The feast day of St. Augustine is celebrated on August 28th. St. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers. St. Augustine was born in Africa. His mother was St. Monica.
After the death of his father at the age of seventeen, St. Augustine left the church and led a loose life. He soon had both a mistress and a son. His mother St. Monicaprayed for him for seventeen years before he returned to the faith.
Augustine began his search for faith by joining a group called the Manichees. Manichaeism teaches there are two gods at war with each other; good and evil. It also teaches that all matter is evil. He was hesitant to fully practice his faith due to physical desires. He is known for his statement
“O God, give me chastity, but not yet.”
Eventually, Augustine heard the preaching of St. Ambrose, which greatly influenced him. He began to study the bible. One day, after experiencing great remorse for his sins, Augustine heard a child singing, “Take up and read!” He opened his bible to the letters of St. Paul where he read “put away all impurity and live in imitation of Jesus.” From then on Augustine practiced his faith with zeal. He was baptized by St. Ambrose, ordained a priest and eventually became a bishop. He was also a famous writer. His book “Confessions” is considered a classic. After his death in 430 he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
The following poem was written by St. Augustine.
Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong – I, misshapen. You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back far from you, those things which would have no being, were they not in you.
You called, shouted, broke through my deafness; you flared, blazed, banished my blindness; you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you; I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned for your peace.
August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Unlike Easter which has always been celebrated by the Church, the feast day of Christmas was not firmly established until the fourth century. Because the birthday of Jesus was unknown, it was decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. This would also coincide with the winter solstice festivals. The date symbolizes that Jesus is the Light of the World. In the Gospel of John 8:12 Jesus said;
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
Christmas also focuses on the two natures of Jesus Christ. He is both full divine and fully human. It states in Luke 2:9:
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see…I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying;
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another;
“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The feast day of St. Gregory III is celebrated on December 10. He was the Bishop of Rome.
St. Gregory III was born in Syria. His father’s name was John. Little is known about his childhood. He became a Syrian priest. He was proclaimed pope immediately after the death of Pope Gregory II. The most pressing problem was defending the veneration of holy images. Emperor Leo III considered it idolatry.
Pope Gregory called a synod during which he approved measures against anyone who destroyed images of Jesus, Mary or the saints. He taught that icons and images promote worship rather than being the object of worship themselves. He repaired many beautiful churches and promoted monasticism. Pope Gregory was known for his virtue and knowledge.
Pope Gregory III died of natural causes on November 28, 741.
The feast day of St. Cecelia is celebrated on November 22. She is a martyr and the patron saint of musicians.
St. Cecelia by Guarino
St. Cecelia was born in Rome to an esteemed family late in the first century. She lived a life of prayer. She was given in marriage to a young pagan named Valerian. Cecelia shared her promise of celibacy and consecration to God with her husband. During the wedding, it is said that she sat apart, singing to God in her heart with thanksgiving.
Valerian converted to Christianity and he honored her desire to remain a virgin. He helped Cecilia in her charity toward the poor. Because of this, he was arrested and put to death.
Almachius, the Prefect of Rome, feared her nobility and charity to the poor. He had her imprisoned in the steam bath of her own home, trying to suffocate her. After a full day and night in stifling steam, Cecilia survived without harm. This resulted in Almachius sending an executioner to behead her. She was struck three times, but she was not beheaded. She fell to the floor. After several days of bleeding in her own bath, Christians rushed in to help her. On the third morning the venerable Bishop Urban visited Cecilia. As she lay dying, she requested that her palace be made into a church for the poor. She died praying, after receiving the Eucharist. Her body was buried in the Catacomb of Saint Callistus. The year of her death is unknown bu it is believed her martyrdom took place during the pontificate of Urban I (222-230).
In 817, her tomb was discovered by Pope Paschal I. Her body was one of the first of over a hundred saints whose bodies were discovered to be incorrupt. Her body remained as it was when she died. Her relics were put into the crypt in the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trasrevere. When her tomb was opened in 1599, her body was perfectly incorrupt. Her neck still had marks of being struck with a sword.
St. Cecelia is the patron saint of musicians, because of the zeal with which she sang the divine praises of thanksgiving. Her spirituality included a love of music. St. Cecilia is often venerated in poetry and music.
What Do The Saints Tell Us About Purgatory? Learn what the Saints believed about Purgatory. The quotes of the saints can teach us the beliefs of the early Church.
Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31. Halloween stands for “All Hallows Eve.” It falls on the night before All Saint’s Day which is followed by All Soul’s Day on Nov. 2. On All Saint’s Day the Church celebrates the lives of the Saints. On All Soul’s Day the Church prays for the dead, who are on their pilgrimage to heaven (Purgatory).
Although the word Purgatory (as well as the words Trinity and Incarnation) does not appear in the Bible there are several references to it in both the New and the Old Testament. The Saints have testified to their belief in purgatory also.
The three main reasons Catholics believe in Purgatory are the following:
The Bible teaches us to “pray for the dead”.
(2 Maccabees 12:44-45). For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.
The Bible tells us of a cleansing fire.
(Hebrews 12:29) Our God is a consuming fire. Zechariah 13” 8-9 In the whole land, says the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say,
“They are my people”, and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”
St. Paul prayed for the dead. (2 Timothy 1: 17-18) St. Paul prays for Onesiphorus who has died.
The Church Fathers and early Saints believed in Purgatory: The Church Fathers have a long tradition of praying for the dead. St. Augustine was asked by his mother Monica to pray for him at the altar. St. Gertrude the Great had a devotion to the Souls in Purgatory, as did St. Pio, St. Bridget and St. Bernadette.
The following quotes from the saints of the Catholic Church show that purgatory is a belief that has always existed in the church.
“May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesephores, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain….. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day!
2. St. Augustine of Hippo, Africa d. 430, Feast Day August 28
“Some suffer temporal punishments only in this life, others only after death, still others both in life and after death, but always before this most strict and most final court.”
4. St. John Chrysostom; Antioch 344-407 Feast Day Sept. 13
“Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their fathers sacrifices why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”
5. St. Gertrude the Great; Germany 1256-1302 Feast Day Nov. 16
“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious Blood of Thy Divine Son , Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the wold today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, those in the Universal Church, in my home and in my family. Amen“
Quote of St. Gertrude
St. Catherine of Genoa
6. St. Catherine of Genoa; Italy 1447-1510 Feast Day Sept. 15
“No one is barred from heaven. Whoever wants to enter heaven may do so because God is merciful. Our Lord will welcome us into glory with his arms wide open. The Almighty is pure however, and if a person is conscious of the least trace of imperfection and at the same time understands that Purgatory is ordained to do away with such impediments, the soul enters this place of perfection gladly to accept so great a mercy of God. The worst suffering of these suffering souls is to have sinned against Divine Goodness and not to have been purified in this life.”
Quote of St. Catherine of Genoa
St. Francis de Sales
7. St. Francis de Sales; France 1567-1622 Feast Day Jan. 24
“With Charity towards the dead we practice all the works of charity. The Church encourages us to aid the souls in purgatory, who in turn will reward us abundantly when they come into their glory.”
Quote of St. Francis de Sales
St. Margaret Mary
8. St. Margaret Mary; France 1647-1690 Feast Day October 16
“If only you knew with what great longing these holy souls yearn for relief from their suffering. Ingratitude has never entered Heaven.”
9. St. Gregory the Great; Italy 540-604 Feast Day Sept. 3
“Each one will be presented to the Judge exactly as he was when he departed this life. Yet there must be a cleansing fire before judgement because of some minor faults that may remain to be purged away.”
10. St. Thomas Aquinas; Naples, Italy 1226-1274 Feast Day Jan. 28
“The more one longs for a thing, the more painful does deprivation of it become. And because after this life, the desire for God, the Supreme Good, is intense in the souls of the just (because this impetus toward him is not hampered by the weight of the body and that time of enjoyment of the “Perfect Good would have come) had there been no obstacle, the souls suffers enormously from this delay.”
Quote of St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Faustina
11. St. Faustina; Poland 1905-1938
“O Jesus, I understand that your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask you to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in purgatory, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God’s mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You are toward us as we are toward our neighbor.”
Quote of St. Faustina
St. John Vianney
12. St. John Vianney; France 1786-1859 Feast Day August 4
“It is definite that only a few chosen ones do not go to Purgatory and the suffering there that one must endure exceed our imagination.”
“May the prayer of thy suppliant people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, benefit the souls of thy departed servants and handmaids: that thou may both deliver them from all their sins, and make them to be partakers of thy redemption. Amen
Eternal rest grant to them, O lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen
May their souls and the souls of the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen“
The feast day of St. Callistus I is celebrated on October I. He is honored as a Pope and martyr of the faith.
St. Callistus was a slave for a Roman who worked for Caesar. He was put in charge of the bank by his master. He manged to lose the money deposited and in fear he fled. He was caught and sent to prison. He was released and told to try to recover the money. This time, he was arrested after getting into a brawl in a Jewish synagogue. He was then sent to Sardenia to work in the mines. The mistress of the emperor was able to influence his release.
