Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Feast Day November 13
The feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is celebrated on November 13. She is the patron saint of immigrants, orphans and against malaria.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850. She wanted to become a nun but was hindered by poor health. She became a teacher, teaching at a girl’s school for six years.
Frances took religious vows in 1877, adding Xavier to her name to honor St. Francis Xavier.
At the urging of Pope Leo XIII, she immigrated to the Unites States with six nuns to work with Italian immigrants. She crossed the Atlantic ocean in spite of her great fear of water.
She founded many schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the United States, England, France, Spain and South America. In New York City, St. Frances Cabrini founded Columbus Hospital and Italian Hospital. In the 1980’s they merged into Cabrini Hospital.
In 1909 St. Frances Xavier Cabrini became a naturalized United States citizen. She died from malaria at the age of 67, on December 22, 1917, at Columbus Hospital in Chicago, IL.
In 1931, her body was exhumed, found partially incorrupt, and is now enshrined under glass in the altar at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Manhattan.
The following prayer was written by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.
Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit and give Your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety, solicitude and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You so that Your will may be my will.Amen
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Stretch every fiber of my being, dear Lord, that I may more easily fly towards you. May your Spirit, which once breathed over the chaos of the earth, give life to all the powers of my soul.
The feast day of St. Josephat is celebrated on November 12. He is a martyr of the church.
St. Josephat was born in Vladimir, Poland, in 1584. His birth name was Ioann Kuntsevych. He was ordained a priest and became head of a monastery at Byline. In 1604, in his early 20s, Kuntsevych entered the Monastery of the Trinity of the Order of Saint Basil the Great in Vilnius, at which time he was given the religious name of Josaphat. He restored sanctuaries, built a convent and converted many souls. He became Archbishop of Polotsk in 1617 at the age of 38. He restored five cathedrals and aided the poor.
St. Josephat sought to bring an end to the divisions which were dividing the church. However, six years after becoming bishop he was assassinated. His body was profaned. He was 44 years old. When his body was recovered nine days later it emitted a fragrance of roses and lilies. This caused many people to abandon the schism.
Five years after his death, St. Josephat’s body was found intact although his clothes had disintegrated. He was canonized in 1867 by Pope Leo XIII.
The feast day of St. Martin of Tours is celebrated on November 11. He is the patron saint of soldiers and beggars.
St. Martin was born in 315 in Pannonia, a Roman Province. Martin’s father was an army officer. Secretly he became a catechumen (a student preparing to become Catholic) at the age of ten. He longed to be a monk so that he could be alone with God in prayer. He was forced to join the army at the age of 15 before he had been baptized. His job was to protect the emperor. He became an officer and was assigned garrison duty in Gaul.
He is portrayed in art helping a beggar who was freezing cold and in need of help. Martin removed his cloak, cut it in half with his sword and gave one half to the beggar. That night, Martin had a dream in which Jesus was wearing his cloak. The dream inspired Martin to immediately seek baptism. He was eighteen years old. Two years after his baptism Martin refused to fight any longer, saying,
I have served you as a soldier, now let me serve Christ.”
Martin was eventually ordained an exorcist. He was chosen as the Bishop of Tours because of his holiness. Martin lived outside the city because of his need for solitude.
St. Martin was known for his miracles and his compassion. St. Martin died on Nov. 8 and was buried at his request in the Cemetery of the Poor. Near the time of his death, St. Martin prayed the following prayer:
“Lord, if your people still need me, I do not refuse the work. Thy will be done.”
The feast day of St. Leo the Great is celebrated on November the 10.
St. Leo was born in Tuscany. He lived during a time of great political chaos for the Church. Barbarian armies were ravaging the once mighty Roman Empire. Leo was an ordained a Deacon. He became the Bishop of Rome in 440. He was Bishop of Rome for 21 years, until his death in 461.
During his papacy, he was known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 as he was preparing to invade Italy. Amazingly, he persuaded him to turn back, and avoided a war. Leo fought many heresies, including Pelagianism which teaches that grace was not necessary for salvation.
Leo is considered one of the great administrators of the Church. He also gave profound spiritual sermons. He presided over the fourth ecumenical council called the Council of Chalcedon. At this council the two natures of Christ was discussed and clarified. The faith teaches that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine.
St. Leo the Great also clarified the role of the pope, persuading Emperor Valentinian to recognize the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in 445. His teaching focused on the scripture which had Jesus telling Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. What you forbid on earth shall be forbidden in Heaven. What you allow on earth shall be allowed in heaven.’ (Matthew 16:19)
Leo was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in the eighteenth century. The title “Great” has been given to only three Popes. The three “Great popes are St. Leo the Great, St. Gregory the Greatand St. Nicholas the Great. St. John Paul II is unofficially considered by some to be “great”. The title “Great” means that the Pope has exercised great leadership and contributed greatly to the theology of the church.
If indeed we are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives in our
hearts…we must work with much vigilance to make the chamber of our heart
The dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica is celebrated on November 9.
