Tag Archives: Saint of the Day

Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Agnes of Rome, Feast Day January 21

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St. Agnes of Rome

 

The feast day of St. Agnes of Rome will be celebrated on January 21. Agnes was born in 291 and died a martyr in 304 at the age of 13.

St. Agnes was born to a noble family in Rome. She was very beautiful, however at an early age she promised her life to God, refusing marriage. The governor’s son, Procop, offered to marry her, but she refused, saying;

“I am already promised to the Lord of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and the stars, and He has said He will never leave me!”

Angered by rejection, Procop sentenced her to death.

Agnes was not afraid of death, but was joyful at the thought of meeting our Lord, saying;

“He chose me first and He shall have me.”

She then prayed and bowed, her head to receive the death stroke of the sword.

The daughter of Constantine I was said to have been cured of leprosy after praying at Agnes tomb. In art Agnes is shown with a lamb. The lamb is a symbol of innocence and purity. In Latin, Agnes means lamb. The Greek meaning is chaste, pure, and sacred. On the feast day of St. Agnes two lambs are brought to the Trappist Abbey in Rome. On Holy Thursday they are shorn and their wool is used to weave the palliums which the pope gives to new archbishops.    

St. Jerome has written the following about St. Agnes. “All nations, especially their Christian communities, praise in word and writing the life of St. Agnes. She triumphed over her tender age as well as over the merciless tyrant. To the crown of spotless innocence she added the glory of martyrdom.”

St. Ambrose gave an early account of Agnes’ death, stressing her steadfastness and virginity.

 

 

 

 

Christ is my Spouse,

He chose me first and His I will be.

He made my soul beautiful

with the jewels of grace and virtue.

I belong to Him

whom the angels serve.

Quote of St. Agnes

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name.

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Faith, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Sebastian, Feast Day January 20

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St. Sebastian:  Patron Saint of Athletes and Plague Sufferers

The feast day of St. Sebastian is celebrated on January 20.  He is the patron saint of athletes and plague sufferers.  He died a martyr in 268.

The legend of St. Sebastian begins with Sebastian joining the Roman army to support and assist Christians and martyrs. The emperor did not know he was a Christian. He was named Captain. While serving as a soldier he converted many to the faith. When it was discovered that he was a Christian, Emperor Dioletian ordered him shot to death. His body was pierced with arrows and he was left for dead. Those who came to bury him found him still alive. He recovered but refused to flee. One day he met the emperor and denounced him for his cruelty to Christians. This time Sebastian was beaten to death with clubs. He is buried in the Appian Way near the catacombs.

St. Ambrose venerated St. Sebastian as a Saint in the early church. St. Sebastian is considered the patron saint of athletes because of his physical endurance and energetic way of evangelizing. He is also the patron of plague sufferers because of the healings said to have occurred by his prayers.

“The devil strains every nerve to

secure the souls which belong to Christ.

We should not grudge our toil

wrestling them from Satan and

giving them back to God.”

Quote of St. Sebastian

St. Sebastian

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Faith, Martyr, Pope, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Fabian, Feast Day January 19

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St. Fabian

 

The feast day of St. Fabian is celebrated on January 19.  He was the Bishop of Rome and a martyr.

St. Fabian was a Roman layman. He was visiting Rome after the death of Pope Anteros in 236. During a discussion about who the next pope should be, a dove landed on Fabian’s head, which was taken as a sign from the Holy Spirit. He was soon elected the next Bishop of Rome! He served as pope for 14 years and was known for his sanctity.

There was peace at the time of his election. However, after the death of the emperor Philip, Decius, the new emperor began to persecute Christians, demanding that they worship idols. Pope Fabian held fast to the faith and was martyred in the year 250. He is buried in the Catacombs of St. Callistus which he helped to restore. The stone on his grave has the following words in Greek: “Fabian, bishop, martyr”.

 

A bird can be held by a chain

or a thread,

still it cannot fly.

Quote of St. John of the Cross; Feast day December 14

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Hilary of Poitiers, Feast Day January 13

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St. Hilary St. Hilary of Poitiers

The feast day of St. Hilary of Poitiers is celebrated on January 13.