Callistus became superintendent of the cemetery of St. Callistus. He was ordained a deacon by the Pope and became the friend and adviser of the Pope. When the pope died, Callistus was elected to be Bishop of Rome with a majority vote. This led to a schism with his rival St. Hippolytus who became the first anti-pope. Hippolytus accused Pope Callistus of sympathizing with heretics. He also disagreed with Pope Callistus’ teaching about the power of Divine Mercy in the sacrament of confession.
In the year 236, both Pope Callistus and Hyppolytus were martyred during an uprising in Rome. They were both canonized as saints. It is believed that Hyppolytus made peace with the church before his death.
St. Callistus is the first pope after St. Peter to be honored as a martyr.
“God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.”
September 29th is the day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of the Archangels; St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. The word “angel” means servant of God. Angels have no bodies. They are pure spirits. They have intellect and free will. Angels who turned against God are called “fallen angels”. Satan is the leader of the fallen angels.
“Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature.”
The Choirs of angels include nine types of angels. In ascending order they are: 1. Angels 2. Archangels 3. Principalities 4. Powers 5. Virtues 6. Dominations 7. Thrones 8. Cherubim 9. Seraphim.
The archangels appear several times in scripture. St. Michael (which means “who is like God”) is considered a warrior angel. He appears three times in scripture; in the Book of Daniel, the Epistle of St. Jude, and the Book of Revelation. In the Book of Revelation, the final battle between good and evil at the end of time is described. St. Michael and his angels will battle against the dragon (also known as Satan) and good will triumph. (Revelation 12:7)
St. Gabriel (which means “Strength of God) is a messenger. He announces the birth of the prophet John the Baptist. He is also called the Angel of the Annunciation because he announces to Mary that she is to be the Mother of God. It is St. Gabriel the messenger who says:
“Hail Mary, the Lord is with you.”(Luke 1:28)
St. Raphael (which means “Divine Healer”) appears in the Book of Tobit. He is a guide for the young Tobias on his long journey. He introduces Tobias to his future wife Sarah, and after their return home, he gives Tobias instructions in how to heal his fathers’ blindness.
The following prayers of intercession are popular prayers to the Archangels.
St. Michael the Archangel
Prayer to St. Michael
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits, who roam throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
Archangel Gabriel
Prayer to St. Gabriel
Blessed St. Gabriel, the Archangel, We beseech you to intercede for us as at the throne of divine mercy. As ;you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary, so through your prayers, may we receive strength of faith, and courage of spirit, and thus find favor with God and redemption through Christ Our Lord. May we sing the praise of God our Savior with the angels and saints in heaven forever and ever. Amen
St. Raphael the Archangel
Prayer to St. Raphael
Dear St. Raphael, your lovely name means “God heals”. The Lord sent you to young Tobias to guide him throughout a long journey. Upon his return you taught him how to cure his fathers’ blindness. How natural therefore for Christians to pray for your powerful help for safe travel and a happy return. This is what we ask for ourselves as well as for all who are far from home. Amen
St. Augustine of Hippo by Sandro Botticelli Public Domain Image
The feast day of St. Augustine is celebrated on August 28th. St. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers.
After the death of his father at the age of seventeen, St. Augustine left the church and led a loose life. He soon had both a mistress and a son. His mother St. Monicaprayed for him for seventeen years before he returned to the faith.
Augustine began his search for faith by joining a group called the Manichees. Manichaeism teaches there are two gods at war with each other; good and evil. It also teaches that all matter is evil. He was hesitant to fully practice his faith due to physical desires. He is known for his statement
“O God, give me chastity, but not yet.”
Eventually, Augustine heard the preaching of St. Ambrose, which greatly influenced him. He began to study the bible. One day, after experiencing great remorse for his sins, Augustine heard a child singing, “Take up and read!” He opened his bible to the letters of St. Paul where he read “put away all impurity and live in imitation of Jesus.” From then on Augustine practiced his faith with zeal. He was baptized by St. Ambrose, ordained a priest and eventually became a bishop. He was also a famous writer. His book “Confessions” is considered a classic. After his death in 430 he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
The following poem was written by St. Augustine.
Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong – I, misshapen. You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back far from you, those things which would have no being, were they not in you.
You called, shouted, broke through my deafness; you flared, blazed, banished my blindness; you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you; I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned for your peace.
