The feast day of the Conversion of St. Paul is celebrated on Jan. 25. St. Paul is the patron saint of writers, publishers, musicians and evangelists. St. Paul was not one of the original twelve Apostles. He persecuted the early Christians. He was present at the stoning of St. Stephen, the first martyr. On the road to Damascus, he was struck by a heavenly light. He heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked “Who are you Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:4-6)
After three days of blindness, scales fell off his eyes. He joined the Apostles becoming known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. St. Paul convinced St. Peter that the Gentiles did not need to become Jewish to follow Jesus. Because of this decision they decided not to require Gentiles to be circumcised to become Christian.
St. Paul wrote many of the books in the New Testament. He was instrumental in the Council of Jerusalem His missionary journeys took him many places: Asia Minor, Macedonia, Jerusalem and Europe.
St. Paul spoke about the mystical body of the church. He taught that the church is the living Body of Christ. It is one body, made up of many parts. It’s members are given different gifts to serve the Lord.
St. Paul suffered many hardships including three shipwrecks. St. Paul died a martyr. He was beheaded in Rome in the year 65.
St. Paul is the patron saint of writers, publishers, musicians and evangelists.
The Feast of Sts. Peter and St. Paul is celebrated June 29.
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
The Crucifixion of St. Andrew the Apostle by Mattia Preti
The feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle is celebrated on November 30. He is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Andrew was the first of the twelve Apostles to be called by Jesus.
Mark 1:16-20 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
St. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. He was a fisherman and a follower of St. John the Baptist. When he heard the call of Jesus, he immediately left everything and followed Him.
After the ascension of Jesus to heaven, Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. In the year 70 he became a martyr. He was put to death on a cross to which he was tied, not nailed. It was a cross in the form of an X, which is now called “St. Andrew’s Cross”. He lived for two days, suffering, yet still preaching the gospel.
Three countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron: Russia, Scotland and Greece. He is also the patron of fishermen.
St. Andrew’s relics are kept at the Basilica of St. Andrew in Patras, Greece.
“How blind man is when he refuses to open his heart to the light of faith!”
The feast day of St. Simon and St. Jude is celebrated on the same day…October 28. They were both Apostles and Martyrs. St. Simon is the patron saint of tanners. St. Jude is the patron saint of impossible causes.
St. Simon was the second Bishop of Jerusalem. He preached in Egypt and Persia with St. Jude where both suffered martyrdom.
There are two stories of his death. The first has him dying by crucifixion in Samaria. The second has him sawed in half in Persia.
St. Simon and St. Jude
St. Jude was the son of Cleohas, who died a martyr and Mary who stood at the foot of the cross. He was the brother of St. James the Lesser. and a cousin to Jesus. He was a fisherman. He is not to be confused with Judas Iscariot, who was a traitor.
After the resurrection. Jude preached in Syria and Persia with St. Simon. He was a healer and an exorcist. He was beaten to death with a club then beheaded in Persia. His relics are at St. Peter’s Basilica, in Rome.
As apostles, both St. Simon and St. Jude became close to Jesus. They truly believed he was the Lord. After the Resurrection they spent their life spreading the good news of salvation. Their martyrdom shows us the depth of their love for Jesus.
Come my light, and illumine my darkness.
Come my Life and revive me from death.
Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds.
Come, Flame of Divine Love, and burn up the thorns of my sins, kindling my heart with the flame of your love.
Come my King, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there.
For you alone are my King and my Lord.
Prayer of St. Dimitri of Rostov; Feast Day October 28
Sept. 21 is the feast day of St. Matthew the Apostle. The Catholic Church will be celebrating his life and martyrdom during the holy Mass. St. Matthew is the patron saint of accountants and bankers.
St. Matthew is also known as “Levi”. Matthew was a tax collector by trade. Tax collectors were despised by most of the people. He was called by Jesus to be one of the twelve Apostles.
The Apostles lived and traveled with Jesus during the three years leading up to his crucifixion. After the crucifixion they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecostand began to spread the “Good News” of salvation.
It is believed that St. Matthew is the author of the first gospel. This gospel was written in Aramaic, which was the language of the Hebrew people. The Gospel of Matthew is referred to as the “teaching gospel”. It contains most of the parables of Jesus and the Beatitudes, which were given to us by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Matthew is believed to have preached in Ethiopia. Reports of his martyrdom vary greatly. It is not known if he was burned, stoned, beheaded or killed with an ax. However, the Church considers him to be a martyr who died for the faith. Traditional prayer:
Glorious St. Matthew, in your Gospel you portray Jesus as the longed-for Messiah who fulfilled the Prophets of the Old Covenant and as the new Lawgiver who founded a Church of the New Covenant. Obtain for us the grace to see Jesus living in His Church and to follow his teachings in our lives on earth so that we may live forever with him in heaven.
Acquire the spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.
Quote of St. Seraphim of Sarov; Feast Day February 5
St. Bartholomew was born in Galilee. He was also known as Nathanael. Bartholomew was one of the original twelve Apostles called by Jesus. We know very little about Bartholomew except that he was faithful to Jesus and did his best to spread Christianity after the Resurrection of Jesus. St. Bartholomew is the patron saint against neurological diseases and leather workers.
Bartholomew was present at the Last Supper and he witnessed the Ascension.
After the resurrection, Bartholomew preached in India, Ethiopia and Asia Minor. He was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages in Armenia for converting souls to Christianity.
The feast day of St. Bartholomew is celebrated on Aug. 24.
