The feast day of St. Germaine Cousins is celebrated on June 15. St. Gemaine was born in the small village of Pebrac, France in 1579. Her mother died soon after her birth. Germaine was born with a paralyzed right arm and a disease which caused abscesses around the neck.
Her father soon remarried. The step-mother treated her harshly, refusing to let her sleep in the house. Germaine slept on a mattress of hay in the stable or in the cupboard under the stairs. She was underfed being given only scraps of food and forbidden to play with her step-siblings.
At an early age, Germaine was given the chore of caring for the family sheep. While caring for the sheep, Germaine developed a relationship with God, attending Mass whenever possible. When she heard the nearby church bells ring, she entrusted the sheep to her guardian angel so that she could receive communion. The sheep were always found safe on her return.
One day in the winter the village people saw the stepmother pursuing Germaine and accusing her of stealing bread and concealing it in her apron. She threatened to hit her with a stick and Germaine opened her apron. Summer flowers fell to the ground. After this incident the parents decided she had been touched by God and invited her to live in the house. Germaine, however, refused. She preferred to go on living as she had been.
One morning in 1601 she was found dead in the cupboard under the stairs at the age of 21. After her death her body became very beautiful. Word spread and many people came to see the change. She was buried in the church of Pibrac. Forty three years later when a relative had died and was to be buried, her body was exhumed and found to be incorruptand flexible.
St. Germaine was canonized on June 29 1867 by Pope Pius IX.
The Feast day of St. Elisha is celebrated on June 14. St. Elisha was a prophet in the ninth century. His Hebrew name means “God is Salvation”.
St. Elisha was called to follow the prophet Elijah, his mentor, when Elijah cast his mantle on him indicating that he was to be his successor. As Elijah ascended into heaven in a fiery chariot, Elisha asked for a double portion of St. Elijah’s spirit. The spirit he received enabled him to protect the faith.
St. Elisha was known for many miracles. He divided the waters of Jordan. He made the water from the Jericho Spring fit to drink. He saved a poor widow from death by increasing the oil in her vessel. He raised a child back to life after death. He healed a Syrian officer from leprosy by having him bathe in the Jordan seven times.
St. Elisha continued the devotion begun by Elijah to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. He is considered a patron saint of the Carmelite Order. According to tradition, Elijah had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The title of Mary “Star of the Sea” is believed go have originated with this vision.
St. Elisha died from old age at Samaria.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?
The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua by Bartolome Esteban Murillo
The feast day of St. Anthony of Padua is celebrated on June 13. He is the patron saint of sailors, lost articles and fishermen.
St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195. His name at Baptism was Fernando. At the age of 15 Fernando entered the Augustinian Monastery. He did not focus on his studies and prayer, but spent time with friends and enjoyed political discussions. He was sent to Coimbra where he studied for nine years. He was ordained a priest during this time.
A turning point occurred in Fernando’s life after the massacre of five Franciscans. They had been tortured and beheaded. Their bodies were returned from Morocco and carried in a solemn procession to Fernando’s monastery. He was inspired to change orders and become a Franciscan, taking the name Anthony.
St. Anthony was sent to Morocco. but decided to return after becoming ill. He never arrived. His ship was hit by stormy weather and sent off course. He eventually landed on the East coast of Sicily. He was nursed back to health by the friars. While still ill, he attended the great Pentecost Chapter of Mats which was attended by 3000 Friars including St. Francis. Anthony was asked to give a short simple sermon. From then on he became a public preacher. The fire and knowledge with which he spoke inspired many to conversion.
St. Anthony made over 400 trips across Italy and France preaching against heresies. He presented the Christian faith in a positive light. Anthony became the teacher of sacred theology to the friars.
In 1226, St. Anthony was appointed provincial superior at the age of 31. It was in Padua that St. Anthony preached his last and most famous Lenten sermon. The crowds were near 30,000 so he preached in open fields. He was exhausted after the sermon. He knew death was near and received the last rites in the town of Arcilla singing with the friars there.
Shortly before he died he exclaimed,
“I see my Lord!”
He died in 1231 at the age of 36 after serving as a Franciscan for ten years.
St. Anthony is often shown in art holding the child Jesus in his arms. Tradition tells us that one night as Anthony was praying the room was filled with brilliant light. Jesus appeared to St. Anthony as a little child.
St. Anthony was canonized in 1232 by Pope Gregory IX. In 1946 Pope Pius XII declared him a Doctor of the Church.
Poverty is an easy way to God…
Poverty is the mother of humility.
It is as difficult to preserve humility amid riches
How do we come to know and love God? The first commandment is:
“Love the Lord thy God with your whole heart, mind, and soul.”
How is it possible to love someone we don’t know? When we truly love someone we don’t fear them, we want to spend time with them; we enjoy their company.
Prayer is the way we come to know God. It is not enough to pray just on Sunday. If we love God, we will pray without ceasing…always, … in our thoughts and in our actions.
Knowing the different forms of prayer can help us explore getting to know God better. When Jesus was asked by his disciples how to pray he responded by giving us the well known “Lord’s Prayer”.
The following are different types of prayer:
1. Prayer of petition: When we ask for specific things we are making a petition. Hopefully we also say “Thy will be done.” Our will is not always God’s will. This is why God’s answer is sometimes “No, I have a better solution.”
Prayer of intercession: When we pray for the welfare of someone else, this is the prayer of intercession. When the saints pray for us they are interceding for us.
