Category Archives: Faith

Doctor of the Church, Faith, Jesuit Saints, patron saints, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Peter Canisius, Feast Day December 21




St. Peter Canisius

The Feast Day of St. Peter Canisius is celebrated on December 21.  He is the patron saint of the Catholic Press, a Jesuit priest and a Doctor of the Church.

St. Peter Canistius was born in Holland in 1521. He received his masters degree at the age of 19 from the University of Cologne. He studied art, law, and theology. He met Peter Faber, the first disciple of Ignatius, at a retreat. Soon after, he decided to become a member of the Society of Jesus, (the Jesuits). He was ordained in 1546. During the Council of Trent he was a delegate. St. Peter taught at several universities and established colleges and seminaries. He also wrote a catechism for lay people which was easy to understand. It was translated into twelve languages. He was an eloquent preacher, leading the counter reformation and renewing the faith in southern Germany. He also led reform in Austria, Bavaria and Bohemia.

After Mass one day, he received a vision of the Sacred Heart. Afterward, he offered his work to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Prior to his death he suffered from a paralytic seizure. He continued preaching and writing until his death on Dec. 21, 1597.

“Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.”

Quote of St. Peter Chrysologus 

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Dominican Saints, Faith, Martyr

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Thomas De and Companions, Feast Day December 19




Japanese Martyrs

The Feast Day of St. Thomas De and Companions is celebrated on December 19.

St. Thomas was a tailor in Vietnam who entered the Dominican Order as a tertiary.  He was arrested and charged with giving aid and shelter to foreign missionaries.  He was strangled at the age of 26.

The companions of St. Thomas De were Dominic Uy, Augustine Moi, Xavier May and Francis Man.

Augustine was also a Dominican tertiary.  He was a day laborer.  He refused to trample a crucifix when he was ordered to do so.  He was strangled.

Francis Xavier was a native catechist and was also strangled.

Francis Man was a Dominican Tertiary working as a catechist when arrested.

St. Thomas De and Companions were among the 117 Vietnamese martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

“Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side;
Hope supports it on the other;
Experience says it must be
and Love says…Let it be.
Quote of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton;  Feast Day January 4
December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Carmelite Saints, Doctor of the Church, Faith, patron saints, Prayer, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of the Cross, Feast Day December 14




 

St. John of the CrossPrayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of the Cross, Feast Day December 14

 

The Feast Day of St. John of the Cross is celebrated on December 14.  Because of his mystical writing, he is called the Mystical Doctor. He is one of the 35 Doctors of the Church. He is the patron of mystics.

Juan de Yepes Alvarez was born in Spain in 1542. His father was disowned by the family when he married a weavers’ daughter. His father died soon after his birth. Most of Juan’s childhood was spent in poverty. As a teenager, Juan worked in a hospital caring for the terminally ill and mental patients.

At the age of 21, Juan became a brother in the Carmelite Order. He went for higher studies in Slamanca and was ordained a priest, taking the name of John of the Cross at age 25. He soon met St. Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun, who convinced him to help her in the work of reforming the Carmelite Order. There was great resistance to the reforming of the order to a more prayerful life. Those against the reform actually kidnapped him. They held him prisoner for over nine months in a small cell, six by ten feet wide. He was beaten often. During this time of trial, St. John of the Cross became very close to God, spending his time writing his mystical poetry. He eventually escaped using a rope made of strips of blankets to climb out the window. The only thing he took with him was his writings. John hid in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From this period on he shared his experience of God’s love.

St. John of the Cross wrote many books including:

St. John of the Cross
  • Ascent of Mount Carmel,
  • Dark Night of the Soul
  • A Spiritual Canticle
  • Living Flame of Love

In 1579, he became Rector of Colegio de San Basilio, continuing his writing ministry. He is known for a spirituality which believes in the prayer of detachment. His spirituality also focused on joining our suffering to the Paschal Mystery  (the death and suffering of Jesus Christ).   He taught that the Cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial of self to union with God.

St. John of the Cross died of fever caused by cellulitus. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. His feast day is Dec. 14, the day of his death and entry into heaven.

“Live in the world as if only God

and your soul were in it;

then your heart will never be made

captive by any earthly thing.”

Quote of St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross

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Faith, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Lucy, Feast Day December 13




 

St. Lucy
by Domenico di Pace Beccafumi

The Feast Day of St. Lucy is celebrated on December 13.  She is the patron saint of the blind and visually impaired.  She is also a martyr.

