The Feast day of St. Elisha is celebrated on June 14. St. Elisha was a prophet in the ninth century. His Hebrew name means “God is Salvation”.
St. Elisha was called to follow the prophet Elijah, his mentor, when Elijah cast his mantle on him indicating that he was to be his successor. As Elijah ascended into heaven in a fiery chariot, Elisha asked for a double portion of St. Elijah’s spirit. The spirit he received enabled him to protect the faith.
St. Elisha was known for many miracles. He divided the waters of Jordan. He made the water from the Jericho Spring fit to drink. He saved a poor widow from death by increasing the oil in her vessel. He raised a child back to life after death. He healed a Syrian officer from leprosy by having him bathe in the Jordan seven times.
St. Elisha continued the devotion begun by Elijah to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. He is considered a patron saint of the Carmelite Order. According to tradition, Elijah had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The title of Mary “Star of the Sea” is believed go have originated with this vision.
St. Elisha died from old age at Samaria.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?
The Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua by Bartolome Esteban Murillo
The feast day of St. Anthony of Padua is celebrated on June 13. He is the patron saint of sailors, lost articles and fishermen.
St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195. His name at Baptism was Fernando. At the age of 15 Fernando entered the Augustinian Monastery. He did not focus on his studies and prayer, but spent time with friends and enjoyed political discussions. He was sent to Coimbra where he studied for nine years. He was ordained a priest during this time.
A turning point occurred in Fernando’s life after the massacre of five Franciscans. They had been tortured and beheaded. Their bodies were returned from Morocco and carried in a solemn procession to Fernando’s monastery. He was inspired to change orders and become a Franciscan, taking the name Anthony.
St. Anthony was sent to Morocco. but decided to return after becoming ill. He never arrived. His ship was hit by stormy weather and sent off course. He eventually landed on the East coast of Sicily. He was nursed back to health by the friars. While still ill, he attended the great Pentecost Chapter of Mats which was attended by 3000 Friars including St. Francis. Anthony was asked to give a short simple sermon. From then on he became a public preacher. The fire and knowledge with which he spoke inspired many to conversion.
St. Anthony made over 400 trips across Italy and France preaching against heresies. He presented the Christian faith in a positive light. Anthony became the teacher of sacred theology to the friars.
In 1226, St. Anthony was appointed provincial superior at the age of 31. It was in Padua that St. Anthony preached his last and most famous Lenten sermon. The crowds were near 30,000 so he preached in open fields. He was exhausted after the sermon. He knew death was near and received the last rites in the town of Arcilla singing with the friars there.
Shortly before he died he exclaimed,
“I see my Lord!”
He died in 1231 at the age of 36 after serving as a Franciscan for ten years.
St. Anthony is often shown in art holding the child Jesus in his arms. Tradition tells us that one night as Anthony was praying the room was filled with brilliant light. Jesus appeared to St. Anthony as a little child.
St. Anthony was canonized in 1232 by Pope Gregory IX. In 1946 Pope Pius XII declared him a Doctor of the Church.
Poverty is an easy way to God…
Poverty is the mother of humility.
It is as difficult to preserve humility amid riches
The feast day of St. Gaspar Bertoni is celebrated on June 12.
St. Gaspar was born in Verona in the Republic of Venice on Oct. 9, 1777 into a wealthy family. His baby sister died leaving him an only child. After his 1st communion at age 11, St. Gaspar was called into a mystical union with Christ. He entered the seminary at 18. During his first year as a seminarian the French army invaded his country. He dedicated himself to caring for the sick and wounded, becoming a member of a Gospel Fraternity for the Hospitals.
St. Gaspar was ordained a priest on Sept. 20, 1800. He was put in charge of youth formation. He also became the spiritual director of the religious community of St. Joseph’s convent. Here he met Leapoldina Naudet and was her spiritual guide. He helped her found the Sisters of the Holy Family. St. Gaspar also directed Servant of God Teodora Compostrini who founded the Community “Sorelle Minime” of the Charity of the Sorrowful Mother. By 1810, he became the spiritual director of the diocesan seminary.
