The feast day of The Most Holy Name of Jesus gives us the opportunity to venerate and reflect on the holy name of Jesus. The devotion was begun primarily by St. Bernadine of Siena and the Franciscan and Dominican nuns and priests in the twelfth century. Later it was promoted by the Jesuits. The feast day was approved in 1721 by Pope Innocent XIII.
When we reflect on the name of Jesus it is a form of prayer. To invoke Jesus name is a powerful but simple way of praying to God ‘without ceasing’.
In the Gospel of John Jesus said to his disciples,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14;6
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he said,
“So great is the Most Holy Name of Jesus that God highly exalted Him and gave Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bend; in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:9-11
As we begin a new year, let us turn to Jesus for guidance in all we do. May Jesus bless our lives and grant us peace and healing.
“Jesus in the soul’s abyss is sweeter far than earthly bliss.
A flower strong is that name mild. Ne’er disturbed by tempest wild.
Far lovelier than a diamond bright.
That name adorns the soul with light.
The name of Jesus sweetly rings like rarest zither’s silver strings.
Ah, Jesus, for your names blest sake, forgive my sins, exceeding great.
Grant, dear Lord, that your fair name may wound my heart with holy pain.
Jesus, choicest love be ever thine.Bless me Jesus,
St. John of the CrossPrayers, 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 Sunday before Advent is the Feast of Christ the King. The feast was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XII in response to the growing secularism in society. The purpose of the feast is to proclaim the Kingdom of Christ.
The Kingdom of Christ Is spiritual. It concerns itself with spiritual things. In the time of Christ democracy did not exist. Governments were primarily geographical kingdoms. Each area was ruled by a king.
On the Feast of Christ the King, we should reflect on who or what rules over our heart. Hopefully, we can honestly say Christ is our King, and Lord. If we can, then our actions every day must be to imitate Christ and to follow His commandments.
Many Jewish people rejected Christ as the Messiah because they expected a royal King. Jesus, however, was poor, born in a stable. He is however, still a King. A synonym for king is ruler. Jesus rules over our hearts. Our conscience is formed by our belief that Jesus is King!
The Liturgical Year ends with the Feast of Christ the King. This feast is celebrated the Sunday before Advent, which begins the new liturgical year.
Prayer on the Feast of Christ the King
Almighty and merciful God. You break the power of evil and make all things new in Your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and on earth acclaim Your glory and never cease to praise You.
Father all-powerful God of Love, You have raised our Lord Jesus Christ from death to life, resplendent in glory as King of creation. Open our hearts; free all the world to rejoice in His peace to glory in His justice and to live in His love. Bring all mankind together in Jesus Christ Your Son whose Kingdom is with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen
I try to make the serenity prayer a daily prayer. Often, it helps me to get through the most difficult moments of my life. When life is out of control, this prayer reminds me that I am not supposed to be in control of everything, only God is! I am a very visual person. When I say a prayer I often have pictures to meditate on in my mind. One day as I was praying the serenity prayer I realized my definition of serenity was wrong!
I have always considered serenity as complete calm. While praying this prayer I was picturing a calm lake on a sunny day. It was so calm there were no whitecaps on the water. It was so calm if I was on a sailboat, I would not be able to sail due to lack of wind. I was stuck! This is not serenity! We need movement in our lives! Without progress we stagnate and then we seem to go backwards or become lost.
When I am the opposite of serene, I am frantic and in a panic. This frame of mind makes it impossible to make rational decisions. I finally realized that serenity is being able to make decisions while we are in the eye of a storm! While I prefer a sunny day on the lake, I always want there to be a breeze so the sailboat I am in will actually go where I direct it.
Serenity is being calm enough during the storm to know which ropes to pull to keep the boat from turning over!
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace
Taking, as He did, this world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him,
Forever in the next.
The feast day of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is celebrated on Nov. 8. She is the patron saint of the sick and the loss of parents. St. Elizabeth was born into a military family in 1880. She was strong willed and exuberant. When seven, her father died and her family moved to Dijon.
From her bedroom window, she could see the monastery of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. After the death of her father she experienced outbursts of anger. She experienced both conversion and peace from the sacrament of confession.
