Category Archives: Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Boste, Feast Day July 24

July 29, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. John Boste is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Their feast day is celebrated together on October 25. The Feast Day of St. John Boste is celebrated on July 24, the anniversary of his death.

St. John Boste was born in Dufton Westmoreland in 1544. He attended Queen’s College, Oxford. He became the first headmaster to serve under Queen Elizabeth l. He converted to Catholicism and was received into the Church in 1576. After leaving England he was ordained a priest in Rheims in 1581.

St. John Boste returned to England as a missionary priest. He evaded arrest for ten years. After a betrayal, he was finally arrested. He was found hiding behind a fireplace after celebrating a forbidden Mass. He was taken to the Tower of London and interrogated on the rack. He was then hung, drawn and quartered while reciting the Angelus prayer.

My function is to invade souls, not to meddle in temporal invasions.

Quote of St. John Boste

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; St. Macrina the Younger, Feast Day July 19

July 27, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of St. Macrina the Younger is celebrated on July 19. She was born into a family of saints during the year 327 in Cesarea. Her grandparents were martyrs. Her grandmother was St. Macrina the Elder. Her parents Basil the Elder and Emmelia are both saints.

Macrina’s mother taught her to read and educated her. Macrina in turn taught her brothers to read. Her brothers were St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Peter of Sebastea.

At the age of twelve, Macrina became engaged to marry. Her fiance died suddenly and she then decided to remain single. She helped her mother raise her brothers as well as helping her mother run the household.

When Macrina’s father died, both Macrina and her mother consecrated themselves to a life of prayer and contemplation.

St. Macrina died a peaceful death in 371 holding the crucifix which she always had near her.

My life is an instant, an hour which passed by.

My life is a moment which I have no power to stay.

You know, O my God, that to love you here on earth…

I have only today.

Quote of St. Therese of Lisieux

July is the Month of the the Most Precious Blood

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Faith, Jesuit Saints, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Feast Day July 14

July 10, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra 2 Comments

St. Kateri Public Domain Image — St. Kateri

The feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha is celebrated on July 14. St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the Patron of the environment and ecology. She was known as the “Lily of the Mohawks”.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born in 1656 in Auriesville, NY. She was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior and Catholic Algonquin. She is the first Native American to be declared a saint.

On Easter, 1676, Kateri was baptized by Jesuit missionary Father Jacques de Lambertville at the age of 20. She was devoted to prayer, penitential practices and the care of the sick and aged in Caughnawaga near Montreal. Her relics are now enshrined in Caughnawaga.

When Kateri was four years old smallpox attacked her family. Her mother and little brother died from the disease. Kateri’s face was scarred by the disease and she became partially blind. Her two Aunts and an Uncle adopted her. Because of her conversion, she incurred hostility from her tribe. She went to a new Christian colony in Indianan, Canada. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to “Christ crucified.” She spent much time praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

At the age of 23 Kateri died on Wednesday of Holy Week, at approximately 3 p.m. Within fifteen minutes after her death, her face, which was marked by smallpox, was healed and became beautiful. Father Cholone called others to see what had happened. Miraculous cures at the Sault Mission were frequent that year (1682) and attributed to Kateri. She appeared to many people after her death, always carrying a cross.

Blessed Kateri’s tomb is found at St. Francis Xavier Mission in the Mohawk Nation at Kahnaqake, near Montreal, Quebec. She is honored at the National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Florida, NY and the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, NY.

Who can tell me what is most pleasing to God that I may do it?

Quote of St. Kateri Tekakwitha

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Henry II, Feast Day July 13

July 10, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Henry II Public Domain Image — St. Henry II

The feast day of St. Henry II is celebrated on July 13.

St. Henry was born to Duke Henry of Vavaria and Princess Gisela of Burgundy. As a youth he considered becoming a priest. He was educated at the Cathedral School in Hildesheim by St. Wolfgang of Regensburg who was a bishop.

In 995 Henry became the Duke of Bavaria. He became the king of Germany in 1002. In 1004 he was crowned King of Pavia, Italy. He married St. Cunegunga, however they had no children. In 1014 he was crowned the Emperor of the Roman Empire by Pope Benedict VIII. He worked to establish peace in Europe. He was also able to reform the church. He fostered missions and began the construction of the Cathedral at Basel, Switzerland, which took 400 years to complete.

Later in life he came down with an aliment which crippled his leg. He was cured by the touch of St. Benedict at Monte Cesino. After the death of his wife he considered becoming a monk however he was turned down. He was told he could no more good in the world as a public servant.

St. Henry II died on July 13, 1024 from natural causes at Pfalz Gvona, Saxony (modern Germany). He was canonized by Pope Bl. Eugene III.

From now on, regard this life as a desert

through which you pass until you come to the Promised Land,

the Jerusalem, which is above the land of the living.

Quote of St. Augustine, Feast day August 28

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Veronica, Feast Day July 12

July 9, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Veronica Public Domain Image — St. Veronica

The feast day of St. Veronica is celebrated on July 12.

St. Veronica is the patron saint of photographers. Little is known about Veronica. She was a follower of Jesus and present during his crucifixion. While Jesus carried the cross, she was moved with compassion. She knelt in front of Jesus and used her veil to wipe his face clean. Her kindness is commemorated on the sixth station of the cross prayed by the church. The soldiers pushed Veronica away and she later discovered the imprint of Christ’s face on her veil. It is believed that Veronica left her veil in the care of Pope Clement I, the successor to St. Peter. The veil known as Veronica’s Veil is on display at St.Peter’s Basilica.

The name Veronica means “true image”.

We are nothing without God…

but if we put our lives in God’s hands,

miracles happen.

Quote of St. Teresa of Calcutta; Feast day September 5

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood..

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Faith, Incorruptible, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Veronica Giuliani, Feast Day July 9

July 6, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Veronica Giuliani Public Domain Image — St. Veronica Giuliani

The feast day of St. Veronica Giuliani is celebrated on July 9.

St. Veronica was born in Mercatello, Italy in 1660. She was the youngest of seven children. Her mother died when she was seven. Even as a child she had a great compassion for the poor. She was known to give away food and her clothing. At the age of 17, she refused to marry. After pleading with her father, she joined the Poor Clares in 1677. She worked in the kitchen, infirmary and sacristy.

St. Veronica had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Eucharist. She offered her sufferings to the missions. She was known as a mystic. After a vision in which she saw her own heart as a ‘heart of steel’ she became much more compassionate and loving.

At the age of 34 St. Veronica became the novice mistress. She held the position for twenty two years. In 1697, at the age of 37, Veronica received the stigmata. She bore the marks of the crown of thorns and five wounds on her body. She underwent a humiliating investigation during which she was temporarily removed from her position. The investigation concluded the stigmata was real and she regained her position of novice mistress. She became the abbess at the age of 56. Eleven years later she died on July 9, 1727.

The body of St. Veronica was found to be incorrupt. She was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI on May 26, 1839.

We must fight our battle between fear and hope

in the knowledge that hope is always the stronger

because He who comes to our help is almighty.

Quote of St. Francis de Sales; Feast day June 24.

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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The Mystery of Faith

Category Archives: Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Boste, Feast Day July 24

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; St. Macrina the Younger, Feast Day July 19

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Feast Day July 14

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Henry II, Feast Day July 13

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Veronica, Feast Day July 12

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Veronica Giuliani, Feast Day July 9

Discovering the Spirituality of Catholicism