Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Luke the Evangelist,
Feast Day October 18
St. Luke the Evangelist
The feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist is celebrated on October 18. He is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons.
St. Luke was born in Antioch, Syria. He did not know Jesus. However, he converted from paganism and became a companion of St. Paul. He accompanied him on his missions and into prison two different times.
St. Luke is the author of the third Gospel. His gospel focuses on the merciful heart of Jesus. We also learn about the childhood of Jesus in his Gospel. Three canticles (hymns) were preserved by St. Luke: The Benedictus, the Magnificat and the Nune Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon).
Icon Painted by St. Luke
Legend tells us that St. Luke was also an artist and painted the portrait of the Blessed Virgin.
St. Luke became the patron saint of physicians because he was a physician.
St. Luke died in Achaia (Greece) at the age of 84. It is unknown if he was a martyr.
Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit and raises man to heaven.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque,
Feast Day October 16
St. Margaret Mary
The feast day of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is celebrated on October 16. She is known as the Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
St. Margaret Mary was born to Claude and Philiberte Lamyn on July 22, 1647 in Lhautecour, France. She was the fifth of seven children. She was baptized with name of Margaret and added the name of Mary when she was confirmed in the faith in 1669. From an early age Margaret had a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Margaret’s father died when she was eight years old. She was sent to a school run by Urbanist Nuns at Chavolles.
Margaret became very ill and was unable to walk. After consecrating herself to the Blessed Virgin, she promised that if cured, she would be one of her daughters. She was immediately cured.
Thrust into poverty after her father’s death, she considered marriage, which caused her internal conflict. Her desire to become a nun prevailed. She joined the Visitation Order in 1671.
St. Margaret Mary began having visions on Dec. 17, 1073. They continued until June 1675. Jesus appeared to her giving her the task of encouraging and teaching a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This included a Holy Hour on Thursdays to reflect on how the Apostles abandoned Him during the Agony in the Garden. It also encouraged receiving communion on 1st Fridays.
After suffering many years of from doubt and despair, St. Margaret Mary died at the age of 43. She had served two terms as assistant supervisor. With the help of St. Claude de la Columbiere, the feast day became popular. The Sacred Heart symbolizes the boundless love given by Jesus in the Eucharist and His Passion and death
I need nothing but God and to lose myself to the Heart of Jesus.
St. Teresa of Avila’s feast day will be celebrated on October 15th. She is known as being the patron saint of writers and headache sufferers.
Born in Avila, Spain in 1515, she was sent to a convent at the age of 16, because her father believed her to be “out of control”. At first she hated it, later she came to enjoy it, in part because they were less strict than her father.
Eventually, she decided to become a Carmelite nun. She practiced meditation and mental prayer. She fell ill with malaria and almost died. She awoke paralyzed, which lasted for three years. She found it very difficult to pray during this time. However at the age of 41 a priest convinced her to go back to prayer. She suffered many distractions and found it very difficult. As she began her prayer life anew, God gave her spiritual delights including ecstasies, and the prayer of union. She eventually became known as a mystic.
At the age of 43 she decided to form a new convent which met with much resistance. Her confessor St. John of the Cross helped to begin the reformed order of the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites.
St. Teresa was known for her honest dialogue with God. She wanted the nuns in her order to have the proper attitude and discipline in their prayer life. But she too could be frustrated with life. Every moment of her life was a prayer, even the difficult ones. She is known for the following exclamation.
“If this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!”
St. Teresa has written many books. These include: The Interior Castle, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, and The Way of Perfection. Her spirituality has led many to a much deeper prayer life. She has been proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
St. Teresa died on October 4 at the age of 67.
The following prayer is attributed to St. Teresa of Avila:
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing make you afraid.
All things are passing.
God alone never changes.
Patience gains all things.
If you have God you will want for nothing.
God alone suffices.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Alexandrina Maria da Costa,
Feast Day October 13
Bl.. Alexandrina Maria da Costa
The feast day of Bl. Alexandrina Maria da Costa is celebrated on October 13. She is known for living on the Eucharist alone for three years. She is the patron saint of the bedridden and paralyzed.
Alexandrina was born on March 30, 1904. in Balasar, Portugal. She worked in the fields to earn money. She nearly died of an infection when she was twelve.
