The feast day of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated on December 3. He is the patron saint of foreign missions and the co-founder of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.
St. Francis Xavier was born in the Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain). He was born in the Basque area, on April 7, 1506. He studied at the University of Paris.
When he met Ignatius of Loyola, they became friends and Francis became a student of St. Ignatius. He then became a co- founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), with Ignatius. With St. Ignatius, he was ordained a priest in 1537. In 1956 Francis left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice. The Society was recognized by the Pope in 1540.
Francis preached in India, Japan, Borneo, and Moluccas. Over a period of ten years, he baptized roughly 30,000 people to Christianity. He is said to have converted more people to Christianity than anyone other than St. Paul.
In 1552 he set out for China landing on the Island of Shangchuan.. He died from a fever before he reached the mainland while waiting to be taken to China. He was first buried on a beach at Shangchuan Island. His incorrupt body was taken from the island in 1553 and temporarily buried in St. Paul’s Church in Portuguese, Malacca.
St. Francis Xavier was known as the “Apostle of the Indias.”
The Novena of Grace was a popular devotion to Francis Xavier and typically prayed for nine days before Dec. 3.
“I love You, not because You have the power to give heaven or hell,
but simply because You are You…my kin and my God.”
Quote of St. Francis Xavier
Preaching St. Francis Xavier
By Carlone Gesu
Public Domain Image
The feast day of St. Bibiana is celebrated on December 2. She was a virgin and a martyr in the year 361.
St. Bibiana was born in Rome. Her father was a knight, whose name was Flavian. Her mother’s name was Dafrosa. When Apronianus was named the Governor of Rome he persecuted the Christians mercilessly. Flavian was arrested and tortured. He fled into exile where he died from his wounds. Bibiana’s mother, Dafrosa, was beheaded.
Bibiana and her sister Demetria were robbed of all their possessions leaving them in poverty. They did however, stay in their house, spending much time in prayer.
They were summoned by Apronianus. Demetria confessed her Faith and then fell dead at the governors feet. Bibiana was given to a woman named Rufina who tortured her unsuccessfully. Apronianus ordered her to be tied to a pillar and beaten with scourges laden with lead plummets until she died. St. Bibiana endured the torture with joy until her death.
Two days later, a priest buried her next to her mother and sister. A church was built over her grave.
The feast day of Bl. Charles de Foucauld is celebrated on December 1. He is the patron saint of diocesan priests. He was a hermit, priest and martyr.
Bl. Charles de Foucauld was born in Strasbourg, France on Sept. 25, 1858. His father was in the military. Orphaned at the age of six, he and his sister Marie were raised by their grandfather. Charles joined the military, becoming an officer. When his grandfather died, Charles lost his faith. During his period of doubt he repeatedly prayed,
“My God, if you exist, let me come to know you.”
Charles was discharged from the military for misconduct. At the age of 28, he regained his faith. After a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he decided to become a Trappist monk. He spent seven years as a Trappist monk, first in France and then in Syria. After deciding this was no longer God’s will, he was released from his vows. He became a servant for a convent of Poor Clares and began studying for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1901 at the age of 43. He wished to work with the poor and abandoned. In an attempt to begin a religious order he wrote a Rule for it to follow. However, he found few followers.
On Dec. 1, 1916, he was killed by a band of marauders who surrounded his house. Twenty years after his death religious orders began to form following his rule. The Little Brothers of Jesus, Little Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the Little Sisters of Jesus all follow the Rule written by Bl. Charles de Foucauld. An Association of diocesan priest known as Jesus Caritas also follow the spirituality of Bl. Charles de Foucauld.
Bl. Charles de Foucauld was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. He is the patron saint of diocesan priests.
Let us pray a great deal for the conversion of sinners,
since it was above all for them that Our Lord worked
The Crucifixion of St. Andrew the Apostle by Mattia Preti
The feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle is celebrated on November 30. He is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Andrew was the first of the twelve Apostles to be called by Jesus.
Mark 1:16-20 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
St. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. He was a fisherman and a follower of St. John the Baptist. When he heard the call of Jesus, he immediately left everything and followed Him.
After the ascension of Jesus to heaven, Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. In the year 70 he became a martyr. He was put to death on a cross to which he was tied, not nailed. It was a cross in the form of an X, which is now called “St. Andrew’s Cross”. He lived for two days, suffering, yet still preaching the gospel.
