Category Archives: Saint of the Day

Doctor of the Church, Faith, Featured, patron saints, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Alphonsus Liguori, Feast Day August 1




St. Alphonsus Liguori Public Domain Image
St. Alphonsus Liguori

 

The Feast day of St. Alphonsus Liguori is celebrated on August 1. Alphonsus was born in 1696 near Naples, Italy. His father was a captain in the Royal Navy. He is the patron saint of confessors and theologians.

At the age of 16, St. Alphonsus Liguori received a doctorate in civil an canon law. At the age of 18 he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy which cared for the sick, devoting himself to works of mercy. He became a lawyer by the age of 20. However, the work proved to be unfulfilling. After losing an important case, Alphonsus left his career as a lawyer to enter the priesthood. He was ordained in 1726.

As a priest St. Alphonsus ministered to the poor working to the point of exhaustion. In 1732 he decided to dedicate himself completely to the poor and abandoned. He founded the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer which became known as the Redemptorists.

St. Alphonsus was a gifted preacher who reached many people.The Redemptorists led mission revivals in the countryside preaching to anyone who would listen. They traveled from town to town. St. Alphonsus focused on three images; Jesus as an infant in the crib, Jesus crucified on the cross, and Jesus vibrantly alive and filled with love for everyone in the Eucharist. He also had a great devotion to Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer.

St. Alphonsus was an artist, composer and a writer. He wrote music which he composed on a harpsichord. It spread throughput the countryside. He wrote over 100 books including “Prayer, the Great Means of Salvation.” He was given the title “Doctor of Prayer”.  St. Alphonsus believed that if you pray your salvation is secure.

St. Alphonsus was troubled by illness most of his life. His final years, he suffered from severe arthritis which kept him in a wheelchair. St. Alphonsus died at the age of 91 after a night of prayer. He was canonized in 1839 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871.

We must love God in a way that pleases Him,
and not just in a way that suits ourselves.
God wishes people to empty themselves
of everything and to be filled with is divine love.
Quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori
August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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Faith, Featured, Jesuit Saints, patron saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Ignatius of Loyola, Feast Day July 31




 

St. Ignatius Loyola by Miguel Cabrera Public Domain Image
St. Ignatius Loyola by Miguel Cabrera

 

The Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola is celebrated on July 31. St. Ignatius of Loyola was born the youngest of 13 children in a family castle in Guipuzcoa, Spain. Until he was 30, he served as a courtier and soldier in Spain.

St. Ignatius was wounded when a cannonball shattered his leg. While in the hospital he spent a great deal of time studying the lives of the saints. When he was finally released from the hospital, he decided he should try to imitate the saints. He went to confession, and then lived in a cave for about a year while caring for the poor and sick.

He entered school at the age of 35. After studying Latin and theology in several different schools, he received his degree in Paris. While in Paris, he met St. Francis Xavier who was one of his followers. Ignatius, with five followers founded the Order of the Society of Jesus, which came to be known as the Jesuits. They offered themselves to the Pope, for any work he wanted them to do. The Jesuits were known for their missionary work. They were a great influence during the Counter Reformation.

St. Ignatius was a mystic. He had several visions. His spirituality focused on the Trinity, Christ and the Eucharist. His motto was “All for the greater glory of God.”  In 1548, his book The Spiritual Exercises was printed. This introduces the concept of a 30-day retreat.

St. Ignatius died of Roman Fever, almost blind, at the age of 65 on July 31, 1556. St. Ignatius is the patron saint of Catholic soldiers, and retreats.

The Basilica of St Ignatius of Loyola was built next to the house where he was born in Azpeita, the Basque Country. The house itself is now a museum. St. Ignatius’ legacy includes many Jesuit schools and educational institutions. In the U.S. alone there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. There are more than 50 Jesuit secondary schools.