On Holy Saturday, at the age of 14, she and a friend were sewing when three men broke into her home threatening to rape them. In an attempt to escape she jumped out of a window and fell 4 meters. She had many injuries and the doctors predicted her paralysis would get worse. She was able to attend church until the age of 19 although she was quite hunched over. At the age of 21 she became totally paralyzed and bedridden.
Alexandrina prayed for a miraculous healing so that she could be a missionary. Eventually she realized that God wanted her to spend her time in prayer. She accepted her affliction as God’s will and offered herself as a “victim soul” for the conversion of sinners. She suffered from paralysis for over 30 years.
Describing her situation she stated the following:
“Our Lady has given me an even greater grace; first abandonment, then complete conformity to God’s will and finally the thirst for suffering.”
For 3 1/2 years Alexandrina experienced the mystical gift of feeling the pains of Christ on the Cross. Every Friday, for three hours she relived the “Passion of Jesus”. Her paralysis was overcome, but she suffered great pain. Alexandrina knew Jesus wanted her to suffer in joy so she was known for her smile.
For 13 years Alexandrina was nourished only by the Eucharist. Unable to keep anything down including water, she began a “fast” for Jesus. She offered her suffering for the salvation of souls. As news of her fast spread, pilgrims began to visit asking her for prayers. This tired her and increased her sufferingbut she promised to pray for everyone.
Because of the skepticism surrounding her fast, Alexandrina agreed to be admitted to a hospital where she would be examined. She was permitted the Eucharist daily. The disbelief of the doctors caused her great suffering, but after a month they certified that she had had nothing to eat or drink except the Eucharist. She kept a picture of St. Jacinta of Fatimaby her bed.
In her prayers Jesus told her:
“You are living by the Eucharist alone because I want to prove to the world the power of the Eucharist and the power of my life in souls.”
Bl. Alexandrina died on October 13, 1955. She declared…
“I am happy because I am going to heaven.”
She was beatified by Pope John Paul II. On her tombstone, Bl. Alexandrina requested the following statement:
“Sinners, how much I want to tell you. Do not risk losing Jesus for all eternity for He is so good. Enough with sin. Love Jesus, love Him!”
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Maria Teresa Fasco,
Feast Day October 12
Bl. Maria Teresa Vasce
The feast day of Bl. Maria Teresa Fasco is celebrated on October 12.
Known as Marietta as a child, Bl. Maria Teresa was born on Dec. 27, 1881 in Torriglia, Italy. Her mother died when she was eight years old. Her older sister Luigia helped raise her. The family was not poor and she received a good education.
The parish Marietta attended was under the pastoral care of AugustinianFriars. She taught singing and was involved in religious education. Marietta studied the spirituality of St. Augustine and was drawn to it. When the Augustinian Nun St. Rita of Cascia was canonized in 1900 it made a great impression on her. She applied to the Augustinian monastery at Casci against her families wishes. She was denied entry because they felt she was used to the comforts of city living. They did not believe she would do well living a rural life. However, she applied a second time and was accepted.
Maria Teresa became disillusioned when younger nuns joined who had a lack of discipline. Tension in the monastery grew between the younger and older sisters. Maria Teresa left the community for a time in 1910. She returned in 1911 determined to reform the monastery. She began writing letters to supervisors explaining the situation. Their response was to make her the Director of Novices! In 1920 she was elected Abbess. She served as Abbess for 27 years. The monastery became a good example of the Augustinian way of life.
Sister Maria Teresa started an orphanage for girls and helped to build a larger church to receive pilgrims coming to learn about St. Rita. She referred to the orphans as her “bees”. Sister Maria Teresa enjoyed teaching the orphans. Her newsletter called “From the Bees to the Roses” is still published today.
During World War II when Nazi troops forced their way into the monastery she was not intimidated. They departed after speaking to her.
Sister Maria Teresa suffered from health problems. including painful breast cancer which required two surgeries. She also had asthma, diabetes, heart problems and poor circulation. She had difficult walking. She died peacefully on January 18, 1947 before the new basilica was completed.
“I am leaving this world with faith, hope and love! I hope to find you there…where Good reigns and where we will live forever!”