St. Lucy was born in 283 in Syracuse (Sicily). The name Lucy means “Light”. Her feast day is celebrated on Dec. 13, the day she was executed.

Lucy was born into a wealthy family of Greek ancestry. She vowed her life to Christ. Her Roman father died when she was young. Her mother tried against her will to arrange a marriage for her. After Lucy prayed at the tomb of St. Agatha, her mother’s illness (probably a hemorrhage), was cured. Her mother then agreed to let Lucy consecrate herself to Christ and to remain a virgin.

The rejected suitor of Lucy denounced her and reported her Christianity to the authorities. The magistrate Paschasius was known for his persecution and torture of Christians. He ordered her to burn a sacrifice to the emperor’s image. When she refused, she was ordered to be executed, in the year 304, at the age of 21. The attempt to burn her to death failed, so she was executed by a sword to the throat.    Before the execution, she was tortured, having her eyes gouged. This is why she is the patron of the blind and visually impaired. In art St. Lucy is frequently shown holding a golden plate with her eyes on it.

Legend concludes that God restored her sight before her death.

While some of the history of St. Lucy is legend, her name is mentioned in several different places, including the canon of St. Gregory, indicating that she is a real person. By the sixth century, devotion to St. Lucy was widespread.

 

“O Jesus, Divine Savior,

  • grant that I be no longer deaf

to your heavenly call.”

Quote of St. Katherine Drexel; Feast Day March 3

 


St. Lucy

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Faith, Our Lady, patron saints

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Feast Day December 12




Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on Dec. 12. She has been named the patron of the Americas.

Our Lady appeared to a peasant near Mexico City named Juan Diego in 1529. She appeared to him as an Aztec Princess, and spoke in his native tongue. She requested he tell the bishop to build a church on the site. Initially the bishop was skeptical, demanding proof of the vision. Juan Diego returned to the site of the vision to find Castillo Roses blooming in the frozen earth. He collected them and returned to the bishop. When he opened his cloak, the flowers fell to the ground and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was imprinted on his cloak. (The miracle of the roses) His cloak is under glass, on display, in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was soon built. Over six million soon converted to the faith because of the apparition.

There have been many apparitions of Mary over time. Not all of them have been approved by the Church. While belief in the apparitions is not a requirement, devotion to the approved apparitions are encouraged. Before an apparition can be approved it is thoroughly investigated by the Vatican.

The church teaches us that Mary always leads us to her Son, Jesus. Jesus is both human and divine; Mary is human only, but the mother of Our Lord. We consider her our spiritual mother, to whom we can always turn to for intercessory prayer. (To Jesus, Thru Mary)

Anyone who is questioning the reverence held for Mary should ask themselves several questions.

  • Do the commandments require us to honor our father and mother?
  • Did Jesus honor Mary?
  • Are we not called to imitate Jesus?
  • Why then, should we not honor Mary, His mother?

The following prayer to Mary is a sample of intercessory prayer. In this type of prayer, we ask a saint, or another person, to pray for us and with us.

BeautifulVirgin of Guadalupe, I ask you on behalf of all my brothers and sisters of the world that you bless us and protect us. Give us proof of your love and kindness. Oh pure Virgin of Guadalupe, give me through your Son, forgiveness for my sins, blessings for my job, cure for my diseases and needs, and all that you deem necessary. I ask for my family, Oh Mother of God, do not disdain the pleas we present to you in our needs. Amen

 

“Oh, how happy is the soul

that freely lets herself be

molded to the liking

of this Divine Savior.”

Quote of St. Jane Frances de Chantel

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Faith, Our Lady, Saint of the Day, Spirituality, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Juan Diego, Feast Day December 9



 St. Juan Diego

The Feast Day of St. Juan Diego is celebrated on December 9. Juan was born in a ward of Tlayacac in Cuauhtitlan. His birth name was Cuauhtlatzin, which means “The talking eagle”. He was a farmer and a weaver. He is the first indigenous American Saint.

After the arrival of the Franciscans, Juan and his wife, Maria Lucia, converted to the Catholic faith in 1524-1525. Juan was baptized by Father Peter da Gand at the age of 50. He and his wife moved closer to Mexico City to be closer to the Franciscan Catholic Mission.

Juan had a special devotion to the Eucharist. In 1529, several years after his conversion, Maria Lucia died. As a widower, he walked 15 miles three times a week to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist.

