The feast day of St. Basil the Great is celebrated on January 2. He is the patron saint of hospital administrators and a Doctor of the Church. He was the Bishop of Caesarea
St. Basil was born in 330 at Caesarea of Cappadocia. He was born into a family of ten children. He studied at Constantinople and Athens where he met St. Gregory Nazianzen.
Before deciding to become a monk, he practiced law and opened a school. He directed the monastery in Pontus for five years. He eventually was ordained a priest. St. Basil became bishop in 370. He fought against Arianism ( the belief that Jesus was not divine in nature) at the Council of Constantinople. He also fought for reform of the clergy. He was known for his holiness and was tireless in caring for his people. He was known for preaching twice a day to huge crowds. The hospital that he built was a hospital that was called a wonder of the world.
Basil was best known for his preaching. Because of his writings he is considered a one of the great teachers of the Church.
Sickly since youth, the work of teaching, his life of abstinence, and the responsibilities and sorrows of pastoral service took their toll on him. Saint Basil died on January 1, 379 at age 49.
St. Basil is considered a Doctor of the Church. He is the patron saint of hospital administrators.
“Troubles are usually the brooms and shovels that
smooths the road to a good man’s fortune;
and many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head,
The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God is celebrated on New Years Day. We continue to celebrate the joy of the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary was given the title Theotokos which means “God-bearer” in Greek during the third or fourth century.
The divinity of Jesus has been argued about throughout the ages. The church has declared that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine…He has two natures. The church also teaches that Jesus was begotten not made. This means that Jesus has always existed in the Trinity. He became Man to redeem us and to give us the gift of salvation.
Because the church teaches that Jesus is the Lord, our God, this means Mary is the mother of God.
The mysteries of our faith are many. This mystery is truly beautiful. Mary, who was born without sin ( like Eve) said yes to the Angel during the Annunciation. Although troubled by the news that she would bear a son, she said;
“Let it be”.
We are all called to imitate Mary who is the first disciple of Jesus. Mary loved Jesus in a way none of us are able. She cared for him and took care of all his needs while he was growing up. There can be no doubt that Jesus also loved and honored Mary.
We are also called to honor Mary, just as Jesus honored His Mother. If Jesus honored and loved his mother, why shouldn’t we do the same?
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 feast day of St. Stephen is celebrated on December 26. He was a disciple of Jesus.
St. Stephen is believed to be one of the 72 original disciples of Our Lord. After the ascension of Jesus he became one of the first seven deacons of the Catholic Church. He is considered the first to be martyred for the faith. In the book of Acts:6 we learn the story of the plot against St. Stephen. He was accused of blasphemy against the Jewish temple. This resulted in him being condemned and then stoned to death. Before his death he cried out to the Lord to forgive those persecuting him.
Look! I see an opening in the sky, and the Son of Man standing
at God’s right hand…Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Unlike Easter which has always been celebrated by the Church, the feast day of Christmas was not firmly established until the fourth century. Because the birthday of Jesus was unknown, it was decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. This would also coincide with the winter solstice festivals. The date symbolizes that Jesus is the Light of the World. In the Gospel of John 8:12 Jesus said;
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
Christmas also focuses on the two natures of Jesus Christ. He is both full divine and fully human. It states in Luke 2:9:
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see…I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying;
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another;
“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The Catholic Church celebrates Christmas for twelve days.
While the Nativity of Our Lord is celebrated Dec. 25, the Twelve days of Christmas begins on Christmas Day, Dec. 25(beginning at sundown), and ends at sunrise on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. During the Christmas season the priest’s vestments are gold to symbolize the sacredness of the Christmas season. The change in the color of vestments indicates that Advent is over. During Advent, the priest’s vestments are purple to symbolize the holy season of waiting and prayer.
According to legend, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was actually written by Jesuit priests in England during the sixteenth century. It was a time of persecution and the song was used to secretly teach basic facts regarding the Catholic faith. If someone studied all the items represented in the song they knew the basics of the catholic faith.
Each number had a secret meaning:
Twelve represented the twelve teachings mentioned in the Apostles Creed;
Five represented the first books of the Old Testament;
Four represented the four gospels;
Three represented the Trinity;
Two represented the two natures of Christ…human and divine;
and One represented Jesus himself, our Lord and our God.
The Pear Tree represented the cross we must carry when we follow Christ.
The Apostles’ Creed is a summary of the faith taught by the Apostles. When we pray the Apostles Creed we are professing our faith in the church begun by the Apostles.
The Apostles’ Creed
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The resurrection of the body
and life everlasting. Amen
The Catholic Church has feast days throughout the year. Many of its feast days are in honor of the saints. The feast day given to a saint is usually the day he or she died and entered heaven.
Take a small amount of time each day during the twelve days of Christmas to meditate on the actual feast day we are celebrating.
The Holy Innocents are the innocent children murdered by King Herod after the Magi told him about birth of the new King of the Jews, called the Christ child. The little children were murdered in an attempt to find and murder Christ, “The King of the Jews”.
St. Anysia was a martyr in Greece. She lived from 284-309. She was killed with a sword after being accosted by a soldier. She used her wealth to help the poor.
The prayer of a good innocent,and obedient child is like dew from heaven falling upon his whole family.
St. Sylvester I was the Bishop of Rome. He died in the year 335 after helping to define doctrine at the Council of Nicea which proclaimed the Nicean Creed.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native born American to be canonized. She lived in New York, dying in 1821. She is the Founder and first Superior of the Sister of Charity in the U.S.
“Be attentive to the voice of Grace.”
Quote of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. John N. Neumann
St. John N. Neumann; Feast Day January 5
St. John N. Neumann was born in Bohemia. He emigrated to the U.S. becoming a Redemptorist priest and the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. He is the first American bishop to be canonized.
The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the Three Kings following the star to visit Jesus. They brought the King of the Jews gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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.”
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 Orderas 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.
St. John of the CrossPrayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of the Cross, Feast Day December 14
Prayers, 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.
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.
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.
Beautiful Virgin 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
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.
