The feast day of St. Stephen is celebrated on December 26. He was a disciple of Jesus.
St. Stephen is believed to be one of the 72 original disciples of Our Lord. After the ascension of Jesus he became one of the first seven deacons of the Catholic Church. He is considered the first to be martyred for the faith. In the book of Acts:6 we learn the story of the plot against St. Stephen. He was accused of blasphemy against the Jewish temple. This resulted in him being condemned and then stoned to death. Before his death he cried out to the Lord to forgive those persecuting him.
Look! I see an opening in the sky, and the Son of Man standing
at God’s right hand…Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
The feast day of St. Lydia is celebrated on August 3. St. Lydia is the first known convert of St. Paul. Â
St.Lydia was a wealthy businesswomen who sold purple dye and fabric. She was from Thyatira which is in modern day Turkey. Around the year 50, St. Lydia encountered St. Paul near the river in the city of Philippi which was a Roman colony. St. Paul shared the gospel message with her and the group of women she was with. St. Lydia and her family were baptized in the river.
St. Lydia was known for her hospitality. She invited St. Paul and his companions to stay in her home. She continued to help them even after they were arrested and imprisoned. The home of St. Lydia became a place for community gatherings.
St. Paul referred to the Christian community at Philippi as his ‘joy and crown’.
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) Â 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…
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.
The feast day of St. Veronica is celebrated on July 12.
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. The veil known as Veronica’s Veil is on display at St.Peter’s Basilica.
The name Veronica means “true image”.
St. VeronicaSt. Veronica
We are nothing without God…
but if we put our lives in God’s hands,
miracles happen.
Quote of St. Teresa of Calcutta; Feast day September 5
