Their is a different prayer style for each person. Each of the saints also prays in a way that is special to that saint If you are searching for the type of prayer that works for you a wonderful book to read is Six Ways to Pray from Six Great Saints by Gloria Hutchinson.
This book introduces you to six different saints: St. Francis of Assisi (Franciscan), St. Clare ( Poor Clares), St. Teresa of Lisieux (Carmelite), St. Therese of Avila (Carmelite), St. John of the Cross (Carmelite ) and St. Ignatius of Loyola (Jesuit). You will learn not only their story but also their prayer style.
Each chapter contains exercises to help you discover what type of prayer works best for you. When I read this book, I learned about the “Prayer of Detachment” taught by St. John of the Cross. The exercises helped me to practice and meditate in a way I had never tried before. I encourage everyone to read it and discover their own prayer type.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; I do not give to you as the world gives. Do no let not your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid.” John 14:27.
Quote of Jesus
Peace and serenity of heart are difficult to acquire. The world is a chaotic place to live. Our emotions can make us feel quite helpless. How do we find peace? How do we live in peace? Faith is a gift. With faith, we can pray for peace.
The following quotes of the saints are ‘pearls of wisdom’ to help us in our journey.
Lord, Make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
4. Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
10. Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.
16. Be peace loving.Peace is a precious treasure to be sought with great zeal. Live your life that you may receive the blessings of the Lord. Then the peace of God the Father will be with you always.
St. Jerome and the Angel by Simon Vouet Public Domain Image
23. We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God.
And I saw a river over which every soul must pass to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, and the name of that river was suffering.and then I saw a boat which carried souls across the river, and the name of that boat was Love.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I pray for Your healing touch upon my body, mind and spirit. I beg You to remove any fear or anxiety. Fill me with the Peace that You alone can give. I place myself completely in Your hands.
O my Lord Jesus, trusting in Your care and love for me, may my recovery be swift, my strength be renewed, and my health restored.
I lift up all my afflictions in Your hands, Lord, for You are the Divine Healer with Divine Mercy. O Sacred Heart of Jesus,I put my trust in You. Amen.
Confirmation season is here! During the Easter season Catholics and students preparing to come into the church will receive the sacrament of confirmation. They are searching for the patron saint who will be their role model and guide during their pilgrimage on earth.
When we receive the Rite of Confirmation, we are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The symbols of the Holy Spiritare tongues of fire, a dove, and the wind.
The Catholic Church believes in the Communion of Saints. Each baptized person is a member of this communion, the living and the dead. The saints are considered the Church Triumphant. The pilgrims on earth are considered the Church Militant (still defending the faith). We ask our patron saint to pray with us and for us as we face the trials on earth. The more prayer to God on our behalf the better!
During the rite of Confirmation, the Bishop prays over the candidate calling them by the name they have chosen as their confirmation name.He also anoints them with the oil of chrism. When a person is confirmed they receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit, Come!
Are you searching for a patron saint?
The following twenty five popular female patron saints should be considered as you search for your role model and patron saint.
St. Agatha
St. Agatha
St. Agatha was born in Sicily, She is the patron saint of breast cancer. She was imprisoned and then tortured for her faith. During the torture, her breasts were amputated. In an apparition of St. Peter, she was healed. St. Agatha was a martyr for the faith. The feast day of St. Agatha is celebrated on Feb. 5.
St. Anne
St. Anne
The feast day of St. Anne is July 26. She is the grandmother of Jesus and the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the patron saint of mothers and grandmothers. St. Anne was married to St. Joachim. Tradition tells us they were both wealthy and pious.
St. Bernadette
St. Bernadette
The feast day of St. Bernadette is April 16. She is the patron saint of bodily ills and orphans. While young, Bernadette suffered from digestive problems and asthma. Because of ill health Bernadette received the sacrament of the sick at least three times. St. Bernadette had a vision of the Virgin Mary when very young. At Lourdes France, she was told to dig in the mud by Our Lady. A spring appeared which resulted in many healings.
