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Faith, Franciscan Saints

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Francis of Paola, Feast Day April 2

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St. Francis of Paola
St. Francis of Paola

The feast day of St. Francis of Paola is celebrated on April 2.

St. Francis was born in Paola, Italy in 1416. His parents named him after St. Francis of Assisi. He was educated at San Marco at the Franciscan friary. At the age of fifteen, Francis decided to become a hermit. He lived in a cave on the seashore eating food which grew wild. He soon had followers and they founded an order called the Hermits of St. Francis. The Order was approved by Pope Sixtus IV in 1474. In 1492 the name of the Order was changed to Minim Friars. Minim means ‘least’. The orders primary focus was on humility. It also emphasized penance and chastity.

St. Francis of Paola was credited with many miracles becoming known as a wonder worker. He was also known for his gift of prophecy. He was so well known that King Louis XI of France requested his help while nearing death. Pope Sixtus II ordered him to go to France. Unable to cure the king, St. Francis told him not to fear death but to fear the loss of eternal life. He became the spiritual advisor to the king. He encouraged the king to surrender his heart and soul to God before it was too late. The king died in Francis’ arms in 1482. The son of the king, Charles, became a friend to Francis. He endowed several monasteries for the Minims in France. Francis spent his final years at the monastery in Plessis, France where he died.

St. Francis spent the final three months of his life in complete solitude. He died at the age of 91 on Good Friday, April 2.

 

The recollection of injury is…a rusty arrow and poison for the soul.

Quote of St. Francis of Paola

 

April is the Month of the Eucharist

St. Francis of Paola in Art

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Faith, Incorruptible, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Lucy Filippini, Feast Day March 25

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St. Lucy 2

The feast day of St. Lucy Filippini is celebrated on March 25.  

St. Lucy Filippini was born in Corneto-Tarquinia, Italy in 1672. Her mother died before she turned a year old. Her father died when she was seven years old.  Lucy was a very prayerful child. She was raised by her aunt and uncle who had her educated by the Benedictine nuns at Santa Lucia.

Cardinal Marcantonio Barbarigo made a great impression on Lucy when he visited her church. She turned to him for guidance. She had a devotion to Our Lady and wanted to leave the world behind her. The cardinal put Lucy in charge of opening new schools to teach girls.

St. Lucy and Rosa Venerini were Co founders of the Institute of the Maestre Pie which was dedicated to teaching girls, including poor girls. Young girls were taught domestic arts, weaving, embroidery, reading and Christian doctrine. Twelve years later the Cardinal devised a set of rules to guide Lucy and her followers in religious life. Lucy helped to found 52 schools. Pope Clement XI called Lucy to Rome in 1707 to start schools there.

St. Lucy died from breast cancer on March 25, 1732 on the Feast of the Annunciation. Her body lies incorrupt under the altar dedicated to her in the Cathedral of Montefiascone.

 

The Church of God is not a restful garden, but a working vineyard.

Quote of St. Lucy Filippini

St. Lucy 2

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Dominican Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Ambrose Sansedoni, Feast Day March 20

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St. Ambrose

The feast day of St. Ambrose Sansedoni is celebrated on March 20.

St. Ambrose Sansedoni was born in Siena, Italy in 1220. At birth, he was very deformed. He needed the care of a nurse. The nurse found that he was most peaceful when he was in St. Mary Magdalene Church near the altar. She reported that an unknown pilgrim said,

“Do not cover that child’s face. He will one day be the glory of this city.”

A few days later the child stretched out his deformed limbs saying the name “Jesus” and was healed; all of his deformities were gone

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As a child Ambrose was very devout. He prayed and meditated during the night. He was drawn to reading the lives of the saints and reciting from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin.

At the age of 17, he joined the Dominicans in Siena, Italy. He was sent to study for the priesthood in Paris, France and Cologne, Germany with St. Thomas Aquinas. As a priest he devoted himself to preaching and teaching. He became well known for his elegant preaching. He also became a peacemaker; restoring peace between Venice and Genoa and also between Florence and Pisa.

St. Ambrose died of natural causes in 1287. His writings have not survived.

 

To be an angel in prayer, and a beast in one’s relations with people is to go lame in both legs.

St. Francis de Sales; Feast day January 24

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Seraphina, Feast Day March 12

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St. Seraphina
The feast day of St.Seraphina is celebrated on March 12. 

St. Seraphina was born in San Gimignano, Italy to a poor family in 1238. As a young girl she was very pretty. After her father died, she came down with a strange illness. The illness took away her beauty. Her eyes, feet and hands became deformed.

