Category Archives: Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Isabel of France, Feast Day Feb. 26

February 24, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of St. Isabel of France is celebrated on Feb. 26. St. Isabel was a princess. She was the daughter of King Louis VIII of France. St. Isabel is the patron saint of the sick.

From an early age, Isabel was drawn to the religious life. Because of her special devotion to Our Lord, she received spiritual direction from the Franciscans. St. Isabel refused to marry. She consecrated herself to God. St. Isabel had a devotion to the Franciscans and wanted to build a convent of the Order of St. Clare. When it was built at Longchamp, France it was named the Monastery of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Isabel never became a Franciscan. She chose to live nearby living a life of solitude and following their rule in her home. She refused to be named Abbess of the monastery. She also spent her time ministering to the sick and the poor.

St. Isabel died on Feb. 23, 1270. Pope Leo X beatified St. Isabel in 1521.

Let us ask for remission of all our sins…laying open before our heavenly Physician all the wounds of our souls.

Quote of St. Peter of Alcantara; Feast day October 19

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

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Benedictine Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Marie Adcodata Pisani; Feast Day Feb. 25

February 23, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The Feast day of Bl. Marie Adcodata Pisani is celebrated on February 25. She was born in Naples, Italy on Dec. 29, 1806 to a noble family.

Her childhood was quite troubled. Her father was alcoholic, which led to marriage problems. She was raised by her grandmother. She was ten when her grandmother died. She then entered a boarding school known as Istituodi Madama Prota which was in Naples.

After an uprising in Naples, her father was sentenced to death. The sentence was suspended and he was expelled from Naples and deported to the island of Malta. Maria and her mother went to Malta an lived in Rabal. Maria Terese wished to become a nun rather than marry. She enjoyed helping the poor and attending church.

At the age of 21 she entered the Benedictine Community in St. Peter’s Monastery. She took the name Maria Adeodata (given by God). She worked as a teacher, seamstress , sacristan and writer. Her most well known work is The Mystical Garden of the Soul That Love Jesus and Mary, which was a collection of reflections.

Bl. Marie served as the abbess for several years but retired due to heart problems. She died on Feb. 25, 1855 at the age of 48.

In 2001, Pope John Paul II beatified Bl. Marie Adcodata Pisani citing a miracle of the healing of a stomach tumor after a request for her intercession.

My daughters, I see more Pharisees among Christians than there were around Pilate!

Quote of St. Margaret of Cortona

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord.

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

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Luke Belludi, Feast Day Feb. 24

February 22, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Bl. Luke Belludi

The feast day of Bl. Luke Belludi is celebrated on Feb. 24. Bl. Luke was born in 1200 in Padua, Italy. In the year 1220 Bl. Luke was a student at the University in Padua. Bl. Luke is the patron saint of students.

Luke happened to hear St. Anthony of Padua preach. Afterwards, he approached him asking if he could become a Franciscan. St. Anthony recommended him to St. Francis. St. Luke became St. Anthony’s assistant while preaching and traveled with him. During St. Anthony’s dying days, Bl. Luke was at his side. After St. Anthony’s death, Bl. Luke was elected to take his place.

When a violent regime took control of Padua, Bl. Luke was exiled. He soon returned secretly. While he and another Franciscan were praying at the tomb of St. Anthony, they heard a voice which reassured them that their prayers for Padua would soon be answered. It was not long before Padua was liberated.

St. Anthony’s body is enshrined at the Basilica which was finished under the supervision of Bl. Luke. He became known as a miracle worker. Bl. Luke died of natural causes in 1285.

It is not enough to remove the arrow from the body. We also have to heal the wound caused by the arrow. It is the same with the soul after we have received forgiveness for our sins; we have to heal the wound that remains through penance.

Quote of St. John Chrysostom; Feast day September 13

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Agatha, Feast Day Feb. 5

February 21, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Agatha Public Domain Image — St. Agatha
Public Domain Image

The Catholic Church will be celebrating the feast day of St. Agatha on Feb. 5. She is the patron saint of breast cancer.

St. Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily. She died a martyr in 251. She is one of seven women memorialized in the cannon of the Mass.