St. Catherine Laboure
St. Catherine Laboure’
St. Catherine Laboure’ is a visionary and the patron saint of the Miraculous Medal. She was born on May 2, 1806 in France. The Virgin Mary appeared to her three times instructing her to have the medal made. The medal was eventually made and credited with many miracles. The medal became known as The Miraculous Medal. St. Catherine Leboure’s feast day is celebrated on Nov. 28.
St. Catherine of Siena
St. Catherine of Siena
St. Catherine of Sienais the patron of firefighters. She was born in Siena, Italy in 1347. At the age of six she began having mystical experiences. She often saw gaurdian angels. She became a Dominican tertiary at the age of 16 after having visions of Christ, Mary and the saints. She is considered a great writer. Some of her ecstasies included falling into fire unharmed. This is why she is the patron of firefighters. She received the stigmata (the wounds of Christ) and her body was found to be in-corrupt. St. Catherine’s feast day is celebrated on April 29.
St. Cecelia
St. Cecelia
St. Ceceliais the patron saint of musicians. She was born in Rome. After seeing an angel praying at the side of his wife, Cecelia’s husband converted to the faith. St. Cecelia was arrested and martyred for her faith. An attempt to suffocate her failed after which she was beheaded. She is the patron of musicians because she heard music in her heart on her wedding day. St. Cecelia’s feast day is celebrated on Nov. 22.
St. Clare of Assisi
St. Clare of Assisi
St. Clareis the patron saint of eye disease and communications. She was born in Assisi, Italy in 1194. After hearing St. Francis of Assisi preach on Palm Sunday, she joined the Franciscans. The women following St. Francis became known as “The Poor Clares”. They lived an enclosed life of prayer, away from the world and serving the sick. St. Clare’s feast day is Aug. 11.
St. Edith Stein
St. Edith Stein
St. Edith Steinwas also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She is the patron saint of loss of parents and converts.. She was the youngest of a large Jewish family. In 1922 she was baptized into the Catholic Faith. When the Nazis conquered Holland she was arrested along with her sister and sent to Auschwitz. St. Edith Stein was sent to the gas chambers and died a martyr at the age of 51 in 1942. Her feast day is celebrated on Aug. 9.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the patron saint of in-law troubles and loss of children. She grew up in New York City and married William Seton. Within four years, she suffered the death of her father in-law which left William in charge. His business failed forcing bankruptcy. They moved to Italy to help his health. He died of tuberculosis in Italy. Elizabeth grew close to God. She became Catholic and had a devotion to the Virgin Mary. She established the first Catholic school in America. On March 25, 1809 she took a vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She became Mother Seton. Elizabeth. died in 1821 of tuberculosis at age 46. The feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is celebrated on Jan. 4.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth of Hungaryis the patron saint of widows , the homeless and young brides.
She was the daughter of the King of Hungary and married at age 14 to Louis of Thuring. Deeply in love, her husband died in the crusades after six years of marriage. Her in-laws disliked her generosity and threw her out of the palace. St. Elizabeth of Hungary served the poor and the sick. In 1218 she joined the Secular Franciscan Order and worked in a hospital she founded in honor of St. Francis. She died at the age of 23 in 123l. The feast day of St.Elizabeth of Hungary is celebrated on Nov. 17.
St. Faustina
St. Faustina
St. Faustinais the patron saint of Divine Mercy. She was born in Poland in 1905. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy whose mission is the poor and education. She took the name Sister Maria Faustina. She received a message from our Lord to spread the message of his mercy to the world. She wrote about the mercy of God in her Diary which is now published. Divine Mercy is now celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Sister Faustina died in Oct. 1938. The feast day of St. Faustina is celebrated on Oct. 5.
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
St. Jane Frances de Chantal is the patron saint of forgotten people and widows. She was born in Dijon, France in 1572. She married the Baron de Chantal (Christophe) at the age of 20. They had four children before he was killed in a hunting accident. With the aid of St. Frances de Sales, Jane founded the Visitation Order. She wrote many letters of spiritual direction. She died in 1641 at 69 years old. We celebrate the feast day of St. Jane Frances de Chantal on Aug. 12.