Lord Jesus Christ
take all my freedom
my memory
my understanding
and my will.
All that I have and cherish
You have given me.
I surrender it all
to be guided by Your will
Your grace and Your love
are wealth enough for me.
Give me these, Lord Jesus
and I ask for nothing more.
Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Peter Chrysologus, Feast Day July 30



 

St. Peter Chrysologus Public Domain Image
St. Peter Chrysologus

 

The feast day of St. Peter Chrysologus is celebrated on July 30. Peter was born around the year 400 in the small town of Imola, Italy.  He studied theology and was ordained a deacon by Bishop Cornelius. Bishop Cornelius was the local bishop of Imola and had also baptized him. Bishop Cornelius was Peter’s spiritual director teaching him the value of humility.

St. Peter embraced a simple life of prayer as a monk for many years. After the death of the Archbishop of Ravenna in 430, Peter traveled to Rome with Bishop Cornelius to see Pope Sixtus III. Tradition tells us that because of a vision the Pope overruled the choice for a new bishop and declared Peter the new Bishop of Ravenna.

Peter Chrysologus  was known as a good preacher. His sermons were short but inspirational and filled with zeal. As bishop he battled the heresy of monophysitism which denied the humanity of Christ. He insisted that Christ was both fully human and fully divine and supported the authority of the popes in teaching about the nature of Christ. He encouraged everyone to accept the mystery of the Incarnation with simple faith. He believed that learning was second only to virtue for improving the mind.

St. Peter Chrysologus died in 450 in the town of Imola. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729.  St. Peter Chysologus is the patron saint of preachers and catechists.

The Good Shepherd lowered His shoulders to carry back
to the fold of salvation the sheep who had been lost.
Quote of St. Peter Chrysologus
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood



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Featured, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Martha, Feast Day July 29




 

Jesus at the home of Marth and Mary by Harold Copping Public Domain Image
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary by Harold Copping

The Feast Day of St. Martha is celebrated on July 29. Martha lived in Bethany during the first century. She was a devoted follower and friend to Jesus. She was the sister of Lazarus and had a sister named Mary.  St. Martha is the patron saint of cooks, housewives and domestic workers.

Martha is well known for two stories in the bible. In Luke 10:38-42 , Jesus is a guest in Martha’s home. While she is busy in the kitchen, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to every word he is saying. Martha goes to Jesus, complaining… “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”

Jesus responded by saying,

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

If we really love Jesus we should want to actually spend time with Him. This gentle rebuke must have stung. Service in the kitchen is an important part of hospitality. However, Jesus makes it clear that listening to his words is even more important. We need to prioritize our work and actually be present to and listen to Jesus. Sometimes, we can be so busy with our work, that we forget what it means to love someone.

Later in the gospel, Martha speaks to Jesus after her brother Lazarus has died. In John chapter 11, , Martha proclaims her faith when she tells Jesus “Lord, if you had been here, m brother would not have died.”

Jesus replied,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” She was a witness to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the tomb for three days.

Tradition tells us that Martha died of natural caused in 84 AD.

If obedience sends you to the kitchen, remember that the Lord walks among the pots and pans and that He will keep you in inward tasks and in outward ones, too.
Quote of St. Teresa of Avila; Feast Day October 15
July is the Month of The Most Precious Blood

Apostle, Faith, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. James the Greater, Feast Day July 25




St. James the Greater Public Domain Image
St. James the Greater

On July 25, the Catholic Church will be celebrating the feast day of St. James the Greater. St. James was a fisherman and the brother of John. Peter was his partner. When they were called to become Apostles of  Jesus, they left everything to do so.  St. James the Greater is the patron saint of laborers and Spain.

There were two Apostles named James. James the Greater is the older of the two. He was also called “The Son of Thunder”.  James, John and Peter were honored to be the only Apostles present at the Transfiguration. They were also present in the Garden of Gethsemane while Jesus prayed before His death.

Tradition tells us he evangelized in Spain after the crucifixion for nine years. St. James the Greater was the first Apostle to be martyred. In the year 44, King Herod Agrippa killed him with a sword during the early persecutions of the Church.

Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state,
but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves,
a really good beginning will have been made.
Quote of St. Peter Alcantara;                                   Feast day October 19

St. James the Greater in Art

  • St. James the Greater Public Domain Image
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Faith, Martyr, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Boste, Feast Day July 24




 
St. John Boste

St. John Boste is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.  Their feast day is celebrated together on October 25.   The Feast Day of St. John Boste is celebrated on July 24, the anniversary of his death.

St. John Boste was born in Dufton Westmoreland in 1544.  He attended Queen’s College, Oxford.  He became the first headmaster to serve under Queen Elizabeth l.  He converted to Catholicism and was received into the Church in 1576.  After leaving England he was ordained a priest in Rheims in 1581.

St. John Boste returned to England as a missionary priest.  He evaded arrest for ten years.  After a betrayal, he was finally arrested.  He was found hiding behind a fireplace after celebrating a forbidden Mass.  He was taken to the Tower of London and interrogated on the rack.  He was then hung, drawn and quartered while reciting the Angelus prayer.

My function is to invade souls, not to meddle in temporal invasions.

Quote of St. John Boste
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Featured, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Mary Magdalene, Feast Day July 22




St. Mary Magdalene Bartoolome Esteban Public Domain Image
St. Mary Magdalene
Bartoolome Esteban

The Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene is celebrated on July 22.  She is the patron of penitent sinners.

Mary Magdalene is well known from the gospel account of Jesus casting out seven demons from her.(Luke 8:2)   She experienced great sorrow for her sins and became a devoted follower of Christ.

Because of her sorrow, she anointed Christ with her tears and dried His feet with her hair. Mary Magdalene is present at many of the important times in the life of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was one of the women present at the time of His crucifixion. She is the one who discovered His body missing from the tomb. She is honored by being the first person Christ appeared to after His Resurrection.

Each of us has sin in our lives. Whatever that sin is, we can turn to Jesus as Mary Magdalene did… with sincere sorrow… and become true disciples of Jesus. Only if we confide in Jesus in our sorrow and our joy can we truly call Jesus our ‘friend’.

Mary Magdalene reported seeing Jesus after the resurrection  by exclaiming to the other followers…

“I have seen the Lord!”

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Doctor of the Church, Featured, Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Feast Day July 21




The Feast Day of St. Lawrence of Brindisi is celebrated on July 21. He was born on July 21, 1559 in Brindisi , Italy. His baptismal name was Julius Caesar. He was adventurous as a child but knew from an early age that he had a religious calling. When his father died at the age of twelve he went to Venice where he studied with the conventual Franciscans. He was accepted into the Capuchin Order and eventually became a priest. He worked as a diplomat and as a missionary.  St. Lawrence is the Patron Saint of Cooks and Librarians.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi was fluent in five languages. He was Master General of his Order from 1602-1605. He was known for his eloquent preaching. He reformed the monasteries and taught theology. St. Lawrence was known for many miraculous healings. He healed a blind man and cured a paralyzed woman. His sermons have been compiled into 15 volumes.

On July 22, 1619 St. Lawrence died of natural causes. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on Dec. 8, 1881. St Lawrence of Brindisi is a Doctor of the Church.

The crucifix alone
teaches one the worth
of a single human soul.

Quote of St. Pierre Henri Dorie;                           Feast day September 20.
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.
Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Joseph Barsabas, Feast Day July 20




St. Joseph Barsabas
St. Joseph Barsabas

St. Joseph Barsabas was a follower and disciple of Christ.  In the Acts of the Apostles  St. Matthias was chosen over him to replace Judas after the crucifixion.

St. Joseph Barsabas, is also known as Barsabbas and Joseph the Just.  He is considered one of the 72 disciples sent out by Our Lord. (Luke 10:1)

He spread the good news of the resurrection after the crucifixion.