Her legendary story tells us she was tortured for her faith. After being imprisoned in a brothel by Quintian, she was then sent to prison. When she persisted in the faith, she was tortured by having her breasts amputated. She was then martyred. During a vision she had of St. Peter, she was healed.

Because of this torture, she is considered the patron saint of breast cancer victims.

St. Agatha died while in prison. In art she is shown with her amputated breasts on a platter.

The following quotes are attributed to St. Agatha:

“My courage and my thought be so firmly founded upon the firm stone of Jesus Christ, that for no pain it may not be changed, your words be not wind, your promises be but rain, and your menaces be as rivers that pass, and how will that all these things hurtle at the fundament of my courage, yet for that it shall not move.”

Quote of St. Agatha

“Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am — you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.”

Quote of St. Agatha

Lord Jesus Christ, you created me, you watched over me from infancy,
kept my body from defilement, preserved me from love of the world,
made me able to withstand torture, and granted me the virtue of patience
in the midst of torments.

Quote of St. Agatha

Prayer to Saint Agatha

O St. Agatha,
who withstood the unwelcome advances
from unwanted suitors,
and suffered pain and torture
for your devotion to Our Lord,
we celebrate your faith, dignity, and martyrdom.

Protect us against rape and other violations,
guard us against breast cancer
and other afflictions of women,
and inspire us to overcome adversity.

O St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr,
mercifully grant that we who venerate your sacrifice,
may receive your intercession.

Amen

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

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Faith, Martyr

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Polycarp, Feast Day Feb. 23

February 21, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of St. Polycarp is celebrated on Feb. 23.

St. Polycarp was born around the year 70. He is considered an Apostolic Father of the Church because he was an actual disciple of the apostles.

St. Polycarp was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. He became Bishop of Smyrna, (now Turkey). He was friends with St. Ignatius of Antioch.

St. Polycarp was martyred for his faith. Three days before his martyrdom, he had a vision in which he saw his pillow on fire. He told his companions he would be burnt alive. St. Polycarp was arrested. When told he must swear allegiance to Caesar, he refused, professing that he was a Christian. He was threatened with death by wild beasts, but still refused. He was 86 years old when he was taken to the Smyrna stadium and an attempt was made to burn him alive in the year 156. The flames did him no harm, and so he was killed by a dagger.

The body of St. Polycarp was ordered to be burned.

“Help one another with the generosity of the Lord,
and despise no one.
When you have the opportunity to do good,
do not let it go by.”

Quote of St. Polycarp

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

Apostle, Faith, Feast Days, featired

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: The Chair of Peter, Feast Day Feb. 22

February 20, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The Feast day of the Chair of Peter is celebrated on February 22. On this day we are reminded of the importance of unity in the church. The Lord himself entrusted the church to the authority of St. Peter.

The word Chair comes from the word “Cathedra” which also is the origin of the word Cathedral. A Cathedral is the church of the Bishop of a diocese. The Pope is also known as the “Vicar of Christ”. It is his duty to defend the faith from errors and teach the truth of the faith.

Because of the teaching authority of the Bishop of Rome, the followers of Jesus in the Catholic Church are united in their beliefs. We trust in the Holy Spirit to guide the Holy Father in directing the church. The beliefs of the Catholic Church are Apostolic. They can be traced back to Jesus and the Apostles.

St. Peter served as the leader of the Church from 33-64 A.D. He was crucified upside down in Rome. The Basilica of St. Peter is built over his grave site. When we accept the authority of the Bishop of Rome to teach the faith, we accept the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 16: 18-19.

“And so I tell you, “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

“Ten thousand difficulties
do not make one doubt.”

Quote of Bl. John Henry Newman

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord.

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The Mystery of Faith

Category Archives: Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Isabel of France, Feast Day Feb. 26

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Marie Adcodata Pisani; Feast Day Feb. 25

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Luke Belludi, Feast Day Feb. 24

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Agatha, Feast Day Feb. 5

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Polycarp, Feast Day Feb. 23

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: The Chair of Peter, Feast Day Feb. 22

Discovering the Spirituality of Catholicism