St. Joan of Arc
St. Joan of Arc
St. Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in France. She is the patron saint of soldiers and France. While very young she heard messages from St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret. They told her to go to the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom. The 17 year old girl was given a small army with which she achieved success. She was captured and sold to the English. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. We celebrate her feast day on May 30.
St. Kateri Takakwitha
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
St. Kateri Takakwitha is the patron saint of the environment. She is the first Native American saint. She was born in 1656 to the daughter of a Mohawk warrior and a Catholic Alqonquin. Father Jacques de Lambertville, a Jesuit missionary baptized her. She was devoted to prayer and penitenial practices. She also cared for the sick and aged. At the age of four her mother and brother died of smallpox. Kateri’s face was scarred by the disease and she became almost blind. St. Kateri died during Holy Week. Within 15 minutes of death her face was healed of its scars. She appeared to many people after her death, always carrying a cross. We celebrate St. Kateri’s feast day on July 14.
St. Margaret Mary
St. Margaret Mary
St. Margaret Mary is the patron saint of polio victims. She was born in 1647 in Burgundy, France. She was bedridden for five years as a child with rheumatic fever. She had a devotion to the Eucharist. Refusing marriage, she entered the Visitation convent. St. Margaret Mary was a visionary. She had visions of Christ which instructed her to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Eventually the devotion was officially approved. We celebrate the feast day of St. Margaret Mary on Oct. 17.
St. Maria Goretti
St. Maria Goretti
St. Maria Goretti is the patron saint of rape victims, youth and purity. She was born in Italy on Oct. 16, 1890 to a farm worker. Her father died of malaria leaving her mother struggling to feed her children. At the age of 12 she was attacked by an 18 year old neighbor who tried to rape her. When she resisted he stabbed her. Before she died a martyr in the hospital, she forgave him. However, he was sentenced to 30 years. He was unrepentant until he had a dream. Maria appeared to him and gave him flowers. It changed him forever. When he left prison, he attended the canonization of St. Maria Goretti in St. Peter’s Square. St. Maria Goretti’s feast day is celebrated on July 6.
St. Martha
St. Martha
St. Marthais the patron saint of housewives, domestic workers and cooks. She lived in Bethany at the time of Jesus. She was a devoted follower and had a sister named Mary. Martha is most known for the story in the gospel Luke 10:38-42 which tells us the story of Jesus being a guest in their home. She is busy in the kitchen while Mary is sitting listening to Jesus. When 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.” We celebrate the feast day of St. Martha on July 29.
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of penitent women. She was a devoted disciple of Jesus. Jesus cast out seven demons from her. Because of the sorrow she had for her sins she anointed Christ with her tears and dried His feet with her hair. Mary Magdalene was present at the crucifixion of Jesus. She is the one who discovered His body missing from the tomb. She is honored by being the first person to whom Christ appeared to after His Resurrection. She reported seeing Him by exclaiming to the other disciples. “I have seen the Lord!”
The feast day of St. Mary Magdalene is celebrated on July 22.
Mary, Mother of God
Mary, Mother of God
Mary is the Mother of God. She is also considered the Queen of Saints because Jesus is our King.. She is the spiritual mother of all of us. Mary is the patron saint of all of humanity, mothers, the suffering and families.
The Archangel Gabrielappeared to Mary telling her she would have a child. He said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” He continued saying, “Fear not, Mary for you have found grace with God. Behold you shall conceive in your womb and shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end. Mary responded, “How can this be?” The angel answered “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child will be holy. He will be called Son of God and now your relative Elizabeth in her old age has conceived a son and is in her sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing is impossible. with God.” Mary responded, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” Then the angel departed.
We celebrate many feast days to honor Mary. The feast day of Mary, the Mother of God is celebrated on January 1st.
