day of St. Emiliana and Trasila is celebrated on December 24.  They were both Aunts of St. Gregory the Great.

 

St. Gregory the Great’s father had three sisters, Emiliana, Trasila and Gordiana.  Gordiana eventually married.  Trasila and Emilana lived in their father’s house living a life of prayer.  They lived as if in a convent, praying  many hours with joy and peace.  They both made great spiritual progress.

Tarsilla had a vision of her great grandfather inviting her to join him in heaven.  She died on Dec. 24th.  This left her sister in grief on Christmas day.  However, Tarsilla appeared to Emiliana several days after her death, asking her to celebrate Epiphany with her in heaven.  Emiliana died on the eve of Epiphany, Jan. 5.

 

The feast day for both St. Emiliana and St. Tarsilla is celebrated on Dec. 24.

 

“Since I began to love, love has never forsaken me.  It has grown to its own fullness within my innermost heart.”

Quote of St. Catherine of Genoa;  Feast Day September 15

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

Save




Save

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Cantius, Feast Day December 23




St. John Cantius

The feast Day of St. John Cantius is celebrated on December 23.  He was a priest in Poland.

St. John Cantius was born in 1397 in the Polish town of Kanty. He is also known as St. John of Kanty. He studied at a university in Krakow, Poland. After being ordained a priest, he was offered a position as rector of a school in Miechow. During this time he studied the writings and spirituality of St. Augustine. In 1429, he returned to Krakow, accepting a position in the Philosophy Department at Jagiellonian University. Eventually, he became the head of the Philosophy Dept. then the directorship of the University’s Theology Department.

St. John led a very austere life. He kept only what he absolutely needed, sleeping little and on the floor. He ate very little, consuming no meat. He was known for his kindness and generosity and was taken advantage of because of it. St. John had an affinity to the less fortunate and to the students.

At the time of his death in 1472, he was beloved and considered a holy man. Veneration began immediately after his death.

Pope John Paul II had a devotion to this saint from Poland.

 

Fight all error, but do it with good humor,
patience, kindness, and love.
Harshness will damage your own soul
and spoil the best cause.

Quote of St. John Cantius

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

 

Save

Save

Save

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Flavian, Feast Day December 22




St. Flavian

The feast day of St. Flavian is celebrated on December 22.

St. Flavian became the Patriarch of Constantinople after the death of Patriarch Proclus. It was a time of great turmoil in the church. St. Flavian convened a Local Council at Constantinople to discuss the heresy of Eutyches, which believed Jesus was Divine but not human.

When Eutyches persisted in his belief, he was excommunicated from the Church. Chrysathius, a friend of Eutyches, defended him and won his equital and the condemnation of Patrizrch Flavian.

Flavian suffered sever beatings and then he was chained and sentenced to banishment.

St. Flavian suffered martyrdom in August, 449.

 

Let us who are about to greet

the birthday of the Lord

clean our consciences.

Quote of St. Maximus of Turin; Feast day June 25

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

Save

Save

Save