At the age of 14 she received her first communion. From that time on she was no longer angry. She developed a great devotion to the Eucharist. It was on her first communion day that she met the prioress of the monastery for the first time. The prioress explained to her that the meaning of the name Elizabeth is “house of God”.
While Elizabeth had an early desire to become a Carmelitenun, she was delayed by her mother’s objections until she was 21. Until then, she sang in two choirs and helped students prepare for their first communion.
In 1901, she finally entered the Carmel monastery taking the name Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity. She had a great devotion to the Carmelite saints but was also drawn to the teachings of St. Paul. She believed the core of his teaching was the love of Christ. St. Elizabeth was a contemplative who wrote many poems and prayers including her famous Prayer to the Trinity.
St. Elizabeth died from Addison’s Disease in 1906 (kidney disease) at the age of 26. Elizabeth viewed suffering as a gift; a way to share in the redemptive sufferingof Jesus.
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was canonized by Pope Francis on October 16, 2016.
“Jesus gives His cross to His true friends so he can come even closer to them.”
What Do The Saints Tell Us About Purgatory? Learn what the Saints believed about Purgatory. The quotes of the saints can teach us the beliefs of the early Church.
Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31. Halloween stands for “All Hallows Eve.” It falls on the night before All Saint’s Day which is followed by All Soul’s Day on Nov. 2. On All Saint’s Day the Church celebrates the lives of the Saints. On All Soul’s Day the Church prays for the dead, who are on their pilgrimage to heaven (Purgatory).
Although the word Purgatory (as well as the words Trinity and Incarnation) does not appear in the Bible there are several references to it in both the New and the Old Testament. The Saints have testified to their belief in purgatory also.
The three main reasons Catholics believe in Purgatory are the following:
The Bible teaches us to “pray for the dead”.
(2 Maccabees 12:44-45). For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.
The Bible tells us of a cleansing fire.
(Hebrews 12:29) Our God is a consuming fire. Zechariah 13” 8-9 In the whole land, says the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say,
“They are my people”, and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”
St. Paul prayed for the dead. (2 Timothy 1: 17-18) St. Paul prays for Onesiphorus who has died.
The Church Fathers and early Saints believed in Purgatory: The Church Fathers have a long tradition of praying for the dead. St. Augustine was asked by his mother Monica to pray for him at the altar. St. Gertrude the Great had a devotion to the Souls in Purgatory, as did St. Pio, St. Bridget and St. Bernadette.
The following quotes from the saints of the Catholic Church show that purgatory is a belief that has always existed in the church.
“May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesephores, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain….. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day!
2. St. Augustine of Hippo, Africa d. 430, Feast Day August 28
“Some suffer temporal punishments only in this life, others only after death, still others both in life and after death, but always before this most strict and most final court.”
4. St. John Chrysostom; Antioch 344-407 Feast Day Sept. 13
“Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their fathers sacrifices why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”
5. St. Gertrude the Great; Germany 1256-1302 Feast Day Nov. 16
“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious Blood of Thy Divine Son , Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the wold today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, those in the Universal Church, in my home and in my family. Amen“
Quote of St. Gertrude
St. Catherine of Genoa
6. St. Catherine of Genoa; Italy 1447-1510 Feast Day Sept. 15
“No one is barred from heaven. Whoever wants to enter heaven may do so because God is merciful. Our Lord will welcome us into glory with his arms wide open. The Almighty is pure however, and if a person is conscious of the least trace of imperfection and at the same time understands that Purgatory is ordained to do away with such impediments, the soul enters this place of perfection gladly to accept so great a mercy of God. The worst suffering of these suffering souls is to have sinned against Divine Goodness and not to have been purified in this life.”
Quote of St. Catherine of Genoa
St. Francis de Sales
7. St. Francis de Sales; France 1567-1622 Feast Day Jan. 24
“With Charity towards the dead we practice all the works of charity. The Church encourages us to aid the souls in purgatory, who in turn will reward us abundantly when they come into their glory.”