St. Monica
St. Monica
St. Monicais the patron saint of mothers, alcoholism and troubled marriages. She was born in Africa in 331. Married to an abusive alcoholic pagan, they had three children. St. Augustine was her son. He left the church when young to live a wild life. Monica prayed constantly for his return to the faith. Eventually, he returned to the faith becoming a priest, then a Bishop. St. Monica’s husband converted to the faith before he died. St. Monica’s feast day is celebrated on Aug 27,celebrated on Aug 27,
St. Rita
St. Rita
St. Rita is the patron saint of impossible cases. When she was young she desired to enter the convent. However a marriage was arranged. Her husband was violent and abusive. After twenty years of marriage her husband was stabbed to death. Her two sons also died leaving Rita alone in the world. She joined an Augustinian convent at Cacia Umbria. After praying, “Please let me suffer like you Divine Savior.” Rita was wounded by a thorn on her forehead. It would not heal and caused her to suffer until her death on May 22, 1457.
The feast day of St. Rita is May 22.
St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila is the patron saint of headache sufferers. She was born in Spain in 1515. Her mother died when she was 14. Her father placed her in a convent to protect her from the world. She struggled to balance her love of God with her need for friends and fun. She eventually joined the Carmelite Order. She was a mystic and a poet and an author. She is considered a Doctor of the Church Her feast day is celebrated on Oct. 15.
Bl. Teresa of Calcutta Public Domain Image
St. Teresa of Calcutta
St. Teresa of Calcuttais the patron saint of World Youth Day, the poorest of the poor, and the dying. She joined the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Sisters of Loreto. Born in Skopje, her birth name was Agnes Ganxha Bojaxhiu. She became Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. In 1946, she had a “call within a call”. She heard Jesus say “Come be My light”. She formed the Missionaries of Charity and served the sick and dying in Calcutta, India. Mother Teresa became known to the world as a living saint. She died on Sept. 5, which is the day we celebrate her feast day.
St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Thérèse of Lisiuex
St. Thérèse of Lisiuex is the patron saint of missions. She is also a Doctor of the Church. She was born in 1873 in France. St. Thérèse became known as the “Little Flower” because of her statement, “The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word and the doing of the least action for love.” Her spirituality is known as “The little way”. She believed in trusting Jesus to make her holy and relying on small sacrifices instead of great deeds to find holiness. She is the author of “The Story of a Soul”. The feast day of St. Thérèse is celebrated on Oct. 1.
St. Veronica
St. Veronica
St. Veronica is the patron saint of photographers. Little is known about Veronica. She was a follower of Jesus and present during his crucifixion. While Jesus carried the cross, she was moved with compassion. She knelt in front of Jesus and used her veil to wipe his face clean. Her kindness is commemorated on the sixth station of the cross prayed by the church. The soldiers pushed Veronica away and she later discovered the imprint of Christ’s face on her veil. It is believed that Veronica left her veil in the care of Pope Clement I, the successor to St. Peter. St. Veronica’s feast day is celebrated on July 12
Mother Teresa will soon be officially declared a saint!
The day before the feast day of Bl. Mother Teresa Pope Francis will proclaim that she is a saint. Her feast day is celebrated on Sept. 5. The world remembers her as a “living saint”.
St. Teresa of Calcutta was born to parents Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1916 in Skopje of Macedonia and named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was baptized on August 17, 1910 in Macedonia. She was the third child in her family, following sister Aga and a brother, Lazar. Her father, Nikola died, when she was eight years old. Her father was a traveler, an extrovert, and a businessman who spoke five languages. Her mother, Drana, was extremely pious, adopting several orphans. She was known as Gonxha (pronounced gon’KHA) which means “flower bud”.
Gonxha desired early to become a missionary. At the age of eighteen, she joined the Sisters of Loreto. Here she took the name of Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. She was sent to Calcutta, India to teach at St. Mary’s High School for Girls, which was run by the Sisters of Loreto. On May 24, 1937, she took her final Profession of Vows to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She then became known as Mother Teresa. In 1944, she became principal of the school.
