Tag Archives: St. Augustine

Faith, Feast Days

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Feast of the Archangels, Feast Day September 29

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St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael Public Domain Image
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael

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.

St. Augustine tells us the following:

 

“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 Public Domain Image
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 Public Domain Image
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 Public Domain Image
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

 

“It is humility that makes men into angels.”

Quote of St. Augustine;  Feast day January 28

 

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Augustine, Feast Day August 28

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St. Augustine of Hippo by Sandro Botticelli Public Domain Image
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. Monica prayed 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

Faith, patron saints

Prayers Quips and Quotes: St. Monica, Feast Day August 27

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St. Monica by Tristán de Escamilla, Public Domain Image
St. Monica by
Tristán de Escamilla,

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

 

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Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; Feast Day of Augustinian Martyrs of Gafsa (Africa)

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Symbol of the ]Augustinian Order
Symbol of the
Augustinian Order

The feast day of  the Martyrs of Gafsa is celebrated on August 26.

St. Augustine founded 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; 

that is, joining our will to the will of God. 

That is what makes the soul truly free.

Quote of St. Faustina;  Feast day October 5

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Henry II, Feast Day July 13

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St. Henry II Public Domain Image
St. Henry II

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. Benedict at 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.

Quote of St. Augustine, Feast day August 28

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July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.




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Incorruptible, Jesuit Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bernadino, Feast Day July 2

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St. Bernadino
St. Bernadino

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.

That is what love looks like.

Quote of St. Augustine; Feast day August 28

 

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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