St. Hilary was raised a pagan; however, he was in search of God. After reading the story of Moses in the Old Testament he found a definition of God which inspired him. In Exodus 3:14 God told Moses:

“I am who I am.”

The simplicity of this statement led St. Hilary to study the bible further. He loved the psalms and stories about the prophets. After reading the Gospel of John he accepted Jesus as the Son of God.

St. Hilary was already married and had one daughter named Apra when he was elected Bishop of Poitiers. He defended the belief that Christ is both human and divine. The Arian heresy was growing which denied the divinity of Christ. He wrote about the Trinity and composed hymns.

When Emperor Constantius ordered the bishops of the West to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, Hilary refused and was banished to Phrygia (Turkey). He became known as “Athanasius of the West”. After seeking a public debate, he was allowed to return home where he was welcomed.

St. Hilary died in the year 368.  He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.

 

“Satan once loved me ardently

in the death of sin;

let him behold me reigning with

You throughout the ages.”

Quote of St. Hilary of Poitiers

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name.

 

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Peter Donders, Feast Day January 14

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Bl. Peter Donders

 

The feast day of Bl. Peter Donder is celebrated on January 14.  He was a Redemptorist priest in Holland.

 

Bl. Peter Donder was born in Tilburg, Holland in 1809. His family was poor. From an early age he desired to become a priest. He was ordained on June 5, 1841. Father Peter Donder was drawn to serve the missions of the Dutch colony of Surinam. He ministered to many slaves. In 1856, he was sent to the leper station of Batavia where he served the people with leprosy for the rest of his life. He persuaded the authorities to provide more nursing services. When the Redemptorists arrived in 1866, taking charge of the mission, Father Donders joined their congregation. He learned the native languages to enable him to serve the Indian people there.

Father Donders was known for his holiness. He died after being confined to bed for two weeks on Jan. 14, 1887.

Bl. Peter Donders was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 23, 1982.

 

“Meditate on an infinite God who made

earth and man, the absolute Master

of lands, rivers, and seas.

The One who in an instant, simply by

willing it, with but a thought, created all

that exists from nothing.”

Quote of Bl. Rafael Arnac Baron

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Dominican Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Margaret of Hungary, Feast Day January 18

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St.Margaret of Hungary

 

St. Margaret of Hungary was the daughter of King Bela IV of Hungary. Her grandfather was the Byzantine emperor. Her parents pledged their child to God and Margaret was placed in a Dominican convent.

Her father arranged a marriage for her to King Ottokar II of Bohemia, but she refused to cooperate. At the age of 18 she took her vows as a Dominican Nun. She lived in the Convent of the Blessed Virgin on an island on the Danube.

St. Margaret  wanted no special treatment because of her noble birth. She performed the same work as the other nuns in the convent. St. Margaret spent many hours in prayer and fasting. She died before reaching the age of 30 in the year 1271. Many miracles of healing are attributed to her.

 

“Jesus,

whom I know as my redeemer,

cannot be less than God.”

St. Athanasius; Feast day May 2

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Faith, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Anthony of Egypt, Feast Day January 17

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St. Anthony of Egypt

The feast day of St. Anthony of Egypt is celebrated on January 17.  He was a hermit and monk.

St. Anthony of Egypt was orphaned at the age of 20. His inheritance was quite large. He was inspired by the Gospel of Mark 10:21:

“Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor.”

St. Anthony proceeded to do just that. He was drawn to a life of solitude, fasting and prayer. He eventually chose to go out into the desert to live in solitude. He was followed by other monks who turned to him for guidance. With them a monastery was founded. St. Anthony became well known for his teaching. He tutored Athanasius, Jerome, Basil and Augustine.

While it is known that St. Anthony wrestled with the devil to resist many temptations, he was also known for the healings which occurred through his prayers of intercession.

St. Anthony died in solitude at the age of 105 in the year 356.

“My secret is quite simple…..

I pray!”

Quote of St. Teresa of Calcutta; Feast day September 5

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Faith, Franciscan Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Berard of Morocco, Feast Day January 16

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St. Berard of Morocco

St. Berard was born at Carbro, Umbria, Italy.  He became a Franciscan monk at the time of St. Francis in 1213. He spoke Arabic.

