All posts by Vicki Scheenstra

Vicki Scheenstra is a former Catholic Bookstore owner and has been active in Catholic Education.
Faith, Franciscan Saints

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Francis of Paola, Feast Day April 2

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St. Francis of Paola
St. Francis of Paola

The feast day of St. Francis of Paola is celebrated on April 2.

St. Francis was born in Paola, Italy in 1416. His parents named him after St. Francis of Assisi. He was educated at San Marco at the Franciscan friary. At the age of fifteen, Francis decided to become a hermit. He lived in a cave on the seashore eating food which grew wild. He soon had followers and they founded an order called the Hermits of St. Francis. The Order was approved by Pope Sixtus IV in 1474. In 1492 the name of the Order was changed to Minim Friars. Minim means ‘least’. The orders primary focus was on humility. It also emphasized penance and chastity.

St. Francis of Paola was credited with many miracles becoming known as a wonder worker. He was also known for his gift of prophecy. He was so well known that King Louis XI of France requested his help while nearing death. Pope Sixtus II ordered him to go to France. Unable to cure the king, St. Francis told him not to fear death but to fear the loss of eternal life. He became the spiritual advisor to the king. He encouraged the king to surrender his heart and soul to God before it was too late. The king died in Francis’ arms in 1482. The son of the king, Charles, became a friend to Francis. He endowed several monasteries for the Minims in France. Francis spent his final years at the monastery in Plessis, France where he died.

St. Francis spent the final three months of his life in complete solitude. He died at the age of 91 on Good Friday, April 2.

 

The recollection of injury is…a rusty arrow and poison for the soul.

Quote of St. Francis of Paola

 

April is the Month of the Eucharist

St. Francis of Paola in Art

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Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Anacleto, Feast Day April 1

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Bl. Anacleto
Bl. Anacleto

The feast day of Bl. Anacleto Gonzalez Florez is celebrated on April 1.  

Bl. Anacleto Gonzalez Florez was born on July 13, 1888 in Tepatitlan, Jalisco, Mexico. He studied law during a time of persecution.

Anacleto was greatly involved in social and religious activities and a member of the Catholic Association of Young Mexicans. He taught religious education, wrote articles and books and was dedicated to works of charity. In 1922 he married Maria Concepcion Guerrero and they had two children.

Anacleto joined the League for the Defense of Religious Freedom after four journalists were murdered. He began a weekly newspaper named “Word”. He was periodically imprisoned; however, he preached the gospel to inmates while in prison.

In 1927 guerrilla warfare spread. Anacleto wrote bulletins from his hiding places. He was captured on April 1, 1927 in the home of the Vargas Gonzalez family. He and two of the Vargas brothers were arrested. Anacleto was tortured be being hung by his thumbs until his fingers were dislocated and having the bottoms of his feet slashed. He refused to give his captors any information.

Bl. Anacleto was sentenced to death and was shot with the Vargas Gonzalez brothers and Luis Padilla Gomez on April 1, 1927.

The last words of Bl. Anacleto were….“I die, but God does not die. Viva! Cristo Rey!”

 

Well, Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few!

Quote of St. Teresa of Avila; Feast day Oct. 15

 

April is the Month of the Eucharist

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Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Benjamin, Feast Day March 31

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St. Benjamin

The feast day of St. Benjamin is celebrated on March 31.

St. Benjamin was a deacon serving in Persia. There had been twelve years of peace in Persia when Abdas, a Christian bishop, burned the Temple of Fire which was a great sanctuary. King Isdegerd threatened to destroy all Christian churches unless it was rebuilt. When Abdas refused to rebuild the sanctuary the King proceeded to carry out his threat.

It was during this time that St. Benjamin was arrested. He was imprisoned for one year for his faith. At the end of the year he was released on the condition that he could not speak about religion.

St. Benjamin declared that it was his duty to preach about Christ and refused to be silent. He was arrested again and tortured. Reeds were thrust between his nails and then withdrawn. A knotted stake was inserted into his bowels to rend and tear him.

