The Feast Day of St. Benedict is celebrated on July 11. In the Eastern Church it is celebrated on March 14th.
St. Benedict was born in Nursia in 480 to upper class parents. He attended university in Rome. To escape the vice he was surrounded by he fled Rome and spent three years in seclusion. After these three years he founded the monasteries he is famous for.
St. Benedict is considered the founder of western monasticism. His monasteries were based on the principles in his book The Rule of Benedict. This book begins with this prologue:
“Listen carefully, my son, to the masters’ instructions and attend to them with the ear of your heart. (R.B. Prologue)”
St. Benedict Public Domain Image
His rule begins with the word LISTEN! The monasteries have a very strict discipline. They focus on daily personal and liturgical prayer. Singing of the Psalms and reading the Divine Office is practiced daily. Listening to the word of God is the primary focus of their spirituality. Lectio Divino is slow reading and meditation on the scripture. Benedictine spirituality also demands obedience, hospitality, and service.
St. Benedict died while standing in prayer before God in the year 547. St. Benedict is the patron saint of students and Europe.
Shatter all your temptations against Christ.
Quote of St. Benedict
July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes Articles for the Month of July
The Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola is celebrated on July 31. St. Ignatius of Loyola was born the youngest of 13 children in a family castle in Guipuzcoa, Spain. Until he was 30, he served as a courtier and soldier in Spain.
St. Ignatius was wounded when a cannonball shattered his leg. While in the hospital he spent a great deal of time studying the lives of the saints. When he was finally released from the hospital, he decided he should try to imitate the saints. He went to confession, and then lived in a cave for about a year while caring for the poor and sick.
He entered school at the age of 35. After studying Latin and theology in several different schools, he received his degree in Paris. While in Paris, he met St. Francis Xavierwho was one of his followers. Ignatius, with five followers founded the Order of the Society of Jesus, which came to be known as the Jesuits. They offered themselves to the Pope, for any work he wanted them to do. The Jesuits were known for their missionary work. They were a great influence during the Counter Reformation.
St. Ignatius was a mystic. He had several visions. His spirituality focused on the Trinity, Christ and the Eucharist. His motto was “All for the greater glory of God.” In 1548, his book The Spiritual Exerciseswas printed. This introduces the concept of a 30-day retreat.
St. Ignatius died of Roman Fever, almost blind, at the age of 65 on July 31, 1556. St. Ignatius is the patron saint of Catholic soldiers, and retreats.
The Basilica of St Ignatius of Loyola was built next to the house where he was born in Azpeita, the Basque Country. The house itself is now a museum. St. Ignatius’ legacy includes many Jesuit schools and educational institutions. In the U.S. alone there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. There are more than 50 Jesuit secondary schools.
Lord Jesus Christ take all my freedom my memory my understanding and my will. All that I have and cherish You have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by Your will Your grace and Your love are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus and I ask for nothing more.
The feast day of St. Peter Chrysologus is celebrated on July 30. Peter was born around the year 400 in the small town of Imola, Italy. He studied theology and was ordained a deacon by Bishop Cornelius. Bishop Cornelius was the local bishop of Imola and had also baptized him. Bishop Cornelius was Peter’s spiritual director teaching him the value of humility.
St. Peter embraced a simple life of prayer as a monk for many years. After the death of the Archbishop of Ravenna in 430, Peter traveled to Rome with Bishop Cornelius to see Pope Sixtus III. Tradition tells us that because of a vision the Pope overruled the choice for a new bishop and declared Peter the new Bishop of Ravenna.
Peter Chrysologus was known as a good preacher. His sermons were short but inspirational and filled with zeal. As bishop he battled the heresy of monophysitism which denied the humanity of Christ. He insisted that Christ was both fully human and fully divine and supported the authority of the popes in teaching about the nature of Christ. He encouraged everyone to accept the mystery of the Incarnation with simple faith. He believed that learning was second only to virtue for improving the mind.
St. Peter Chrysologus died in 450 in the town of Imola. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729. St. Peter Chysologus is the patron saint of preachers and catechists.