St. John Lateran Basilica is the oldest of the four great basilicas in Rome. The four basilicas are:
The Basilica of St. Peter
The Basilica of St. Mary Major
The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wallls
The Basilica of St. John Lateran
Originally, the site was occupied by the palace of the family of the Laterani. The term “Lateran” does not refer to a saint but to the church’s ancient origins as the the Lateran palace, which once belonged the Roman noble family of the Laterni.
Constantine acquired the old palace through marriage. Not only did Constantine end the persecution of the Church he also gave the palace to the Church as a gift and it was enlarged. It became the residency for the Pope. The Basilica has been dedicated to both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.
Until the 14th century popes resided in the Lateran palace. It’s official title is:
“Mother Church of the whole world.”
The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the official seat of the Pope (the Pope’s Cathedral).
Pope Sylvester officially dedicated the basilica in the year 324 declaring it a house of God.
The Basilica has been dedicated to both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.
“Little children, love one another.”
Quote of St. John the Evangelist; Feast Day Dec. 27
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Feast Day Nov. 8
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.”
The feast day of St. Carina and companions is celebrated on November 7.
Very little is known about St. Carina other than her martyrdom. Under the rule of Emperor Julian the Apostate in the city of Ankara, she and her husband and thirteen year old son, Melasippus, were arrested in the year 360 for being Christian. They refused to renounce their faith. St. Carina and her husband were tortured to death. Their son was beheaded.
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues,
but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”
St. Theophane was born in France in 1829. He entered the Foreign Mission of Paris. He was ordained a priest in 1852 and became a missionary. He worked for 15 months at Hong Kong before going to West Tonkin which is now Vietnam.
In Vietnam, he taught seminary and ministered to the people of Tonkin for four years. He was arrested on Nov. 30, 1860 and tried for being a Christian.
During his trial he refused to renounce his faith. St. Theophane was caged for several months before he was beheaded in 1861. While being caged he was allowed to write many letters. Some of them survived. In a letter to his father he wrote,
“We are all flowers planted on this earth, which God plucks in His own good time; some a little sooner, some a little later…Father and son may we meet in Paradise. I, poor little moth, go first. Adieu.”
St. Elizabeth is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. She is a relative of the Virgin Mary and the wife of Zachariah. Elizabeth was considered barren due to old age. However, the Archangel Gabrielappeared to Zachariah while he was at the temple. He told him not to be afraid, that he was to have a son and was to name him John. Zachariah questioned the angel and the angel said he would be mute because of his doubt.
Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, came to visit her. It is Elizabeth you greeted Mary by saying,
“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
When her son was born Zachariah asked for a tablet and wrote
“His name is John”.
Immediately, he was able to speak again. Their son was John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist and Jesus are considered cousins.
“When a nation lacks saints,
darkness invades peoples minds.”
Quote of Bl. Bronislaw Markiewiez; Poland, (1842-1912)
St. Charles Borromeo was born into a noble family in 1528. He was the nephew of Pope Pius IV. When he was twelve he was sent to a Benedictine Abby to be educated. St. Charles Borromeo is the patron saint of catechists, catechumens and seminarians
St. Charles was an active leader in the Council of Trent. He was ordained a priest while the Council was in progress. That same year he became the Bishop of Milan. At the age of 22, he was named a Cardinal. While serving as the Cardinal of Milan, he enforced the decrees of the Council of Trent. He established seminaries and hospitals. During the plague of 1576, he worked with the sick and helped to bury the dead. For three months he fed 3000 daily with his own money. He founded a society for secular priests called the Oblates of St. Ambrosein 1578. It is now known as the Oblates of St. Charles.
St. Charles was very active in the Catholic Reformation, working to rid the church of corruption. He was the teacher and confessor to St. Aloysius Gonzaga.
St. Charles Barromeo died at the age of 46 in 1584.
“The candle that gives light to others must itself be consumed, Thus we also have to act. We ourselves are consumed to give a good example to others.”
St. Martin was born in Lima, Peru in 1579. He was the son of the governor of Panama. His mother Anna Martin was a freed black slave. St. Martin is the patron saint of social justice and barbers.
When he was 15, he became a Dominican Friar. He worked as a barber, farm laborer and in the infirmary. In the infirmary he cared for the sick. His medical knowledge regarding herbs was discovered and put to good use.
He begged from the rich to support the sick. His desire was to become a foreign missionary and earn martyrdom. Because this was not possible he offered his body to God. He received many spiritual gifts in return for his penances. Martin loved both humans and animals. He established an orphanage and children’s hospital. He also established a shelter for cats and dogs. He was a friend to St. Rose of Lima. St. Martin de Porres is the first black saint from the Americas.
St. Martin de Porres had many spiritual gifts. He had healing power and a prophetic gift. He could see into the future and read hearts. St. Martin died Nov. 3, 1639. His body is incorrupt.
Miracles were reported at his tomb.
St. Martin was canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962.
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“