Three countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron: Russia, Scotland and Greece. He is also the patron of fishermen.
St. Andrew’s relics are kept at the Basilica of St. Andrew in Patras, Greece.
“How blind man is when he refuses to open his heart to the light of faith!”
Bl. Denis of the Nativity and Bl. Redemptus of the Cross
Bl. Denis of the Nativity on the left
The feast day of St. Denis of the Nativity is celebrated on November 29. He was a Carmelite priest and a martyr.
Peter Berthelot was born on December 12, 1600 in Calvados, France. He became a sailor at the age of twelve, traveling to Spain, England and America. In 1619 he traveled to India where he was a cosmographer and first pilot of the Kings of France and Portugal. In 1635 he met his spiritual counselor Father Philip of the Most Trinity and decided to join the Discalced Carmelites. He chose the name Denis of the Nativity when he made his profession on Dec. 25, 1636. He was given the gift of contemplation and known for his holiness.
As a missionary, he and his companion Redemptus left for Goa in 1638 where they were taken prisoner. They were tortured in an attempt to force their conversion to Islam. During his captivity, Denis helped others by sacrificing his needs. He always had encouraging words and set a strong example.
Both Denis and Redemptus were condemned to die. He was killed by a sword that split his head in two.
Both Carmelites were beatified on June 10 1908 by Pope Leo XIII.
The feast day of St. Catherine Laboure is celebrated on November 28. She is the visionary who began the devotion to the miraculous medal.
Catherine Laboure was born on May 2, 1806 in Paris, France. Her father was a successful farmer. She was the ninth of eleven children. Her mother died when she was only nine years old. After the funeral service, Catherine went to her room and gave a kiss to a statue of Mary, saying;
“Now, dear Lady, you are my mother.”
Catherine was called “Zoe” by those who knew her, because her birthday was on the feast day of St. Zoe.
After having a dream about St. Vincent de Paul, at a young age, she joined the Daughters of Charity founded by him. She is known as a Marian visionary because of the apparitions which she reported of Mary appearing to her.
On July 18, the first apparition occurred. Catherine saw a lady seated in the sanctuary. She approached her and was instructed how she was to act during times of trial, pointing to the altar for consolation. Mary told her,
“”Sorrows will come upon France; the throne will be overthrown.”
A week later the French revolution began in Paris.
On Nov. 27, the lady showed St. Catherine the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, now known as the “Miraculous Medal” She gave Catherine the mission of having the medal made and to spread devotion to it.
Catherine reported the visions to her spiritual director, Father Aladal. Forty five years later, she spoke fully to her supervisors about the apparitions.
The miraculous medal which Mary showed to Catherine was oval showing Mary standing on a globe crushing the head of the serpent. (the devil). Around the image of Mary were the words:
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
Mary’s hands were showering a cascade of brilliant rays upon the world.
On the reverse side of the medal was a cross, the symbol of Christ’s redeeming Sacrifice on Mount Calvary for the salvation of the world. The cross was intertwined with the letter “M”.
The “M” stands for both Mary and for Mother and was to be surrounded by twelve stars. The two hearts are the Sacred Heart of Jesus encircled by a crown of thorns and the Immaculate of Mary, pierce by a sword. The Flames symbolize the burning love of Jesus and Mother Mary.
Mary told Catherine,
“All who wear them will receive great graces.”
After two years of investigation Father Aladal went to the archbishop with the request. The request was approved.
St. Catherine served humbly, not wishing to be known as a visionary. It was only after 46 years of service that she informed her Sister Superior that she was the Sister Mary had appeared to. At Catherine’s death, on December 31, 1876, at the age of 70, few people knew of her visions. She preferred a silent life, spending her time caring for the aged and sick.
Stories of many miracles and cures caused the devotion to spread rapidly.
In 1922 the body of St. Catherine was exhumed. It was found to be incorrupt. Her body is encased in glass in the chapel in Paris near where Our Lady appeared to her.
St. Catherine’s feast day is celebrated on Nov. 27, the day of the apparition.
St. Catherine Laboure
Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me do.
If He gives me some task I am content and I thank Him.
If he gives me nothing, I still thank Him
Since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that,
and then I tell God everything that is in my heart.
I tell him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen.
If you listen, God will also speak to you.
For with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen.
God always speaks to you when you approach him plainly and simply.