The Good Shepherd lowered His shoulders to carry back
to the fold of salvation the sheep who had been lost.
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary by Harold Copping
The Feast Day of St. Martha is celebrated on July 29. Martha lived in Bethany during the first century. She was a devoted follower and friend to Jesus. She was the sister of Lazarus and had a sister named Mary. St. Martha is the patron saint of cooks, housewives and domestic workers.
Martha is well known for two stories in the bible. In Luke 10:38-42 , Jesus is a guest in Martha’s home. While she is busy in the kitchen, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to every word he is saying. 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.”
If we really love Jesus we should want to actually spend time with Him. This gentle rebuke must have stung. Service in the kitchen is an important part of hospitality. However, Jesus makes it clear that listening to his words is even more important. We need to prioritize our work and actually be present to and listen to Jesus. Sometimes, we can be so busy with our work, that we forget what it means to love someone.
Later in the gospel, Martha speaks to Jesus after her brother Lazarus has died. In John chapter 11, , Martha proclaims her faith when she tells Jesus “Lord, if you had been here, m brother would not have died.”
Jesus replied,
“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
She answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” She was a witness to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the tomb for three days.
Tradition tells us that Martha died of natural caused in 84 AD.
If obedience sends you to the kitchen, remember that the Lord walks among the pots and pans and that He will keep you in inward tasks and in outward ones, too.
The Feast Day of St. Alphonsa is celebrated on July 28. She was born in Muttahupadathu, India in 1910. She is the second canonized saint of India.
Baptized with the name Anna, she had a difficult birth and childhood. Her mother died three months after she was born. She was raised by her maternal Aunt. After falling into a pit of burning chaff, her feet were badly burned leaving her disabled. At an early age, after reading the biography of St. Therese of Lisieux, she had a great desire to become a saint.
In 1927 at the age of 17 she joined the Poor Claresat Christ Convent at Bharananganam. She took the name Alphonsa. She completed her permanent vows in 1936. After completing her own education. Alphonsa taught school but she was plaqued by illness.She became known for her willingness to accept suffering. After enduring several different types of illnesses over many years St. Alphonsa died at the age of 35. Her tomb is a site for pilgrims due to the many reported miracles at the site. The miracle which was approved by the Vatican for her canonization was the curing of a child with a club foot. St. Alphonsa was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Since only grief and suffering have fallen to the lot of my Spouse, I too lovingly embrace them and my soul is at peace, though the body continues to be tormented. For the last seven years I have ceased to be my own, being given over entirely to my Divine Spouse. You know all that and now let the Lord do as He will with me. It is not a cure I am anxious for but only that His Holy Will be fulfilled in me.
The Feast Day of St. Titus Brandsma is celebrated on July 27. He is the patron saint of journalists and the press. His birth name was Anno Sjoera Brandsma. He was born on Feb. 23 in Fries land, Netherlands. Titus grew up in a small farming village. St. Titus knew from an early age that he had a religious calling. He applied to join the Franciscans but was turned down due to health. On Sept. 17, 1898 he joined the Carmelites. He took the name of Titus which was his father’s name. He took his first vows in 1899 and was ordained in 1904. St. Titus earned a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Roman Gregorian University.
St. Titus Brandsma taught at the Catholic University in Nijmegen. He was also a journalist and writer. He wrote against the Nazi propaganda which caused the Socialists to notice him. The Gestapo watched him closely after the invasion of the Netherlands. He was arrested on Jan. 19, 1931 for declaring Nazism was not compatible with the Christian faith. He was abused in prison for several weeks.
St. Titus Brandsma was deported to the Dachau concentration camp in June 1931. Although he was severely mistreated he asked fellow prisoners to pray for the guards. He wrote many reflections while in prison. When he was no longer able to work the Nazis used him for medical experimentation.
On July 26, 1931 St. Titus Brandsma was killed from a lethal injection. Before he died he gave his Rosary to the doctor who killed him. The nurse who assisted the doctor returned to the faith because of his witness to Christ.
St. John Paul II beatified Titus Brandsma on Nov. 3 1985. Pope Francis canonized Titus Brandsma a saint on May 15,2022.