Sister Maria Teresa was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1997.
The feast day of St. John XXIII is celebrated on October 11. He was known also known as “Good Pope John”.
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born in 1881 near Borgano, Italy. He was the oldest of 13 children. Angelo joined the Secular Franciscan Order. After he was ordained a priest in 1904, he returned to Rome to study canon law. He became the bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary and publisher of the diocesan paper.
During World War I, he served as a stretcher bearer for the Italian army. During World War II he was a papal diplomat, serving in Bulgaria, Turkey and France. With the help of Germany’s ambassador in Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli, he helped save approximately 24,000 Jewish people from death.
In 1953 he was named a cardinal and Bishop. He was elected Pope at the age of 77, taking the name of John. He soon called an ecumenical council and presided over the first session of the Second Vatican Council. The purpose of the Council was to bring the church into the modern world. It also was an effort to end hostilities between religions. Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant religious leaders were invited to attend.
One quote he is remembered for is:
“The Church has always opposed errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”
Pope John XXIII earned the title Good Pope John because of his kind and cheerful demeanor.
He died on June 3, 1963. He was beatified November 15, 1881 by Pope John Paul II. He was canonized on the same day as Pope John Paul II by Pope Benedict on April 27, 2014.
In the Blessed Sacrament a heavenly school is open to me, with the best teacher one can possibly imagine…Jesus Christ himself.
The feast day of Bl. Mary Angela is celebrated on October 10.
Bl. Mary Angela Truszkowska was baptized as Sophia Camille after she was born in Kalisz, Poland on May 16, 1825. Her parents were well educated and devout Catholics.
As a child Sophia’s health was frail due to contracting tuberculosis. She was tutored at home. After the family moved to Warsaw in 1837, Sophia enrolled for a short time at the Academy of Madame Guerin until she withdrew due to health issues. She studied at home using her father’s library. She developed a great interest in social justice.
Sophia was drawn to a strong prayer life. She attended daily Mass and had a devotion to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. When she was 23 she experienced a conversion which changed her life. She considered joining the cloistered Visitation Sisters but was advised by her confessor not to leave her ailing father.
While traveling with her father in Germany, Sophia felt called by Our Lord to serve the suffering poor and aging. She became a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. She was constantly searching for God’s will while she served the poor. Eventually, Sophia began to teach the poor children and help the aging and homeless. Together with her cousin Clothilde they rented an attic with her father’s help and began the “Institute of Sofia Truszkowska”.
Both Clothilde and Sophia became Lay Franciscans. Sophia took the name Mary Angela. Their Franciscan spirituality led them to start a new order. On the feat day of the Presentation of the Bl. Virgin Mary, they dedicated themselves before an icon of Our Lady of Czestvehowa and founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice. St. Felix was the first Capuchin Franciscan to be canonized. The purpose of the order was that “in all and by all” God may be known, loved and glorified”. They became known as the “Felician Sisters”. Their ministry ranged from teaching to hospitals and caring for the poor and aging.
Mother Angela served for over 30 years. The sufferingshe experienced from progressive deafness, malignant tumors and terrible headaches was mostly unknown by those she served. Her Eucharistic spirituality inspired many. She always tried to imitate Mary and was known for her great love.
Today the Congregation of Sisters of St. Felix are known for their devotion to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Mother Angela died on October 10, 1899. Her face changed from one of suffering to an expression of peace.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Denis and Companions,
Feast Day October 9
St. Denis
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Denis and Companions, Feast Day October 9
The feast day of St. Denis and Companions is celebrated on October 9. St. Denis is the patron saint of France and against headaches.
St. Denis was born and raised in Italy. He is also known as St. Dionysius. He was sent to Gaul by Pope St. Clement. He is probably the first Bishop of Paris. St. Denis was martyred along with two companions according to the writings of St. Gregory of Tours. His companions are believed to be St. Rustreus and St. Eleutherius, a priest and deacon. They were beheaded with a sword under the persecution of Emperor Valerius in 258. The head of St. Denis was carried into the nearby village before their bodies were thrown into the Seine River. St. Denis body was recovered and a chapel was built over his tomb.
St. Denis is one of the 14 helperswho were invoked in the middle ages against the Black Plaque. It is for this reason he became the patron saint against headaches.