Prayer of Glory, Praise and Thanksgiving. Saying thank you to God is an important part of our spiritual journey. Remember the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers? Only one returned and thanked Jesus. Let me be grateful for all the gifts God gives me.
Prayer of Adoration: This prayer is acknowledging God as our creator; all good and all powerful.
Prayer of Quiet: This prayer is the prayer of LISTENING to God. We sit quietly in the presence of God, quiet our mind, and ask God to lead us. We find God in the silence. Actually, God finds us.
6. Scripture: Reading Holy Scripture is a form of prayer. We read and meditate on both the Old and the New Testament.
Music: Music is a powerful way to pray. “When we sing we pray twice.” St. Augustine. Music is prayer which comes from the heart. Some people find it easier to connect with God with this type of prayer.
Meditation: Reflection on nature, art, humanity and scripture are all forms of meditation. Take the time to reflect on what is happening in your life. Ask God to lead you in your meditative prayer.
The Catholic Mass: It incorporates all of these types of prayer. During the Mass we pray for others, give glory and thanks, ask for mercy and guidance, listen to scripture, adore Christ in the Eucharist, and pray through silence and singing.
10. Praying can be either spontaneous or memorized. When we are in a crisis it is sometimes hard to know what to say to God. This is when memorized prayer is very powerful. The Catholic Church has many formal prayers for every occasion and need. They guide us when we are at a loss for words. Spontaneous prayer is also a very meaningful way to pray to God.
When Jesus is our closest friend, we can tell him anything. Praying on a regular basis in all these different ways helps us to come closer to God. Letting ourselves be led by God in prayer is how we put into action the first commandment.
Loving God means spending time with him. Each of us has a different prayer style. If we are too busy to pray, we are too busy for God. God does not force himself on anyone. If you are having difficulty praying start by meditating on the Our Father, the prayer Jesus himself gave us. Ponder each word in the prayer. Your relationship with God will begin to grow.
The Lord’s Prayer
Their is a different prayer style for each person. Each of the saints also prays in a way that is special to that saint If you are searching for the type of prayer that works for you a wonderful book to read is Six Ways to Pray from Six Great Saints by Gloria Hutchinson.
This book introduces you to six different saints: St. Francis of Assisi (Franciscan), St. Clare ( Poor Clares), St. Teresa of Lisieux (Carmelite), St. Therese of Avila (Carmelite), St. John of the Cross (Carmelite ) and St. Ignatius of Loyola (Jesuit). You will learn not only their story but also their prayer style. Each chapter contains exercises to help you discover what type of prayer works best for you. When I read this book, I learned about the “Prayer of Detachment” taught by St. John of the Cross. The exercises helped me to practice and meditate in a way I had never tried before. I encourage everyone to read it and discover their own prayer type.
The feast day of St. Gaspar Bertoni is celebrated on June 12.
St. Gaspar was born in Verona in the Republic of Venice on Oct. 9, 1777 into a wealthy family. His baby sister died leaving him an only child. After his 1st communion at age 11, St. Gaspar was called into a mystical union with Christ. He entered the seminary at 18. During his first year as a seminarian the French army invaded his country. He dedicated himself to caring for the sick and wounded, becoming a member of a Gospel Fraternity for the Hospitals.
St. Gaspar was ordained a priest on Sept. 20, 1800. He was put in charge of youth formation. He also became the spiritual director of the religious community of St. Joseph’s convent. Here he met Leapoldina Naudet and was her spiritual guide. He helped her found the Sisters of the Holy Family. St. Gaspar also directed Servant of God Teodora Compostrini who founded the Community “Sorelle Minime” of the Charity of the Sorrowful Mother. By 1810, he became the spiritual director of the diocesan seminary.
St. Gaspar kept a spiritual diary in which he tells of his mystical gifts and his call to form a religious family. With the help of two companions he began the order in a church named “The Stigmata of St. Francis.” They began a tuition free school. They lived together in common, living a life of penance and contemplation.
St. Gaspar almost died from military fever. While he was sick he continued to counsel many people. The Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ was also known as the Stigmatines. It gradually spread from Verona to the United States, Brazil, Chile, The Philippines, south Africa, Tanzania, and Thailand.
St. Gaspar died in 1836 after the cholera outbreak of 1836. During his lifetime he was attributed with many miracles. He was canonized in 1954.
The feast day of St. Barnabas is celebrated on June 11.
St. Barnabas was Jewish. He was given the name of Joseph at birth. He sold his property and gave the proceeds to the Apostles who named him Barnabas. Barnabas means ‘son of consolation’ or ‘man of encouragement’. The bible tells us he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. He lived in common with the earliest Christian converts. While he was not one of the original apostles, he is believed to be one of the 72 commissioned by Jesus to preach. He is given the honorary title of Apostle.
St. Barnabas
St. Barnabas was one of the first to welcome St. Paul as a disciple of Jesus. He persuaded the community to accept Paul. Barnabas was sent to Antioch, Syria to investigate a community of non-Jewish believers there and brought Paul there from Tarsus. The followers of The Way were first called Christians at Antioch. Barnabas, his cousin John Mark and the Apostle Paul traveled together on their first missionary journey. They went to Cyprus, Perga, Antioch, and Iconium, and Lystra in Lycaomia. After being stoned they returned to Antioch.
Paul and Barnabas attended the counsel of Jerusalem which was discussing whether Christians needed to be circumcised before baptism.
St. Barnabas preached in Alexandria and Rome before being stoned to death at Salamis in the year 61. He is considered the founder of the Cypriot Church.
Let us be about God’s business and He will look after ours.