Quote of St. Francis de Sales
St. Margaret Mary
8. St. Margaret Mary; France 1647-1690 Feast Day October 16
“If only you knew with what great longing these holy souls yearn for relief from their suffering. Ingratitude has never entered Heaven.”
9. St. Gregory the Great; Italy 540-604 Feast Day Sept. 3
“Each one will be presented to the Judge exactly as he was when he departed this life. Yet there must be a cleansing fire before judgement because of some minor faults that may remain to be purged away.”
10. St. Thomas Aquinas; Naples, Italy 1226-1274 Feast Day Jan. 28
“The more one longs for a thing, the more painful does deprivation of it become. And because after this life, the desire for God, the Supreme Good, is intense in the souls of the just (because this impetus toward him is not hampered by the weight of the body and that time of enjoyment of the “Perfect Good would have come) had there been no obstacle, the souls suffers enormously from this delay.”
Quote of St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Faustina
11. St. Faustina; Poland 1905-1938
“O Jesus, I understand that your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask you to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in purgatory, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God’s mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You are toward us as we are toward our neighbor.”
Quote of St. Faustina
St. John Vianney
12. St. John Vianney; France 1786-1859 Feast Day August 4
“It is definite that only a few chosen ones do not go to Purgatory and the suffering there that one must endure exceed our imagination.”
“May the prayer of thy suppliant people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, benefit the souls of thy departed servants and handmaids: that thou may both deliver them from all their sins, and make them to be partakers of thy redemption. Amen
Eternal rest grant to them, O lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen
May their souls and the souls of the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen“
To understand the doctrine of purgatory, it is necessary to understand several beliefs of the catholic church.
It is good to pray for the dead
We believe in tradition
Nothing unclean may enter heaven
Praying for the dead is a tradition which precedes the New Testament. In 2 Maccabees 23:45-46 it says:
“But if he was looking to the splendid reward that was laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.“
It is good to pray for the dead. Why? If there are only two choices after death…heaven or hell...what purpose is there in praying for the dead? The historical practice of praying for the dead tells us that the belief that our prayer is heard and answered was an ancient belief.
The Catholic Church believes in tradition as well as scripture. The four marks of the church are stated in the Creed. We believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Being apostolic means that not only can the church be traced back to the apostles, but our beliefs can be traced back to the apostles as well. Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law not to change it. (Matt 5:17)
Oral tradition was the method used to pass on the faith in the beginning. The bible was not even written down during the Apostolic Age. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15 we are told the following:
“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the tradition that you were taught by us either by word of mouth or by our letter.”
Praying for the dead is an established tradition of the early Christians. One example of this is that in the fourth centurySt. Monicarequested St. Augustine to remember her in the mass after she died.
Most of us know that we are unworthy to enter heaven. Jesus came to save us, however we still need to be cleansed by purifying fire before entering heaven. In Hebrews 12:29 it states the Our God is a consuming fire. We believe that before we enter heaven the fire of God’s love consumes the scars and effects of the sins we committed in out life. This explains the doctrine of purgatory as we understand it.
It is very comforting to know that our prayers make a difference. It is also comforting to know that I will be purified before facing God in heaven. A God whose love is so strong it is compared to fire….a fire which will consume and purify me.
Another way to look at purification is a cleansing. Before we go to a party or celebration we usually bathe and dress up to look appropriate. The purification we receive before partaking in the heavenly banquet makes us able to see God without the stain and scars of the sin which occurred during our lifetime.
We attend the heavenly banquet appropriately cleansed and dressed!
Praying for those souls who are in the purification process in purgatory relieves the suffering of both the soul in purgatory and my own soul.
The following prayer was given to St. Gertrude the Great by our Lord in a vision. Her feast day is celebrated on Nov. 16.
“Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious Blood of thy divine son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”
Just as I pray on a regular basis for my loved ones who I confidently hope are already in heaven, I pray that those who love me will in turn pray for me after my death.
On Halloween, we see many representations of good and evil: angels, witches, devils, monsters, princesses, gangsters, rock stars, politicians, super heroes.
While we are made in the image of God, each of us has a temptation to do evil. Society glamorizes evil.