Mother Teresa received a second calling while on a train. Christ spoke to her, asking her to work in the slums of Calcutta, caring for the sickest and poorest of the people.Pursuing this calling changed her life forever. In one year, she received approval to do the work she was being called to do. After six months of basic medical training she went to the slums to aid the needy and dying. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charitywith 12 members, most of them students from St. Mary’s. She established a leper colony, an orphanage, a mission house, and several health clinics.
In 1971, Mother Teresa visited New York City, where she opened a soup kitchen and a home to care for HIV/AIDS sufferers. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1983, Mother Teresa suffered her first heart attack. After suffering from lung, kidney and heart problems for several years, she died on Sept. 5, 1997, which is now her feast day. At the time of her death her Missionaries of Charity numbered over 4,000. She had 610 foundations in 123 countries.
Mother Teresa was beatified on October 19, 2003, after confirmation of her first miracle. The miracle was reported that a woman who had a large and very visible tumor, had stayed with the Missionaries of Charity. After she and the Sisters had prayed for Mother Teresa’s intercession, the growth, six to seven inches in length, had disappeared within several hours. Finding no other medical explanation for the sudden cure it was declared her first miracle. Over 3500 other reports are being investigated as possible miracles.
After accepting a second miracle, Pope Francis cleared the way for Mother Teresa to be declared a saint. Pope Francis signed a decree declaring that the inexplicable 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man who suddenly woke from a coma caused by a viral brain infection was due to the intercession of the Albanian nun, who died in 1997.
The Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, the postulator spearheading Mother Teresa’s canonization case, stated that the man fully recovered following his wife’s prayers and he has since returned to work as a mechanical engineer. The couple also have had two children.
In 2003, Mother Teresa’s private correspondence revealed she had experienced a “dark night of the soul”… feeling abandoned by God and lacking in faith. This lasted unusually long; for fifty years. Many saints have experienced such feelings, described by John of the Cross, in his book Dark Night of the Soul. She was filled with loneliness, and torture, due to this lack of consolation from God.
Each image in the following list is accompanied by a quote or prayer of Mother Teresa. The images are all public domain images.
As we celebrate the sainthood and feast day of St.Teresa of Calcutta on Sept. 5, let’s remember the remarkable things she did and said.
Sisters of Charity
Prayer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, to shine as to be light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching, not by words, but by our example; by the catching force – the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.
Amen
Mother Teresa with Child/Associated Press
Mother Teresa: Smile
“Let us always meet each other with a smile for the smile is the beginning of love.”
“Peace begins with a smile.”
“Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: God and Faith
“We are nothing without God, but if we put our lives in God’s hands miracles happen.”
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
“Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. Byt transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself, with Jesus our Lord.”
“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa with Pope John Paul II
Mother Teresa: Prayer
The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.”
Mother Teresa
Young Mother Teresa
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhju (Mother Teresa)
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Abortion
“Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what it wants.”
“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”
“There are two victims in every abortion: a dead baby and a dead conscience.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Love and Forgiveness
“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put into the doing. It is not how how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”
“I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
“If we really want to love we must learn to forgive.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Helping the Sick
“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”
“Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not come, we have only today. Let us begin.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa in service
Mother Teresa: Service
“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives; be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies; succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous, be happy anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa Praying
Mother Teresa: Prayer
“Love to pray. Feel often during the day the need for prayer and take trouble to pray Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself. Ask and seek, and your heart will grow big enough to receive Him and keep Him as your own.”
“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Silence
“We need to find God and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature; trees, flowers, grass, grow in silence. See the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
Easter is actually the last day of Holy Week. It is the day celebrated every Sunday by Christians, and is the core of our faith. However, it is important to reflect on the entire meaning of Holy Week.
The Tridium actually begins on Holy Thursday. We remember the institution by Jesus of the Eucharist. At every Mass we repeat the words of Jesus at the Last Supper.