Why climb the mountains or go down into the valleys of the world looking for Him who dwells within us.
Quote of St. Augustine;  Feast Day August 28
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood
Faith, Featured, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; St. Macrina the Younger, Feast Day July 19




St. Macrina the Younger
St. Macrina the Younger

The Feast Day of St. Macrina the Younger is celebrated on July 19.  She was born into a family of saints during the year 327 in Cesarea.  Her grandparents were martyrs.  Her grandmother was St. Macrina the Elder.  Her parents Basil the Elder and Emmelia are both saints. St. Macrina is the patron saint of teachers.

Macrina’s mother taught her to read and educated her.  Macrina in turn taught her brothers to read.    Her brothers were St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Peter of Sebastea.

At the age of twelve, Macrina became engaged to marry.  Her fiance died suddenly and she then decided to remain single.  She helped her mother raise her brothers as well as helping her mother run the household.

When Macrina’s father died, both Macrina and her mother consecrated themselves to a life of prayer and contemplation.

St. Macrina died  a peaceful death in 371 holding the crucifix which she always had near her.

My life is an instant, an hour which passed by.
My life is a moment which I have no power to stay.
You know, O my God, that to love you here on earth…
I have only today.
Quote of St. Therese of Lisieux
July is the Month of the the Most Precious Blood

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Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Camillus de Lellis, Feast Day July 18




St. Camillus Public Domain Image
St. Camillus

The Feast Day of St. Camillus de Lellis is July 18.

St. Camillus  was born on May 25, 1550 in Bucchianico, Abruzzo, Italy.  His mother died when he was a child and he received little attention.

As a teenager he was adventurous and a risk taker often losing his money and fighting.  During one fight he was wounded in his leg.  The wound did not heal but spread to his foot. It was during this time that his father also died.

Camillus continued to fight and gamble.  He became so destitute that he stopped at a church to request help.  Leaving the church, he met two monks.  He soon began working for a Capuchin monastery helping with construction projects.  After talking to a priest, he had a burning desire to become a Benedictine priest.  However, he was rejected due to lack of education.

At the age of 25, Camillus was admitted into a hospital for treatment of his leg.  To pay for the treatment he cared for the sick and dying in the hospital.  He was discharged form the hospital for gambling and fighting.  He decided to study to become a Benedictine, however his wound again needed treatment.  He returned to the hospital where he was hired to help reform the hospital.

At the age of 34 he became a priest and organized others to help.  They called themselves “Servants of the Sick.”

The Order of St. Camillus serves the sick and dying in 35 countries.  They care for both the physical and spiritual needs of the person in need.

It is always a feast where love is,

And where love is, God is.

Quote of Dorothy Day, Servant of God
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood
Carmelite Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Rose Chretien, Feast Day July 17




compeigne-holy-card
Martyrs of Compiegne

The Feast Day of Bl. Rose Chretien is celebrated on July 17.  It is also the Feast of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne.  She was born near Eureaux, France in 1741.

Bl. Rose married at a young age and soon became a widow.  She decided to join the Discalced Carmelite Order and became a choir nun.  At her profession in 1777 she took the religious name of  Sister Julia Louise of Jesus.

Bl. Rose is considered one of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne.  The sixteen Carmelites were imprisoned along with English Benedictine nuns.  The Carmelites were condemned as traitors and sentenced to death by guillotine.  As they were martyred, one by one, they renewed their vows and chanted the hymn Veni Creato Spiritus which was the hymn sung at their ceremony professing their vows.

Several days after their deaths, the persecution called the Reign of Terror led by Robespierre came to an end.  The English Benedictine Nuns credited the Carmelites with ending the bloodbath and saving their community.

The Carmelite Sisters were buried in a common grave at Picpus Cemetery with a single cross where 1306 other victims of the guillotine were buried.

Those who do something for the glory of God are not troubled by failure, because they have already achieved their pupose of pleasing God, by acting with a pure intention.
Quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Feast day August 1
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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