St. Francis sent him and other Franciscans to preach to Muslims in Morocco, (Peter Otho, Accursius, and Adjutus). When they arrived they began preaching in the marketplace. They were immediately arrested and told to stop. They refused which resulted in them being beaten.

After refusing to renounce Christ, the sultan beheaded them on January 16, 1220.  They are believed to be the first Franciscan martyrs. After viewing their relics, Anthony of Padua decided to join the Franciscans.

St. Berard was canonized in 1481 by Pope Sixtus IV.

 

Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake

or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels

charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones,

O Lord Jesus Christ, rest your weary ones,

bless your dying ones, soothe your suffering ones,

shield your joyous ones,

and all for Your love’s sake.

Quote of St. Augustine: Feast day August 28

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Macarius of Egypt, Feast Day January 15

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St. Macarius of Egypt

The feast day of St. Macarius of Egypt is celebrated on January 15.  He was and Egyptian priest and monk.

St. Macarius was born in Upper Egypt in the year 300. He went into the desert of Skete. He was falsely accused of assaulting a woman, but proven innocent. He was ordained a priest at the age of 40. St. Macarius was a student of St. Anthony the Abbot.

Because of his opposition to Arianism, which is the belief that Christ is not divine, he was sent into exile. He was known for his gift of healing and his sanctity. He believed in mercy and forgiveness.

St. Macarius died at the age of 90 in the year 391.

 

“When you hear that Christ, going down to hell,

freed the souls who were prisoners there,

do not think that these things are far removed

from what is being done now,

Believe me, the heart is a tomb.”

Quote of St. Macarius of Egypt

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Feast Day January 12

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St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

The feast day of St. Marguerite Bourgeoye is celebrated on January 12.  She was a Canadian missionary.

St. Marguerite Bourgeoye was born in Troyes, France in 1620.  She died in 1700. After her mother’s death at the age of 19, she consecrated herself to the service of God.  Eventually she became a missionary in Canada.  She established a school for Indian girls in Montreal and became known as “Mother of the Colony”.  She spent her time teaching the poor, the natives and young girls.

St. Marguerite co-founded the Congregation of Notre-Dame.    St. Marguerite Bourgeoye was canonized on October 31, 1982.

It seems to me that we do not pay enough attention to prayer, for unless it arises from the heart which ought to be its center, it is no more than a fruitless dream. Prayer ought to carry over into our thoughts, our words and our actions.

Quote of Marguerite Bourgeoys

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. William Carter, Feast Day January 11

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Bl. William Carter

The feast day of Bl. William Carter is celebrated on January 11.  He was born in London, England in 1548.  He was a book publisher and a martyr.
Bl. William Carter was a married bookseller living in London. He owned his own printing press. The press was so small he could only produce one page at a time. He used the press to publish Catholic literature. He was always in danger from the Elizabethan authorities.

When the authorities searched his house they found vestments and chalices put in his care. They also found prayer books which contained Catholic prayers, meditations and spiritual exercises. He was charged with printing and publishing the Treatise of Schisme which allegedly incited violence by Catholics and was said to have been written by a traitor.

After the trial, the jury met for 15 minutes before finding him guilty. While the jury was deliberating, William had his final confession heard by a priest who was also on trial.  The next day, which was January 11, 1584, he was executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered.
Bl. William Carter was beatified in 1987.

 

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord,
and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Quote of St. Augustine; Feast day August 28

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Benedictine Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Peter Orseolo, Feast Day January 10

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St. Peter Orseolo

The feast day of St. Peter Orseolo is celebrated on January 10.

St. Peter Orseolo married at the age of 18. He had one son. At the age of 20 he became the Commander of the Venetian Fleet and led them against Dalmatian pirates. After the revolution, he became a Doge (chief magistrate) in 976. He worked on restoring the city and began to rebuild the Church of San Marco. He also tried to help the widows and orphans and built hospitals. After two years of service as a Doge he joined the Benedictine Monastery in Southern France living the life of a hermit in the forest surrounding the monastery.

In 976, he decided to live a life of complete solitude, having contact only with God.

St. Peter Orseolo died in 987. His tomb became a site popular with pilgrims.

 

“Before all, and above all, attention shall be paid to the care of the sick, so that they shall be served as if they were Christ Himself.”

Quote of St. Benedict of Nursia

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name