“This is my body. This is my blood.”
We are a Eucharistic people. When we receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist we become the Body of Christ. We are called to bring Jesus to the world by our actions.
On Good Friday, we remember the actual death and crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. How is it possible to put God to death? Why did Jesus have to suffer in such a terrible way? Unless we reflect on these questions, we miss an important part of our faith. In Luke 9:23 Jesus says,
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”
Suffering is part of everyone’s life. How we react to suffering determines the quality of our discipleship. Jesus is telling us to be selfless. He then shows us how to suffer. Catholics, meditate on the Stations of the Cross during Good Friday services. This helps us to apply our faith to our daily life.
Good Friday is followed by Easter, truly a glorious and joyful day. The resurrection tells us that Jesus has conquered death. We are redeemed by the suffering, death, and resurrection Jesus Christ.
We celebrate Easterevery week, never forgetting the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We must never forget that before he rose, he suffered and died…for us.
Intercessory prayer has always been an important form of prayer in the church. The church believes that we can and should pray for each other. This does not end when we die. The saints are closer to God than we are. We ask them to pray for us in our time of need. This is called intercessory prayer.
During the black plague, which lasted from 1346-1349, a number of saints gained great popularity for their ability to intercede and were given credit for many miraculous cures. They became known as the Holy Helpers. A feast day was created to celebrate their sanctity and celebrated on August 8. in 1969, this feast day of the Holy Helpers was dropped because of the reform of the liturgical calendar. The 14 Holy Helpers are still popular today.
All of the Holy Helpers except St. Giles were martyrs. Symptoms of the plague were a black tongue, painful throat, severe headache, fever, and boils on the abdomen. It came on suddenly and could result in death within hours. The people who contracted the disease turned to the Holy Helpers to intercede for them during the frightening experience.
1. St. George…Feast Day April 23rd…Died 303
St. George
St. George was born in Cappadocia (modern Turkey) into a Christian family. He became a high ranking soldier. When Emperor Diocletian began persecuting Christians, he protested. He was then jailed and tortured. He died a martyr after being beheaded. Legend tells us that St. George killed a dragon which was threatening the townspeople. He made the sign of the cross and then killed it with a lance. Many people were converted and baptized because of St. George.
St George is invoked for protection of domestic animal.
St. Blaise was born in Armenia. He was a physician and a philosopher. He became a Bishop of Armenia. Due to persecution, he fled and lived as a hermit. Legend tells us that hunters came upon him praying in a cave. He was surrounded by lions, wolves and bears. He was imprisoned. He was known for his gift of healing. The most famous healing happened while he was in prison. A mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone.
St. Blaise died a martyr. After being tortured, he was beheaded.
St. Blaise is invoked for healing of the throat.
3. St. Erasmus (or St. Elmo)…Feast Day June 2…Martyr
Martyrdom of St. Erasmos Public Domain Image
St. Elmo lived in Italy. He served as the Bishop of Formiae, Campagna, Italy and was martyred during the persecutions of Christians by Diocletan.
Trying to flee the persecutions, St. Elmo fled to Mt. Lebanon and lived in solitude for a time. When he was found, he was tortured and imprisoned. Because he refused to deny his faith he was scourged and cast into boiling oil, sulfur and pitch. He was miraculously saved from harm. According to legend an angel led him to freedom. After escaping prison he converted many with his preaching and miracles. A second time he was captured, imprisoned and tortured. Again, an angel led him to freedom. During his torture he had hot iron hooks struck into his intestines. He survived these wounds which is why he is invoked for intestinal problems.
St. Elmo is considered the patron saint of sailors. A blue light appears at mastheads before and after a storm; the seamen took it as a sign of St. Erasmus’s protection. This became known as St. Elmo’s Fire. St. Elmo died as a martyr in 303. He was tortured and disemboweled.
St. Elmo is the patron saint of sailors
and against intestinal troubles.