St. Benjamin died a martyr in 424.   St. Benjamin is the patron of Evangelists.

 

The cross means there is no shipwreck without hope; there is no dark without dawn; nor storm without haven.

Quote of St. John Paul II; Feast day October 22

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Prayer, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Climacus, Feast Day March 30

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St. John Climacus

The feast day of St. John Climacus is celebrated on March 30. 

St. John Climacus was born in Syria in 525. He enjoyed studying science and the arts. In 547, at the age of 16 he dedicated himself to God. He went to Mt. Sinai to live as a hermit. His spiritual advisor was Martyrius. St. John lived in silence and solitude living with humility and obedience. He never argued with anyone. After four years of living as a hermit John made his profession at the age of twenty.

St. John had received from God the power to heal spiritual disorders. One person he healed was named Isaac who was on the verge of despair by temptations of the flesh. St. John could see that Isaac had faith and said to him, “My son, let us have recourse to God by prayer.” They both lay prostrated on the ground in fervent prayer and Isaac felt the despair leave and was filled with peace. Many others came to John for assistance. Due to jealousy, St. John was censored and accused of vanity. John imposed on himself a year of silence. Those who charged him asked him to resume giving advice and told him not to bury the talent given to him by God.

St. John Climacus 2

St. John became Abbot of Mt. Sinai and Superior General to all the monks and hermits in that country when he was 75. During a severe drought the people asked him to intercede on their behalf to God. His prayers were soon answered with large rain storms.

After four years as Abbot he resigned to prepare for death. St. John died on March 30, 605. After his death, his book Ladder of Divine Ascent became very popular making him very well known.

 

Humility is the only virtue no devil can imitate.  If pride made demons out of angels, there is no doubt that humility can make angels out of demons.

Quote of St. John Climacus

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Mark of Arethusa, Feast Day March 29

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St. Mark of Arethusa
St. Mark of Arethusa

The feast day of St. Mark of Arethusa is celebrated on March 29.  

St. Mark was a priest in Syria during the reign of Constantine. He became the Bishop of Arethan. There were many conversions to Christianity during this time. Mark undertook the challenge of transforming pagan temples into Christian churches. He faced resistance, however his gentle demeanor, compassion and humility made it possible. However, when Emperor Julian the Apostate succeeded the throne the advances of Christianity came to a sudden halt and persecutions began.

A mob turned on St. Mark. The mob demanded that he pay to have the temple rebuilt. When he refused, they tortured him. They cut off his ears, stripped him naked, smeared him with honey and bound him to a tree for wasps, mosquitoes and hornets to eat. He still refused to pay for the temple to be rebuilt. His endurance impressed the people who began to feel sorry for him. They eventually set him free. Many people who had left the faith because of Emperor Julian began to return to the faith.

St. Mark died on March 28, 389.

Our discovery of God is, in a way, God’s discovery of us.  We cannot go to heaven to find Him because we have no way of knowing where heaven is or what it is, He comes down from Heaven and finds us.

Quote of Thomas Merton

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Pope, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Sixtus III, Feast Day March 28

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St. Sixtus III
St. Sixtus III

 

 

The feast day of St. Sixtus III is celebrated on March 28.

  St. Sixtus III was born in Rome, Italy. He became the Bishop of Rome on July 31, 432. While he was Pope he defended the authority of the Papacy. He approved the results of the Council of Ephesus.

Pope Sixtus fought against the heresies of Pelagianism and Nestorianism. While defending the teachings of the Church, Pope Sixtus was also sympathetic and tried to heal the divisions within the church.

Nestorianism denied that Jesus was both human and divine. It believed Jesus existed as two distinct persons: the man Jesus and the divine Son of God. It did not accept Mary as the Mother of God but did believe her to be the Mother of Christ.

Pelagianism did not believe in original sin. It also believed grace was not necessary for salvation; it could be attained by free will.

Pope Sixtus restored St. Peter’s Basilica and St. John Lateran Basilica. He died of natural caused on August 19, 440.

 

Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever, and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.

Quote of St. Augustine of Hippo; Feast day August 28

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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