St. Gaspar kept a spiritual diary in which he tells of his mystical gifts and his call to form a religious family. With the help of two companions he began the order in a church named “The Stigmata of St. Francis.” They began a tuition free school. They lived together in common, living a life of penance and contemplation.
St. Gaspar almost died from military fever. While he was sick he continued to counsel many people. The Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ was also known as the Stigmatines. It gradually spread from Verona to the United States, Brazil, Chile, The Philippines, south Africa, Tanzania, and Thailand.
St. Gaspar died in 1836 after the cholera outbreak of 1836. During his lifetime he was attributed with many miracles. He was canonized in 1954.
The feast day of St. Barnabas is celebrated on June 11.
St. Barnabas was Jewish. He was given the name of Joseph at birth. He sold his property and gave the proceeds to the Apostles who named him Barnabas. Barnabas means ‘son of consolation’ or ‘man of encouragement’. The bible tells us he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. He lived in common with the earliest Christian converts. While he was not one of the original apostles, he is believed to be one of the 72 commissioned by Jesus to preach. He is given the honorary title of Apostle.
St. Barnabas
St. Barnabas was one of the first to welcome St. Paul as a disciple of Jesus. He persuaded the community to accept Paul. Barnabas was sent to Antioch, Syria to investigate a community of non-Jewish believers there and brought Paul there from Tarsus. The followers of The Way were first called Christians at Antioch. Barnabas, his cousin John Mark and the Apostle Paul traveled together on their first missionary journey. They went to Cyprus, Perga, Antioch, and Iconium, and Lystra in Lycaomia. After being stoned they returned to Antioch.
Paul and Barnabas attended the counsel of Jerusalem which was discussing whether Christians needed to be circumcised before baptism.
St. Barnabas preached in Alexandria and Rome before being stoned to death at Salamis in the year 61. He is considered the founder of the Cypriot Church.
Let us be about God’s business and He will look after ours.
The feast day of Bl. John Dominic is celebrated on June 10.
Bl. John Dominic is also known as Giovanni Dominici. He was born in Florence, Italy in 1350 to a family with a humble background. He suffered a speech impediment which caused him to stammer and stutter. While young, Bl. John spent much time in prayer at the Dominican Church of Santa Maria Navella.
At the age of 17 he was accepted into the Dominican Orderin spite of his speech impediment and lack of education. He studied in Pisa, Florence and the University of Paris where he received his degree in theology.
As a priest he served as a preacher in Venice, Italy for twelve years. He was appointed vicar-provincial of the Roman Province. He labored to help those affected by the Black Plague. He also successfully renewed the Dominican Order. In 1407 he was made cardinaland confessor of the Pope. He attempted to heal the Western Schism and convinced Pope Gregory XII to call the Council of Constance.
In 1420 Bl. John Dominic died from a fever on June 10.
In the light of faith, we can regard the altar as the heavenly Father does.
What does he see upon the altar?
He sees the Son of His love…the Son in whom He is well pleased.
The feast day of St. Ephrem of Syria is celebrated on June 9. He was born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia in the 4th century. At the age of 18 he was baptized. Along with other Christians, he became a refugee in Edessa during the persecutions by the Persians. He was ordained a deacon and served under four bishops.
St. Ephrem is most known for his prolific writing. He wrote both hymns and poetic homilies. Over 400 hymns still exist, earning him the title of “Harp of the Holy Spirit”. The hymns he wrote were used to instruct the people against the heresies of the time. He often used popular melodies, putting his own words to the music. Because of his music he is credited with a spiritual awakening during that time period. St. Ephrem was also a poet, writing many of his homilies as poetry. His description of heaven and hell is said to have inspired Dante. St. Ephrem had a special devotion to the humanity of Jesus.
St. Ephrem lived a very simple life, living in a cave with a view of Edessa. During the great famine which occurred, he influenced those with money to help him establish a poor house for the sick and poor. St. Ephrem died in June in 373.
O Giver of light! Fulfill my supplications and grant me Your gifts according to my prayer; impart to my heart just one drop of Your grace, that the flame of Your love may begin to burn in my heart; and like a fire, may it consume evil thoughts like thorns and thistles!
