Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Barbara, Feast Day Dec. 4
The feast day of St. Barbara is celebrated on December 4. She is one of the Holy Helperswho are known for the healing power of prayer. She is invoked to prevent sudden death.
St. Barbara was a virgin and a martyr. She lived in Sicily in the third century. Her father was a wealthy Syrian. When his wife died he devoted himself to his only daughter. Because Barbara was so beautiful, her father (Dioscorus) decided he needed to protect her from strangers and built her a tower. She was educated by pagan tutors.
From the tower, Barbara had a wonderful view of the meadows, hills and river. She developed a spirituality which focused on the beauty of creation by our creator. She also decided to devote herself to God and to remain a virgin. Because of her beauty she had many suitors, but she refused to marry.
Barbara’s father wanted her to marry, so he decided to let her come down from the tower and socialize. Barbara became friends with some Christians. While her father was away she was baptized after being instructed in the faith by a priest.
At the time, a bathhouse was being built on their property. It had two windows. Barbara requested a third window to create a trinity of light. Barbara traced the sign of the cross on one of the walls and it left an imprint on the marble. The water in the bathhouse became known for its healing power.
When her father returned from his traveling, he was furious to learn Barbara had converted to Christianity. He became enraged and almost struck her with a sword. Barbara fled into the hills and hid in a cave. She was eventually found and severely beaten. She was then turned over to the city prefect. Barbara was then tortured and had her wounds rubbed with a hair cloth. During the night, after praying for relief, Jesus appeared to her and healed them. The next day she was beaten again. A woman in the crown named Juliana denounced the torturers and she was also seized and tortured.
Barbara and Juliana were both tortured and paraded through town naked. An angel appeared after hearing Barbara’s prayers and gave them splendid robes. Both Barbara and Juliana were beheaded. St. Barbara was beheaded by her own father. Immediately, after the execution, he was struck by lightning.
The relics of St. Barbara were moved in the sixth century to Constantinople. Six hundred years later they were moved to Kiev.
St. Barbara is known for protecting against sudden death.
“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in his sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.”
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 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
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
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 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 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 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
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 was 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
Jesus Remember Me, when you come into your kingdom. Luke 23: 32-43
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him which said;
“This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God,, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Good Thief turned to Jesus at the very end of his life. He did not need to know all the answers regarding religion. He had not been baptized. He simply acknowledged his guilt and asked Jesus to remember him. Sometimes, we make faith way too complicated. All we really need to do is turn to God and ask him to lead us to the truth.
“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus…a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.”
“The way you heal the world is to start with your own family.”
Quotes of St. Teresa of Calcutta
Most of us remember how tirelessly Mother Teresa worked with the dying. She was known as a “living saint”. How do we handle the stress and suffering in our own lives?
For the past several years, our family has been caring for our mother who has been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Each of us watched her suffer with the disease and suffered individually both from a sense of helplessness and from grief and sorrow. My sister and I cared for her day after day never knowing when the journey would come to an end. Other brothers and sisters helped when they could, knowing visits made it difficult for her to sleep. The last months were filled with stress and anxiety even with the help of hospice.
Questions about suffering and death were impossible to avoid. How could a loving and merciful God permit such suffering? If there is a God where was He?
I have been reflecting on the gifts given us by the Holy Spirit. I like to picture them as gifts under the Christmas tree. Christmas, after all, is when Jesus was born. God coming to earth to bring mankind salvation. He opened the door to heaven for us. The gifts of Faith, Hope and Love are in the Christmas presents under the tree.
Faith is the belief in something we cannot see. Similar to believing that the light switch will produce light even though we cannot see electricity.
Hope is what we receive when we have faith in everlasting life. We believe our spirit lives on in communion with the saints in heaven. What a party!
Love is the greatest commandment. Scripture tells us that without love we are a noisy gong. Jesus instructed us to love God with our whole hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves.
But what IS love? Love is caring more for the other person than yourself. When two people “fall in love”, they will do anything for each other. Over time, the only way we know if it is true love is if each person is willing to suffer for the other. Hopefully, both parties take turns and the person suffering is supported by the other. Suffering defines love!
If there was no suffering in the world, how would we prove our love? Sacrificial love is easy to understand when we think of our children. We would prefer to suffer ourselves than let them suffer. But holding them too tightly and overprotecting them also causes suffering. We must be willing to suffer from empty nest syndrome if our children are ever to be healthy adults. Marriages are supposed to be loving relationships, but too often either one or both person is unwilling to suffer and sacrifice to make it work. Suffering proves love!