One Saturday, on Dec. 9, as he was walking to Mass, a woman’s voice called out to him as he passed Tepeyac Hill. He heard music and saw a cloud encircled by a rainbow. Our Lady appeared to him dressed as an Aztec princess. She told him she was The Virgin Mary and asked him to tell the bishop to build a church on that site. She said to him;

“I vividly desire that a church be built on this site, so that in it I can be present and give my love, compassion, help and defense, for I am your most devoted mother….to hear your laments and to remedy all your miseries, pains, and sufferings.”

When he told the bishop what had happened, the bishop was kind, but skeptical. He requested proof. Before Juan could return to the site, he learned his uncle was dying. On his way to see his uncle, Our Lady appeared to him again, telling him his uncle had been cured. She told Juan to climb to the top of the hill where she had first appeared. When he did this he was shocked to find flowers growing in the frozen earth. He gathered them in his cloak and took them to the bishop. When he opened his cloak, the flowers that fell to the ground were Castilian roses (not native to Mexico). The bishop saw a glowing image of Our Lady imprinted inside Juan’s cloak. This is referred to as The Miracle of the Roses.

Soon after, a church was built at the site. In the seven years following the building of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, six million people converted to the church because of the apparition. Twenty million pilgrims visit the Basilica yearly, second only to St. Peters Basilica in Rome.

An investigation by the Vatican (which included thirty researchers) confirmed that Juan Diego was not a mythical character.

Pope John Paul II praised St. Juan Diego for his simple faith who said to the Virgin Mary,

“I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf”

Pope John Paul II called him a model of humility.

Our Lady of Guadalupe has been declared the patroness of the Americas.

St. Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a hut near the church, caring for both the church and the first pilgrims.  St. Juan Diego died on May 30, 1548.

The Cloak of Juan Diego was framed and is on display at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is still intact, showing no signs of decay after nearly five hundred years.

The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on Dec. 12th.

God calls and chooses us in the way we will be most pleasing to Him.

Quote of St. Catherine of Sienna; Feast Day April 29

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Faith, Feast Days, Our Lady, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Immaculate Conception of Mary, Feast Day December 8



 

The Immaculate Conception
by Padre Manuel

The Feast day of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on Dec. 8 during the season of Advent.  The feast day celebrates the belief that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. It is often misunderstood as the celebration of the conception of Jesus.

Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception is the Patron Saint of Brazil and the United States.

The feast day became a celebration for the universal church in the 18th century. Pope Pius IX declare;

“The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

Mary herself confirmed her title to St. Bernadette saying to her;

” I am the Immaculate Conception.”

The largest Marian shrine in the U S. is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception located in Washington D.C.

Just as Eve was conceived without sin, Mary also was conceived without sin. Mary is considered, ‘the new Eve’.

Rather than disobeying God, Mary said, “Let it be.”

Purer than heaven’s purest angels, brighter than its brightest seraph:
Mary, after her Creator, God, made her and gave her all,
the most perfect of beings, the masterpiece of Infinite Wisdom,
Almighty Power and Eternal Love.
To such a being we cannot reasonably suppose that
a perfection was denied her which had been already
gratuitously bestowed on inferior creatures;
on the angelic spirits.
Quote of St. John N. Newmann; Feast Day January 5
The Immaculate Conception in Art     
December is the Month of the Divine Infancy.       

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Christmas, Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Nicholas, Feast Day December 6




 

The Feast Day of St. Nicholas is celebrated on December 6

St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas

.  He is the patron saint of children, sailors, and bakers.  He served as the Bishop of Myra.

St. Nicholas was born in the fourth century in Patara in Lycia, which is a province of Asia Minor. Many churches have been built in his honor. His parents were wealthy but it It is believed he was orphaned at a young age. As a young man he decided to devote his inheritance to charities. After returning from a pilgrimage to Palestine and Egypt he was ordained the Bishop of Myra. He was imprisoned during the Diocletian persecution and released when Constantine came into power.

St. Nicholas was known for his kindness and generosity. He found many opportunities to give away his wealth. One of the stories told about St. Nicholas was that he helped a man who had lost all his money. This man had three daughters to support. In an attempt to save the daughters from prostitution, St. Nicholas, in the dark of night, threw bags of gold coins into their home. The coins landed in their shoes and stockings which were by the fire drying. This is the reason children today put out stockings for Santa Claus at Christmas.