Remember that this life is short, and that eternity is very long.
The feast day of St. Francis of Assisi will be celebrated on October 4th. He is the patron saint of the environment, peacemakers, and animals.
St. Francis was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy. His father was Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy cloth salesman. Francis was indifferent to school. He enjoyed good times with his friends. He was attracted to the military and was a prisoner of war for two years. He returned home, probably ransomed by his family, returning to his old life, however he became very ill. When he recovered, he returned to the military, however, in a dream he was told to return home. He was told to “serve the Master rather that the man.” His dream changed him. He turned from his wild ways and began to serve God. While praying in a neglected chapel in San Damiano, Christ spoke to him from the crucifix, saying;
“Francis, go out and build up My house, for it is nearly falling down.”
Francis took this quite literally, and began to repair the old chapel. In need of money, he took some of his father’s cloth and sold it. His father accused Francis of theft. At the hearing before the bishop, he was told to return the money. Francis obeyed; however, he also removed his clothes returning them to Pietro and declaring:
“I have called you father on earth, but now I say, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”
St. Francis embraced poverty. “Love of Lady Poverty” was how he described his belief that possessions were a detriment to his spirituality. After two years of living as a hermit and begging for money to repair the church, he began to attract followers to his way of living. He owned nothing, wanting to live a life of complete poverty. He lived his life caring for the poor and preaching the gospel, primarily through example. He once said;
“Preach always, and when necessary, use words.”
The heart of St. Francis message was joy, based on the love of Christ. He served primarily the poor, including the lepers of the time. He had a strong devotion to the Eucharist and the Cross.
By 1210 his group had grown to a dozen men. He received permission to form an order from Pope Innocent III. Originally it was called the Humbler Brethren, or Friars Minor. They became known for the brown robes they wore. By 1219 they numbered 5,000.
Clare Sciffo was sixteen years old when she heard Francis preach. Against her parents will she became a nun under St. Francis care. Her order became known as the Poor Clares.
St. Francis became friends with St. Dominic, whom he met while begging. St. Dominic recognized him from a dream in which he had seen Francis. When Dominic met him he embraced him saying;
“You are my companion and must walk with me.
If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us.”
The Franciscans and Dominicans had different spiritualities, but Francis and Dominic were lifelong friends.
Some of the Franciscans wanted to change the rule of poverty. They wanted to own books so they could study scripture like the other monasteries of the time. This was contrary to Francis’ love of Lady Poverty. He went to see St. Dominic, who came up with a solution. The Franciscans were allowed to have a library, loaned to them by the Dominicans!
The Franciscans today have several different orders. There rule of poverty is not as strict as the original order.
Later, in his life, St. Francis received the stigmata (the wounds of Christ). These wounds were real and painful, a sign of how close he had come to the cross. He also suffered from a painful eye disease.
St. Francis composed several hymns, includingCanticle of the Sun. He is also known for his love of nature. Animals and birds had no fear of him and he was known for his friendships with traditionally wild creatures. It is St. Francis who started the tradition of a Christmas Crèche which honored the animals present in the stable when Christ was born.
St. Francis died in the year 1226 at the age of 45, praying the 141st Psalm and his Canticle of the Sun. His final prayer was:
“O Lord, I thank You for the pains which I suffer.”
Two years after his death, St. Francis was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX.
“My Lord, I am all yours. You know I have nothing besides my tunic, cord and underpants. And even these three things are yours.
So what can I give You?”
Quote of St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi in Art
St. Francis with Birds
St. Francis Embracing Crucifix
St. Francis in Ectasy by Caravaggio
St. Francis Christ on the Cross by Murillo
St Francis of Assisi Stigmata
St. Francis in Meditation
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis Preaching to the Birds
St. Francis Supported by an Angel by Orazio
Public Domain Image
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Faustina, Feast Day October 5
The feast day of St. Faustina is celebrated on October 5. She is considered the Apostle of Mercy.
St. Faustina was baptized Helena Kowalska. She was born into a very poor family of ten children on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland. She lived on a farm receiving only three years of education.
St. Faustina worked as a housekeeper before joining the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925 at the age of 20. For 13 years she prayed in the convent and worked as a cook, gardener and porter.