If we take the Bible seriously, we should not doubt the existence of Satan and evil spirits. Jesus refers to Satan and angels multiple times.
Satan is actually an angel. He fell from grace when he turned from God. He has been at war with God ever since.
It is only in modern times, that people have denied the existence of evil spirits. Halloween is a time when we should reflect on the good and evil evident around us.
Halloween (All Hallows Eve) comes on the night before All Saint’s Day. Halloween is a display of both good and evil. All Saint’s Day (November 1st) is a display of people who have overcome evil for the glory of God.
Angels have existed since the beginning of creation. They are servants and messengers of God. Unlike human beings they are pure spirits. During the life of Jesus they are always present. Archangel Gabriel announces his birth, they protect Jesus in his infancy, (Mat 4) serve him in the desert, and they strengthen him in his agony in the garden,
The Church teaches that Satan, in the beginning, was a good angel, but became evil by choice. We learn in the bible that Jesus came to conquer evil.
“Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.“ 1 John 8
When Jesus is praying in the Garden before his crucifixion, he prayed for unity among Christians. He also prayed for protection against satan.
“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15)
The fallen angels have never repented for their fall from grace. Their hatred of God leads them to seduce men into choosing their evil ways.
We have free will. God did not create evil. On Halloween, we should reflect on which path we wish to follow…the path of God…or the path of evil.
Being neutral is not an option, it is evil; the sin of omission, laziness, and being lukewarm.
The devil is always trying to tempt us to do evil. We need to turn to God with the Lord’s prayer when we need to be strengthened.
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:13)
We need to be aware of the evil around us and the temptations which may cause us to go astray. How else can we choose to do good rather than evil? Pray! Pray! Pray!
The feast day of St. John Paul II is celebrated on October 22. He is the patron saint of youth.
Karol Jozef Wajtyla (pronounced Voy-tee-ya) was born to Karol and Emilia Wojtyla in Wodowice, Poland on May18, 1920. His mother died when he was nine years old. His sister Olga died before he was born. His brother Edmond, a doctor, died when he was twelve. He was very close to his father, who raised him. When he was 21, his father died, leaving him alone, with no family.
Young Karol studied drama in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University. The university closed due to the Nazi occupation in 1939. In 1942, he had a call to the priesthood. He studied in an underground seminary in Krakow. At the same time he also was a member of the underground “Rhapsodic Theater”.
Karol was ordained on November 1, 1946. He was sent to Rome where he finished his doctorate in theology with a thesis on the works of St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite saint
He wished to become a Carmelite priest himself. However, he was turned down twice. The first time, he was denied entry due to the war. The second time he applied, his bishop told him, he was not meant to be a contemplative (private prayer) priest, his charismatic (public prayer) talent was needed working with the public. During his early priesthood he worked as a chaplain to university students as well as vicar to several parishes.
On Jan 13, 1964 he became a Cardinal. He was a participant in the Vatican Council II (1962-1965).
On October 16, 1978, he was elected Pope. As Pope he chose the name of John Paul II. As Pope of the Catholic Church he will be remembered for many things. He established the World Youth Day Celebration. This event brought millions of young people together in a different country to celebrate their faith. In 1993, Youth Day was held in Denver, USA. In 2000 he led the celebration in Rome for the Great Jubilee year. Although unofficial, this is why he is considered the patron of youth.
As Pope he canonized many saints, including his fellow citizen Sister Faustina from Poland. John Paul II gave her Divine Mercy Devotion an official feast day, the Sunday following Easter. This devotion focuses on the mercy and forgiveness Jesus offers us.
Another Devotion John Paul II encouraged was the Rosary. The Rosary focuses on the life of Jesus. In 2002 he added a fourth set of mysteries to be meditated on which is called the Luminous Mysteries. This includes the Baptism of Jesus, The Wedding at Cana, The Institution of the Word, The Transfiguration, and The Eucharist.
In 1981 he survived an attempted assassination. He credited his devotion to Our Lady of Fatima for his survival. He publicly forgave his attacker.
John Paul II is remembered for his successful efforts to end communism, and for bringing together people of all faiths.
John Paul II died Parkinson’s disease on April 2, 2005.