4. St. Pantaleon … Feast Day July 27th…D. 304
St. Pantaleon was born into a wealthy christian family. He left the faith and became a physician. He returned to the faith before his father died leaving him a large inheritance. During the persecution of Dicletian, he refused to denounce his faith. After healing a man with palsy, he was tortured in many ways. Tradition says he was burned by torches until Christ appeared and put out the flames. Attempts at boiling him and drowning at sea also failed. He was finally nailed to a tree and beheaded. He prayed for forgiveness of his persecutors before his death.
St. Pantaleon is patron saint of physicians, midwives,
tuberculosis and torture victims.
5. St. Vitus (also St. Guy)… Feast Day June 14
St. Vitus was born in 291 into a pagan family in Sicily. He was cared for by a Christian family who had him baptized. His furious father tried to have him renounce his faith. When he would not, his father turned him over to the governor Valerian who had him tortured for refusing to deny his faith. He was ordered scourged, however his executioners’ hands were paralyzed. They were healed after St. Vitus made a sign of the cross over ther. Escaping during a storm, St. Vitus fled to Italy. After converting many, Diocetian had him arrested and tortured again. When he was thrown to the wild beasts, the animals cowered at his feet. He wurvived boiling oil but was martyred on the rack in the year 303.
St. Vitus is the patron saint of dancers and actors.
He is invoked during storms and against epilepsy
and those afflicted with St Vitus Dance.
6. St. Christopher … martyr … Former Feast Day July 25
St. Christopher
Because the existence of St. Christopher is not verified his feast day was dropped when the liturgical year was reformed. However, his legend is powerful and many still ask for his intercession. Legend says that he converted to the faith after following the devil. He was very tall and considered a giant. He devoted his life to carrying people across a river with no bridge. One day, he was carrying a small child. The child became heavier and heavier until St. Christopher staggered. When they had crossed the river the child told St. Christopher that he was the Christ child and that he had been carrying the burdens of the world on his shoulders. St. Christopher is believed to be martyred by Emperor Deius in approximately 250
St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers,
transportation workers and soldiers.
7. St. Denis (also Dionysius) Feast Day October 9 bishop and martyr
St. Denis, Bishop of Paris
St. Denis is also known as St. Diomysius. He was converted by St. Paul, becoming one of his followers. He was known converting many people. Pope St. Clement sent him to Gaul where he became the first bishop of France, At the age of 110, he was martyred by beheading. Tradition tells us that after he was beheaded, he took his head in his own hands placing it 2000 paces away where a chapel was later built.
St. Denis is invoked against diabolical possession and headaches.
8. St. Cyriacus (also Cyriac)… Feast Day August 8 … deacon and martyr
St. Cyriacus was a pious Roman who became a deacon and tried to help people being persecuted for their faith. He also ministered to people in prison. Eventually, he was put in prison himself. While in prison he converted many and restored the sight of several blind men. When Emperor Diocletian’s daughter was found to be possessed by the devil it was St. Cyriacus who was able to free her of this possession. After she was healed the Emperor left him to live in peace. However, under the persecution of the co Emperor Maximum, he was again persecuted. He was tortured and beheaded on March 16, 303.
St. Cyriacus is the patron against eye disease,diabolical possession and temptation, especially at the time of death.
9. St. Aciathius (also Acaciid) … Feast Day May 8th
St. Aciathius was a Roman soldier. He joined the army during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, becoming a captain. He converted to Christianity and was filled with zeal. He converted many pagan soldiers. The emperor had him thrown into prison and tortured on the rack when he would not renounce his faith. He was brought before the tribune Bibianus. After declaring that his name was Christian, because he was a follower of Christ, Bibianus ordered him beaten with clubs and chained. After suffering more torture, he was beheaded on May 8, 311.
St. Acathius is the invoked against headaches.