Eventually, St. Seraphina was paralyzed. She helped her mother spin and sow. She never complained and was known for her serenity. Her mother also died leaving her with no income. A friend would bring her food.

St. Seraphina turned to Christ on the Cross for comfort. She felt she was called to imitate the suffering Christ. Her favorite saint was St. Gregory the Great, due to his many sufferings. She asked him to intercede for her, asking for patience to bear her sufferings. Eight days before her death, St. Gregory appeared to her telling her she would die on his feast day. His feast day was celebrated at the time on March 12. It is now celebrated on Sept. 3.

St. Seraphina died on March 12, 1253 at the age of 15.

The cross is the staff of the lame.

Quote of St. George of Amastris; Feast day February 21

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Incorruptables, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Teresa Margaret Redi, Feast Day March 11

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St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart.jpg6
The feast day of St. Teresa Margaret Redi is celebrated on March 11.  

 

Anna Maria Redi was born on July 15, 1747 into a large pious family in Florence, Italy. From an early age she was drawn to God. She was sent to a Benedictine boarding school at the age of nine. The nuns noticed her love of the Blessed Sacrament. She learned to meditate at a young age. Rather than seeking attention she preferred to go unnoticed and spend time alone. After meeting someone who was about to make a profession as a Carmelite, she had a spiritual experience and decided she too wanted to become a Carmelite.

 

At the age of 17 she entered the Carmelite convent, taking the name Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart. She advanced quickly in her spirituality. She was able to focus both on the contemplative prayer life and serving her community. She worked among the sick and as an assistant sacristan. She was very penitential; sleeping on the floor and living a very disciplined life. Several miracles are believed to have happened while she was working with the sick.

One Sunday, while in the choir, she had a mystical experience in which God revealed the deeper meaning of the Love of God. It transformed her knowledge of God. She tried to always offer a smile and serene attitude no matter what the situation. She believed that God would be found if God alone was sought. To love her neighbor, she decided to sympathize with their troubles, excuse their faults, always speak well of them and never willingly fail in charity, in thought, word or deed.

St. Teresa Margaret did experience the Night of the Spirit. She no longer received consolations from God and greatly feared offending God. She was greatly tempted by despair. It is believed she had a premonition regarding her death. Although she was very healthy, she probably died from a strangulated hernia. It was misdiagnosed as colic.

St. Teresa Margaret died on March 7, 1770 at the age of 22. She died holding her crucifix in her hands invoking the names of Jesus and Mary, otherwise suffering in silence.

The burial of St. Teresa Margaret was delayed because her body did not begin to decay. In fact, a sweet perfume was noticed  coming from the crypt (underground burial place). She was buried 18 days after her death and her body still had not decayed. Miracles were immediately reported after her death. Her incorrupt body was transferred on the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the nuns choir in the Carmel of Florence.

 

Always receive with equal contentment from God’s hand either consolations or sufferings, peace or distress, health or illness. Ask nothing, refuse nothing, but always be ready to do and to suffer anything that comes from His Providence.

 

Quote of St. Teresa Margaret Redi

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

St. Teresa Margaret Redi in Art



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Faith, Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Joseph, Feast Day March 5

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St. John Joseph
The feast day of St. John Joseph of the Cross is celebrated on March 5.

St. John Joseph was born on the Feast of the Assumption, to a noble family on the Island of Ischia in Southern Italy in 1654. From early childhood he lived a life of penitence and prayer. Although he was from a noble family his love of poverty led him to wear the clothes of the poor and often he gave them food and money.

When John was sixteen years old he entered the Order of St. Francis at Naples. He joined the Franciscan Friars of the Alcantarine Reform, which was begun by St. Peter of Alcantara. He fasted constantly and slept little.

In 674, St. John Joseph founded a friary at Afila in Piedmont. He worked alongside the builders while it was being built. He was ordained a priest and was appointed Vicar Provincial of the Alcantarine Reform in Italy. He was known for having the gift of miracles. As a result, many people came to him seeking cures from illness.

 

St. John Joseph had a great devotion to Our Lady and urged others to have the same devotion.

St. John Joseph died in1734. St. John Joseph of the Cross was beatified in 1789 and canonized in 1839.

 

 

There stood by the cross of Jesus His Mother…the nails pierced the hands of the Son and the heart of the Mother.

Quote of St. Thomas of Villanova; Feast day Sept. 22

 

March is the Month of St. Joseph

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