St. Nicholas is also known as Sinterklass in the Dutch culture. Many stories have evolved around the generosity of St. Nicholas. There is a tradition that he enjoyed giving gifts to children in secret. The stories inspired many of the traditions surrounding Santa Claus. The clothing Santa Claus wears is similar to that of a bishop.

St. Nicholas died on December 6, 346.

“The habit of seeing things in the light of faith

lifts us above the mists and the mire of the world.”

Quote of Bl. Charles de Foucauld , Feast Day December 1

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Sabas, Feast Day December 5



 

The Feast Day of St. Sabas is celebrated on December 5.  He was a priest and monk.  St. Sabas was born at Mutalaska, Cappadocia.  His father was an army officer. He was raised by an uncle whose wife mistreated him.

At the age of eight Sabas ran away to another uncle, only to run away again later when a dispute arose. He went to live in a monastery. At the age of 30, he became a hermit. St. Euthymius was his advisor. When Euthymius died, he lived alone in the desert for four years.

Although he loved solitude, disciples were drawn to him, eventually numbering 150 monks. A priest was requested and he accepted ordination in 491. His followers were from Egypt and Armenia. They built several hospitals.

St. Sabas lived to over 90 years of age. He is considered one of the founders of Eastern Monasticism.

Everywhere and forever

we are in God’s hands.

Quote of Bl. Theodore Romzha; Feast Day Nov. 1

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Damascene, Feast day December 4



 

st-john-damascene-public-domain-image-2

The Feast Day of St. John Damascene is celebrated on December 4.  He was a monk and priest.  St. John Damascene has been given the title Doctor of the Church.

St. John grew up under Muslim rule in Damascus, born to Christian parents in 690 . He is known for his arguments defending sacred art, especially icons.

During the 720’s religious art became very controversial and was forbidden by Emperor Leo. John argued in favor of religious art, stating that Christians did not worship images but through them they worshiped God and honored the memory of the Saint.  His arguments made him an enemy of the emperor who had a letter forged in John’s name offering to betray the Muslim government of Damascus. Because of the forgery, John’s hand was cut off.  However, the saints biography states that through the intervention of the Virgin Mary his hand was miraculously healed. After convincing the ruler of his innocence, John decided to become a monk. Eventually he was ordained a priest.

St. John is also known for his poetry and his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our Lady is rest for those who work,
consolation for those who weep,
medicine for the sick,
a harbour for those assailed by tempests,

pardon for sinners,

sweet relief for the sad,
succor for those who implore.
Quote of St. John Damascene

200px-john_damascus_arabic_icon-public-domain-image

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Faith, Incorruptible, Jesuit Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Francis Xavier, Feast Day Dec. 3




 

Preaching St. Francis Xavier By Carlone Gesu Public Domain Image
Preaching St. Francis Xavier
By Carlone Gesu

 

The Feast Day of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated on December 3.  He is the patron saint of foreign missions and the co-founder of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.

St. Francis Xavier was born in the Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain). He was born in the Basque area, on April 7, 1506. He studied at the University of Paris.

When he met Ignatius of Loyola, they became friends and Francis became a student of St. Ignatius. He then became a co- founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), with Ignatius. With St. Ignatius, he was ordained a priest in 1537. In 1956 Francis left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice. The Society was recognized by the Pope in 1540.

Francis preached in India, Japan, Borneo, and Moluccas. Over a period of ten years, he baptized roughly 30,000 people to Christianity. He is said to have converted more people to Christianity than anyone other than St. Paul.

In 1552 he set out for China landing on the Island of Shangchuan.. He died from a fever before he reached the mainland while waiting to be taken to China. He was first buried on a beach at Shangchuan Island. His incorrupt body was taken from the island in 1553 and temporarily buried in St. Paul’s Church in Portuguese, Malacca.

St. Francis Xavier was known as the “Apostle of the Indias.”

The Novena of Grace was a popular devotion to Francis Xavier and typically prayed for nine days before Dec. 3.

 

“I love You, not because You have the power to give heaven or hell,

but simply because You are You…my kin and my God.”

Quote of St. Francis Xavier]
St. Francis Xavier in Art 

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Apostle, Faith, Martyr, patron saints

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Andrew the Apostle, Feast Day Nov. 30

The Crucifixion of St. Andrew the Apostle by Mattia Preti
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!”

Quote of St. Bernadette, Feast Day April 16    
            
St. Andrew The Apostle  In Art.   

November is the Month of the Holy Soul

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