August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The feast day of St. Monica is celebrated on August 27. She is the patron saint of mothers, alcoholism and difficult marriages.
St. Monica was born of a Christian family in Tagaste in Africa in 331. She was given in marriage by her parents to a non-Christian named Patricius. He was known to have a a bad temper and alcoholism. They had three children who survived infancy. One of them was Augustine.
Monica was known for her pious nature. She prayed without ceasing for her family. A year before his death Patricius converted to Catholicism and was baptized. Augustine was 17 at the time of his father’s death. He left the faith and led an immoral life. By eighteen he had a mistress and a son. He joined a group called the Manichees. Manicheeism teaches that the material world is part of the realm of evil. There are two gods one good and one evil.
Monica never ceased praying for the return of her son to the Catholic faith. After more than 15 years of prayer, Augustine heard St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, preach. He decided to study the faith, and eventually returned, being baptized in 387. Eventually Augustine became a priest and then a bishop. St. Augustine is now considered a Doctor of the Church.
Monica is the patron of mother’s because of her persistence in prayer.
“Nothing is far from God.”
Quote of St. Monica
August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Prayers, Quips and Quotes; Feast Day of Augustinian Martyrs of Gafsa (Africa)
Symbol of the Augustinian Order
The feast day of the Martyrs of Gafsa is celebrated on August 26.
St. Augustinefounded several monasteries on Northern Africa. After the death of St. Augustine in 484, King Hunmeric ordered all monasteries abolished and the monks and nuns turned over to the Moors.
The seven brothers from the Gafsa, Tunisia monastery were arrested. They were: Deacon Boniface, Subdeacons Scrvus and Rusticus; Abott Liberatus and Monks: Rogatus, Septimus and Maximus.
After being taken prisoner they were taken to Carthage. They were offered bribes to renounce Christianity. When they refused they were thrown into prison. Christians living in Carthage bribed the jailers who let them offer support to the prisoners. However, the King was informed and he then ordered the prisoners burned to death. The youngest monk, Maximus was given a second chance to renounce Christianity. He refused and pledged his allegiance to God and his Augustinian brothers.
The soldiers tied bundles of dry wood to the monks and placed them on an old raft. They were however, unable to make the wood burn. The King became infuriated and ordered the monks to be beaten to death.
The seven Augustinian brothers are honored as martyrs of the faith.
What unites our soul most closely to God is self-denial;
The feast day of St. Henry II is celebrated on July 13.
St. Henry was born to Duke Henry of Vavaria and Princess Gisela of Burgundy. As a youth he considered becoming a priest. He was educated at the Cathedral School in Hildesheim by St. Wolfgang of Regensburg who was a bishop.
In 995 Henry became the Duke of Bavaria. He became the king of Germany in 1002. In 1004 he was crowned King of Pavia, Italy. He married St. Cunegunga, however they had no children. In 1014 he was crowned the Emperor of the Roman Empire by Pope Benedict VIII. He worked to establish peace in Europe. He was also able to reform the church. He fostered missions and began the construction of the Cathedral at Basel, Switzerland, which took 400 years to complete.
Later in life he came down with an aliment which crippled his leg. He was cured by the touch of St. Benedictat Monte Cesino. After the death of his wife he considered becoming a monk however he was turned down. He was told he could no more good in the world as a public servant.
St. Henry II died on July 13, 1024 from natural causes at Pfalz Gvona, Saxony (modern Germany). He was canonized by Pope Bl. Eugene III.
From now on, regard this life as a desert
through which you pass until you come to the Promised Land,
the Jerusalem, which is above the land of the living.
The feast day of St. Bernadino Realino is celebrated on July 2.
St. Bernadino was born to a noble family of Capri, Italy in 1530. He studied medicine and law at the University of Bologna. He received his doctorate in 1563. After attending a retreat giving by the Jesuits, Bernadino realized he had a religious calling. He joined the Society of Jesus and was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1567. After ministering to the poor and the youth of Naples for several years he was sent to Lecce where he served for 42 years.
St. Bernadino was a powerful preacher and confessor. He was known for his acts of kindness and serving the poor. He died in 1616. His fame occurred after his death when his body was found to be partially incorrupt when his tomb was opened in 1711.
St. Bernadino Realino was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1947.
It has hands to help others.
It has feet to hasten to the poor and the needy.
It has eyes to see misery and want.
It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of women and men.
![Symbol of the ]Augustinian Order](https://i0.wp.com/catholicfaithpatronsaints.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Symbol-of-Augustinian-Order-Public-Domain-Image.jpg)