Another gift found under the Christmas tree is the gift of grace. Grace is also known as the awareness of the presence (gift) of God in our lives. If we have the gift of grace we can see God in the face of the suffering. We can see God in creation. We can see God’s actions in everything around us.
Now that my mother is enjoying life again in heaven, I find myself asking more questions. How did we do it? How did our family bear with one another patiently over the past difficult years? How did we forgive each other when our patience failed us?
We did it with the grace of God. He was walking with each of us on this journey.
The Catholic Church celebrates Christmas for twelve days.
While the Nativity of Our Lord is celebrated Dec. 25, the Twelve days of Christmas begins on Christmas Day, Dec. 25(beginning at sundown), and ends at sunrise on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. During the Christmas season the priest’s vestments are gold to symbolize the sacredness of the Christmas season. The change in the color of vestments indicates that Advent is over. During Advent, the priest’s vestments are purple to symbolize the holy season of waiting and prayer.
According to legend, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was actually written by Jesuit priests in England during the sixteenth century. It was a time of persecution and the song was used to secretly teach basic facts regarding the Catholic faith. If someone studied all the items represented in the song they knew the basics of the catholic faith.
Each number had a secret meaning:
Twelve represented the twelve teachings mentioned in the Apostles Creed;
Five represented the first books of the Old Testament;
Four represented the four gospels;
Three represented the Trinity;
Two represented the two natures of Christ…human and divine;
and One represented Jesus himself, our Lord and our God.
The Pear Tree represented the cross we must carry when we follow Christ.
The Apostles’ Creed is a summary of the faith taught by the Apostles. When we pray the Apostles Creed we are professing our faith in the church begun by the Apostles.
The Apostles’ Creed
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The resurrection of the body
and life everlasting. Amen
The Catholic Church has feast days throughout the year. Many of its feast days are in honor of the saints. The feast day given to a saint is usually the day he or she died and entered heaven.
Take a small amount of time each day during the twelve days of Christmas to meditate on the actual feast day we are celebrating.
The Holy Innocents are the innocent children murdered by King Herod after the Magi told him about birth of the new King of the Jews, called the Christ child. The little children were murdered in an attempt to find and murder Christ, “The King of the Jews”.
St. Anysia was a martyr in Greece. She lived from 284-309. She was killed with a sword after being accosted by a soldier. She used her wealth to help the poor.
The prayer of a good innocent,and obedient child is like dew from heaven falling upon his whole family.
St. Sylvester I was the Bishop of Rome. He died in the year 335 after helping to define doctrine at the Council of Nicea which proclaimed the Nicean Creed.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native born American to be canonized. She lived in New York, dying in 1821. She is the Founder and first Superior of the Sister of Charity in the U.S.
“Be attentive to the voice of Grace.”
Quote of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. John N. Neumann
St. John N. Neumann; Feast Day January 5
St. John N. Neumann was born in Bohemia. He emigrated to the U.S. becoming a Redemptorist priest and the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. He is the first American bishop to be canonized.
The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the Three Kings following the star to visit Jesus. They brought the King of the Jews gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The feast day of St. Lucy is celebrated on December 13. She is the patron saint of the blind and visually impaired. She is also a martyr.
St. Lucy was born in 283 in Syracuse (Sicily). The name Lucy means “Light”. Her feast day is celebrated on Dec. 13, the day she was executed.
Lucy was born into a wealthy family of Greek ancestry. She vowed her life to Christ. Her Roman father died when she was young. Her mother tried against her will to arrange a marriage for her. After Lucy prayed at the tomb of St. Agatha, her mother’s illness (probably a hemorrhage), was cured. Her mother then agreed to let Lucy consecrate herself to Christ and to remain a virgin.
The rejected suitor of Lucy denounced her and reported her Christianity to the authorities. The magistrate Paschasius was known for his persecution and torture of Christians. He ordered her to burn a sacrifice to the emperor’s image. When she refused, she was ordered to be executed, in the year 304, at the age of 21. The attempt to burn her to death failed, so she was executed by a sword to the throat. Before the execution, she was tortured, having her eyes gouged. This is why she is the patron of the blind and visually impaired. In art St. Lucy is frequently shown holding a golden plate with her eyes on it.
Legend concludes that God restored her sight before her death.
While some of the history of St. Lucy is legend, her name is mentioned in several different places, including the canon of St. Gregory, indicating that she is a real person. By the sixth century, devotion to St. Lucy was widespread.