They who want to win the world for Christ
must have the courage to come into conflict with it.
On July 26th the Catholic church will celebrate the feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim. They are the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. St. Anne and St. Joachim are the patron saints of parents and grandparents.
Although most of what we know about them is legendary, their names were passed down in the non-biblical Gospel of James. Tradition tells us they were wealthy but pious. St. Anne conceived late in life, after the appearance of an angel. The Angel promised them they would have a child. Anne promised to dedicate the child to God. The feast day of The Holy Family is celebrated the Sunday after Christmas.
We reflect on their feast day about the importance of family and love. Tradition also tells us that a church was built on the site of the home of St. Joachim and St. Anne at the Mount of Olives.
We are created in the image of God…
from the time there is conception there is the life of God…
On July 25, the Catholic Church will be celebrating the feast day of St. James the Greater. St. James was a fisherman and the brother of John. Peter was his partner. When they were called to become Apostles of Jesus, they left everything to do so. St. James the Greater is the patron saint of laborers and Spain.
There were two Apostles named James. James the Greater is the older of the two. He was also called “The Son of Thunder”. James, John and Peter were honored to be the only Apostles present at the Transfiguration. They were also present in the Garden of Gethsemane while Jesus prayed before His death.
Tradition tells us he evangelized in Spain after the crucifixion for nine years. St. James the Greater was the first Apostle to be martyred. In the year 44, King Herod Agrippa killed him with a sword during the early persecutions of the Church.
Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state,
but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves,
a really good beginning will have been made.
Quote of St. Peter Alcantara; Feast day October 19
St. James the Greater in Art
St. James the Greater Public Domain Image
St. James the Greater by Alonso Cano
Public Domain Image
St. James the Greater by Rembrandt
Public Domain Image
St. John Boste is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Their feast day is celebrated together on October 25. The Feast Day of St. John Boste is celebrated on July 24, the anniversary of his death.
St. John Boste was born in Dufton Westmoreland in 1544. He attended Queen’s College, Oxford. He became the first headmaster to serve under Queen Elizabeth l. He converted to Catholicism and was received into the Church in 1576. After leaving England he was ordained a priest in Rheims in 1581.
St. John Boste returned to England as a missionary priest. He evaded arrest for ten years. After a betrayal, he was finally arrested. He was found hiding behind a fireplace after celebrating a forbidden Mass. He was taken to the Tower of London and interrogated on the rack. He was then hung, drawn and quartered while reciting the Angelus prayer.
My function is to invade souls, not to meddle in temporal invasions.
The Feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden is celebrated on July 23. St. Bridget of Sweden was born on June 14, 1303. She was the daughter of Berger Persson and wife, Ingeborg. Her family was wealthy, pious, and went on long pilgrimages to the Holy Land. St. Bridget of Sweden is the patron of Sweden, Europe, and widows.
At the age of ten her mother died. Her sister Kathleen, infant brother Israel, and Bridget were sent to her maternal aunt for education and care. As a young child Bridget had a vivid dream vision of The Man of Sorrows. When she asked who had done this to him He responded,
“All those who despise my love.”
This dream vision left an indelible mark on her.
She married early, as was the custom, at 13 years old to Ulf Gudransson. They had eight children, four sons and four daughter. The newly married King of Sweden asked her to be a Lady in waiting and teach the young queen the language and customs of her new country.
St. Bridget became a widow when she was 41 years old when her husband died of severe illness. She prayed for guidance, after which she founded a new religious order (The Brigitta’s), mainly for women. She reported many visions and revelations, some which can be found in the “Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget”.
In August, 1370, Pope Urban V confirmed the Rule of her congregation. Bridget made earnest representations to Pope Urban, urging the removal of the Holy See from Avignon back to Rome.
In 1349 she journeyed to Rome where she stayed until she died in 1373.
My Lord Jesus Christ, Your blessed, royal, and magnificent heart
could never, by torments or terrors or blandishments, be swayed,
from the defense of Your kingdom of truth and justice.
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) 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…