John Paul II was Pope for 27 years. Many Catholics give him the title John Paul the Great, and Patron of Youth. His message of hope often included the message of Jesus when he stilled the water: “Be Not Afraid”(Mat: 14).
He received the title of Blessed in 2000. His first miracle was the cure of Sister Marie Perre Simon who was a French nun suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is the illness John Paul II died from on April 2, 2005. The second miracle of Pope John Paul II was the curing of a brain aneurysm of Floribeth Mora Diaz of Costa Rica.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI con-celebrated the Mass.
Place your talents and enthusiasm at the service of life.
Quote of St. John Paul II
St. John Paul II in Art
St. John Paul II
World Youth Day
Public Domain Image
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Feast of the Most Holy Rosary,
Feast Day October 7
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Staute
The Feast Day of the Most Holy Rosary is celebrated on October 7. Originally, it was known as the Feast day of Our Lady of Victory in memory of the naval victory which took place called the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th century. The Christian forces repelled a massive Turkish invasion after Pope St. Pius V urged Europe’s Christians to pray the Rosary. In 1573, St. Pius V established the feast day. It was extended to the universal church in 1716 by Pope Clement XI.
Devotion to the Rosary was begun by St. Dominic. The devotion combines meditation on the life of Christ, with memorized prayer. Tradition tells us that when Dominic became discouraged with the slow progress of his work of preaching against the Abligensianheresy, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him with a beautiful wreath of roses. She asked him to say the Rosaryevery day and to teach the people to say the Rosary. Soon the heresy began to disappear. The devotion of the rosary continues today.
The feast day of the Most Holy Rosary is a day we can take time to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the times she has prayed and interceded for us. Our faith teaches us that Mary is our spiritual mother. Praying the rosary is actually a meditation on the life of Jesus. It consists of four sets of mysteries: The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. Each set has five events in the life of Jesus to meditate on.
The Joyful Mysteries: 1. Annunciation 2. Visitation 3. Birth of Jesus 4. Presentation in the Temple 5. Finding the Child Jesus
The Luminous Mysteries: 1. Christ’s Baptism I the Jordan 2. Wedding at Cana 3. Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. Transfiguration 5. Institution of the Eucharist
Sorrowful Mysteries: 1. Agony in the Garden 2. Scourging at the Pillar 3. Crowning with Thorns 4. Carrying of the Cross 5. Crucifixion
Glorious Mysteries: 1. Resurrection 2. Ascension into Heaven 3. Descent of the Holy Spirit 4. Assumption 5. Crowning of Our Blessed Lady
When we pray the rosary we dedicate the prayer for a certain intention such as healing the sick, guiding someone in need or peace in our family. It is a personal prayer based on the life of Jesus. Thank you Mary for listening to us!
Praying the rosary is not difficult. If you would like to learn how to pray the rosary, this article will lead you through it.
Remember, Jesus loved Mary. If we want to imitate Jesus we should honor His Mother.
“It could be said that each mystery of the rosary, carefully meditated,
The feast day of St. Bruno is celebrated on October 6. He is the founder of the Carthusian Order.
St. Bruno was born at Cologne, Germany in 1030. He studied in France and was ordained a priest. For 18 years he was a professor of theology. He then became the Chancellor of the archdiocese. He supported the reform of clergy by Pope Gregory VII and removed his own archbishop because of scandal.
St. Bruno had a great love of silence and solitude. He received a vision from God showing him a hermitage where he should spend his life growing closer to God. Along with friends, St. Bruno opened a hermitage in Chartreuse. Their order became known as the Carthusians. The hermitage was in a mountainous, desert region which was very isolated. The hermits lived in private cells, coming together for Matins and Vespers each day. The rest of their day was spent in solitude. They ate together only on great feast days. Their time was spent copying manuscripts.
Pope Urban II requested St. Bruno to come to Rome as an advisor. When the pope fled Rome Bruno moved to Calabria after turning down an offer to become a bishop.
St. Bruno died of natural causes on October 6, 1101.
Although he was not formally canonized, Pope Clement X extended his feast day to the whole church in 1674.
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.