10. St. Eustace (also Eustachius, Eustathius)… Feast Day Sept. 20th
Before his conversion St. Eustace was none as Placedas. He was a kind man who enjoyed hunting. He was also a Roman general. One day he followed a stag into the forest. While he was staring at the deers antlers they vegan to glow showing a cross between them. He heard a voice asking him to convert to Christianity. Pacedus and his family were soon baptized and he became known as Eustace. St. Eustace was martyred in the year 118 by being burned inside a bronze bull.
St. Eustaca is the patron against fire, difficult situations,
family troubles and hunters and fire fighters.
11. St. Giles the Abbot (also Aegildius)… Feast Day Sept. 1… Hermit and abbot
St. Giles, Abbot
St. Giles was born into a noble family in Athens, Greece in the seventh century. After the death of his parents, he distributed his inheritance to the poor. He also became known for the gift of miracles and healing he had received. Giles longed to live a life of solitude, serving God as a recluse. He left Greece, sailing for France. Everywhere he lived he became known for his gift of miracles and healing. He would have to flee once again to find a place to live in peace and solitude. His final dwelling place was deep in the forest in a cavern in a rock. He occupied his time in prayer, praising God and meditating. His only companion was a red deer, which provided him with milk to drink. St. Giles is the only Holy Helper who was not a martyr.
After several years of living in complete solitude, the King of France instituted a great hunt near where Giles lived. The hunters chased the deer which led them to the cave where Giles lived. They shot an arrow into the cave, wounding the holy hermit. They found him covered with blood with the deer lying at his feet. When the king was told what had happened, he ordered him taken care of. He came to see him offering him gifts. St. Giles refused the gifts requesting a monastery instead. St. Giles became the Abbot of the monastery which was soon built. Several disciples joined him. His fame continued to spread because of his gift of miracles. The conversion of the King was one of these miracles.
St. Giles is the patron saint of the mentally ill, the disabled,
epileptics,childhood fears, and depression.
12. St. Margaret of Antioch … Feast Day July 2
St. Margaret of Antioch
St. Margaret was a virgin and martyr. St. Margaret was born in Antioch. She was raised by a Catholic nurse. When her pagan father learned of her faith, he was very displeased. He wanted her to marry the city prefect. When she refused, the prefect hd her tortured on the rack and pierced with iron hooks. She was then left in prison to die. Miraculously, all her wounds were healed. She was then tortured again with flaming hooks which did her no harm. Finally, she was beheaded. She was one of the saints who talked to St. Joan of Arc.
St. Margaret is the patron of women in childbirth.St. Margaret is invoked against backaches and kidney disease.
13. St. Catherine of Alexandria … Feast Day Nov 25th
St. Catherine Alexandria
While there is no historical evidence regarding St. Catherine of Alexandriathere is a strong tradition about her martyrdom. St. Catherine was born around 287 in Alexandria, Egypt. She was the daughter of a wealthy pagan couple. She had a love of learning and studied philosophy and religion. After studying Christianity, she converted. She is known to have debated 50 philosophers, converting them.
Legend tells us that she was imprisoned and tortured by Emperero Maxentius after she refused to marry him. He forced her to debate the most learned pagan philosophers hoping she would commit apostasy, however the debates resulted in many conversions to the Christian faith. St. Catherine was tortured by being placed on a wheel full of spikes in an attempt to kill her. The wheel broke into two pieces and fell apart. She was then beheaded.
St. Catherine is invoked as the patron saint of students, teachers, librarians and lawyers.
14. St. Barbara… Feast Day December 4
St. Barbara
St. Barbarawas a virgin and martyr. She is the patron of builders, artillery men and miners. She was martyred in Asia Minor in the 3rd or 4th century. Her father isolated her in a high tower where she was tutored by philosophers and poets. She converted to Christianity, which infuriated her father. He ordered her killed. She was caught trying to escape and then beheaded by her father. He was immediately struck dead by lightning.
St. Barbara is invoked against fever, lightning, fire and sudden death.
The saints are men and women who have joy in their hearts and spread it to others… never hating, but serving the others.
Quote by Pope Frances on Nov. 1, 2013 All Saints Day