St. Faustina grew in holiness. She had a very mystical interior life. She had the gifts of visions, prophecy, the stigmata , bi-location, the gift of reading hearts and mystical marriage.
The vision which impacted the world was a vision of Jesus. She tells the story in her Diary.
“In the evening, when I was in my cell, I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me, ‘paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.'”
Some time later, Our Lord again spoke to her:
“The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous; the red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My most tender Mercy at that time when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the cross….Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”
Divine Mercy
At the request of Jesus she willingly offered her sufferings in union with him to atone for the sins of others. He also asked her to remind the world of His Divine Mercy and He taught her a very special devotion to the Divine Mercy based on trust in Him. She had a special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Eucharist and the Sacramentof confession which strengthened her.
One of the vision she experienced was a visit to hell, which she shares in her diary. She suffered greatly interiorly, however she only shared her suffering with her spiritual director. At the request of Jesus and her confessors, St. Faustina kept a diary in which she shared her visions.
St. Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland at age 33 in 1938. She was canonized by the first Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000
Divine Mercy Sunday is now celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Easter.
The feast day of St. Theodore Guerin is celebrated on October 3. She is the patron saint of the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana.
St. Theodore Guérin’s birth name was Anne Thérése. She was born on Oct. 2, 1798 in Etables, France. Her father served in Napoleon’s navy. At the young age of 15 her father was murdered by bandits while traveling home for a visit.
Anne Thérése turned to God in the difficult years following his death. At the age of 25 she entered the Sisters of Providence to serve the poor, sick and dying. Anne Thérése became Sister Theodore. She was asked to lead a small missionary band of Sisters to the United States in Indiana.
Mother Théodore accepted the mission in spite of her fragile health. She could only consume soft, bland food and liquid. She traveled to the Unites States with five other sisters. After surviving a violent storm at sea in the trip Mother Théodore wrote the following:
“What strength the soul draws from prayer! In the midst of a storm, how sweet is the calm it finds in the heart of Jesus. But what comfort is there for those who do not pray?”
Mother Théodore established schools in Indiana and Illinois. She is described as saintly by people who knew her.
Sixteen years after coming to the United States she died. She is buried in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana.
St. Théodore Guérin was beatified on Oct. 25, 1998 by Pope John Paul II.
St. Théodore Guérin was canonized on Oct. 15, 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.
“If you lean with all your weight upon Providence,
The feast day of St. Vincent de Paul is celebrated on September 27. He is the patron saint of charities, hospitals and volunteers.
St. Vincent was born at Pouy, Gascony in Southern France in 1581 into a large peasant family. At the age of 15, he entered a Franciscan seminary. He tutored children until he was ordained a priest in 1600.
In `1605, St. Vincent was traveling on a ship from Marseilles to Narborne when he was captured by Moorish pirates! He was sold as a slave in Africa. After two years as a slave, he escaped and returned to France.
At Avignon St. Vincent continued to study. He became the chaplain to the Count of Goigny and was placed in charge of the charities for the poor. This inspired him to preach missions to provide relief for the poor. St. Vincent founded a missionary group known as the Vincentians. The priests in the Order served people primarily in small towns and villages. They had a devotion to helping the poor.
Next, St. Vincent along with the help of St. Louise de Marillac, founded theSisters of Charity. He organized the rich women in Paris to collect money for hiss missionary projects, including several hospitals. He also collected money for victims of war and ransomed over 1200 slaves from N. Africa.
The motto of St. Vincent was “God see you”. He became known as the Apostle of Charity and the Father of the Poor.
St. Vincent died at the age of 80. His heart remains incorrupt and can be found in the Convent of the Sisters of Charity in Paris. He is credited with two miracles. The first was the curing of a nun with ulcers. The second was a laywoman cured of paralysis.
St. Vincent de Paul was canonized by Pope Clement XII on June 16, 1737.
St. Vincent’s bones and heart are perfectly incorrupt and have been placed inside a wax figure of his body. His relics can be seen in the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris.
Do not feel that all is lost because of the revolt you feel inside. It has rained hard. The thunder has crashed. Is the weather any less beautiful because of that? Be assured you are not, for all that, any less dear to our Lord.
