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”.
St. VeronicaSt. Veronica
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
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.
The feast day of Bl. Eugene III is celebrated on July 8. He served as the Bishop of Rome from 1145-1153. He was the first Cistercian Pope. Little is know about his early life. Bl. Eugene was ordained a priest by Pope Innocent II. St. Bernard of Clairvaux led him into the Cistercian Order in 1138. He became the abbot of the monastery of S. Anastasio aale Tre Fontance outside of Rome.
The election of Bl. Eugene III as the Bishop of Rome took place in 1145. Because of the turmoil of the times which was during the Crusades Bl. Eugene was unable to live in Rome. He lived in Viterbo, Siena, and France. He actively reformed the church. Three synods were held while he was Pope; Paris (1149), Tier (1147-1148) and Rheims (1148) The synods focused on reforming the clerical life.
Bl. Eugene III died on July 8, 1153 in Tivoli, Italy. He was recognized as a pious and meek man. Pope Pius X beatified him in 1872.
Time is a treasure of inestimable value,
because in every moment of time we may gain
an increase of grace and eternal glory.
Quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori; Feast day August 1
The feast day of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria is celebrated on July 5.
St. Anthony of Zaccaria is known for beginning the devotion of Eucharistic adoration and founding the religious order of the Society of Clerics.
St. Anthony was born in Cremona, Italy in 1502 into a noble family. His father died when he was still an infant. His mother was 18 and chose to devote herself to charity and caring for her son. Anthony studied philosophy in Pavia and then medicine at the University of Padua. He returned to Cremona with a degree at the age of 23.
St. Anthony not only practiced medicine, he taught catechism and then began teaching adults. Eventually he decided to study for the priesthood. He was ordained at the age of 26. At his first Mass, he experienced the presence of angels around the altar and supernatural light during the consecration of the Eucharist. Many witnessed and testified about this event after his death.
St. Anthony was an eloquent preacher. It was the time of the counter-reformation which was begun after Martin Luther began the Reformation. He founded a priestly society the Clerics Regular of St. Paul to combat the corruption which surrounded him. They were inspired by the Apostle Paul and sought humility, poverty and preaching. Their society became known as the Barnabites named after the companion of St Paul…St. Barnabas. They were active at a well known church named St. Barnabas.
St. Anthony encouraged the “40 hours” devotion which involved continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Anthony died at his mother’s house in 1539 after he became seriously ill. He was only 36 years old. Thirty years after his death St. Anthony’s body was found to be incorrupt. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1897.
Jesus is happy to come with us… as truth is to be spoken, as life is to be lived, as light is to be lit, as love is to be loved, as joy is to be given, as peace is to be spread.
Are forgiveness and trust the same thing? Jesus tells us the following:
“Blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be theirs”. (Matthew 5:7)
Love and pray for your enemies.(Matthew 5:44)
Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
Where does trust come into the picture?
In Psalm 118:8 we learn the following:
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. “
The word trust means….to rely on. Are we supposed to rely on our enemies? I think not. However, we are to forgive them and treat them with love.
To forgive means…to cancel a debt. This is not the same as trust. We are also told to pray for our enemies. This means we don’t curse them or wish evil on them. We ask God to guide them (and us).
It is easier to forgive a person who has asked for forgiveness; however it is also important to forgive someone who has not asked us for forgiveness. This means we put the matter in God’s hands and we trust God.
This is how we can make a judgment against certain behaviors, without condemning the sinner. Only God knows a person’s heart. Perhaps the person has repented. By praying for someone who has wronged us, we release resentment and increase the love in our lives.
God is love. We need to rely on God (trust Him) to guide us through the emotional journey of forgiving our enemies. We trust God that in the end justice will be His.
Loving our enemies means to treat those who have wronged us with love and mercy. However, it is God alone we rely on. It is through prayer that we are led by God. Turning the other cheek simply means we don’t fight back. We don’t seek revenge. We actually pray for the welfare of the person who has wronged us.
Love and forgiveness go together. However, trust is connected to wisdom and understanding. Through prayer God leads us in wisdom, helping us to understand and discern who we should or should not trust.
Wisdom is turning to God for guidance. When we lack wisdom we should seek it (James 1:5)
It is only through praying that we can be led to the will of God. If we pray without ceasing, we will have the prudence to do God’s will.
Most of us have times in our lives when we can relate well to doubting Thomas. He is known for stating his disbelief. After Jesus appeared to the other Apostles, Thomas said he needed to see for himself the wounds of Christ before he would believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. After Jesus showed him his wounds Jesus stated,
“Blessed are those who have not seen, but believe.
Thomas is not afraid to question. When Jesus tells the Apostles that they will follow him, Thomas questions Him;
“How can we follow you, when we know not where you are going?”
Jesus answered him by telling him,
“I am the way the truth and the life, whoever follows me will live forever.
Today (July 3) is the feast of St. Thomas. In the Catholic Church we celebrate in mass worldwide the life and faith of St. Thomas. We reflect on how he led his life and followed Jesus. When we have questions, we should not be afraid to ask Jesus to answer them. When we are not sure about our faith, it is a good thing to ask Jesus to lead us to Him.
Many people do not have faith today and do not know how to find God. Perhaps they are looking for God as a scientist would… under a microscope. Spirituality is not found under a microscope. Being unafraid to ask God questions can lead us closer to Him.
Remember when we were little children? The questions were many. What? Why? Where? How? When?
Asking God directly to enlighten us to the truth may actually have results.
One of my favorite prayers is a simple one.
“Lead me, Lord!”
May we all be led closer to God as we pray through our doubts.
